Cooking over Fire

[Rambo Rees]

Hi all
I mainly cook in a fire's coals once the firewood has burnt down or on grill placed over said coles.
I've been wondering what benefits are there for suspending the cookpot (stainless or dutch oven) over live flames with a tripod?
Suspended cooking looks fab....and not having to wait till the fire settles to hot embers seems an obvious benefit but are there drawbacks?

 

[Broch]

Suspended cooking over flames is only really suitable (IMO) for boiling or, at best and with height adjustment, simmering. Of course, you can suspend a pot over coals as well - baking bread in a Dutch oven works best when you can adjust the heat by lifting the pot away from the coals.

The other thing I will say is that I have seen some dreadfully dangerous and flimsy tripod setups even by respected bushcraft instructors - a heavy kettle full of water is best on a stable grill if feasible - again IMO

 

[Rambo Rees]

Suspended cooking over flames is only really suitable (IMO) for boiling or, at best and with height adjustment, simmering. Of course, you can suspend a pot over coals as well - baking bread in a Dutch oven works best when you can adjust the heat by lifting the pot away from the coals.

The other thing I will say is that I have seen some dreadfully dangerous and flimsy tripod setups even by respected bushcraft instructors - a heavy kettle full of water is best on a stable grill if feasible - again IMO

Thanks Broch, I've Been wondering how you would regulate temperature on open flames (tip re bread on coals and lifting away is useful).
I've also been a bit weary of hanging a pot with a beaked twig hanging on another notched piece of twig bouncing precariously over a fire.
Maybe we fall foul to style over substance sometimes?

 

[Toddy]

I think it's two things.
Firstly, the fire's lit, get on with it, kind of thing.
Secondly, you need a 'big' fire, or coal, to make embers that will glow long enough to bake upon.

I worked a site where we had a fire lit everyday and the clay and rocks that made up the hearth ended up retaining heat; they were dry/dry and always a good set up for a fire.

You don't have that in a twenty minute sit down and brew up. A settled camp and it's much much easier to build up an ember base, or set up the two parallel logs thing.

 

[saxonaxe]

I would be stretching the truth if I said that I 'cook' over an open fire, probably heating food would be more accurate...

I frequently use a single stick supported by a 'Y' stick and hang the pot on a chain over the fire, Crane style. I know whittled pot hangers hooked together look BushCrafty etc: but Broch's point about wobbly rigs is well made even if you do have an enormous burns kit on hand...



A rather dark photo, but I find the advantage of a Crane type set up is that I can safely take the pot from the fire by holding the stick well down it's length away from the fire and land the hot pot onto the ground to adjust height/simmer or when it's finished heating/boiling, and the chain is secure and obviously fire proof.
But I only really boil water for brews or boil in the bag Rat Packs. If I'm being really daring and heating something not in a bag, I just stick my mess tin in the flames.

 

[billycoen]

I just stick my mess tin in the flames.

I like the mess tin set up,could i ask what you used for a lid and handle for the mess tin.Thankyou.

 

[FerlasDave]

Suspended cooking over flame is generally considered better for boiling. And using the hot coals is reserved for things that take a bit longer or when you don’t want a flame as such.

If you’re wanting a good book I can highly recommend “food from the fire” it’s brilliant.

 

[saxonaxe]

I like the mess tin set up,could i ask what you used for a lid and handle for the mess tin.Thankyou.

I made the lid from a sheet of thin Aluminium that I bought in B&Q, Billy. Usual process, just lay the mess tin upside down on the sheet and draw round it leaving about 10mm margin. Cut it out with tin snips then bend the edge over to form a lip. The handle started as a temporary measure but worked so well I just left it in situ. It's a piece of fireproof tape, a bit like car exhaust bandage and it's convenient because it folds dead flat for stowing.
If I'm in camp for any length of time I occasionally take my big kettle and a grill, just an old fridge shelf from the scrap heap not a Gucci bought one..

 

[Rambo Rees]

I like the mess tin set up,could i ask what you used for a lid and handle for the mess tin.Thankyou.

I made the lid from a sheet of thin Aluminium that I bought in B&Q, Billy. Usual process, just lay the mess tin upside down on the sheet and draw round it leaving about 10mm margin. Cut it out with tin snips then bend the edge over to form a lip. The handle started as a temporary measure but worked so well I just left it in situ. It's a piece of fireproof tape, a bit like car exhaust bandage and it's convenient because it folds dead flat for stowing.
If I'm in camp for any length of time I occasionally take my big kettle and a grill, just an old fridge shelf from the scrap heap not a Gucci bought one..

Love the fireproof tape idea and the makeshift nature of your setups. I think we are oftentimes blinded by the nice purpose made things (think horribly expensive grills with legs and telescopic thingymybobs for toasting things etc) when what we make or recycle can be just as good.

 

[saxonaxe]

and the makeshift nature of your setups.

I know many people get pleasure from owning expensive specialist Bush Craft kit, even if they hardly ever use it, and good luck to them. Owning the latest or fashionable kit is a hobby in itself with some people and it's good that people have the freedom to choose that path.

My personal contentment comes from being able to make, substitute or adapt items to my own use. I don't mean skimping on kit, any fool can be uncomfortable, but I like simplicity in kit and methods, and to be truthful in life itself.
If the water in my battered old Ally kettle boils slower on the Ash wood fire than the water in a Titanium pot on a ultra lightweight multi fuel stove, that's fine by me, I'll listen to the Bird song while I wait.

 

[billycoen]

I made the lid from a sheet of thin Aluminium that I bought in B&Q,

Thankyou for that.