Cook your main meal at a shelter in the afternoon if it is raining, sleep in a tent, it's not that hard.
Cook your main meal at a shelter in the afternoon if it is raining, sleep in a tent, it's not that hard.
First post: Not a thru hiker. Just a lurker.
During blizzard conditions in Colorado's White River National Forest/Maroon Bells area (Feb 1984?). I was melting snow in my tent when the stove malfunctioned and caught the tent floor on fire. I was able to toss the stove out of the tent and extinguished the fire before any major damage occured. Tent still functioned passably. Used a backup stove (Svea 123 with pump) for the remainder of the trip. It could have ended much worse.
That said, I cook under my vestibule all the time and have even cooked in the tent since. Some folks never learn.
My inclination is to discourage cooking or eating anywhere near where you sleep if you are using a tent or tarp. I am less concerned about the fire safety aspect than the attraction of animals. Bears have been known to be attracted to toothpaste and coffee smells and I am concerned that cooking smells left behind on a tent would be even more attractive. Even if you aren't in bear country, raccoons, squirrels and even smaller beasties can make a mess of your gear looking for grub.
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
I've got a Kelty Windfoil tent from the early '90s that has a zippered cut-out area in the floor, specifically intended for cooking.
Haven't actually tried that.
Incidentally, it weighs about eight or nine pounds - I don't remember whether that was with or without the one pound ball peen hammer I used to pound stakes with. Might have been with. Nice tent, which I no longer take backpacking. It's entirely suitable for extreme conditions if only you can get it there.
Yeah, cook bacon in bear country.
What are you joking? Do you want to play Budhist monk and go up in a ball of fire or become bear bait because your tent smells like a meal.
The heaviest thing I carried was my attitude.
Montani semper liberi - Mountaineers are always free
Desire is the main ingredient for success
Used to cook in vestibules and tents plenty of times. The only problem I have had is lighting stoves under bug nets, (Huge holes in the netting). The tent fires are mostly caused during cold weather with two people in the tent, one of whom knows that there is a lit stove and where the stove is located. It is usually the second person unaware of the lit stove who causes the excitement. At present I cook under a Hammock Tarp.
Okay, I am really not trying to be mean.
This thread explains why it is a good reason to have some food that you eat cold in your pack. Unless you are in an "at risk" situation and need warm food/drink why put yourself (and others - including the forest) in an "at risk" situation??
If you are thru-hiking YOU WILL BE WET at least 30% of the time. On really rainy days cook mid-day in a shelter and cold camp at night.
Ever wonder why the smartest people have the least common sense?
The heaviest thing I carried was my attitude.
Montani semper liberi - Mountaineers are always free
Desire is the main ingredient for success
When I was in 6th grade my friend's mother had her stove in her tent and died by aphyxiation (she fell asleep). It was pretty sad and the girl ended up getting hooked on LSD by the 9th grade.
I almost always eat in my tent as I am not in need of the little extra protien the insects add to my food when eating outdoors. However, I cook by boiling water in my Jetboil and using freezer bags to rehydrate my food. I would never light a stove in my tent, they cost too much.
All burners are not the same. The "StarLyte" will absorb 1 ounce of fuel nothing will spill out and if accidently overturned it will extinguish itself.(in most cases) I'm sure someone will come up with something sweet
Photo one
Thread one
It is the most safe burner!!!!!!IMHO
Last edited by zelph; 03-12-2007 at 17:11. Reason: spell error
I know most don't use one because of the weight, but a jetboil would likely be the safest under the vestibul. Toothpick and I have both been using one while sitting in our sleeping bags for breakfast and dinner during the cold hiking.
Skids
Insanity: Asking about inseams over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein, (attributed)
I see from his above post that Iceman plans to hike in 2007.
Ya know, for a guy who hasn't thru-hiked yet, he sure speaks with authority about stuff!
Um, yeah, you should always carry at least some food that doesn't require any cooking, but you're NOT going to be wet 30% of the time. It's a wet Trail, but not that wet.
I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest though, I knew it would. I just felt compelled to ask and maybe get an idea of the do's and don'ts if it came down to me having to do this. I like Jacks Idea of taking stuff that doesnt need to be cooked but, also I am gonna try out this hammock deal so I will have lenty of room under the tarp to cook in all weather. Thanks again guys and gals. I will be tenting when hiking with my partner but, we wont hike when the weather is so bad.
Thanks!!!!
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
-Churchill
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scorpiorising80/
Along those lines, here's some food that I ALWAYS try and bring along:
(I don't carry ALL of these all the time, but these are the types of things I'll carry much of the time)
*Bread of some sort, usually pita or flour tortillas
*Meat of some sort in a pouch (Tuna or chicken, a or small can of Deviled
Ham or Chicken spread)
*Pre-cooked bacon
*Pepperoni or Hard sausage of some sort.
*Hard cheese, like a Vermont cheddar
*An onion and a green pepper
*Mustard/mayonaise packets
*Squeeze butter
*Instant Hummos mix (needs water and a little olive oil)
*Peanut Butter
*Fruit
*Various snacks such as Pringles, Combos, Pop Tarts, Candy Bars, Granola
Bars, etc.
*Gatorade powder
No problem here so far.
Last edited by the_iceman; 03-16-2007 at 07:44.
The heaviest thing I carried was my attitude.
Montani semper liberi - Mountaineers are always free
Desire is the main ingredient for success
when your dead, youll be so sorry you didnt go out to cook.
matthewski
SkidsteerQuote:
Originally Posted by zelph It is the most safe burner!!!!!!IMHO
Thanks for the heads up Skids. I could only get the photo to work. The link to the thread is dead.Skidsteer----Zelph, your links are sending us to the WB homepage.
Here's the photo again