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Campground Cooking: Not beans again!

A employee birthday party at Lake Piru in 2016

When you imagine campground cooking, the chuckwagon food that was prepared for cowboys in the old west comes to mind. I can imagine hearing cowboys saying, “Not beans again”. I can remember many campouts where we prepared baked beans with freshly made biscuits, yum. Also, doesn’t chuckwagon stew sound good?

 Although baked beans are great with barbeque, it is not necessary for every camping trip. The food that you plan for your camping trip does not have to be the same old fare that you prepare at home or take to a picnic. It is your choice, but I personally try to stay with an outdoors style menu. There are dozens of campground cooking books available at your local bookstore or on Amazon. The following are six different outdoor cooking style ideas:

  • Dutch oven- Campground stew, take hamburger, potatoes, carrots, onions, and a package of stew mix, and simmer on the camp stove or firepit until done.

Dig a hole, prepare coals with firewood or charcoal, when you have a good bed of coals, put the Dutch oven in the center of the coal, mix a cobbler or cake mix, pour contents into the Dutch oven, put the lid on and cover with coals. Bury the Dutch oven with dirt. Cook for two hours.

  • Campfire– Our family likes to do the in-foil dinners. Get some good coals going, take tin foil and double wrap hamburger, chicken, or pork, with green peppers, onions, potatoes, and carrots. Coat with Worchester sauce. Put into a bed of coals or even on top of the grill. Turn frequently with tongs. Serve in the foil or put on a paper plate.
  • Camp stove– Skillet dinners cooked in a cast iron skillet, love it. Bacon frying in a pan on a camping trip is about the most delightful aroma I can imagine. I love campground breakfast.
  • Charcoal Barbeque- I personally do not use charcoal, it takes time to get the coals ready to cook over, and you cannot control the heat. Barbeque fare is mostly what you will cook over charcoal and you get the charcoal flavor.
  • Propane Barbeque- Although I believe this is more of a picnic fare; steaks, ribs, chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers, are always a welcome cookout fare for camping.
  • Solar oven- Most of us do not use a solar oven, but they are sold at sporting goods stores. Making a solar oven yourself does not take a lot of time. The only issue you will run across is controlling the heat and cooking time. Most outdoor cooking fare can be cooked in a solar oven.

Various Issues with Each Cooking Method

Your campground cookout does not have to be the same old fare that you prepare at home or take to a picnic. Get a good outdoor cookbook and try something new. The Dutch oven does not have to be buried, it can be used on campfire, stove top, or on the barbeque, most campgrounds will not allow the hole in the ground style of cooking.

When you cook over a campfire, you cannot control the flame, you get soot on the bottom of the pan or skillet, and cooking times will vary greatly. Charcoal takes time to get hot, you can’t control the heat, and you get the taste of charcoal. A camp stove is the most popular camp cooking method, and my favorite camp stove is the Camp Chef brand. The Camp Chef camp stove has large burners, this helps when you are at a high altitude where the air is thinner.

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Idiots Guide to Campsite Lighting

I am often amazed at the amount of light that campers feel they need in their campsite, so I thought that I would write the Idiots Guide to Campsite Lighting. Forest campgrounds by nature are dark, the height of the trees in the forest often block out even the moonlight, I love it. Campfire lighting is my preference for subdued lighting at my campsite. At times, campers seem to have more light in their campsite than they likely have in their backyard patio at home.

5 Ways to Add Light to Your Campsite

  • Electric Lighting- If electricity is available at your campground, you can light the campsite with a shop light, clip-on lights, or work lights on a stand. I have seen these types of lighting in many campgrounds that I have worked at, personally I find this to be too harsh of lighting for a campsite.
  • Fuel based Lighting- For many years, campers used Kerosene or white gas for their campsite lantern. With liquid based lanterns, you need to carry and store gallon cans of kerosene or white gas, have a funnel, and often need to pour this liquid into the lantern in the dark. I used to try and remember to take care of the lantern before dark, but as I relaxed in the campsite, I would forget until I needed it. Propane lanterns are the most convenient to use at a campground, and by having a propane post that attaches to a 5-gallon propane tank, all the camper needs to do is light the lantern.
  • Battery Lighting- Battery operated lights for a campsite are by far the safest form of lighting, specially in a tent. There are a lot of string lights that use batteries. I use these in my campsite because they give off a low amount of light without losing my ability to star gaze. You can get some really bright halogen battery operated lanterns today, that do a better job of lighting your campsite than the old fashion propane lanterns. The other popular thing that campers do, is the head light style of flashlight or cob light, great for hands free lighting.
  • Solar Lighting- Solar lighting is the most safe and economical lighting choice for a camper. No batteries, gas, propane, or electric cords to store. Light your walkways with pathway lights, table with solar lantern, tent with solar lights, even flashlights are available with solar.
  • Candle Lighting- I used a candle lantern when I backpacked because it was light weight, I do not recommend this method of campsite lighting, however, due to the possibility of a candle falling over and starting a fire. But these candle lanterns are still available in the sporting goods stores, so they need to be mentioned.

My recommendation of campsite lighting

Although there are many forms of campsite lighting: electricity, fuel based, battery, and candles. I highly recommend solar light strings, solar lanterns, and solar flashlights. Our landfills are full of used batteries, fuel-based lanterns are messy and potentially bad for the environment, and candles can tip over and ruin your belongings. Renewable energy is the safest and most economical form of lighting for your campsite.

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Consequences of the Unattended Fire

A employee birthday party at Lake Piru in 2016

Irresponsible

Are you like me, and believe that it is irresponsible for anyone to leave a campfire unattended? Would you leave a firepit in your backyard unattended? Do you believe that when you are camping, it is okay to go for a hike, go to bed, or leave the campground for the weekend, with a fire going? Many people do not think it is a big deal. As a campground host, I say that these practices are irresponsible. Between my wife and I, we put out 8 to 10 fires every weekend in our campground. I often tell people that, as a campground host, I should never have to put out any fire but the one in my campsite.

Other Unsafe practices

There are two practices that cause great distress for a camp host or fire official. One is having wood in a firepit that does not fully fit in the fire pit. A campground axe or hatchet does not cost a lot and are easy to learn how to use. All campers need to practice the common sense principle of safety first, when they are having a fire at their site. The second is choosing to have a fire on the ground when a safer firepit is available. The camper needs to know that, if a Forest Ranger catches a camper having  a fire on the ground or allowing wood to hang out of a firepit, they will receive a hefty fine.

It only takes a spark

It only takes a spark to get a fire started. When you start a fire using match, it is the creation of a spark that lights the fire.  One spark from an unattended fire and a gust of wind blowing that spark into a carpet of pine needles, dry grass, or even a camper’s firewood pile could cause a forest fire. Most forest campgrounds are located off windy mountain roads with only one way in and one way out. You may not be able to out-run a forest fire. Be fire safe. Put out your fire.

What are the consequences?

Most campers do not seem to understand the consequences of a forest fire that they may have caused. If fire officials determine that you were responsible for causing a forest fire, you will have to reimburse the forest department, county, or state, the costs related to putting the fire out. A recent Southern California fire cost $200 million to put out. You should also be aware that, if it is determined that your negligence caused a fatality, you can be charged with involuntary manslaughter and go to prison.

What is the big deal?

All campers should act in a responsible manner when having a fire. Unsafe practices and a spark is all it takes to burn down a forest. Never leave a fire unattended, this includes going to bed for the evening when camping, never go on a hike or worse, leave the campground, with a fire burning. All campers should know that there are consequences in place for those that cause a forest fire, consequences that can change your whole life.

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7 Ways to Control and Use Campfires

This image depicts our campsite at Lost Dutchman RV park in Arizona.

Controlling and Using Campfires

Have you ever thought about the ways to use and control fire, there are at least seven ways to control and use fire. Think about it, from the first-time men and women discovered fire, we have attempted to find ways to control it, to use it, and to extinguish it. When a person goes camping, especially in fire prone area like the forest or grassland area, the camper needs to understand that it only takes a spark to get a fire going. When a camper has a fire, there are seven important things to remember.

1)The firepit is designed to keep the fire contained. A fire on the ground that is surrounded by rocks, is not contained.

2) A large fire wastes wood and does not produce additional heat as many campers seem to believe.

3 )It is the camper’s responsibility to burn cured or dry wood that does not create sparks.

4 )It is the camper’s responsibility to cut up firewood, so it does not hang out of the firepit. All campers should bring a campground axe or hatchet to the campground.

5) It is the camper’s responsibility to have water or a shovel to smother the fire (every spark must be out; you should be able to put your hand in the firepit to know that the fire is out).

6) It is the camper’s responsibility to put the fire out before they go to bed. (In the forest, wind comes up even in the middle of the night, your campfire could be the end of yours and your fellow camper’s lives. Dramatic? Yes. True? Yes.

7) It is irresponsible to leave your campsite to go on a hike, walk, bike ride, or worse to go home with a campfire burning in your site.

Negligence Can Lead to Consequences

Campers need to understand that there are consequences if their negligence results in a forest fire. If you caused the forest fire, you will be responsible for the cost of putting the fire out. A recent fire in the Los Padres National Forest cost close to $200 million dollars to put out; if someone dies as a result of the fire, you could be charged with in voluntary manslaughter.

Closing Thoughts on Campfires

Campfires are a nice thing to have when you go camping. Staring into the embers is intoxicating for some reason. Of course, other than warmth, cooking and smores, are great ways to use a fire while camping. Controlling a fire is using the right wood and not having anything hanging out of the firepit. Using the fire, is cooking over it, warming up, and making smores. Extinguishing a fire means every spark is put out. Exercising responsibility can save our forest for future generations.

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8 Different Types of Wood

Different Wood Types

Different wood types

Have you ever looked into the difference between one kind of wood you are considering burning an another? When you are going camping and plan to cook your meal over the firepit, it is good to know about firewood. Some wood is good for a fast-warm fire, some wood is good for cooking over and some wood should never be burned. Let’s examine a few of the 8 different types of wood.

                Hardwood- Hardwoods are usually darker in color, burn slowly, and create good coals to cook over. An example of hardwood is: Oak, Birch, and Ash.

                Softwood- Softwoods are usually lighter in color, lower in density, create more smoke, and are lower in heat. You can cook over softwood but you will need more to keep a campfire going. An example of softwood is: Cedar, Pine, and Larch.

                Manufactured Wood- Manufactured firewood is made with sawdust and woodchips that are pressed together in the form of logs, bricks, or pellets. They have a lower moisture content, so they burn cleaner, leave less ash, and burn more efficiently than cordwood. A pressed wood product name example would be: Duraflame or Pine Mountain.

                Non-local Wood- This could be wood that is transported anywhere from a few miles away to hundreds of miles away. By moving this wood, you could introduce invasive species (insects like the Bark Beetle) or tree diseases to a new forest. This practice has damaged our forests from Central America to the forests in Western Canada. Burn It Where You Buy It.

Read Firewood and Invasive Species

                Green Wood- If the wood comes from a freshly cut tree, it will contain more moisture and sap. This will result in a smokier fire than seasoned dry wood. At issue here is embers that fly out of the firepit and gets all over your food if you cook over the firepit, and these embers also can fly into nearby brush or pine needles.

                Painted or Stained Wood- Painted or stained wood releases chemicals into the air when burned. This air is carcinogenic to those who breath it.

                Driftwood- Due to the salt content that has been absorbed into the wood, chlorine gas can be released into the air and is carcinogenic to those that breath it in.

                Large Logs- Not all wood that a camper finds in the forest should be burned in the form that campers find it. Not only should logs that are burned be able to fully fit into the firepit, they should be no larger than 5 inches in diameter. Having a axe or hatchet is highly recommended if you are going to collect firewood in the forest.

Knowing the difference between different types of firewood can greatly increase your enjoyment when you have a campfire, cookout, or barbeque. Not all wood is safe to burn and could actually cause health problems. Moving firewood from one location to another can decimate our local forest. Remember to “Burn it Where You Buy It”.

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Camphosting and Rule Enforcement

This image depicts camp activities at Lake Piru in Southern California

We Don’t Need No Sticking Rules

Every camper should already know the rules and the camphost is responsible for rule enforcement. So as a camphost, I say that when you go camping, you should know and follow the rules? Why are there rules for camping anyway? Yes I get asked that. Why does the Camphost interfere with my trying to have a good time?  Where are the rules anyway?  To answer why there are rules, a campground is a mini community, with neighbors, families, and friends. Everyone came to have a good time. But your good time should not take away your neighboring camper’s enjoyment of the campground. The campground host, also known as, the Camphost, is tasked with facilitating the enjoyment of all campers in the campground. The rules are based on principles of safety, comfort, and respect for the individual, the environment, and the property.

The rules that campers are asked to obey are universal to every campground in America, they are clearly posted at the entrance to the campground. This means that it is the camper’s responsibility to read and know the rules.  As a Camphost. I just don’t understand why campers feel that by removing the walls of a house, they can cut loose and not be respectful of others.

What are the rules?

                Pay your camp fees- If a camper does not have a reservation, they must pay their camping fees, within 30 minutes of choosing your camp site, these fees are clearly listed at the entry kiosk and pay envelops are likely provided.

                Speed limits- Camping is a family activity, you never know when a child may dart into the road; animals such as squirrels, fox, deer, and bears can be on the road; few campgrounds have sidewalks, campers use the road to access campground amenities. 15 MPH is a safe braking speed in a campground.

                Site condition- Don’t leave trash laying around the site, Forest Rangers can cite you for trash on the ground. You should leave the site cleaner than it was when you arrived. If there are no trash containers available, take out what you brought in. Pack It In, Pack It Out.

Campfires– It is the camper’s responsibility to know if there are fire restrictions in place, to know if permits are needed and where to obtain them (online on the US Forest website or at a Ranger Station), and to know if the they are allowed to bring firewood into the campground. Fire safety is ALL camper’s responsibility, do not go to bed, take a walk, or leave the campground with a fire going. Most of the wildfires in America were started by careless campers. Be fire aware.

                Pets- Going camping with your dog is a great experience, not picking up after your dog or keeping your dog on a leash is bad manners. A barking dog is annoying to all campers. Last season, the Forest Rangers told me that a camper had lost two dogs, the camper believed that the campground host should be responsible for finding their dog, I found out that they went 4x4ing and left the dogs tied to the picnic table, the dogs got loose. It is not the camphost responsibility to watch or find a camper’s abandoned dogs.

                Dishwashing- It is bad form to wash your dishes in the fresh water spigots or bathroom sinks, a camper should bring a pot for hot water and dishwashing pans in order to wash dishes in their site. Using hot water will assist in the health and enjoyment of all campers in your group. Dispose of your dirty water safely.

                Children- Camping is a great family activity, guests are responsible for the behavior, activities, and the where-a-bouts of their children at all times. The camphost may send out for law enforcement or emergency personnel if needed, but it is not the hosts responsibility to look out for camper’s children.

The rules in a campground are for safety, comfort, and respect for other camper’s, the environment, and for individuals. The Camphosts responsibility is to enforce the rules of the campground, it is the camper’s responsibility to know what the rules are.

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5 Frustrations of a Camphost

An RV park in Grants Pass, Oregon

1 )Contract Violations

What would cause a campground host to be frustrated? Before a camphost accepts a position at a campground, they negotiate a contract with the employing company, RV Park owner, state, or county. When these contracts are violated, they can be very frustrating for the camphost. This could be as simple as being asked to work hours that not in the contract, grounds work that the employee is physically incapable of doing, or being promised a full hook up (FHU) site, that is in fact, not full hook up. An example of a full hook up violation was at a campground that I worked at, that did not have an actual sewer hook up for the camphost.  The employer remedied that situation by providing a macerator pump with a 75-foot garden hose to dump into a vault toilet, it worked but it was not what was promised.

2) Other Work Campers

It is not surprising that you get all kinds in this industry, workers who do the job as trained and workers who try their best not to do a thing and get paid for it, you wind up doing their job and yours. One worker at campground my wife and I worked at, would not go anywhere without his dog, the dog was his excuse not to do his job. Another employee who did not stay at the campground, never showed up and got paid for it, of course, I did his work. Employees at a campground need to work as a team in order to best service the campers needs, dogs should be left at home.

3) Wanted: Your Fire Dead Out

Unfortunately, ten to fifteen campers per week come to the forest, have a campfire, and either go to bed, go for a hike, or worse, leave for home with a camp fire burning. This angers me as a campground host! In the forest, wind comes up at all hours of the day or night, one spark in the pine needle carpet in a forest campground, can decimate our forest. No one should leave a camp fire until they can safely put their hand into the ashes without getting burned. Learn the principle of Sprinkle, Scatter, Sprinkle. Responsible campers or day use visitors should carry water to put out their fire, or have a shovel to smother the fire with dirt. If they do not have one of these two things, they should not have a fire. It is frustrating for the camphost to have to put an irresponsible campers fire out. I tell everyone that the camphost should only put the fire out in their own site, not an irresponsible persons fire.

4) Pack It In, Pack It Out

When a camper goes to a campground that does not have trash cans provided, they must take their trash home with them. How do you know that there are no trash cans provided? You look up the campground online to see what amenities are provided before you arrive at the campground, and you plan accordingly. Cleaning up after a lazy camper is not my idea of a good time. Campers need to practice the principles of leave no trace.

5) I’m in Love with My Car

Not sure if you follow the band, Queen, but they had a song named, “I’m in Love with My Car”. Vehicles in a U.S. Forest campground are to be on the asphalt at all times. In a forest campground, a hot engine over the pine needle carpet could cause a fire. If your vehicle does not fully fit into the site and the camphost asked you to park it in overflow or to pay for another site to park it at, do it. US Forest campgrounds have barriers to keep vehicles on the asphalt, but campers take these out so they can have their precious vehicle next to them at all times, and to add insult to injury, they burn the creosoted (cancer causing when burned) barriers.

Camphosting allows a person to live and work in nature. Unfortunately, there are many frustrations that can steal your enjoyment of hosting. Just a few of which are contract violations, fellow employees that do not pull their weight, abandoned fires, micro trash clean up, and vehicles that are not parked correctly.

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