Cooking on a fire.

[Home Guard]

I didnt really know where to post this, so sorry if its in the wrong place.

Anyway, when Im to be bushcrafting this year I hope to be using minimal equipment and was thinking of cooking only using a mess tin on an open fire.

If this a wise choice? I dont want to carry a cooker of any sort as this just adds cumbersome weight, mess tins seem pretty light so it seems like common sense.

Any tips or recommendations for a better set of mess tins rather than the standard MOD ones?

And what sort of fire would you reccomend I build, and how should I put the mess tin on it?

I know they may sound like silly questions, but it will be my first time cooking on anything other than a hexicooker or trangia.

Thankyou.

 

[British Red]

A small wok with a screw of handle is cheap, and it fries, Burn the fire down to coals and just nessle it in. A tatonka kettle is a good alternative - like a wide, low billy can. Hang it from a tripod of sticks using a chain or even a withy. You can also support it using either a fire crane or a simple stick on a Y shaped support *with the end away from the fire shoved into the ground.

 

[Shewie]

A couple of chunky logs either side of the fire are all you really need to stand a pot on, even just a dry flat rock will do.

Mess tins are okay for boiling up RAT packs but not that great for trying to cook much else, a set of nesting ally billy cans with handles would be more useful over a fire.

If you're going for the minimal and lightweight then a decent sized titanium pot is useful, something like the Snow Peak Treks with an added coat hanger bail arm ...

A length of bath plug chain is useful to have in the pack for hanging your billy with.

 

[RonW]

My advice; use a lid on whatever you are cooking with!
Ashes blown up by the heat or wind and landing in your food can spoil your dinner

 

[ashes1627]

My advice; use a lid on whatever you are cooking with!
Ashes blown up by the heat or wind and landing in your food can spoil your dinner

The ashes just add a bit of extra flavour and crunch!

 

[Whittler Kev]

It's why I designed these

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63739
Less than 2 kg, virtually fold flat for easy carrying, and you can sit anything on them over a fire

 

[MSkiba]

For years i saved lots of space by cooking on a fire.

For one nighters, consider a pack of sausages, some mustard and bred rolls. just make a sausage stick when there. = no equipment at all!

 

[rik_uk3]

Nothing wrong at all with army pans but they work better with a stove really. Invest in something like these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6-Pce-Camping...amping_CookingSupplies_ET&hash=item3349bb57ba

2,4, and 6 pint pans, each with a lid and a handle. These are perfect to use over a fire or on a stove and won't break the bank. The 2 pint pan is perfect for making brews and the 4 pint ideal for heating a rat pack or boiling a simple corned beef stew, the 6 pint pan is better when cooking for two or three folk.

 

[dwardo]

I think the more often you get to use an open fire the easier it becomes. Everyone probably has their own tollerences to heat but as a guide if i can comfortably hold my hand in the same position as the cooking vessel for 1-2 seconds before having to retreat is hot enough for a fair sized pot of stew etc. If i cannot get near the thing its generaly too hot for most things besides boiling water. I think a nice bubbling stew is about 2/3 seconds etc on my "Hand Hot" hh scale. I suppose eventually you develop your own hh scale, just remember its easier to wait a little longer than to have to whizzer the burnt remains of dinner from your tin. Either way you will have a great time

 

[Home Guard]

In post #3 by Shewie, that is a real campsite!

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Should I get a set of alluminium or stainless billy cans?

 

[Wallenstein]

You could also use the cheapo version of Whittler Kev's excellent pot stands: just get three strap-hinges and a wing-nut, and you have a fold-up tripod that easily takes a billy full of water (and costs about £3 all in).

This is one John Fenna made, and I've also tried this out:

It lacks the aesthetics and longevity of a proper bit of kit (such as Kev's design), but for starting out it's worth a look!

More details in this thread.

 

[Frogo]

I didnt really know where to post this, so sorry if its in the wrong place.

Anyway, when Im to be bushcrafting this year I hope to be using minimal equipment and was thinking of cooking only using a mess tin on an open fire.

If this a wise choice? I dont want to carry a cooker of any sort as this just adds cumbersome weight, mess tins seem pretty light so it seems like common sense.

Any tips or recommendations for a better set of mess tins rather than the standard MOD ones?

And what sort of fire would you reccomend I build, and how should I put the mess tin on it?

I know they may sound like silly questions, but it will be my first time cooking on anything other than a hexicooker or trangia.

Thankyou.

If its a solo camp or you just want to travel light mess tins are fine, just place them on two logs with a small fire in between and if you need a lid just make a simple lid out of a foil take away tray.

Frogo

 

[Whittler Kev]

You could also use the cheapo version of Whittler Kev's excellent pot stands: just get three strap-hinges and a wing-nut, and you have a fold-up tripod that easily takes a billy full of water (and costs about £3 all in).

This is one John Fenna made, and I've also tried this out:

It lacks the aesthetics and longevity of a proper bit of kit (such as Kev's design), but for starting out it's worth a look!

More details in this thread.

What a good idea. Think I've seen John using it as well come to that....and it's in his book

 

[Man of Tanith]

May i suggest the swedish army mess tins?
really a billy can with lid that can be used as a frying pan.
this tend to be my cook kit of choice can be used over an open fire but also comes with a trangia burner.
very versitile bit of kit in my view

 

[shortyman]

+1 for the Swedish Kit. Good price for a complete set and so versatile. We baked upside down pineapple cake in ours last weekend over embers!

 

[Man of Tanith]

upside down cake thats pretty impressive even though i dont like pineapple!

 

[11binf]

hi Home Guard..nothing wrong with using MOD mess tins or any mess tin for that matter..just use the coals from the fire rather than the actual fire it self...you'll get (more or less) even heat and less likely to scortch your grub if you set your mess tin on coals...British Tommys have been taught this cooking method for years...vince g. 11B Inf..

 

[shortyman]

You could go really light and use foil takeaway tins...

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

well when i went camping yesterday i use a us mess tin on a esbit stove thena open fire late on and it work pretty well, so maby a mess tin with esbit stove ?

 

[The Big Lebowski]

One of the nice simple methods of controlling heat if you are using pans ect is to cut two beer can thickness logs around a foot long.... Place them about 8" appart with the ends pointing towards the fire.

Simply scrape out some ashes from the fire and channel between the logs half filling, but getting less towards the outside ends. The logs then become pot stands and you move the pan up or down the log depending on heat required. It also dry's your logs for later.

al.