Campfire Cooking: Beyond Black Hotdogs and Flamming Marshmallows

When I am planning and thinking about our next camping trip, I think as much about cooking on the open fire as I do about where we are going and the other activities that will happen at the campsite. There is something very special about campfire cooking in the outdoors. The sights, smells and the entire cooking process makes the outdoor experience very fun for me and my family. There are many ways to cook with a camp fire and they range from direct grilling to Dutch oven cooking. No matter your method, it all starts with a proper cooking campfire…

How do I make the perfect campfire for cooking?

The first thing you need is a good setup for the fire. Situate the fire so smoke doesn’t blow through the rest of your camp and the fire pit area needs to be cleared of combustible debris for a 10 foot diameter around the fire. After I have the campfire area taken care of, I ring the fire with rocks to establish the boundaries of the fire.

The next thing you need is the right fuel. You will need:

• Tinder – dried grass, pine needles, paper and twigs that are smaller than the diameter of your little finger
• Kindling – wood that is the size of your little finger up to the size of your wrist
• Fuel – Wood the size of your wrist or larger
• Hardwoods (maple, oak, hickory, and mesquite) are your best choices and dried and split wood works much better than uncut, green wood

Starting the fire can be accomplished with any combustion device: matches, lighters, blow torch, magnifying lens, etc.

There are two primary methods for arranging the tinder and kindling to get a fire started. The methods are the “log cabin” and the “pyramid”. Start the structure with you tinder on the middle of the structure and then build layers of smaller to larger kindling from the inside out. These structures provide good oxygen flow and a shell that retains heat to get the fire up to a self-sustaining temperature. Once you get the tinder and kindling started, keep adding kindling and then fuel to keep the fire going.

Your campfire is ready for cooking when it burns down to a bed of hot coals. This will provide an even heat and minimal smoking to prevent a smoke taste to your food. You can determine the approximate temperature of your cooking fire by using the “ouch” method. Place your hand about 6 inches above the fire and count how long (one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, etc.) you can leave your hand there before you need to move it away.

Ouch Test Cooking Temps
2 seconds	hot	400F
3 seconds	medium-hot	375F
4 seconds	medium	350F
5 seconds	medium-low	325F
6 seconds	low	300F

If you need a cook time longer than 1 hour, you will need to add fuel to the fire to keep the coals hot longer. Don’t forget that you can move the coals around on an open fire to regulate the heat a little.

Grilling on the Campfire

There are two methods of grilling: direct and indirect and both use a grill or fire grate to support the food items.

Direct grilling is cooking right over the flames or heat source. Thinner food items are best cooked by direct grilling for higher temperatures and faster cooking times. When cooking on an open fire I will often arrange the coals to give me a hot zone, a medium zone and a low temperature indirect zone. This multi-zone system will allow me to move my grilling items across the different zones as needed to prevent them from cooking too fast.

Indirect grilling is done when the meat isn’t directly over the heat source, but instead off to the side. Indirect grilling provides lower and slower cooking. At home I accomplish this by turning on the left set of burners (or placing charcoal briquettes on the left side of the grill) and place the meat on the right side of the grill to cook. At the camp site I use the 3 zone method mentioned above, or I will make a 2 zone system for hot and indirect zones depending on the foods that I am grilling.

Always oil or grease the grill prior to placing food items on it to prevent the food from sticking to the grill.
When cooking kabobs that mix meat and veggies, stick with smaller pieces of meet so they cook in about the same amount of time and the veggies.
Lean meats such as fish and poultry do better basted or marinated to help prevent overcooking and drying out the meat.

**GRILLING RECIPES**

Oriental Grilled Chicken (Medium difficulty, serves 4)

4 broiler-fryer chicken quarters
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
¼ cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preparation
1. Combine mustard and soy sauce in medium bowl
2. Gradually add honey, lemon juice and ginger
3. Pour sauce over chicken, cover and marinate in refrigerator or cooler for about 1 hour
4. Arrange chicken on grill, skin side up about 8 inches from heat
5. Grill, turning every 5 minute for about 1 hour
6. Baste liberally with sauce during last 15 minutes

Grilled Shrimp (easy, servers 2-4)

This is one of my favorites for main course of for a starter. Quick, easy and delicious!

12 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
Lemon juice
Butter, melted

Preparation:
1. Combine lemon juice and melted butter
2. Oil the cooking grate to prevent sticking
3. Grill shrimp directly over medium hot coals for 3-4 minutes while basting with lemon-butter sauce
Shrimp will be pink on the outside and opaque inside when done. Serve with cocktail sauce.

Campfire Cooking with Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil is a easy way to cook with an open fire. Foil cooking works so well because you seal in the juices and flavor of your food and you cook either on or in the hot coals. Nothing else is needed. I always use heavy duty foil or use two layers of regular foil because the last thing I want is to have a tear in the foil that will taint the food with ashes or dirt.

The most important aspect of cooking with foil is to do a good job folding and wrapping the food to make sure it stays completely enclosed in the foil until you are done cooking it. Fold, roll and crimp as needed to ensure a tight seal. Unlike freezing food, you want to leave a little bit of air space to allow for heat expansion and circulation when cooking.

Aluminum foil can be used to make impromptu pots or dishes by forming it around a pot that you want replicate. An extra layer of foil will add strength if needed. You can also use aluminum foil to make a griddle with a forked stick or a wire coat hanger. Remember that the foil will get just as hot as a regular pot so be sure to use pot holders or other insulation to prevent burns when handling the cooked dish.

You can cook foil wrapped packets of food on a grill or right in the coals. For even cooking in coals, dig a small hole in the coals, place the foil packet in the hole and cover with coals. Remove with long handled tongs and allow a few minutes for the food to cool because it will be very hot right from the coals.

Add a little bit of oil or butter to meat packets to help minimize sticking and burning. A small amount of water will serve the same purpose for vegetables.

Cutting the food into smaller pieces will help shorten the cooking time required.

15 minutes – Small to medium fish fillets
15-20 minutes – hamburger, steaks, chops
25 minutes – pork, lamb chops

You can eat right out of the foil packet if it is clean enough on the outside.

**Foil Recipes**

Hobo Burgers (Easy, serves 4)

1 pound ground beef
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
Celery, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, (optional vegetable)
Garlic salt to taste
Mrs. Dash seasoning to taste
4 hamburger buns
Cheese, lettuce, tomato slices, and ketchup (optional burger toppings)

Preparation:
1. Form 4 hamburger patties. Pace each patty on its own piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
2. Slice the potato, onion, and other optional vegetables and place on top of the hamburger patties. Season with garlic salt and Mrs. Dash to taste.
3. Wrap the hamburger and vegetables tightly in the foil.
4. Place packets over coals or on a grill, and allow all to thoroughly cook, approximately 15-30 minutes. Packets are ready to server once internal temperature of patty exceeds 160F degrees.
5. Remove patties with tongs, and carefully open the foil. Place patty on hamburger bun with cheese and optional toppings. The vegetables can be enjoyed on the burger or on the side.

Note: The packets can be prepared at home ahead of time.

Pizzaritos (Easy, serves 4-8)

1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced pepperoni

Preparation:
1. Spread approximately 3 tablespoons pizza sauce onto each tortilla
2. Sprinkle each tortilla with ¼ cup shredded cheese and top with pepperoni slices
3. Tuck tortilla sides and roll like burritos
4. Wrap each pizzarito in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and bake over coals for approximately 10 minutes or until cheese is melted

Cooking on a campfire with a Dutch Oven

When it comes to cooking outdoors, the Dutch oven is the king of versatility. Entire books have been written about cooking with a Dutch oven both at the camp site and in the home kitchen. If you are new to Dutch oven cooking, you will be amazed at what you can do with one. You can roast, bake, stew, boil, slow cook and fry in a Dutch oven.

There are many variations of Dutch ovens and the ones that work best for campfire cooking will have the following features: heavy cast iron for even heat distribution, flat lid with flange to hold coals, flat bottom and approximately 2″ legs cast into the bottom of the pot. Aluminum Dutch ovens are available and while the cut down on the weight significantly they don’t provide the even heating that heavy cast iron does.

A Dutch oven can be placed directly in the coals, have coals laced on top of the lid, be hung from a tripod and sit on a fire grate. You can use a Dutch oven as s slow cooker by lining a pit with coals, then adding coals on top of the lid and finally adding a loose layer of dirt to insulate the coals and oven. You can slow cook a stew all day without it burning. Take extra care when removing a buried Dutch oven from a pit or coals to make sure the food stays clean.

Baking with a Dutch oven can be done following the slow cooking directions and by placing your baking ingredients into a small cake pan and elevate is slightly from the bottom of the oven on a rack or grate. Baking times vary and often don’t require a full pit burial, instead surrounding and covering the Dutch oven with hot coals by themselves.

**Dutch Oven Recipes **

Coffee Cake (Easy to prepare, serves 6-8)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, or almonds work great)

Directions
1. Line the sides of a 12 inch Dutch oven with greased heavy-duty aluminum foil
2. Preheat the oven using 8 coals underneath and 17 briquettes on the lid
3. In a medium-size bowl, mix all ingredients except the nuts
4. Remove the oven from heat and pout coffee cake batter into the oven, covering the bottom evenly
5. Sprinkle nuts over top of batter
6. Return oven to the original set of coals and bake for 30 minutes

Pork Chops (easy to prepare, serves 6)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 thick boneless pork loin chops
1 (6 ounce) box stuffing mix, including ingredients required to prepare stuffing
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling with cinnamon

Preparation
1. In 12 inch Dutch oven over 25 coals, fry pork chops in oil until brown. Remove chops from oven.
2. Prepare stuffing in medium-sized bowl according to package directions
3. Spread the pie filling over bottom of oven
4. Place pork chops on top of pie filling. Spoon stuffing mix on top of pork chops.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, keeping 12 briquettes under the oven and relocating 13 coals to the lid.

Other Campfire Cooking Methods

The primary campfire cooking method that most people thing about is using skewers or long handled hotdog forks for cooking hotdogs and marshmallows. When your kids are old enough, this is a fantastic way to get them engaged in cooking while camping. Hotdog forks a relatively inexpensive and you should get enough to get everybody cooking at the same time if possible. The rookie move when cooking this way is to not wait until the fire is mostly coals. Cooking in direct flames is very hot and it is hard to regulate the heat well enough to cook without burning your food (flaming marshmallows or black hotdogs anyone?).

Another variation of cooking at the end of a stick is to use pie irons. Pie irons allow you to cook two pieces of bread with your choice of fillings in the middle. Creative campers have come up with pie iron recipes that range from the classic desserts (cherry pie filling and a marshmallow) to breakfast and dinner fare.

**Pie iron Recipes**

The classic desert pie iron recipe:

Two pieces of white bread, buttered on the pie iron side
Place your favorite pie filling (mine is cherry, yummy!) on the inside of one piece of bread
Cook until golden brown on both sides (4-6 minutes)

Celtic Ham and Cheese

Place a slice of ham, cheese, tomato and grilled onion between two slices of buttered bread. Add a small dollop of Dijon mustard if desired and enjoy one of my favorite pub dishes right over your own campfire.

French Toast

Dip 2 bread slices into egg batter, place both slices into cooker, placing strawberry jam between bread slices. Toast until browned.

h3>Campfire cooking accessories

Dutch oven
Aluminum foil (heavy duty)
Pie irons
Grilling forks or sticks
Grilling grate or grill stand
Fish/veggie basket
Tripod for hanging pots
Large forks
Oven mitts
Pots and pans
Knives
Spatula
Large spoons, slotted spoon
Tongs

Coleman Exponent Multi-Fuel Stove Review

Coleman makes two similar Exponent multi-fuel stoves. The one I purchased is the Coleman Exponent Multi-Fuel stove, model # 550B7025. This model is also referred to as a tri-fuel stove because it works with white gas, unleaded gasoline and kerosense. Coleman also sells the Exponent Feather 442 Dual Fuel Stove. The key difference between the two is that the Feather 442 supports two fuels (white gas & unleaded gas) while the 550B705 multi-fuel stove burns the same white gas and unleaded gas and also uses kerosene after a quick change of the generator tube.

At the same time I bought the Exponent, I also purchased an MSR Pocket Rocket. The Pocket Rocket is another single burner stove but its strengths are different than the Coleman Exponent. The MSR stove is a super lightweight stove (good for backpacking) and it is a single fuel source device using the proprietary MSR Iso fuel canisters. I will be putting the MSR pocket Rocket through some testing soon and I will add a review as soon as I can. The Pocket Rocket is comparable to the Coleman Exponent F1 Ultralight stove.

I was looking for a portable, multi-fuel stove that is rugged and reliable. The Exponent stoves have a very good reputation for being well build and reliable. My primary uses are for car camping trips with the family and as an emergency backup. The tri-fuel feature is what sold me on this particular model. The down side for me is that it isn’t a great family stove because it is a single burner stove so its capacity is limited by its size. I also have a dual burner propane camp stove that I expect to get the major of the camping duties as it has in the past.

Features of the Model No. 550B725 camp stove:

Dry weight 21.6 oz
Fuels: Coleman fuel, kerosene, unleaded gasoline
Fuel capacity: 10.3 oz

Camp Stove Fuel Performance

Coleman fuel = Camp fuel = White gas

• 7,500 BTU
• boil time:4 minutes & 25 seconds
• burn time high = 1 hour 20 minutes
• burn time on simmer = 7 hours

Unleaded gasoline (same burn characteristics as white fuel)

• 7,500 BTU
• boil time:4 minutes & 25 seconds
• burn time high = 1 hour 20 minutes
• burn time on simmer = 7 hours

Kerosene

• 5,500 BTU
• boil time:4 minutes & 36 seconds
• burn time high = 2 hour 25 minutes
• burn time on simmer = 9 hours

Why use one stove fuel over another?

It seems to me that it comes down to: 1) price, 2) smell, and 3) availability. If the smell of unleaded gasoline isn’t an issue for you (I haven’t tried it yet but some of the reviews indicate it is an issue), then why wouldn’t you go with the cheapest option that is also the most available? Unleaded has the same heat value as the white gas so there is no down side when it comes to performance.

If the smells of the other fuels are an issue, then the premium white gas option might be right for you.

Kerosene on the other hand requires that you preheat the “generator”, that change the “generator” in the first place (one time deal), has a smell to it and it is in the middle of the road as far as price goes. Unless it is the only fuel available, it seems like the weakest choice to me. It does have the advantage of a longer burn time per volume of fuel.

Other aspects that might affect your fuel choice: safety & shelf life of the fuel itself.

Fuel costs in my area (Summer 2011):

• Coleman Camp Fuel: $10.99 per gallon
• Unleaded Gasoline: $4 per gallon
• Kerosene: $6.25 per gallon
• Propane: $3.50 per gallon

Coleman Exponent Stove PROS:

• Easy to start
• Reliable performance
• Reasonably Compact
• Multiple fuels can be used
• Unleaded gasoline is a great emergency fuel option
• Set up out of the box to burn White Gas and Unleaded Gasoline
• The leveling ring is built in and super easy to use
• Coleman sells repair kits and single parts for the stove

Coleman Exponent Stove CONS:

• It is a little too heavy for backpacking
• Too small for to support cooking for a full family. An option here is to use two Exponent stoves side by side and a fire gate to allow for safe usage of larger pots and skillets.
• Plastic feet instead of metal, although they seem well constructed.
• Doesn’t come with a case or padded stuff sack
• To use Kerosene you have to remove the “gas generator” and replace it with the “kerosene generator” (not that hard to do really, but it requires a wrench)
• Kerosene requires pre-heating
• Unleaded fuel smells bad
• Stability is good, but not great
• Poor temp control, doesn’t allow for a low simmer

Tips I discovered while using the Stove

• When filling the fuel tank solo, I found it easiest to hold the stove in one hand so that the inlet opening (and the funnel resting in the open) are on top level. This one handed fueling position seems to keep things stable enough so that I could poor with the other hand. Any small household funnel that stays balanced will work fine.
• Be careful when filling as it is easy to over-fill the fuel tank
• Expect flare ups when you first light the stove so a long neck lighter is a safer option than matches
• Try to avoid running it on the very highest flame setting as it tends to lose pressure and flame out; back it off slightly and it will keep running on its own.

Buying the Coleman Exponent Multi Fuel Stove

Price range for buying it online: $63-$85 with $65-$70 being the most common price range and $85 being the price at the Coleman site.
One of the best places to buy the Coleman Exponent Tri-fuel stove is at Amazon.com with their good price ($65 when I check summer 2011) and free super saver shipping.

Here is a list of all of the other common Coleman Exponent Stoves that I found:

Exponent Multi-fuel stove	Single burner, dual fuel, camping stove (a little big for backpacking)
Exponent Feather 442 Dual Fuel Stove	Single burner, dual fuel, camping stove (a little big for backpacking)
Exponent F1 Ultralight stove	Small, lightweight, uses Butan/Propane cartridges
Exponent Xpedition Stove 9730-725	Dual burner, high performance backpacking stove

Patagonia MLC Bag-Every Travelers Best Friend

If you frequently find yourself traveling on an airplane then the Patagonia MLC bag is one you need to take a look at. MLC stands for maximum legal carry-on and means this bag is the largest it can be in order to counted as a carry-on bag. Have you ever had to pay the huge fees for checking additional bags or having bags that are too large or too heavy? Most travelers are caught unaware by these fees and have to dip into their travel budget in order to pay for their bags to fly. By the time you have finished reading the following information you will know that this is the best bag for anyone traveling by plane.

By taking the time to read any Patagonia MLC review you will be able to find travelers who have carried this bag and are very pleased with it. It is large enough to hold 3 to 5 days worth of clothing so it is perfect for the business executive who is going to an out of state business meeting, and it is the perfect size for anyone who takes frequent weekend trips. It is also perfect for travelers who want to be able to carry their bags hands free.  It very easily converts to a backpack and allows the traveler to carry it like they would a book bag.

The perfect accessory bag to carry with it is the Patagonia MLC Burrito which is used to carry toiletries, shoes, and other items you will need on your trip. This bag features two options for carrying it around. It can either be carried by the adjustable shoulder strap or it can be carried by the briefcase handles that are attached to it. There are two mid-sized pockets on the interior of the bag that will give you a place to put deodorant, shampoo, and other hygiene products that are needed while you are away. It can also be used to keep suits wrinkle free while you are traveling. If you decide to put clothing in it then you can put it in on the hanger then when you arrive at your destination you can take the clothing out of the bag and hang it up. This bag makes traveling a breeze!

These bags are not very expensive but if you can find a Patagonia MLC sale you will be able to save yourself some money. The best place to look for a sale is online as there are a few websites that sell these bags and you never know when they might have discounts to offer on the purchase price. Take a look at a website that sells Patagonia bags and see what types of deals are available.

One final bag that is worth mentioning, the Patagonia MLC Wheelie, is one that will allow you to get through the airport a lot easier. This bag has wheels and a handle to pull it around with; however, there are a couple of negatives that some travelers have voiced about it. The compartments are not as large as the ones you might be used to with other Patagonia travel bags you may have carried in the past.  This is because the bag was made to meet the strict airline carry-on requirements and to make it easier for you to travel. All of the options for the Patagonia MLC bag are great ones that should be considered when you are flying to your next destination.