Campfire cooking equipment

[GB]

What kind of campfire cooking do you do and what tools do you use to do it? I suppose it depends on what kind of camping you do whether it is car camping or hiking into the woods with everything on your back.

When it comes to campfire cooking, I love car camping because I can bring lots of tools and coolers and heavy things like my cast iron. That is probably my favorite cooking tool when camping. I love being able to start a nice fire and use my cast iron for just about everything. I also have some knives that I use for camping only. They are the knives I had before I got my good ones. I don't have to worry about babying those so I don't mind if they get left in the dirt (by accident of course) at the end of the night.

What are some of your favorite things to use when camping and cooking?

 

[DampCharcoal]

I was just thinking about that a while ago, GB. Believe it or not, one of the most versatile camp cooking tools are the disposable aluminum turkey pans that are found in any supermarket. You can place one of those pans directly on a bed of coals and cook just about anything in them. The relatively thickness of the aluminum is enough to keep them from burning through and you don't have to worry about cleaning up.

 

[DampCharcoal]

Almost forgot, we're getting one of these for the Maintenance Facility this year. Who would NOT want one of these?!?

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0003846514762a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryText=fire+chief&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&Go.x=36&Go.y=1&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=fire+chief&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jhtml

Sorry about the super long link!

 

[MJ]

I bring a tiny gas grill, cast iron and my Dutch oven.

 

[norgeskog]

Anyone here in the Girl or Boy Scouts as a youth? How about that dig the hole in the ground and heat big rocks and cover it up method? Used to work then. Luau's are done that way, maybe wasabi can help. As I only camp 'Hilton Style' cannot help you guys (I will do what ever campers do all day long, but when it comes to sleepy time, I want my shower and a regular bed, no pest ridden, bear attractin tents.

 

[GB]

Believe it or not, one of the most versatile camp cooking tools are the disposable aluminum turkey pans that are found in any supermarket.

We actually used these to cook up some amazing looking rib eye steaks. I was ready to ascend to heaven until one of my drunk buddies decided that beer makes everything better and poured a full Guinness into each pan

 

[Raine]

We're kinda camping everytime we go to a contest. So we have grills, cast iron dutch ovens, camp ovens, camp stove.

We cook and eat outdoors. It is great! Then when the power goes out, we can still cook.

 

[Raine]

DC, that's pretty cool!

 

[LeeAnn]

DampCharcoal, that is a really cool camp tool, I will have to check that out. I think we have one of their new catalogs hanging around. I want to do more camping with my girls this year, we will have to plan some trips with friends so we aren't all alone! Sounds like a lot of fun! And I will have to try the aluminum roasting pans, great idea!

 

[AllenOK]

One old Boy Scout, at your service!

Depending on what kind of camping I'm going to be doing dictates what kind of equipment, and what kind of cooking I'm going to be doing.

If I'm backpacking, weight and size need to be kept as small as possible. A Coleman backpacker's stove and a MSR Whisperlite stove make a good combo. The Coleman is capable of adjustable heat, for different kinds of cooking. The Whisperlite has two setting, off, and blow-torch. It's good for boiling water, especially for the dishes.

A good, lightweight, cookset that nests together is great. If not that, than a WWII - era mess kit from an Army/Navy surplus works just as well.

If I'm camping out of a vehicle, than I try to get a campsite with both a fire-ring, and someplace to put my 2-burner Coleman Camp Stove. Cast Iron skillets and Dutch Ovens work great. Also, so do foil-pack dinners, that you just throw in the coals. A grill grate is good as well, grill some steaks/burgers/chicken, roast some ears of corn, etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[DampCharcoal]

We'll be ordering the "Fire Chief" in the next couple weeks and I'd be more than happy to give you all the full review if anyone is interested! Our 'MacGyver' mechanic is coming up with a way to add a chain-drive to the spit using spare parts that are lying around the shop. We'll write the manual when he's done!

Allen, I made it to Webelo Scout, if that counts! I quit when I was getting more homework assignments from the Scouts than I was from school. Never cared for homework!

 

[norgeskog]

hey, who is providing the llama's for toting this heavy cooking material, plus the food items to be prepared in them?

 

[DampCharcoal]

I usually play the part of the llama, Norge! Somebody has to carry the heavy stuff!

 

[Shellygloo]

fav cooking tools

Howdee,
My favorite campfire cooking tool is: aluminum foil, heavy duty! For yummy packets.

My second favorite is an old grate from a gas grill. They are large enough to fit over all or part of a campfire. I usually stack some rocks on both sides of a campfire and put the grate there. On one side of the campfire I have a fire, and keep moving the glowing coals under the grate. Love to cook burgers, steaks & chops this way, and packets too. You can also put the coffee pot or pots on it.

My third favorite are sticks. Obviously for weenies, marshmallows, and other things.

 

[TomW]

Pump up Coleman Stove

Although my family did not camp when I was a small child, my folks would occasionally pack up the kids at 0'dark thirty, and drive down to the lake to cook breakfast on a Coleman stove. The smell of bacon cooking in the great outdoors is something that has stuck with me through the years.

Before we had kids, my wife & I used to take week-long tent camping vacations where we loaded everything, including my dad's Coleman stove, up in the Suburban, and hit the road.

We now camp in a refurbished Airstream travel trailer which has all the conveniences of home. But, as we reaffirmed this past weekend, nothing beats the smell of bacon cooking on my dad's Coleman stove. Well, steaks cooking on the campground's fire pit does come really close!

Tom

 

[pdswife]

I can't remember the last time we went camping that fires even in pits were allowed...

so, we always just bring our backpacking stove. I can't remember the brand but even with the gas hooked on it only weighs less than a pound. Paul has an old girlscout pan and we use that for frying and we have a small sauce pan that we use for boiling water or heating soups or cooking hotdogs. We always get full but, I'm afraid that our camp meals are pretty dull.

 

[BBQ Fish]

DampCharcoal:

I've been using that for a few years now (as well as the Angle Iron Grill and many of their other products) with absolute great results!

I have the whole set up and i really couldn't ask for anything better as far as size and usefulness. I have found with side hangers, there is enough residual heat to keep a good hot pot of coffee and/or depending on wind direction it's great for a slow stewing process.

Also, my wife thinks i need help......She has been calling me a Cabelas Junkie (for over 8 years now) and said that she will cut my Cabelas credit card and put my in rehab if i go more than twice a month. Heeheehee

 

[AllenOK]

I can't remember the last time we went camping that fires even in pits were allowed...

so, we always just bring our backpacking stove. I can't remember the brand but even with the gas hooked on it only weighs less than a pound. Paul has an old girlscout pan and we use that for frying and we have a small sauce pan that we use for boiling water or heating soups or cooking hotdogs. We always get full but, I'm afraid that our camp meals are pretty dull.

That sounds like the MSR Whisperlite. It's just a little thing, with a hose that attaches to a SIGG fuel bottle.

I just dragged out my big 2-burner Coleman camp stove. It's still got fuel in it, but for the life of me, I can't get it to hold any pressure. I think the rubber seal for the pump needs to be replaced.

 

[Robt]

My wife and I still hike off into the mountians on occasion and we still use her old aluninum Girl Scout cooking and eating set. It is a great diet aid 'cause you can't possiblie put a 'nuff food in it to overeat.


Car camping=No Limits!

 

[ch3f]

BBQ Fish that setup rocks.......

my favorite campfire cooking tool is a stick, beer (to keep me balanced, becuase the stick is so heavy ) and one of those chair that set low to the ground