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hi we are due to go away on Monday and as yet have not bought our cooking equipment! What are your favourite setups and why? we are a family of 6 so needs to be big enough to cook for all of us. All help greatly appreciated

Gemma

10-16th Aug- Leadstone campsite

Just wanted to say great choice of tent!!! We have the same and love it!!

Regarding cooking - we use a 2 burner gas stove with grill and we have just bought a suitcase type burner (although never used this) to give me a few more options when cooking. I've also bought a mini oven (again untested) so that I can really "glamp" in style!!

I have cooked for 8 just using the 2 burners so it is possible to create yummy meals on minimum equipment!
I tend to make similar things that we would have at home - curry, chilli, stew, meatballs, pasta, "roast" dinner etc...
I always take 2 saucepans and a frying pan. If space permits I like to take my 3 tier stainless steel steamer.

If we have EHU I like to take our slow cooker which is great for making hearty meals with little effort.
BBQ is usually thrown in the car but we never used it last trip and I actually didn't miss it.

Enjoy!!!
Helen xx

Two ring gas cooker...Don't buy one with a grill...they are useless..The cheapest one is just as good as the most expensive GoOutdoors do a two ring for around 22 quid.Alternatively, if you feel like splashing out have a look at a Colemans multi-fuel two burner for around 90 quid...they last forever. They run on Colemans fuel(very expensive) unleaded petrol or Aspen 4T alkylite petrol(cleaner than unleaded and much cheaper the Coleman's Fuel.

My favourite cooking set-up is my tripod with Super Potjie set (http://www.unbeatentracks.co.uk/acatalog/Cast_Iron_Pots.html)

with a few modifications (charcoal tray for use where there are no fire pits or open fires allowed, and grill rack on a chain for conventional BBQ-ing).

Can do a normal BBQ, griddle steaks or burgers on the griddle side of the "lid", cook a full breakfast on the smooth side of the lid, or do a curry, stew, chilli, etc. in the pot, and so much more...............

This setup is more suited to a base camp on a longer trip, but for leisurely meals it can't be beaten.

I am on my own with Borda the dog, and I took my Cadac Safari Chef HP, Weber Go Anywhere BBQ, and a set of stainless steel Outwell cookset with a stove that runs on methylated spirit.

I used the Safari Chef for cooking a nice fry up every morning that kept me going until dinner time. BBQ in the evenings except for one evening when it was raining, and I knocked up a cous cous with stir-fried sausage and vegetables using the Safari Chef instead.

I also used the Safari Chef and the Outwell cookset to knock up a nice meal with pan fried salmon, stir-fried vegetable and rice for me and my ex-hubby when he came to visit one evening, as he is not keen on BBQ food.

I shall have different evening menus for the cooler months, meat sauces, stews, curries, meaty soups etc. with starch such as rice, pasta and noodles. I shall probably bring a couple of suitcase stoves so that I can reheat pre-prepared meat dishes, boil up some starch, and pan fry some vegetables.

DK

2 ring campingaz burner with grill, and some huge camping pans which are really too big for the four of us!  Also disposable bbqs and a little one ring gas thing for the kettle last thing at night.