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Quote: Originally posted by wolla on 07/6/2010

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DK - do you cover yours with anything, or just leave it open to the elements?  I assume you put the suitcase stoves back in the cases??  are they waterproof?

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It depends if I used a canopy or not, as the canopy is big enough to cover the kitchen stand.

I normally put the suitcase stoves back into their cases at the end of the trip. I do not believe they are waterproof as such, however, the metals are either enamalled or galvinised, and a bit of moisture will not do any harm to them, IMHO.

DK

We keep ours under the extension - we too have a concertina stand with a campingaz chef on the top. Covered with a BBQ Cover bought for £3 from Wilkinsons it works a treat. I keep my pans on the shelves underneath and peg the stand down.

In high winds I bring the pans in - purely to stop any noise or damage to the tent really. Only had the wind knock the pans off once and that was REALLy loud - and in the middle of the night!

We use a Coleman petrol stove, which makes moving things around easy, comapred to a stove witha  big gas bottle.  So we don't use a big kitchen stand

We prefer to cook outside, unless the weather precludes it. Until last year the stove lived on a squaure Aluminium roll up table. This year we are using what is probably meant to be a shelf unit more than a cooker stand. But our stove fits on the top fine, a platic crate goes on the bottom with pans, crockery etc with two other shelves for bits and bobs.

If camping for long enough, or if the weather looks like it might warrant it we put up the khaym Sun porch (which has a door panel we sometimes use) which we use for cooking under. Alterntivley, if it's sunny we will have the tarp up.

If the porch up the stoves usually lives under there at night. Otherwise we usually end up just putting under the tarp near the tent door. Though if it looks at all like it might get windy I put it inside. THe stove is fine even in heavy rain as long as the top cover is folded down over it..

We cook outside, and always bring in the kit at the end of the day.  One of us carries the kitchen and stove into the tent and the other carries the bottle to the car.  I disconnect the gas anyway, so it's no bother to just shift the unit a few feet.  Then it's under cover, out of the wind and out of sight.  I just feel more comfortable if everything is stowed safely in the tent for the night... it makes me feel cosy.

If it rains, I put up the little loo/utility tent I got from Argos for £3.99.  It's a metre square and six foot high, and very useful for cooking in.  If I'm using the Argos tent, then I don't have to bring the kit inside.  I just zip up the utility.

FoO

Wow - so many replies - thanks everyone.

Am now considering a toilet tent which we could pitch in such a way that if it was raining could use door of main tent as shelter and cook in the toilet tent - then can be zipped up at night.  would prob only bother with this for a week's camp.

So many ideas tho - my mind's whirling.  Thanks again

 been looking for one in green (last season's colour) to match the tent for last couple of months - after reading these posts have realised that this would be ideal for kitchen too and just managed to track one down on amazon.  Am a very happy camper now. (well i will be when it arrives ;-) )

ooh - just noticed you've got a zenobia too. we love ours - and only use the one bedroom at the mo so love the space we've got in it.  dh trying to get me to get the carpet too but I'm resisting so far........

Quote: Originally posted by nicola1972 on 07/6/2010

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I loved using a trangia when on DofE, only problem was getting the bottom o the pans black. Weve looked at them over the last couple of years but they are so expensive - So watch out if I'm near you

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The pans do get blackened from the meths - so leave it on.  It aids heat distribution anyway.  (And the blackening is a lot less than using a wood burning stove.)

Have had a Trangia 27 for many years but have just bought a 25-2 for 46 quid.  not bad for a stove, kettle, frying pans and 2 pans + handle.

We have only just got our porch and used it for the first time on the bank holiday weekend - we don't know how we managed without it now!

We also have the carpet - it makes a massive difference on the feet.  We too only use the one bedroom and use the other one for putting our clothes and toiletries in!

We use 2 suitcase stoves on an aluminium rolltop table, with a sunncamp larder to keep food and utensils in.

with the cabanon rotonde, it is inside the tent, with the outwell colorado it's in the extension.