The joy of tarps

Among all the tonnes of kit you take with you, can I suggest that you make space for a tarpaulin, bungees, poles and guy lines. Now you may well be asking what does this have to do with cooking? Well I'll tell you. If there's only one thing anyone takes away from this blog it's the ABSOLUTE mantra to never, ever, cook inside your tent. 


Every year people die because carbon monoxide from bbqs in their tent poisons them while they sleep. Why? Because the weather's a bit crap or it's easier to be near your bed. 


Well, if a tarp gives the protection from the wind and rain that makes you stop thinking about cooking inside, then I think it's a few quid well spent.

Simple, but effective

You can park the table, stove and all the other cooking stuff under it, so that even if the weather turns a bit grim you're dry. They also provide shelter from the sun - handy if the weather is unusually hot (I'm writing this during the wettest spring ever recorded in the UK). 


What you get depends on your budget and penchant. For the lightweight, no need for a tent, crew, then Alpkit's Rig is for you. If secretly you want to be 'in the field' then a camo tarp should be in your bergen.


If you're a tightwad like me then a huge blue monstrosity from Wickes should fit the bill. The important thing is take the right stuff to attach it to something. If you're camping in trees, then think bungees and paracord. If you're in a field then guylines, poles and paracord should be in the bag. 


But wherever you are, think about the following: 

• Which way is the wind generally blowing? Make sure the low end of the tarp is in that direction.
• Does the tarp have the right pitch? You want it to shed water quickly - if it's too flat then it will act as a massive bucket and end in tears - if not waterfalls.

This may not be the most exciting of posts - but if it saves anyone from the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning  - then that's surely a price worth paying.

Thanks for reading.

Best meal of the day?

I suppose that if this blog is all about the great outdoors and food, I should begin at the beginning - breakfast. 

Now of course the key difference to breakfast under a roof is time:the time you start; and the time it takes. Even without toddlers and small children, who are generally up well before anything else, the combination of light and birdsong make dawn pretty irresistible (lucky old dawn).

So my advice is use those extra minutes, or possibly hours, to get the fire going and prepare things. And the first thing to do, get the tea or coffee on. Tea of course is easy-peasy, but for coffee forget about lattes, flat whites and the like and keep it simple.  A hob-top espresso maker is perfectly tough enough to sit on the fire. 6 cup is perfect - you want a big mug of instant oomph. It's easy to weaken coffee that's too strong, but impossible to make weak coffee decent. Oh and don't forget to fill the bottom chamber with water. Bitter experience has taught me that there is no joy in the smell of burning rubber that precedes the realisation you forgot.

So with a cup of Joe in hand, consider the main event.

Although I'm not American, I have to say that pancakes are particularly fine in the wild. With maple and blueberry sauce they are really tasty and very filling. Kids go crazy for them too, no bad thing given they will have had next to no sleep and be more cranky than Alex Ferguson after a United loss.

The good news is that they are easy to rustle up.  We use the Nigella Express recipe - pack it up in 1 or 2 egg bags worth as it were - then simply add the eggs and milk when we need it. For the sauce just combine the maple syrup and the blueberries then heat til boiling and simmer for 5 minutes.

A dutch oven lid - the perfect griddle

But for the real deal - it has to be a fry up. And here, my advice is to invest in a Dutch oven. Though these are really common in the States (the frontier heritage?) they are a lot less common in a country that's more English Heritage. I'll be writing a post later to discuss them in a bit more detail, but for fry ups it the lid you want. 

The warming pan

A broad expanse of solid cast iron is perfect for almost everything - bacon, sausages and tomatoes. Cook these in batches and then keep them warm in a tray or pan, slightly away from the direct heat.

Eggs as I like them

Finally, on to the eggs. Make sure the lid is clear of any debris, let it reach frying speed, add a splash of oil, then off you go.

If one of you has the patience and can stand the heat, then while the eggs are frying, toast should be on the griddle in direct heat. You want red hot embers - flame and smoke - will result in something deeply unpleasant.

 It only remains to eat this excellent fry up - with brown sauce naturally. And here I have only one recommendation Tracklements. This is simply so superior to anything else that I urge you go out and buy it right away. 

So that's it - my thoughts on breakfast. 

What are yours?

Always start with dry kindling

Orange muffins on the fire - wow

So here it is. My first post on my blog. I want this to be a place to share anything and everything that will help you really enjoy cooking, and living, outdoors. So that your memories are of fabulous feasts, days you didn't want to end and nights that will always light up your memory.

A tall order, here goes.

Watch this space....