Cooking meals during camping trips can be fun and tasty, but sometimes it is necessary to be flexible in order to prepare delicious meals at your campsite. A staple of many campers’ breakfasts, bacon, is traditionally cooked over a pan in a stove, and many consider it to be an absolute necessity, regardless of the other breakfast fare available. In case you do not have access to a portable fuel stove, there are many other options available for cooking.
Campfire
In order to cook bacon without a camp stove, campers should make use of the campfire. While the heat of an open flame can be a bit unpredictable, the coals from a campfire radiate a stable heat source that is ideal for cooking bacon and other foods. A grate can be placed over these coals to support a pan, or aluminum foil can be used as a surface or to make a packet for cooking. You can also skewer bacon strips onto a poker designed for marshmallows and hot dogs, or on a good old fashioned sharpened stick.
Canned Heat
In some state and national parks, open fires in back-country areas are banned. If you are a backpacker who spends nights far away from campgrounds, you will likely run into some situations where you need to cook without a campfire. Canned heat (Sterno is a popular brand) is an excellent way to cook bacon without a camp stove when it’s time to get the morning started.
Canned heat is a simple container of jelly alcohol that is used for heating and cooking food, commonly found at restaurant supply and outdoor stores. You can easily purchase one of several types of lightweight aluminum stands that are designed to hold pots and pans over the canister so you can use your hands for other tasks. The basic 7 oz canned heat burns for two hours and can be used to cook most stove top dishes, ranging from bacon to beef stroganoff.
Aluminum Can Stove
Another alternative to both stoves and open fires is the homemade aluminum can cooker, sometimes called a penny stove. This easily made device uses rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol as a fuel and can cook meals just like a stove. The only items needed to build a can cooker are two empty soda cans, a hammer and nail, and fuel. These can cookers are light and reliable, and fuel is inexpensive and can be found in any grocery or drug store.
If you do not have a stove or simply do not want to tote want around, delicious meals can be prepared by using any of these alternatives, saving you space and money — both of which can be invaluable when it comes to outdoor adventuring.
