Cooking outdoors

Gas stoves have become popular in recent years because they allow you to easily regulate the heat and quickly boil water. Additionally, they require very little maintenance. Gas canisters come in various sizes, allowing you to adjust the amount based on the length of your trip.

The best camping stoves for cooking are often the so-called “spider stoves.” These have burners that stand steadily on their own legs and connect to the gas canister with a hose. It’s beneficial to have a wide burner, as it provides more even heat and makes it less likely for food to burn in the pot. There are also gas burners that screw directly onto the gas canister, but they can be unstable and are best used as backup stoves or if you want to pack light. Empty gas canisters should be disposed of as hazardous waste at recycling stations. Most stores that sell gas also accept used canisters.

During winter and at high altitudes, gas stoves don’t work as well. The cold or air pressure can cause insufficient pressure in the gas canister, reducing the stove’s efficiency. There are types of gas more suited for winter, but they still don’t perform well in very low temperatures. You can try carrying the canister close to your body to keep it warm or placing it in a hot water bath just before lighting the stove. However, for winter trips, petrol stoves are the safest and most reliable option.

Gasoline stoves are efficient, year-round stoves that allow you to easily regulate the heat. Before you start cooking, it’s a good idea to preheat the burner. You do this by leaking a little gasoline into the burner and then lighting it. A gasoline stove will eventually get sooty, so you need to clean your stove periodically to maintain optimal performance.

Gasoline stoves work best and are the safest during winter, as the fuel can withstand low temperatures. There are also multifuel stoves that handle gas, gasoline, and kerosene – all you need to do is switch a valve.

Trangia stoves with burners for denatured alcohol have a strong tradition in Swedish outdoor life. Unfortunately, alcohol is not a particularly efficient fuel. Cooking takes a long time, and it’s difficult to regulate the flame. Therefore, make sure to pour enough fuel from the start so that you don’t have to wait for the burner to cool down before you can refill it and light it again. You can purchase a gas insert for your Trangia stove, allowing it to be used with a more efficient fuel.

Something that is becoming increasingly popular is small stoves like Jetboil, where the gas canister is essentially integrated with the cooking pot into one compact package. These stoves are extremely efficient for quickly boiling water, for instance, when you need to prepare a bag of freeze-dried food. However, if you want to fry something or cook a more advanced dish, this is not the stove to recommend.

• The classic grilled hotdogs with bread and optional toppings is not to be forgotten.
• Grilled ciabatta filled with cheese, ham, and sun-dried tomatoes (requires a grill grate).
• Tortilla pizza with tomato paste, cheese, salami, and arugula (requires a grill grate).
• Stick bread.
• Bananas grilled in foil filled with chocolate.
• Grilled hotdogs in flatbread with salad, tomato, cucumber, onion, and dressing.
• Hamburgers with cheese, tomato, lettuce, and onion.

• Pasta with pesto and olives.
• Tuna salad with vegetables of your choice in tortilla wraps.
• Fresh tortellini, tomato, arugula, and flavored crème fraîche.
• Omelet with crispbread. Surprisingly good to eat cold.
• Ready-made pancakes with banana and chopped chocolate.
• Wraps with vegetables and beans.
• Potato pancakes with halloumi, sour cream, and chives.

• Cook risotto rice according to the package instructions, add Parmesan cheese, dried mushrooms, and onions.
• Fill a plastic bottle with ready-made pancake batter and fry. Take berries or jam as topping.
• Make batter for “krabbelurer” – a mix between sponge cake and American pancakes – and fry. Jam or applesauce works good for topping.
• Ready-made pea soup or goulash soup. Everything tastes better outdoors.
• Cook tortellini, pancetta, and cherry tomatoes in the same pot.
• Banana quesadillas with Nutella and strawberries.
• “Kolbulle” – a mix of water, flour, and salt, whisked together and fried with salted pork.