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HI  All

We have been camping for 6 years and had a Vango Colarado, our first big tent and cooked outside everytime really not to ruin our first tent. Then we bought a cheapie from Ebay a lot smaller so you couldn't cook in there too dangerous. So i have still cooked outside around a windbreak in all weathers. My wife has some photo's of me cooking out in pouring rain wearing wet weather gear, umbrella etc. 

Now we have bought a Vermont L we are going to cook in the tent as we feel that it is big enough as we have the extra porch. Really for what we cook is about the same as others small warming through meals.  The last time we used the tent as it was a glorious morning i just moved the kitchen stand outside to cook bacon and egg bascially because of spitting fat. We feel now that we have done enough outside cooking in wet weather and as we have a big enough tent again, i think  as long as you are careful and look after your tent i really dont see a problem.  

Colin

Hi

I forgot to mention always cook at the highest point of the tent.

Colin

Quote: Originally posted by daisytent on 07/7/2007

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Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 07/7/2007

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I wouldn't personally cook inside a synthetic tent and, especially as the Cedar Creek doesn't have a porch area, I'd take a kitchen tent. If you look in the shop (icon at the top of this page) you will see the Outdoor Revolution Outhouse is a small pack size and doesn't cost the earth (also has very good reviews on these boards). There are lots of others around, too (again, do a search using the icon at the top of this page to get some info). There is a current thread regarding a half price one, at Argos.

A kitchen tent is a far safer option, IMHO, and especially if you have children running around. It also keeps all the clart out of the tent, so makes it a nicer place to be (and gives the illusion that you are tidy and organised, so will do for me! )

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What's the outdoor revolution outhouse made of? If it's synthetic too, then the only difference is the lack of children/pets running around surely?

So far, we have cooked under the canopy at the front of our tent. Our new tent has a side door that can be raised into a canopy so we're going to site the kitchen in front of that and raise it to cook :)

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That is quite a big difference though, isn't it?

Next, if the worst should happen, you can step back out of a kitchen tent, and it doesn't have all your camping stuff in does it?

Also, the Cedar Creek has a SIG, and a kitchen tent doesn't (wouldn't personally risk spilling anything hot on a SIG).

The kitchen tent is a lot less to lose, if damaged, than your tent (it's not just about whether it goes up in flames, but about cooking splashes and spills).

You can also store stuff in your kitchen tent, overnight, rather than bunging up your tent, which can be useful.

At the tend of the day, as with all things camping, it's horses for courses.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

Quote: Originally posted by Septic on 07/7/2007

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We cook in our tent - and pretty much always have done, unless the weather is really good and we cook outside.

We've had a lot of Eurocamp type holidays and you sort of become used to cooking in the tent with them.

I suppose it is an area where people have to make their own decisions and define their own safety policy.

 

James

 

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Cooking in a canvas tent is a different kettle of fish, to some extent, since they often have a dedicated kitchen area, with ventilated window, and usually no SIG. Also, canvas will not catch fire as readily as a synthetic tent (though you still have to exercise caution, of course) and doesn't suffer the same condensation issues when cooking inside. (We still usually take a kitchen tent, though.)

Quote: Originally posted by Geoffshumba on 07/7/2007

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My tent has a cooking extension - it's a cotton frame tent and it has a frame which creates a little area with verticle back and sides to locate the stove,  just a bulge in the side really.  The stove has tall metal sides and stands on a very firm metal cooker stand, so I don't think twice about cooking in the tent.  Obviously, you would never leave it unattended, but if you are sensible, it is fine.  My advice would be, by all means cook in the tent if you can keep plenty of distance between the burners and any material which might catch fire, make sure the stove can't topple or be knocked over, and never leave the stove unattended.  Also, have a means of extinguishing a fire, and don't cook if someone is in an inner tent.  No doubt someone will think this is shocking - health and safety has reached the point where practical life is threatened, but I'm comfortable with this approach.  PS if you have unruly kids, you should not cook at all, just use takeaways. 

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I agree with you Geoffshumba, but was responding to The Badger's question about cooking in a Cedar Creek, which is a synthetic tent with no porch and a SIG.

We cook in our Espace, not in our Guadeloupe, not in our Biscaya, and never in our Quechuas, since they are very different tents.

Frame tents are a different kettle of fish, don't you agree?