6 Tips For Cooking In The Frontcountry and Backcountry

by Richard White II May 02, 2019

Cooking is part of our daily life in the front and backcountry. Cooking is the cornerstone of the day. You start with breakfast, you usually end with dinner and it is how we fuel up for our objectives when we are out and stay warm through the night. Just like anything when we’re headed outside, our kitchen set up, what we cook and how is really important!

Below are a couple of tips to keep in mind for your next campout in the front or backcountry:

Establish a kitchen. Make sure you are following LNT and public land manager guidelines on distances (you should know if you are in bear country or not) from camp and water. Find a flat spot with a good place to sit and be comfortable. Before cooking, have a vision and lay everything out.
Be familiar with your stove (ideally this is something you would have done BEFORE committing to be the cook), ensure everything is in working order and be prepared to turn it off. In case of an emergency. Remember you CAN’T put a fuel fire out with water. (Be Prepared for that). You will need something nearby to smother it, if necessary.
Burns are one of the most common injuries when cooking in the front and backcountry. Use a pair fo secure pliers when handling boiling water, be careful of your legs, making sure nothing can spill on them.
Institute a no-fly zone. Cooking happens on the ground unless you’re staying in a sweet backcountry hut or yurt. This means people are walking around, potentially right around your stove. Make sure folks know that there is no one allowed around or above your stove while you are on the helm.
Keep it Leave no Trace! Make sure you are cooking on a durable surface so you don’t burn vegetation. If you do spill, guess what? You will need to pick everything up and either eat it or pack it out. I sometimes use chopsticks in the backcountry which work great for picking up individual grains of rice.
Make it fun and be creative. Try new things and think outside the box. Keep your pack light but your belly full and happy.

Do you have any cooking tips, please let us know by leaving a comment.

Richard White II

Author

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Also in News & Skills

Camping Camping essentials Camping for beginners First camping trip First time camping First time camping essentials First-time camper First-time camping tips New camper New campers New to camping What to expect while camping What to take camping