Outdoor cooking must be simple. This requires planning before you start. Here are some useful hints and tips.
Fuelconsumption
Generally, allow 0.5 litre methylated spirits for cooking per person per week. Weather conditions, the time of year and the climate affect consumption. The type of food chosen, e.g. boiled potatoes vs. instant mashed potatoes, is another factor. Cooking times can also vary depending on altitude. It is always advisable to take spare fuel.
Using the lid saves fuel. If you turn the lid over and use it as a frypan, you can keep food hot above the boiling pan. The heat can be adjusted with the simmering ring on the burner, which also saves fuel. Use fuel remaining in the burner for making coffee or tea.
Provision
Choose provisions that have good keeping qualities without needing refrigeration, e.g. smoked products. Avoid canned goods, which are unnecessarily heavy and must be brought back home again. Measure ingredients for particular dishes before leaving home, and premix where possible – it's simpler and there's less to carry. Transfer food and ingredients from the shop's glass bottles and cans into bags and lightweight plastic bottles. If you are carrying Trangia's mess tins, fill them as much as you can.
Measurements
If you have a Trangia stove, you know how much the saucepans hold. Measure how much your mugs or bowls hold, and mark the levels inside to make things easier.
Cleaning
It isn't difficult to keep the stove clean. Use the fuel left in the burner to heat a little water in the used pan to loosen the food residues. (You can even use the liquid as a stock for a sauce.) Wipe with paper or wash up as usual if water is available. If you do not have a washing-up brush, use moss, for example, or sand for scratch-resistant pans.
Safety
Always be careful with naked flames. Never add fuel to a burner that is already alight. Never completely fill the burner – 2/3 full is sufficient.To avoid getting burnt or spilling fuel, light the burner before putting the upper windshield in position.
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