Open fire cooking

[spelt with a t]

At a group campsite with a large ring but no built in grate. What do you do for pot support? Make a stand from smaller rocks and move some coals inside? Hanging tripod? Carry a small grill grate? Only pack food you can cook on a stick? ;)

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

A couple years ago I got a small UL thing that pops open to make grill grate. Fun and easy!!

[spelt with a t]

Do you happen to remember what it was? I have these bookmarked: http://www.purcelltrench.com/grills.htm

I thought I had a link for a titanium grill as well, but I can't find it.

[Link .]

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/TiGrill.html
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/cookfires_stadwiser.html

[Justin Baker]

Hmmm, something I can actually contribute too. Watch this entire video, it should answer your questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO3iJLBYiQQ

[Cesar Valdez]

By a long margin, open fire cooking is my main method of not only getting food ready, but also water sterilization (if needed). Pretty much the only time I will rely on my back up cooking set up (MYOG alcohol stove), is if it is raining/snowing or if there are time constraints.

Rather than write a whole long essay, these videos sum many good techniques up from the master himself:

Some quick and easy tips: http://youtu.be/tO3iJLBYiQQ
A little more advanced, but more useful: http://youtu.be/2RMlyUY3X4A
Multiple pots, soft ground: http://youtu.be/GRvDOHIH568
Multiple pots, hard ground: http://youtu.be/-vnwreTgH_M (part 1), http://youtu.be/OvLmbss-F48 (part 2)

You don't have to get super-technical like he does and carve up your own spoon and pot hangers. A bit of wire works great and weighs little, as does a bit of chain but weighs more, or you can use some string but make sure not to get it too close to the fire.

Hope this helps. Sucks about the laws in the US about fire, but I guess it is needed due to a lot of irresponsible people. Here in Sweden I can go pretty much anywhere I want in the woods and so long as I follow a few provisions, have a nice campfire at my disposal. I hardly ever have to worry about fuel weight, and my fire building skills are at the point now that it doesn't take me very long to get a fire going so long as conditions are alright.

[spelt with a t]

Mine doesn't have one, but I did some fiddling and added one. I ought to be able to make a mini tripod quite easily, then. I had thought of that before and wondered if I were overthinking things but it turns out I was on the right track. :)

[Mike M]

my diy 1.1 oz grill that packs up into one piece

this works as well, ss leader as bail :)

[spelt with a t]

Mike, is that all titanium or are the supports aluminum shafts? Did you buy the wire or straighten out some stakes?

Anna, thank you for the links.

[Mike M]

supports are aluminum- one is a portion of a Easton arrow shaft, the other is just slightly smaller that was sourced at Ace Hardware (slides into the arrow shaft)- the grill pieces are ti spokes, which then all slide into the inner aluminum shaft

[Laurie Ann March]

Well… this was on a canoe trip back when I didn't mind food being heavier. We used 2 GSI Backpacker Grids and rocks. We had steak for dinner and then leftover steak and eggs for breakfast. It was amazing… but far too heavy for me to consider doing again.

There is a product called the Grilliput that does look interesting and small.

[Joseph Reeves]

We just put the pot or mugs on the fire. Boil in the center, simmer on the side.

[Author]

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