Cookers

Pots & Pans

Utensils

Food

Making damper

.Gas stoves

Gas bottles take up space, but should  last a  week or two per litre.  We normally use an old 2 burner gas cooker, with 2 liter gas bottle.  It's a bit bulky but works well enough.

Butane cookers

For shorter trips the compact butane (gas) stoves are brilliant and only about $20 bucks to set up.  There are a many different types and shapes.

Petrol/Shellite

These can be dangerous, but hotter than gas.  They will give a better heat in the cold weather, and are ideal for cold weather or snow camping.  Gas is slow in the snow.

Methanol

Normally simple and suitable for shorter trips.  Works OK, but  cooler flame and less energy per litre than other methods.  You can improvise a metho burner with old tins or get something from a camping store.

Fuel tablet stoves

These compact fuel stoves are great for hiking, and pack a lot of energy.  Best for cooking single meals at time, or boiling water for hot drinks..  They need to sit on a non-flammable surface like dirt so are not suitable for the back of a car or table.  The tablets are relatively expensive

.Fires

Fires cook the quickest.  Make sure you have a stable platform of logs or rocks before you start or you'll soon loose your dinner.  Cook over hot coals, not flames where possible.  Hot coals work a bit like an oven, you can wrap foods like potato or damper or fish in foil and it will bake.  May need some trial and error though.

You can opt for the small stainless steel type billies for smaller meals, which are great, and also double as a bowl.

For larger well cooked meals, the cast iron stuff works well but is heavy

.

Deb potato - it has many uses, tuna tins, pasta with stir through sauce, eggs, cereal and those little 200ml or so packets of milk,  eggs, flour, potatoes, nuts, bread, ham, cheese and tomato (kept cool), flavours such as curry and french onion soup mix packets, muesli bars, fruit, veg and whatever else you can find. 

You shouldn't need to bring tins, tins and more tins, but they are handy.  Meat and veg can be easily kept if you have a fridge or an esky that gets freeze blocks added regularly, then it's just like eating at home, but always tastes better out bush.

Bring some plastic containers and any excess can be stored for the next day. 

For best results, be creative.

For hiking I find the freeze dried stuff is brilliant, but a bit expensive.  Probably best reserved for trips longer than a few days.

Be warned, there are many fruit and veggie exclusion zones where fruit must be binned.  This is usually to stop the spread of fruit fly, which can be hiding in your food without you ever knowing it.  There can be fines if you're caught out.  Do the right thing and look after our farmers.

The basic damper I make is just flour, salt and water.  Use self raising flour, and for tastier results replace the water with beer, which also helps it puff up.  Only a little salt is needed.  You can experiment with additions like cheese, sultanas, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, egg, or whatever flavours you want.

Start by mixing all your ingredients into a bowl, until it's a dough.  I'm no cook, but the consistency is right when it stops being so sticky and is more like playdough.  At this stage you can coat your hands with flour to help stop it sticking, and you should be able to kneed it.

I like to make them into scone sized balls which get cooked in hot coals.  Make your ball and lightly coat it in flour which stops it sticking to the aluminium foil, too much flour will burn though.  Then wrap it in a couple of layers of aluminium foil, and cover it with hot coals.  You can also make a long roll, a pancake or whatever.  A loaf will be difficult to cook through.

The damper will be ready when it is hard on the outside but a bit springy to the touch.  Add your favourite condiment and enjoy!