Summer plans?

Summer is here! Do you have any outdoor activities planned? Fishing, camping, bushcrafting...

I do not plan for summer incase summer plans not to arrive. Last time we had a good summer here was probably back in 2006, can't be sure though cause is was so long ago.

I plan on lots of cooking outside. I cook nearly everything outside all year round. I BBQ only a little bit as I have five other ways to cook outside. I do heat up leftovers in the microwave, though.

Probably take the family on a vacation to Florida!

Sub_Umbra said:

I plan on lots of cooking outside. I cook nearly everything outside all year round. I BBQ only a little bit as I have five other ways to cook outside. I do heat up leftovers in the microwave, though.

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5 other ways to cook?

yeah.. 5 ways? and 6 if one includes a bbq grilling? im interested too.. 1. might be smoking box.. 2. oven of somekind. 3. hmm.. dont know anymore ways not to do with bbq/fire. hah.

this summers plans.. no big ideas.. basically hope to be hanging with friends and family.. hopefully doing something with them.. like going to car shows/races.. maybe take an short day trip with an old steamtrain.. maybe fix up their or my own cars (have a "fix em up" garage day + bbq), if i get my 60s car running then taking it out for cruise often, go to jazz or blues festivals to absorb the atmosphere, maybe go to some other fair/festivals like farmers fair or medieval fair or what ever.. help friend renovate his summer cottage, maybe spend a week/end at parents summer cottage and fish and fry what one catches while the sauna heats up, plan is to make a slingshot while beeing there aswell..

dealgrabber2002 said:

5 other ways to cook?

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Er...when I actually count it looks like I have seven ways outside, off grid, besides the BBQ:

- Kelly Kettle
- Rocket stove
- Homemade Alcohol stove
- Eight Quart Deep Lodge Camp Dutch oven
- Coleman clam shell style two burner propane stove
- Satatoga Jack's Thermal Retention cooker. NOTE: Saratoga Jack's calls it a Thermal Cooker but the term Thermal Retention cooker has been in use for over 100 years to describe this type of cooker. 100 years ago these devices were also called fireless cookers. 200 years ago they were called Haybox cookers and were homemade.

I also have a fire pit for cooler weather. I cook with a Pie Iron on the ash shelf, but not in the summer.

It started out just as a prepping exercise but I found that I liked the fire and the cooking outside so much that I've been cooking/baking virtually all of our food outside for over a year. It worked out well for us when Hurricane Isaac knocked out our power for five days last year.

The various tools complement each other. Food may be heated with the Rocket Stove and then slow cooked in the Thermal Retention Cooker. I also use the Rocket Stove to quickly light charcoal for the BBQ and the Dutch Oven. Hot charcoal without using an accelerant in just five minutes.

The Rocket Stove also makes a very handy 'extra burner' when cooking outside, whatever I'm using.

When its really hot I wear a hydro vest so I may stay out in the heat in relative comfort for hours and hours.

oh you count them all as different methods, as they are different individual stoves.. as i have an wood heated and electric stove i consider them just one method.

and dutch oven is cool item, been looking for one for a while.. just havent found one that is good and correctly priced.. (have borrowed my parents oven if i have needed one)

will be looking more info about that rocket stove.. sounds interesting little gadget.

thermal cooker also sounds clever idea. actually i know my grandparents used similar method to cook while outdoors /camping trips. (they had a metal tool box that was insulated. it was used as cooler or heater depending the need.. they used propane stove or wood fire to heat the food and then wrap the food into blanket and stuffed it inside the metal box for a while.. i didnt really pay attention to what they were doing and why as i was something like 5 or so back then and had more important games to play and got distracted easily..) so thanks for remind me of it.

pie iron.. hmm havent seen one of those for sale over here at all. could find use for one too.

Apparently Mother Nature read my post in this thread, and decided to cook me alive for my imsolence. 27°C in the shade, British houses do little to keep the heat out so indoors temp has passed 25°C and still climbing. No point making plans though, a 3 day heat wave does not a good summer maketh.

Actually I would quite like to go to the war and peace show this year, not been since 2009 (could have been 2008) when it collided with another heat wave.