Outdoor cooking

A significant body of techniques and specialized equipment exists for it, traditionally associated with nomad in cultures such as the Berbers of North Africa, the Arab Bedouins, the Plains Indians, pioneers in North America, and indigenous tribes in South America.

While someone at a public campground may have easy access to a grocery store and be able to prepare plenty of recipes with fresh meat and vegetables, someone on an extended trip into the backcountry will not be able to carry large amounts of fresh food, due to the extra weight from high water content, and will have to rely heavily on food with low water content, such as dried meats and vegetables, packaged dehydrated camping foods, and starches such as ramen, polenta, and dried potato flakes.

Recipes are often designed with significant planning and home preparation in mind, with certain ingredients mixed at home and then cooked on the trail; to that end, there are several providers of freeze-dried food, both ingredients and full meals, to the outdoors market, and just-add-water instant meals (including hot cereals, pasta or rice in sauce, and instant soup) from the supermarket are popular as well.

Alternatively, some wilderness experts advocate bulk rationing, in which each hiker is given a selection of raw ingredients and prepares a meal from scratch on the trail.

Alternatively, a fireproof container (e.g. mess can, bamboo segment or improvised tree bark pot) is placed (or hung) above the fire.

Possibly the simplest method of cooking over a campfire and one of the most common is to roast food on long skewers that can be held above the flames.

Frying is not always necessary, but is often used for fish or wild game caught while on the trip, as well as pancakes and certain kinds of bread and desserts made on the trail.

For campfire use, on the other hand, some camp cooks prefer a legged cast-iron pan called a "spider", which is elevated to allow a small fire directly beneath it.

Camp cooks making pancakes in a moderate-size pan often simplify their work and speed up their service by pouring enough batter to make one large, moderate-thickness pancake that takes up the entire pan and then cutting the final product with the spatula to serve individual portions.

This was common for centuries, used to make bread, pies, and other items, and is still popular today, particularly among campers who enjoy stuffing their meats.

Ovens can be made from cast iron, sheet metal, or aluminum foil-covered cardboard boxes.

While such pots are generally considered too heavy for backpackers, Dutch ovens are often used in group camp-outs and cookouts.

Dutch ovens are made of cast iron or aluminium and are generally not considered suitable for backpacking due to the heavy weight of the pot.

Dutch ovens are convenient for cooking dishes that take a long time such as stews, joints of meat, and baked goods.

A pot hanging over the fire, although picturesque, may spill, and the rigging may be difficult to construct from found wood.

The one downside to this form of cooking is that the pots will become blackened with soot and ash, which can be difficult to scrub off.

The ash and soot buildup can be easily avoided by applying a thin layer of dish soap (preferably biodegradable) to the outside of the pot before cooking.

Food is wrapped inside a durable packet of tin or aluminum foil, crimped to seal, and placed on or under hot coals.

Besides aluminum or tin, organic material such as leaves (of trees, "Nelumbo nucifera" lotus, "Dendrocalamus lactiferous Munro" bamboo aka Bambusa oldhamii (麻竹葉), phragmites, plantain, taro, etc.

In some areas where there is a significant amount of steady, less-hazardous volcanic activity, lava cooking (invented in Hawaii) is sometimes practiced as a novelty.

Some backwoods alternatives to cookware include aluminium foil,[4] fruit skins,[6] and heated stones.

[12] Portable stoves are widely used in areas where fuel such as wood is scarce or there is a significant fire or environmental hazard to building a campfire.

Solar cookers are a type of equipment that is powered by the sun, and no other fuel is required, creating a positive environmental impact.

Outdoor cooking elements can be dangerous due to their high flammability and proximity to occupants.

[15] Special precautions are required for camping in the bear country because cooking activities and food storage attract these potentially dangerous animals.

Food preparation and storage must be located a safe distance from sleeping areas, so a fire near the camp cannot be used for cooking.