Cooking in camp is an art. Not only does this act require skill and practical knowledge it demands that you be prepared and have all the proper provisions and equipment. If you forget to bring a basic ingredient or cooking utensil, you may find yourself initiating ingenious ideas for substitutions. Worse yet is not being able to complete the meal you have started. Also you must be ready to improvise, as a bear, raccoon, or other local native who finds your treats irresistible could visit you.

Basic steps one should follow for camp cooking are planning, shopping, packing and transporting, camp set-up and storage, meal preparation and serving, clean up, and most important -- have fun and do not be afraid of asking for help. By following these basic steps you will define how many people will you be cooking for and formulate your menus from your recipes. You then can prepare lists of equipment, cookware, and utensils that will be required, as well as shopping lists for food and supplies including any additional equipment, cookware, and utensils you may need.

Other thoughts to consider are the type of trip you are going on as well as your mode of transportation. Going on a back packing adventure with everything you need being placed on your back is a lot different than a "base style camp" where everything is either driven in by vehicle, flown in by airplane, or taken in on horses and mules. The amount of time you will be dedicating to cooking and its associated tasks will determine your final choice of recipes and menus. Also, always try to keep low impact camping in mind such as how you will handle waste and garbage.

Wood Burning Stoves: A person needs to practice cooking on this type of stove in order to learn fuel burn rates and heat control for cooking and baking. The stove I use has an oven for baking and water jacket, which allows for an abundance of hot water at all times. Another feature is a shelf that you can utilize to keep food warm. The top of the oven is great to warm your metal dinner plates.

ELK ROAST


Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp. juniper berries
1/2 cup water
One 2 1/2 pound elk roast
1/2 tsp. salt


In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except roast. Pour mixture into a zip lock bag. Place roast in bag and set in cooler for at least six hours. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven. Remove the roast from the bag and brown in Dutch oven on both sides. Add in the marinade mixture, cover, and place in oven at 350 degrees. Bake for about 2 hours.

Dinner In Camp
Elk Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Bread
Coffee