'Proper' camping - talk to me about cooking please!

[lunavix]

Been camping lots but always been to restaurants on site to eat... thoroughly broke so decided to be brave and take our own food this year....

Where do I start? Camping stove? Want something cheap and small, there's one in woolies for a tenner but it's out of stock.. has to be safe I think I'm going to be lethal with gas, and have to watch two under 5s at the same time...

stuff to cook with? they have metal bowly things in poundland, will they fall apart?

Also as we are proper cheap camping this year what else will I need? We have previously only taken tent, sleeping, lantern and that's it as we've done outings so... table, chairs? better light to read/play games by? All on a strict budget argh...

is a meths burner easy to explode? I need a 'camping for idiots' set really

The one ring burner/cookers are currently being done all over for a tenner. Check out www.gooutdoors.co.uk/ and if you've got a Wilkinsons nearby, they were doing hem a few weeks ago. I haven't been in for a while though..

I haven't been yet (Yikes!) but am in a similar position to you. First time 'proper' camping in a couple of weeks and I'm wondering how the cooking will go.

We have 2 of gas canister cookers, say one for the curry, one for rice, or bolognaise and pasta depending. I bring pots from home, the camping ones aren't big enough for us all, and we boil water for coffee in a small saucepan. We have 2 of the fold out picnic tables with the seats. They are quite cheap (about 25Euro) but only last 2 or 3 years, and we also have camping chairs, for sitting around the fire at night.

Got one of these which was fab when I took ds1 and 2 camping (age 6 and 4). Very sturdy, child proof knobs on! and windbreak.
One of these cooking sets would be perfect or Tesco do a mess tin combo for £5 instore at the momment. Amazingly quick to heat food in.
I cooked cocktail sausages, baked beans which they had with rolls. Did fruit for pud (no cooking!). Did scrambled egg for brekkie with more sausage!

LOL @ 'almost impossible to kill yourself with'!

IME two rings (bit like this) are better than one, as they allow you to cook a better variety of things (e.g. pasta/rice + sauce). Mind you, I do love my little one-ring burner (a bit like this one) - happy memories of camping trips on dh's motorbike pre-kids when space was of the essence!

Ask yourself how many fatalities on campsites you hear about! Modern gas cookers are pretty safe- well, the gas 'exploding' side is, but obviously you have to watch all the things you need to on a gas hob at home. I use a camp kitchen because it's safer in that regard. No kneeling in the knobbly grass! And a lot less likely that a DC will get hurt imo. I have a double gas burner which again is rather more stable than a single on which you more or less 'balance' the pan on top.

I tend to think of the one burner/trangia type set up as working really well if you're off on a motorbike or where you carry all your needs in a backpack, and the camp kichen 2 ring burner set up as working best in a family camping environment, but I do realise budget is important. Maybe 'go cheap' this time but keep watching eBay for all that 'one use only' stuff that comes up- probably more so right now as more 'Benidorm' types are driven to camp- but then find it totally isn't for them!

If you can stretch to teflon coated pans, do. LOT less hassle to get clean afterwards.

You can always get a couple of disposable baqrbacues if the campsite lets you use them

we have got one of these

www.towsure.com/product/2578-Grillogaz_Nouveau_Double_Burner_And_Grill

We have a one ring gas burner (the type you put the cans of gas in) on a camp kitchen. It's far safer than when we used to just use the burner on the floor. We peg the shelf unit to the floor, so it's completely stable. Much better to stop little fingers getting burned than having it low down. You don't really need a table and chairs, a big picnic rug with waterproof backing would do. That said, Argos do a folding table and chairs set for £19.99. As for pots and pans, an old saucepan, frying pan and kettle would be fine. You can cook most things with that. Also, we tend to have lots of things like quiche/pies/saus rolls with salad and tinned potatoes, so you don'tneed to cook at all. Cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch...

table www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3404892/Trail/searchtext>CAMPING+TABLE.htm
kitchen
www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3400573/Trail/searchtext>CAMPING+SHELF.htm