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Information about Cooking on a campfire

Campfires can be used for cooking food by a number of techniques. Cooking
food using a campfire can be tricky, and many campers prefer to use a
portable stove instead. However, individuals who are backpacking in an area
that allows the gathering of firewood may decide to cook on a campfire to
avoid the need to carry heavy equipment.

A pot hanging over the fire, although picturesque, may spill, and the
rigging may be difficult to construct. One may use two tripods, lashed with
tripod lashings, but the rope will be liable to melt or burn. Dovetail
joints are more secure, but difficult to carve.

Some Dutch ovens are specially designed for camping. The oven is placed in a
bed of hot coals, with additional coals placed on top of the lid, which
usually has a raised rim to keep the coals from falling off. Dutch ovens are
made of cast iron, and are not suitable for backpacking. However, they are
the only option for baking on a campout, and are also convenient for cooking
dishes that take a long time.

Reflector ovens are placed on the ground next to the fire, and gather
thermal radiation from it. Grills are somewhat simpler to use, and better at
using convective heating, but they tend to make the food pick up flavors
from the smoke. Grills that clamp over the food may be used only for simple
tasks like warming food or making toast. Grills that sit above the fire can
be used for actual cooking. If the food is simply placed on the grill, it
may catch fire. If the food is placed in a pot, the weight of the pot
combined with the heat of the fire may cause the grill to bend permanently,
and rest upon the coals, interrupting the flow of oxygen to the fire.

Possibly the simplest method of cooking over a campfire is to roast food on
long skewers that can be held above the flames. This is a popular technique
for cooking hot dogs or roasting marshmallows for making S'Mores. Another
technique is to use pie irons -- a small iron mold with long handles, into
which can be placed slices of bread with some form of filling -- which are
placed over hot coals to cook.

Another technique is the baking of food in foil packets. Food is wrapped
inside a durable packet of tin or aluminum foil, crimped to seal, and placed
on or under hot coals.

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