Mumsnet Talk

Before I had 3 dc i used to stick the trangia out in the rain and hope for the best, but things need to be a little more sophisticated.

This Is my bugbear with UK campsites. I've camped in Europe where the sites had communal covered cooking and eating areas and even kitchens with shared fridges.

Would it be so difficult to provide similar here where the weather is often less than ideal? It wouldn't need to be anything sophisticated, but we seem to be under the impression here that camping means a total lack of comfort and that being miserable builds character!

Saying that, our family tent has a big communal area, and I've cooked inside but with the main doors open. Will be investing in a cook stand this year though as too many children milling about to have stoves on the ground now!

We cook outside in the rain. I like to think that one day we will get a cooking tent.

Cooking inside a tent is way too dangerous for me ever to consider it.

Is a cooking tent like a gazebo?

We used to cook in the tent as students but i wouldn't risk it now. I have wondered about it as those ready erected tents that eurocamp used to do had 'kitchens' that were just a table in the tent.

With a raincoat in the rain.

With a raincoat and an umbrella in the rain.

Under the tarp.

In the utility tent.

I have cooked in the living area of the tent before when it was near torrential and a gale just couldnt get the stove to boil water but it made me v nervous, we've got a gazebo now and cook under there if its rainy, i set the cook stand up at the edge of it once - not a good idea all the water dripped of the gazebo onto the stove - doh!!

ah now, my aug camping was a total WASHOUT* and I have spent blimming ages trying to find a solution, then I found a watchamcallit, canopy windbreak so am tempted

Show us your utility tent Slubbers

*it was so fricking stormy that A we couldn't get the blasted stove going and B the blardy awning blew down oh em gee

Underneath the camp table outside, with the side of the table against the car as wind break.

In porch of tent with bucket of water nearby (if just heating something very quickly like beans/soup/pasta)

Under umbrella being held by someone else

In back of car (landrover)

Order takeaway!

Cooking under tarp if rainy but not windy. Don't really bother if very windy. Boiling water in storm kettle fine though.We've got wood burner now, so in future would just cook something inside if the weather is bad or eat crisps and biscuits.

we go to the chippy

Cooked under an umbrella but now have a gazebo. Or alternatively just go to the pub!

Yo yo baldy mate.

Utility on me profile, as is the tarp.

I should also add the best but most expensive option is just to go camping in forrin as a) it doesn't rain that much and b) loads of the campsites have a dead nice restaurant selling all sort of delicious comestibles served in an authentic and pleasant environment and also beer.

Oh and yy they have natty little huts like wot DAISY said you can take your stove to and cook in the dry.

YES! why don't we have more of those here? V sensible.

We have a canopy windbreak but the idea is better than the reality tbh.

In reality, it's not very effective, not uite tall enough and the canopy not quite sloped enough, so it's a raincoat and get wet or give up and go to Morrisons a restaurant

arf at dog for scale

mwah

ah that's good feedback, dyathink, thankyou

I was hoping that there was some item of camp shelter equipment that had been eluding me so far. I'm sure there used to be things called cook tents.
So where are these shangri-la of camping grounds which have little huts to cook in, I've only camped in french and belgian sites and no such huts were obvious to me?

with my raincoat... angrily stirring food and cursing.

Moredofbumsnet - do you mean like these www.obelink.co.uk/tents/storage-tents.html?

lived in a tent 4 3 years, outerlondon, did not have 2 , was a whole lotta fun, cooking , ? in my experience, buy up 2 a tent u feel ok 2 move about in , can get out off quickly if it goes wrong,if children about , (obviously) b very careful <dont even know why i added that tbh its so friggin obvious

Yes cheerup that was the sort of thing. I don't think it will fit in our boot though until we can ditch the travel cot and the pushchair.

Space is always the problem isn't it? No travel cot for us anymore - youngest will be nearly 3 by the time of our next trip. We might even brave it without the pushchair... Still don't think we'd fit a utility tent in.

In the cheap gazebo we haul with us....it's little more than a tarpaulin on sticks but it does provide enough shelter...

We've cooked under a gazebo when it's raining, not so useful though if you've got limited space or uneven ground, or you're backpacking! In light-ish rain we've just ignored the rain and got on wtih it

I'd never cook inside the tent, not worth the risk IMO. It's not just the fire risk either but possible build-up of toxic fumes inside that can linger after you've finished cooking. Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd rather be out in the rain (or go without hot food) than take that risk. I'm usually in full waterproofs when camping anyway...