MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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To further add to the plethora of camping threads recently what are the thoughts on cooking in tents. We have a Coleman Mosedale 5 with the extension. I am thinking that I should be OK using a 2 hob stove (which runs of camping gaz in the extension section as long as the door is unzipped as it is not a sealed ground sheet (the extension is essentially a fancy awning). I haven't done this previously as we only have done weekends away but we are going for a week in July so being able to cook in the extension might be handy as we will need to do it more often. What do people think/do?
Shouldn't be a problem. I've regularly cooked under the fly of a two man tent and I haven't died yet. As you say, make sure it's ventilated.
A lot of the "don't cook inside this tent" type warnings are the manufacturers arse covering themselves. Gas stoves in the awning or entrance are unlikely to be a problem. I wouldn't try and flambe anything though, that could end a little wrong!
I'd keep the heat source as far away from the tent material as possible but apart from that ...
I've got the same tent and would happily cook in the extension. It's well ventilated so should be fine, especially if the door is open. Haven't cooked in this one yet as only been away in it once and weather was good, but I've cooked loads of times in other tents of a similar size and it's been fine.
Cheers
@ads678 - We only used ours for the first time last weekend as well. The blackout bedrooms seemed to work well with our 4 year old as he slept in until 8 on both mornings!
Sharp knife handy when cooking in a tent - you might want to add a doorway quickly.
I would do it in a big tent, where you have an escape plan.
Not sitting in a 2 man with the stove sitting at the only way out. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about co2, just the risk of the stove flaring up and trapping me tbh.
Will the coals not burn through the groundsheet?
I'd cook with meths or gas canisters but wouldn't be doing anything with petrol/paraffin etc
Cooked in tents for many years from open fires in tipis to small gas stoves in the entrance of a modern 1 man tent. I'm still here (make of that what you will).
Do it all the time. If we're set for two weeks we usually pop up a cooking / eating gazebo, just for the extra space, but normally it's in the extension.
We've got a Vango Orchy 600 with a canopy extension & always cook under the canopy. It's a little more open than the extension on that tent looks, but I wouldn't hesitate to cook in there.
Looking at the tent, I wouldn't bother putting the groundsheet down in the extension.
The only thing to be aware of is how close the stove is to the sides of the tent. I presume the stove you have, has sides that stand up & act as wind breaks. Just make sure they aren't getting too close to the sides of the tent.
We always turn the gas tap off at the canister when not cooking, rather than rely on the knobs on the front of the cooker to stop any gas flow.
If your tent isn't big enough to house a BBQ, get a bigger tent. 🙂
I think it was at the Malvern Classics when it pissed it down on the last day and we were sat around the BBQ on deck chairs enjoying a fantastic lunch whilst countless others were getting soaked trying to light stuff in the awnings of their little tents. Ended up sharing my hot coals out to lots of peeps so they could get their bacon on.
I think I also remember having to borrow a larger car to fit the tent in...
Can't do it myself. I run everything on unleaded (2x lanterns and a stove) and prefer them outside, logically or not.
If you are sensible, you will be fine.
As a warning, about 20 years ago I saw a man on Dartmoor with melted fly sheet on his arm. If his reactions had been slower more of him would have been covered.
I too would cook with care in there.
I too have seen a 6-man tent go up in flames. Took less than 10 seconds from tent to melted mess....
We will cook outside unless it is really persisting down. Weather is looking good apparently for the next 5 months so* should be fine!
*according to the work weather expert!
I like the knife tip, my parents taught me to make sure that I was nearer the exit than the cooker was. Anyway survived many years of gas and trianga usage
mum was a nurse who once had to deal with people who tried changing the cylinder in the tent when halfway thru cooking ......
Take a tarp and make cooking lean to .
I bought a wind break to shelter the "kitchen" & then put it just under the extension canopy ,to one side of our tent 's(large) entrance (when family camping). On my own ,I'm happy to sit in the "porch" of a small 2/3 man tent with vents open. +1 for gas only, the knife tip is good one.
You don't know how much carbon monoxide your stove is producing. Some stoves may be rather high levels. It could easily build up inside a tent, without you noticing.
Reminds me of the time we were cooking in our tent. Friend (novice camper) wanders over with gas canister leaking gas from a partially opened valve to ask what was wrong with it. Luckily I spotted her in time to stop her getting any closer to our stove...