The Advantages of Bringing a Portable Gas Stove When Camping
When going camping or hiking, we tend to forget all of the troubles of our everyday life and focus on the moment. There is only one thing that we need to get right – to equip ourselves with enough supplies for the trip so that we have a relaxing experience and not feel like we’re trying to survive. A tent, sleeping bags, potable water and enough food. But when it comes to cooking and warming ourselves up with hot drinks, the question arises – is cooking fire necessary?
Taking into account the fact that today you can choose from a wide range of gas camping stoves and equip yourself with a safe and convenient appliance for cooking, making fire for the purpose of cooking is a thing of the past. Some might argue that making a campfire is part of the camping experience, however, cooking on a portable gas camping stove can prove to be a much better alternative.
Camping During Fire Prohibitions and Bans
National parks are heavily regulated. Before you start packing for your trip, the first thing you need to do is contact the park’s office and ask about current regulations. Has there been a temporary fire ban declared? You don’t need to speculate, just contact the office to find out. A prohibition may be imposed to prevent air pollution or it may have been deemed that a fire would be difficult to control. When a fire ban is imposed, you may still be allowed to bring a portable gas camping stove. There are certain conditions of course, such as not leaving the stove unattended and making sure that it is contained. However, it is your only option for having a hot meal.
The Question of Firewood
You can’t start a campfire without firewood, and even if you are allowed to start it, some national parks don’t allow visitors to collect firewood. If you happen to be camping on a site where you can collect firewood, doing so can be a hassle and make the waiting time between meals even longer. First, you need to find dry wood. If the wood is green and wet, you will have a hard time starting the fire.
Rains are another obstacle. There is always the possibility that it rained before your camping trip, so it will be even harder to find dry wood. Not to mention that you may need to use an axe when looking for firewood, as there is no guarantee that you will find exactly what you’re looking for. If you come back empty-handed after a long and exhausting search for firewood, you will end up hungry and frustrated.
And this is when portable stoves come into play. Helping you have a hassle-free meal whenever you feel like it. Plus, bans and the weather won’t be an obstacle to you being satiated and enjoying your meal out in the open.
Containing a Campfire
If you are camping somewhere where a fire ban is not imposed, you are still responsible for making sure that the fire you have started is contained and put out after you have finished cooking. This is a big responsibility with heavy consequences. One small act of forgetfulness or inattention and the results will be dire. A fire that cannot be controlled can spread easily and pose an immediate threat for the people around that campfire and the surroundings.
If you aren’t sure that you will be able to control your campfire or if you don’t want to take on that responsibility, then there is no reason not to opt for the safer alternative. Portable gas stoves are easy to use and unlike a campfire, anyone can turn them on and off. They are quick and easy to use and all participants on your camping trip will be able to help with the cooking.
A Hot Meal or Drink Anytime You Want
Some people can’t be bothered with cooking meals, especially if they are going on a short camping trip. However, if the weather is nice and there is a larger party in your group, it would be great to have the option to drink a cup of coffee together. It can get quite cold at night, so why not warm up with a cup of hot tea? Plus, eating crackers or canned food for a few days straight can get boring. Having the option to cook up something hot and easy will be more than welcomed once you get bored of eating dried food. There are a lot of easy recipes for camping with only a few ingredients that you can look up. After all, you don’t need to forego delicious meals during your weekend in nature.
Extra weight or…?
A common reason why campers don’t want to bring portable gas camping stoves is that they add extra weight to their equipment. But do they really? There are a lot of portable stoves that weigh around 100gr, so compared to the weight of firewood and other tools it doesn’t make much difference. And as all good campers know, the weight of the camping equipment should be distributed evenly among all members of the party!
