Cooking Basics

One of the best parts of camping and being in the great out-of-doors is the food. From elaborate dutch oven meals to simple tinfoil dinners. But cooking and eating outdoors takes a little advance preparation and the know-how to go along with it. With that in mind, here's a few tips and ideas that can help make your outdoor cooking experience a good one.

First, decide what you will use to prepare your outdoor meal. Will it be a gas powered camping stove, an open fire or something else? Before you decide how to heat your meal, be sure to check any local restrictions in your camping area. Are open pit fires allowed? If not you may need to bring a camping stove or some other alternative.

If open pit fires are allowed and you plan on using one, be sure to only build fires in designated firepits. If there are no designated firepits, find an open area away from low hanging branches, miscellaneous groundcover and dry vegetation. Clear a ten foot circle around the area where you will build a fire and then create a fire bed or fire pit. Fire beds can be made of rocks, silt, clay, sand or any other non-flammable materials available. A small pit, approximately 4 to 10 inches deep can serve quite well as a fire bed. Surrounding your pit with small rocks can provide an extra layer of protection...plus, it's makes your fire pit look official.

Second, set up a cooking fly. An old tarp or heavy fire-resistant blanket strung between two trees, poles, or walking sticks can provide protection from the elements for your cooking area. Always face the fly away from the wind. This will provide you maximum protection from unexpected wind, rain, sleet or snow. Be sure to dig your fire pit about ten feet in front of the fly, far enough from the fire that sparks won't harm the fabric, but close enough that you can step beneath when weather is bad.

If you'll be using a camp stove, be sure to plan ahead. You'll need to pack more fuel than your stove will carry, unless your trip is very short. Be sure to pack flammable fuels in high quality metal containers and always mark them to keep them separate from drinking water and other liquids. Also, be sure that fuel containers are air-tight so that there is no leakage of fuel or fumes. Any leaks might prove disastrous later on. Store extra fuel far away from your cooking area. This will provide extra safety and peace of mind.

You may want to bring a small table or some wooden blocks to put your stove on. Many stoves have their own stands, but others will need to be keep off the ground and away from potentially flammable materials.

When lighting your stove, be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Never use a stove in or near a tent. Never open fuel containers on or near a hot stove, and never try to refuel a stove that is hot or still burning.

Third, whether you're cooking with a stove or an open fire, it might not be a bad idea to locate your cooking area 30 or 40 yards downwind from any tents or shelters in which you'll sleep. Curious animals might be attracted by the smells of your food and you don't want them sniffing around your tent at night.

Fourth, Be sure to leave the area you camp in better than it was when you found it. Before pulling up camp, thoroughly douse your fire, mix it around with a stick or shovel, then douse it again. Refill you fire pit or scatter your fire bed. Clean up everything...don't ever leave trash in your camping area. When you're all packed up, police the area to make sure that nothing is left behind.

And last of all, no matter how you'll be cooking, be prepared and use your common sense!