cooking options when camping

see also:

• cookware for camping
• bushwalking in Australia
• how not to get gastro or food poisoning when camping
• food for car camping on cold nights with a wood stove and pipe oven
• food for overnight bushwalks
• camp fires and fire restrictions
• gas or liquid fuel stoves for camping
• wood stoves for camping
• electric induction stoves for camping

• cooking is often one of the joys when camping - but for some, particularly minimalistic hikers, it can be just a simple task to get some nutrition

• see gas or liquid fuel stoves for camping

• these are perhaps the BEST option for most hikers
• easy, reliable, compact and light weight
• great for boiling water for drinks and rehydrating hiking packet foods, or for re-heating or cooking foods, and with a small fry pan will do your eggs and bacon and even a steak
• examples:
  • Soto Windburner - my favourite!
  • JetBoil
  • many other options

• these can be an option, especially in autumn or winter months when you would welcome the warmth
• BUT these are less reliable as you need dry firewood to be processed (hence you may need a bushman's knife or axe), fire starter and a iron pot to boil water over it and perhaps a fry pan
• an option is also the tiny foldable titanium stoves designed for burning small twigs

• great in winter conditions to also give you warmth but they do weigh a few kgs and you still need firewood and gear
• see wood stoves for camping

• these can be useful for long multi-day through hikes as you can carry just the amount of fuel you might need whereas a gas stove requires a number of cartridges which will weigh more
• eg. traditional Trangia stove

• these give you lots of fuel options including gas cartridge, kerosene, alcohol but do have a learning curve in how to use them safely

• whilst you can use the above hiking stove options, having a car nearby means you can use heavier gear with more versatility and capacity

• these are very popular as single burner all in one stoves (but without cookware)
• make sure you take them out of the plastic case if it comes with it otherwise it will melt
• make sure you don't use frypans or pots that are too large as this will excessively heat the gas cartridge
• eg. Gasmate Travel Mate II
  • 2.4kWh 8.5 MJ/h heat output; piezo starter;
  • packed size 368 x 263 x 123 mm; 2kg excl. gas cartridge; ~$AU45

• whilst these could be used for hiking, at just over 1kg, most people would opt for a simpler, lighter version for hiking (see above)
• there compact size and light weight however do make them attractive for many campers
• aluminium is a much better cookware than titanium which cooks unevenly
• Fire Maple hard anodised aluminium cooking kit
  • single 3KW, consuming max. 215g/h butane, burner which is placed inside a pot support and wind protection system - there is a cheaper alcohol burner version as well
  • two large pots (1.5L and 2L), larger one with lid, one 1.3L kettle, one 0.9L frypan, pot lifter (as none have handles so that it packs together well)
  • all pack inside each other to form a small light packed kit 1.3kg 8.4“x5” - just don't lose the pot supports and there is no piezo so bring a long lighter!
  • there is no steamer supplied
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doJyyshCWgg
  • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006614125073.html ~$AU130

• this is particularly for those with LP propane gas bottles (these require correct transportation - always upright and external to your vehicle)
• see gas or liquid fuel stoves for camping

• great for those wanting to do a roast on a rotisserie
• NOT permitted during fire ban restrictions as counts as a “solid fuel” fire
• MUST never be used in enclosed spaces as very high risk of carbon monoxide poisoning - the silent camp killer

• this is the traditional favourite amongst die hard campers but does require the gear and the experience to get it right without burning the food or leaving the centre under-done
• obviously can only be used when permitted for fire ban restrictions
• generally requires a heavy, bulky Dutch oven
• great for larger groups
  • roast veges such as potatoes wrapped in aluminium foil in the hot coals
  • boil water with a kettle in the hot coals or on a fry pan tray or suspended over flames
  • fry steaks, eggs etc using a grill/fry pan tray with legs
  • roast meat and veges in cast iron Dutch oven sitting on, and covered with hot coals
  • camp-made sausage rolls - see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1nrViXbB5o single layer with minimal heat under and main heat from coals on lid
  • stew dishes in suspended cast iron Dutch oven (usually suspended under a 4' tall steel tripod)
  • see also camping recipes and wood fired camp ovens - Dutch ovens, etc

• metal mesh folding baskets with handles are popular ways to cook meats next to wood fires, especially fish or chicken, but can do steaks, sausages, veges
• obviously can only be used when permitted for fire ban restrictions
• potatoes, corn and other veges can be roasted in aluminium foil in the ashes

• a great option when fire restrictions allow it, especially if you have a hot tents (tents with wood stoves inside)
• see wood stoves for camping
• can cook with a pot on the stove
  • boil water, steam foods, create stews or soups, etc
• can cook eggs, bacon or steak on a frypan (but may need to put a wire mesh over the top opening if it has one to allow final searing of the steak)
• if it has an oven then you can also bake or roast small-medium dishes to about 180-200degC such as a 700g roast in aluminium tray

• these are an option for keeping your pies warm while you are driving to your camp ground and plugged int your car's cig socket
• HOWEVER, they should be securely mounted away from flammable materials or materials which may melt - this probably means they are only a viable option for 4WDs
• they draw too much power to be used at camp site

• Rockarmor sandwich grill $65
• Rockarmor toastie maker 30A $55

• these are relatively new innovation but use a LOT of battery power although not any near as much as a 240V version
• you will need to use ~18Ah to cook up some chips, perhaps 6-9Ah for sausage rolls, chicken nuggets and about 12Ah for meat pies so you will use up your battery quickly
• will not work on PowerStations which do not have 25A current draw capacity
• https://aussieoffroad.com.au/products/rockarmor-12v-air-fryer 250W/21-22A uses 18Ah and takes 55min to cook frozen chips; battery must have > 12.5V;
• HardKorr 12V 3 Litre Air Fryer 280W
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwBueDcH0gE

• 140-200W
• https://aussieoffroad.com.au/products/12v-pressure-cooker-rockarmor

• these will rapidly drain your 12V battery!
  • a standard 100Ah 12V LiFePO4 battery only has 1200Wh - ie. it will last less than 1 hour of running at 1200W - need to also factor in the AC inverter is not 100% efficient!
• these are perhaps the best option for those with a caravan, lots of lithium battery capacity and solar or petrol generators
• a 1000W 12V-240V AC inverter will weigh about 2.3kg (500W weighs 1kg, 2000W weighs ~4.7kg)
• the battery will also need to have a sufficiently fast discharge rate to match the power (1200W will need at least 80A, 2400W will need at least 160A)
• the AC inverter should be well ventilated to prevent over-heating
• NB. a standard Anderson plus is only rated at 50A (ie. 600W) so you will generally be directly wiring the AC inverter to the battery terminals using a heavy duty cable
• NB. AC inverters designed for cigarette plugs can only output ~120W max.
• see AC inverters

• these are great for those who want to cook in a van and not use gas inside the van
• although reasonably small they are a bit bulky - you can't just flat pack them

• eg. Kambrook Meal Master Mini 215W

• you can buy small units which have two pots which sit in boiling water and use about 300W and most small meals cooked this way will take 15-30min and use 75-150Wh
• two poached eggs take around 6 minutes at ~300W = 30Wh
• they do constantly give out steam and a lot of steam when the lid is opened and best used in well ventilated space or outdoors
  • see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POVBDf09tdA
  • see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHWYjyzEB5c

• eg. Kickass

• see electric induction stoves for camping
• perhaps the best option for those with the electrical gear to support it as an adjunct to the gas stove (gas stove is far better for remote trips as easier to repair)
• most are rated at 1200-2400W and thus require at least a 1200-2000W AC inverter even though they have a 200W power setting, they actually still draw 1200W currents!
  • soup, congee or steam cooking setting is usually 1200W then 800W after 15 minutes
  • milk heating is usually set at 800W
  • hot pot setting is usually 1200W
  • frying (240deg), BBQ (220deg), boiling water setting is usually set to max of around 2000W
• some are rated at 800W which are more suitable for camping without an extensive solar power system
• can run one at 600W (1Ah of 12V battery used per minute of use) to cook a steak which will generally require 2 minutes to get to 240degC then a further 8 minutes of cooking which equates to at least 10aH of battery consumed

• also use a lot of battery capacity