Cooking in wet weather?

[AngelDog]

What do you do about cooking when it rains?

We're looking at getting a new tent (a Vango but I don't think there's a good way to cook under cover.

Obviously going out for food is an option, but we don't want to do that all the time, and often you want to be able to make a cuppa even if you go out for dinner.

Our cooking equipment ranges from gas BBQ to portable gas stove, depending on how long we're going for.

[AngelDog]

Oops, I didn't put the link in - it's a Vango Tigris 600 but after reading through threads further down the board I'm not sure I'd want to try cooking under the canopy even if it were possible.

[lovecat]

I just bite the bullet and cook in the rain. Although I've recently just got a tarp which I can use as a raincover so when if it rains while cooking I can now move the kitchen to beneath the very edge of the tarp if necessary.

I've seen other more organised/patient people (with trailers to fit all their stuff in!) cooking in gazebos, event shelters and beneath the door flap of their tent when it's held up with a pole (a bit like the one here, if that makes sense!

[Jumbs]

We had a Tigris 600, it was our first tent with sewn in groundsheet. We use a portable 1 gas ring stove and took a thick piece of ply wood the size of the stove. We then put the stove on top of the wood to do a quick meal or make an early morning cuppa. I wouldn't risk it for a long cook tho. If we needed to cook for longer we used the stove outside, under the door with the slight overhang and OH sat just inside the tent to cook.

Def don't use the gas BBQ inside tho! Plus always have a door open, there was a post on here about someone dying due to CO fumes from cooking in a tent.

[fatsatsuma]

I'm watching this with interest, as our 2 weeks camping in Wales each summer always involves much time dressed in full waterproofs cooking and washing up (basic site with few facilities)

I have begun to wonder about a tarp or gazebo type shelter, but know nothing about them, and also wonder if they would just blow away...

[Mumleigh]

We had to cook our dinner one night last week in Cromer in never ending rain.Our tent has no porch and even if it had I'm not sure I would have wanted to have the stove near the tent for safety reasons.

We have a weber smokey jo with a chimney starter and it lit and heated the coals easily even though the rain was pouring down.Once the bbq was ready we stuck the meat on and closed the lid. I heated up some pre prepared roasted veg on the stove - again in the rain and boiled some water to make instant cous cous.

We had to put up with the caravan and motorhome owners making funny comments while we huddled around the bbq in our waterproofs but it was all worth it when we sat in our tent and ate a really delicious meal with the sound of the rain making us feel really nice and cozy.

[Jumbs]

Vango Family Tarp

I am toying with one of these. We are without a decent family tent at the mo and with one of these could use porchless smaller tent and have living/cooking space under this large tarp.

[AngelDog]

Hmm - I'd not seen that sort of thing before, so thanks for the link. The one review on Amazon is positive.

[Franchini]

The tarp looks good but beware as some campsites charge extra for having a gazeebo etc. Personally we cook inside the porch in the rain, as long as the door is open and the cooker is on the floor not on the table. just make sure that it is not getting too hot in there and there is plenty of ventilation.
How much 5* cooking do you do when camping anyway? for us it usually involves boiling a kettle and mixing up some smash and baked beans!!!

[fatsatsuma]

You're right about sites charging extra for gazebos etc - but I'm starting to think I would happily pay it!

I don't think cooking in our porch would work for us, and I definitely couldn't survive on smash and beans for two weeks

Maybe it's just me, but cooking nice food (nothing fancy, simple but tasty) is something I really enjoy when we're camping. If it wasn't for the horizontal rain every few days (or more often...) it would be bliss!

What about these utility tents some people have? I've read about them but never seen one. Do people cook in them I wonder?

[IloveJudgeJudy]

Loads of people cook in the utility tents. That's what they're for. Campsites quite often charge extra for that, but the upside is that everything is in the utility all together.

Most people set it kind of at right angles to their tent. The only downside I can see is that you always have to go completely outside to cook, that means you have to get more dressed than you would in your tent, I would think.

Just wondering, why wouldn't some of you cook in your porch/canopy? So long as it's got one open side and doesn't have a built-in groundsheet, surely that would be OK? (this from a folding camper owner).

[fatsatsuma]

We have a SIG inner tent and then a porch with a sloping door. I find the rain comes straight in if that door's open. If I was cooking there I think I, and everything in the porch, would get soaked. It's probably partly to do with our particular site, favourite pitch and the usual wind direction. If we were somewhere more sheltered it would probably be less of an issue - but it's worth it for a beautiful location

[SherlockHolmes]

We eat cold food if it's too wet to cook! Tinned ham/tuna/sweetcorn/new potatoes - all good standby staples that you can eat cold - better still if you can get hold of some nice crusty bread and cheese! Also always pack some of those Ambrosia custard pots (long life) so there's some kind of pudding.

[Ephiny]

A tarp or gazebo is best IMO, never had them blow away, I guess if depends if you're in a very exposed area though. I don't like to cook in or even near the tent.

For just a cup of tea, I'd just make it in the rain and not worry about it!

[Ephiny]

Or get DP to stand with an umbrella :)

[AngelDog]

Actually, IIRC someone said something about a fishing umbrella once.

Yes, when it rains, it's DH's job to cook. Actually, he does most of the cooking most of the time when camping - I love holidays.

fatsuma, love the name. :)

[fatsatsuma]

Yes, I also delegate wet weather cooking when possible

Glad you like my name - totally random off-the-top-of-my-head thought when MN rejected all the relevant/witty names I could think of

[theoldtrout01876]

KELTY TARP

Best thing ever,TOTALLY waterproof so you can even sit under it drinking socializing in the rain.We had a couple of huge storms last time we were out and that thing saved us.We had it strung over picnic table and had the gas stove at the edge.we sat there all evening in the rain,totally dry.I had my chuck box under it and just pulled in the camp chairs etc and nothing got wet.These things are the best,wouldnt camp without one :o

[Labradorlover]

I have a coleman classic awning, which I've used on our tent for years. Great for extra cover and cooking and never charged extra for it.
This year bought the Litchfield Event tent for a festival. Put the awning on that and had a huge undercover area for eating, cooking and hanging out in when the weather was rubbish.
I toyed with the idea of getting a gazebo, but they seemed too flimsy for Scottish wind and rain.

[UnsureRightNow]

We have electric hookup so have a kettle - means I can make couscous - cover with boiling water for 10 min with tinned tuna, peppers and onions. Tinned Mackrel on bread another option or any kind of sandwich