Badge three
Camp Kitchen
Cooking outdoors is mostly about doing simple things carefully: a stable stove, clean water, food kept safe and a site left as clean as you found it.
Stove safety
- Set up on firm, level ground, away from tents, dry grass and overhanging branches.
- Never cook inside a tent or a closed porch. Stoves use up oxygen and can produce carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell.
- Read the instructions for your stove and fuel, and change gas canisters well away from any flame.
- Stay with it. Keep hands, sleeves and hair clear, and turn pan handles away from where people walk.
- Let it cool before packing it away.
Fires
Many parks, forests and countries ban open fires, especially in dry or windy weather. Where fires are allowed, use an existing fire ring, keep the fire small, have water ready, and make sure the ashes are cold to the touch before you leave. Where they are not, use a stove.
Water
Clear stream water can still carry germs. Bring enough water, or treat what you collect: boiling at a rolling boil for at least one minute is the simplest method. Filters and purifying tablets also work if used as their instructions say.
Three one-pot meals
| Meal | What goes in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Porridge | Oats, water or milk powder, a pinch of salt, dried fruit | Stir often; it sticks quickly on a small burner. |
| Noodle soup | Quick noodles, stock cube, chopped vegetables, an egg if you have one | Add vegetables first, noodles last. |
| Bean chilli with rice | Quick-cook rice, a tin of beans, a tin of tomatoes, spice mix | Cook the rice, set it aside wrapped up, then heat the chilli. |
Keeping food safe
- Wash or sanitise hands before handling food.
- Choose food that keeps without a fridge, or eat fresh items on the first day.
- Store food in sealed bags or boxes, away from the tent, to keep animals out.
Leave no trace
Pack out everything you pack in, including food scraps. Wash up at least 60 paces from streams and lakes, use only a little biodegradable soap, and scatter the strained water. Leave the site so the next person would never know you were there.
Badge test. Plan, pack and cook one hot meal for two people on a camping stove outdoors, with an adult or experienced friend present, then clean up and leave no trace.