Most camping enthusiasts love to make food outdoors, but it's not always as easy as it sounds. Anyone who has tried to prepare food over a campfire knows how difficult it is to avoid burning everything black.
Today there are lots of alternatives that are much better than your classic campfire. Just try to take a look in the many outdoor shops and see their wide selection of camping stoves. Not only are there classic gas stoves, there are also multi stoves and much more.
Not only is it easier to use a camping stove than it is to use a campfire. In many cases it is also the only alternative since campfires are illegal in many places because of the risk of fires and so on.
When you have to buy a camping stove, you must consider many different things. First of all, you have to consider where you are going to use it, how long you are going to use it and what you will use it for.
As you can guess, you don't need the same camping stove for an expedition to the Himalaya Mountains as you do for a short trip with your friends in your backyard.
Think about how much bulk you can carry and what kind of fuel capacity you will need.
It's bad luck that you can usually carry less on long trips - and that's when you probably need the extra fuel capacity unless you have a way of finding fuel on the way. It might therefore be a good idea to consider a camping stove that can use many different types of fuel or one that can work with natural materials like dry wood for example.
As previously said, you also need to think about what you will use the camping stove for. Will it only be used to heat water or do you want to prepare gourmet food on it? Depending on what you want, you will need a different kind of camping stove.
If you just need to heat water for tea, you will probably be find with a simple pot and a lit.
That's all you need to heat water, so why carry any more than that? Quite the opposite is the case if you want to make excellent food while out camping. If you want to make great food, you will need several pots, pans and so on, but always remember to think about how much you can carry.
My personal preference is something in the middle. More than the pot to heat water for tea in, but not as much as a complete gourmet solution with lots of pots and pans. In my experience, it's quite possible to make excellent food with a simple camping stove. All you need to do is to prepare some of the ingredients before you leave, so you don't need to juggle with the complicated parts of the menu when you feel tired and hungry after a long day in the wilderness.
