I was going to just post in the thread by Bobby, but that has over 100 replies already.
Just booked some weekend tickets including weekend camping for the BTCC at Oulton Park for me and the lad.
Any recommendations for cooking gear? Should I stick with a brand name such as Campingaz for ease of supplies/spares?
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What sort of a tent, how much other camping do you do and what do you intend to cook?
Family tent, ongoing hols, and evening meals for four will get a different answer to backpacker and making tea/coffee or heating dehydrated 'instant' grub.
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Had one of these for years:
PORTABLE GAS COOKER STOVE + 2/4/8 BUTANE BOTTLES CAMPING
on Ebay @ about £12.00
Last edited by: devonite on Tue 12 May 15 at 12:00
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Devonite has the right idea, I have 2 of those little burners for my intermittent camping expeditions (mainly to motor racing) and I pre-cook and freeze spag bog & curries or similar which I take in a cool box along with some 4 pt milk with frozen water in. (You can replace water with squash and they become useful). Two cookers are handy so you can heat the main course and do some rice or spaghetti. I usually get the refills canisters in Halfords for about £1.50 (calor branded ones are getting on for twice that) - I think they are a pretty standard fitting.
Last edited by: smokie on Tue 12 May 15 at 12:25
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>> Family tent, ongoing hols, and evening meals for four will get a different answer to
>> backpacker and making tea/coffee or heating dehydrated 'instant' grub.
>>
Of course, sorry.
This occasion, it's just a small 2 man tent , going forward (European trip), not so sure, but will only ever be the two of us (wife and daughter won't entertain camping!)
This trip - just hot drinks, reheating food / soup. I suppose a grill attachment would be handy.
Not thought to much about the longer trip (food wise). But do have plans for a few shorter weekend trips.
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What you need to avoid is some unique or lesser known gas refills or connectors.
Go for something generally available and that probably means a well known mainstream brand.
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>> Go for something generally available and that probably means a well known mainstream brand.
Agree. Camping Gaz is universal in Europe and I think there are standard 'Euro' fittings for the aerosol shaped canisters too. Other UK gas brands, including Calor, are unknown outside UK.
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The Lad has a Camping Gaz Twister bought for his DofE trips. It uses a resealable 'CV' series cartridge He swears by it and finds it excellent for heating water, beans and instant meals etc. Top of the range version comes as a set with billies into which it can be packed. The fuel though is butane/propane mix which can be reluctant to vaporise fast enough in low temps eg if you're up early on a cool morning.
Trying to cook anything more than the simplest stuff while crouching on the floor rapidly becomes a pita. For that reason I'd avoid twin burner plus grill combos - these really need a stand if full use is to be made. Also, unless shielding has come on leaps/bounds they're very susceptible to wind when used outdoors.
I know it's obvious but never use a stove inside the tent - CO risk. Under really bad conditions sheltering under an open 'bell' end (when did that term's primary meaning shift) is a risk some, me included will take. Others will still regard it as too chancy from both a CO and fire POV.
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>> For that reason I'd avoid twin burner plus grill combos - these really need a stand if full use is to be made
Bromp is right. Complicated cooking is a real pain so buying a complicated cooker is pointless and just going to tempt you into attempting things you shouldn't. Something easy to use, easy to get refills for, which will keep you in hot liquids is perfect.
Smokie's idea of reheating frozen curries etc is excellent for weekends, but will be less idea for a week, depending on storage. I always keep a couple of those small disposable barbecue things in the boot - the things that are in a foil baking tray thing. They're dead useful for sausages, burgers and similar.
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Before taking disposable barbecues check they're permitted on site. Prohibition is not uncommon because of damage to grass etc.
Might also be worth checking gas is permitted at your motor race's campsite. The Lad reminds me that it's prohibited at Download and probably other festivals too.
Solid fuel (eg hexi stoves) are the recommendation there.
Mark mentions cool boxes kept chilled with frozen bottles. Most permanent sites will either freeze down bottles or chill blocks and/or sell ice in one form or another. If you protect the cool box with one of those foil blankets sold for emergency protection of stranded hikers eg www.amazon.co.uk/Foil-Survival-Emergency-Blanket-Pack/dp/B000VPL97C it will make an adequate fridge for milk, beer etc. Just top up the ice daily.
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Good thoughts about restrictions from Bromp, they don't really exist here so I never think of them..
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Where I take No. 1 fishing* and thus where we often camp. In case you're interested.
www.flickr.com/photos/125140832@N05/
*I don't fish, never have. But she loves it, so I read books.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 12 May 15 at 13:39
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b***** Chelsea Tractors.
;-)
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Funnily enough that is the one I use on the school run.
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>> Funnily enough that is the one I use on the school run.
The one with the iffy steering?
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>> Where I take No. 1 fishing and thus where we often camp. In case you're
>> interested.
That looks fantastic.
*I don't mind spiders, but don't know if I could deal with those
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>> >> For that reason I'd avoid twin burner plus grill combos - these really need
>> a stand if full use is to be made
>>
>> Bromp is right. Complicated cooking is a real pain so buying a complicated cooker is
>> pointless and just going to tempt you into attempting things you shouldn't. Something easy to
>> use, easy to get refills for, which will keep you in hot liquids is perfect.
Exactly. There will be burger and hot dog stalls at Outon Park for real food.
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Yeah but my motor racing takes longer than most... 24h at Le Mans, and I'm there for a week (early June). The concessions are not fully open in the early part of the week and there is a desire to keep costs down hence taking your own stuff. I also personally prefer to avoid frequent shopping as it feels such a waste of time. I get all the burgers and hot dogs I can be bothered with during the last three or four days.
I travel on Sunday and definitely expect to be able to use the frozen meat by Wednesday evening, maybe even Thursday if ambient temp is not too hot. Another trick is to keep the cool box closed as much as possible. Might also try the thermal blanket idea.
French supermarkets have only recently started stocking ice in bags but it used to be that you could blag the fish counter people into letting you have some.
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An oddball one is my use of a primus stove (more accurately, an Optimus). Filled with paraffin it will burn for 3 hours per filling which is more than enough for a weekend for one. It will boil a pint of water in 3 minutes so we used it for hot drinks in the early 80's chasing the RAC Lombard rally. If one understands the stove, and is the sole user they are good but I stopped reconditioning the local scout group's one after a cub leader wreaked one in one lighting. However to be that bad is unusual!
As for gas in low temperatures, I had folk running away when I held the gas bottle over a lit burner to get someone's gas stove working in sub zero temperatures. I've now forgotten what the maximum rated temperature of a bottle is, but as long as you can comfortably hold the bottle, you won't exceed it.
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As recommended just get a cheap double burner. Run on Campingaz or Coleman fuel. Use normal domestic pans, and take fresh food for the weekend in cool boxes. My preference is a veggie pasta....peppers, mushrooms, garlic, spicy sauce, wholemeal pasta. Cook peppers etc in a fry pan, boil pasta, drain, add sauce & hey presto. Lots of variations on a theme.
Breakfast is a fry up.
I dehydrate stuff like this at home & take it with me, but the lightweight kit gets very expensive when backpacking. I've bought cars for less money than my Hilleberg tent & phd sleeping bag combined!
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It's the wife's birthday today so I bought her one of these for our camping trip.
www.gooutdoors.co.uk/toaster-folding-4-slice-p152190
Thought that was quite generous of me...........
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For her birthday?
Just so she doesn't have any spare suitcases and you don't live near a canal.
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also got her a head torch and emergency shelter!!
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>> also got her a head torch and emergency shelter!!
Tell you what, you jocks know how to woo your wenches.
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I once got my ex-wife a new set of hub caps for her Fiat Panda for her birthday. I think she appreciated them...
Oh hang on...Come to think...
;-)
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>> I once got my ex-wife a new set of hub caps for her Fiat Panda
>> for her birthday. I think she appreciated them...
>>
>> Oh hang on...Come to think...
Tell you what, you jocks wheely know how to woo your wenches.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 12 May 15 at 20:12
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Had I done *any* of those things I would not have survived the day!
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She actually appreciated them!!! Recognised the thought that went into them rather than just buying vouchers....
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Nope, I wouldn't survive vouchers either.
Between Christmas and April I have both our wedding anniversaries, her Birthday, Easter, Mother's Day and of course Christmas itself.
I breath a sigh of relief as I survive until May each year.
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Just escape by going skiing for 4 months
Probably the wrong time of year South of the equator
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Totally the wrong time of year. We tend to go to the beach from New Year to March, so there's no escaping my fate.
Forecast is good for snow this year though, there's some and hopefully by June there'll be lots.
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Thanks for all the tips / suggestions. I'll have a look around today.
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Camping Equipment - Bromptonaut
