# cooking gear for UK camping..who needs it ?



## rollinstok (9 Feb 2012)

On my first camping tour of the Lake District and Scotland ( many years ago ) I found that cooking gear was not worth the space/weight ... stove/fuel/pans/oil/seasoning/cutlery/extra water/ingredients etc.

In the UK we are never far away from a hot meal, often cheaper and more substantial than one small stove can muster, especially if butane is being used.

I never took the cooking gear again and I have since been to most parts of the UK and a few parts of Europe. The only thing I sometimes missed was a brew in the morning ( but I managed to cadge one on many occasions !! ). A cafe or pub meal once or twice a day supplemented by sandwiches/fruit etc always did me just fine, and it gave me a chance to meet the locals.

It would be interesting to hear your arguments for and against taking cooking gear, especially in the UK.


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## Terry Kay (9 Feb 2012)

We picked up a mains cable and for usually around £3 per night, we can take the microwave, lamps, kettle, toaster, mobile and laptop chargers..
Though it did help that until recently we had a Chrysler Voyager to lug it all around in, though we did pick up a trailer now we've down graded.

Personally I'd be happy in a two man tent with a little stove and a pan / kettle but with kids and a mrs who's not keen on roughing it, I put up with it


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## mcshroom (9 Feb 2012)

It depends where I am going and what time of year. In the summer I'm perfectly happy to eat cold food most of the time so it's no problem.

On the other hand, I'll be riding round northern Scotland in June, and it's remote enough (and cold enough) for me to consider taking a small gas stove and a cooking pot. The reasoning behind this is allowing me to completely detatch from any sort of timetable while I'm on tour if i want to. With the gear i don't need to worry about when the cafe/pub/cake shop shuts.


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## psmiffy (9 Feb 2012)

I never leave home without the means to make a cup of coffee much less go on a cycle tour without having the gear to cook.

true there are always places you can get a meal as you go along - however not when I want it, not what i want, not the quality i want nor the quantatity i want.

I find it so much better and more convienient to buy good stuff as i go along during the day and cook a good satisfying meal in the evening when i stop

for more of my rationale see below page 18


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## rollinstok (9 Feb 2012)

Terry Kay said:


> We picked up a mains cable and for usually around £3 per night, we can take the microwave, lamps, kettle, toaster, mobile and laptop chargers..
> Though it did help that until recently we had a Chrysler Voyager to lug it all around in, though we did pick up a trailer now we've down graded.
> 
> Personally I'd be happy in a two man tent with a little stove and a pan / kettle but with kids and a mrs who's not keen on roughing it, I put up with it


 
Yes, but the question is would you be happy in a two man tent without a stove/pan/kettle ?


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## snorri (9 Feb 2012)

I'm quite happy to cook at home with all the equipment I might need to hand, but scuttering around trying to cook on a camp site is just a pia to me. I think it is good to get indoors and relax on a proper chair at a table to enjoy an evening meal after a day on the bike.
I always take the basics to make a cup of tea and breakfast, and when in more isolated places carry sufficient food to cook a basic meal if there is no alternative.


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## rollinstok (9 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> I never leave home without the means to make a cup of coffee much less go on a cycle tour without having the gear to cook.
> 
> true there are always places you can get a meal as you go along - however not when I want it, not what i want, not the quality i want nor the quantatity i want.
> 
> ...


 
Good article there psmiffy, I find it difficult to see how I can cook a satisfying meal with just a camping stove though.. surely the meats gone cold by the time your veg is done ?


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## psmiffy (9 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Good article there psmiffy, I find it difficult to see how I can cook a satisfying meal with just a camping stove though.. surely the meats gone cold by the time your veg is done ?


 
Technique and timing is the key - most meals I can cook a couple of veg with meat of some sort on the single stove - if I am doing a proper job then i have a spare stove - generaly in half the time it takes to get something from the local cafe


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> Technique and timing is the key - most meals I can cook a couple of veg with meat of some sort on the single stove - if I am doing a proper job then i have a spare stove - generaly in half the time it takes to get something from the local cafe


 
Ah, so its TWO stoves now !!  My argument for weight/space is looking a bit stronger.


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## psmiffy (10 Feb 2012)

no argument about weight/space - I read somewhere else "weight on a bike is not critical" the standard sort of riposte came back "it is critical - its physics" - weight is not a problem :troll: - its a simple trade off - do you want it enough to carry it - Ive often loaded up the front panniers with the evening meal, a couple of litres of orange juice, wine whatevever and found that there is a 400m hill between where i am and the campsite - bit of an ironic grumble to myself that maybe I should have risked it for buscuit that there would be a shop open on the other side - but in reality ive not really noticed the extra weight - and doubly happy that i made the right decision and shopped there and then - tired but happy 

Space though is another thing - where to pack the extra bread I bought because "it looked nice" - easily solved - tie it on on the outside


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## psmiffy (10 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Ah, so its TWO stoves now !!  My argument for weight/space is looking a bit stronger.


 
and dont forget the three pans - 4 gas cylinders


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## Terry Kay (10 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Yes, but the question is would you be happy in a two man tent without a stove/pan/kettle ?


 
After wild camping up on Kinder (shhh!) with what me and the mrs could fit in our back packs? No.. I'd have been much happier with a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning!


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## Hacienda71 (10 Feb 2012)

Make a penny stove with a couple of coke cans, a penny, a bit of wire and some meths. Lightweight cheap and will do for a brew.


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## jags (10 Feb 2012)

i would sooner leave the bike at home than go without my stove


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

Hacienda71 said:


> Make a penny stove with a couple of coke cans, a penny, a bit of wire and some meths. Lightweight cheap and will do for a brew.


 
Please go into more detail..sounds good but I,ve no idea what your on about.


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## psmiffy (10 Feb 2012)

this


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> this


 
Wow, impressive. To think of all those times I went without my morning brew...never again.


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## jjb (10 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> its a simple trade off - do you want it enough to carry it


Wise words. I was applying the ultralight philosophy last tour, no cooking gear, but I did buy a big heavy melon one day in some hot weather. I hit the bubblewrap landscape shortly after and had doubts about the wisdom of that melon purchase. It must've been 2 kilograms. But at the top of a hill, where I found a picnic bench under a shading tree, along with a water pump to rinse my hands, it seemed like the best two kilograms ever!

Of course, once you eat it the weight doesn't count.


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## Bodhbh (10 Feb 2012)

I've not bothered with it (yet), seems too much faff. Personally, after being out all day I either like to go out for a hot meal and a few pints, a wander into town and grab kebab, whatever. If I'm gonna end up somewhere more remote/the weather is nice/no money, I'd get some bread and cheese, a bottle of wine etc. Outside the UK I'll like to try out all the local stuff anyway. I'll will admit it's not great in the morning, packing up without a cup of tea and maybe having to do a few miles before getting breakfast and a cuppa...but you can't have everything.


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## MarkF (10 Feb 2012)

I bought cooking gear for my first trip, sold it on Ebay when I got back. The minimalist touring guy's site has a lot to answer for, for me it was weight and space, plus I have found that I have no need/desire for hot food or a hot drink in the morning.


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

Bodhbh said:


> I've not bothered with it (yet), seems too much faff. Personally, after being out all day I either like to go out for a hot meal and a few pints, a wander into town and grab kebab, whatever. If I'm gonna end up somewhere more remote/the weather is nice/no money, I'd get some bread and cheese, a bottle of wine etc. Outside the UK I'll like to try out all the local stuff anyway. I'll will admit it's not great in the morning, packing up without a cup of tea and maybe having to do a few miles before getting breakfast and a cuppa...but you can't have everything.


 
Those words express my own thoughts entirely... you just described exactly what I always did. 
I,m getting on a bit now though and am considering a basic set up to provide a little luxury for my aching bones
The reasons for the post were to get some opinions and provide "food for thought" pardon the pun
psmiffy has more or less convinced me to find those front panniers ( think they are in my sons garage ) and shop for a decent stove... it must be worth dropping a gear for ? I dont get anywhere fast anyway


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## Herbie (10 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> I never leave home without the means to make a cup of coffee much less go on a cycle tour without having the gear to cook.
> 
> true there are always places you can get a meal as you go along - however not when I want it, not what i want, not the quality i want nor the quantatity i want.
> 
> ...


 
I'm with you psmiffy


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## fimm (10 Feb 2012)

And if, like me, your idea of fun is to camp somewhere a day's walk from the nearest road, you might find the stove useful...


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## Sara_H (10 Feb 2012)

In answer to the OP, nothing gets done EVER until I've had a cup of coffee.


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

fimm said:


> And if, like me, your idea of fun is to camp somewhere a day's walk from the nearest road, you might find the stove useful...


 
I agree, when I used to backpack I always took a stove and often camped wild.
With the bike though, its almost always camp sites and distance is much less of an issue.


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

Sara_H said:


> In answer to the OP, nothing gets done EVER until I've had a cup of coffee.


 
Maybe I should take a woman to do the cooking as it comes more natural to them !!


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## lpretro1 (10 Feb 2012)

Never faraway from a hot meal - you've not been to the Isles or norterhn Scotland then?! Cafes few and far between especially on Lewis and the north coast of mainland Scotland! My stove was a 'must have' especially on the poor weather days when a hot brew was very, very welcome. My stove weighs a mere 80g plus the little gas canister. Lightweight alu pots are grams only too and a 'spork' does the job of knife, fork and spoon. A bit of thought about lightweight but nutritious food and you're sorted. Packet soups weigh nothing and you can use them to flavour whatever you are cooking. My favourite is noodles with a chicken soup and dollops of smoked cheese. Water not a problem - I always carry two bottles on the bike when touring - one with carbo drink and one plain water. Just keep water one topped up. You can make a wind-stopper with kitchen foil! Luxury!


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## Bodhbh (10 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Those words express my own thoughts entirely... you just described exactly what I always did.
> I,m getting on a bit now though and am considering a basic set up to provide a little luxury for my aching bones
> The reasons for the post were to get some opinions and provide "food for thought" pardon the pun
> psmiffy has more or less convinced me to find those front panniers ( think they are in my sons garage ) and shop for a decent stove... it must be worth dropping a gear for ? I dont get anywhere fast anyway


 
It's never really been about the weight for me, just never felt strongly enough about it to bother. Although, one point shaping things is my tent is a 1man coffin thing I orginally bought for hiking, and it's not really good for relaxing and eating-in except as a last resort. When I get around to getting a new tent, I'll probably get something fairly generously sized and start experimenting with the cooking gear.


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

Bodhbh said:


> It's never really been about the weight for me, just never felt strongly enough about it to bother. Although, one point shaping things is my tent is a 1man coffin thing I orginally bought for hiking, and it's not really good for relaxing and eating-in except as a last resort. When I get around to getting a new tent, I'll probably get something fairly generously sized and start experimenting with the cooking gear.


 
Is it an MSR ? I used to have one... try a Salewa Micra, very light and loads of room for one, easy to sit up and look out.


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## rollinstok (10 Feb 2012)

lpretro1 said:


> Never faraway from a hot meal - you've not been to the Isles or norterhn Scotland then?! Cafes few and far between especially on Lewis and the north coast of mainland Scotland! My stove was a 'must have' especially on the poor weather days when a hot brew was very, very welcome. My stove weighs a mere 80g plus the little gas canister. Lightweight alu pots are grams only too and a 'spork' does the job of knife, fork and spoon. A bit of thought about lightweight but nutritious food and you're sorted. Packet soups weigh nothing and you can use them to flavour whatever you are cooking. My favourite is noodles with a chicken soup and dollops of smoked cheese. Water not a problem - I always carry two bottles on the bike when touring - one with carbo drink and one plain water. Just keep water one topped up. You can make a wind-stopper with kitchen foil! Luxury!


 
No, I didnt stray into those uncivilised areas  A man on a bike has no chance against the spear and sword wielding wild scots.


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## wiggydiggy (10 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> this


 
To answer the OP, I'm building one of these for summer. And to think I was going to go for a gas burner

Also, best comment from that page:

"... we are farmers in North Sulawesi, want to produce Bioethanol from Arenga Juice (Arenga Pinnata trees, palm family). Therefore we need alcohol stove, which, safe, cheap, eficient, durable, easy to make and has long burning time. After searching an learniing the nets for months, we decided to take your penny stove for our stove. We will sell the stove for household user, its price range usd 0.4-0.6/pcs. The stove will be sold to over 20.000 household in North Sulawesi. We will introduce Bioethanol as alternative fuel because North Sulawesi has over 2 mio Arenga trees and price for kerosene fuel will be higher and higher.
Nocke Sumampouw, Manado-North Sulawesi Indonesia"


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## steveindenmark (10 Feb 2012)

I don`t carry cooking gear on my bike or even on my motorbike and I have been all over Europe and beyond.
There are very few places in Europe that you cannot find a coffee in the morning. I cannot recall how many times I have knocked on a door in France to ask for water for my water bottles, only to be asked in for coffee.

Supermarkets, shops, roadside stalls etc etc etc. You are better off for those kind of things in the UK than most of Europe.
We would kill for 24 hour supermarkets in Denmark. Tescos cooked breakfasts, pubs that do meals all day......luxury.

Steve


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## mcshroom (10 Feb 2012)

If you go down the meths route, and are worried about spilling meths on stuff, then you can use the ethanol gels like greenheat in trangias, so I'd imagine they'd work the same way in one of those burners


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## P.H (10 Feb 2012)

The last time I carried full cooking gear I used it twice in a fortnight, just not worth it for me. Now I have a Jetboil, not the lightest, smallest or fastest, it's still a convenient all in one that's even been carried on some day rides. It's used mostly for hot drinks, it occasionally gets used for some instant hot food, cous cous, noodles, soup, or for heating the odd tin.
I'm convinced there are two distinct types of cycle campers - cyclists who like to camp and campers who like to cycle. I think the latter group are more likely to carry full cooking gear.


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## doog (10 Feb 2012)

its part of the experience for me...I dont care if im next to a pub or town nothing better than having a brew on tap and first thing in the morning when packing the tent away. 

Im a bit odd in that I tend to avoid civilisation If I can...even if I was near a town I would rather cook my own food.


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## Sara_H (10 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Maybe I should take a woman to do the cooking as it comes more natural to them !!


 Eh? I don't make the coffee, I just drink it.

I have a man to make it.


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## currystomper (10 Feb 2012)

I use a jetboil stove when out and about on the Cruzbike - great for a brew at a nice view point, if you are camping your carrying weight anyway. 

The other extreme is the road bike and a credit card - Not my cup of cold tea.


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## jjb (10 Feb 2012)

I'm a big tea drinker but cycling in the hot sun in France, I didn't miss it. But, I did get sore heads from the caffeine withdrawal so I had to pour in the cola. If I were going to Iceland - a recurring whim - I'd take some hot drink making equipment for sure!


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## peelywally (10 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Wow, impressive. To think of all those times I went without my morning brew...never again.


if yur not very handy you can use a meths burner which you can pick up for under a tenner , or if you have a trangia type its the burner bit , why not carry two bit heavier than penny stove though
still very small about the size of a 3in high coke can and and you can screw the lid down and carry fuel inside it , 1 fill on mine did me ok for two days worth of brews and i like coffee


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## jags (11 Feb 2012)

it's all part of the buzz of cycle touring just love me wee stove


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## rollinstok (11 Feb 2012)

After reading the last few posts, I feel my choice to tour without cooking gear in the past has been the right decision.
psmiffy was very convincing on the pro cooking side and almost had me getting my wallet out ( a rare occasion )
The penny stove is great and I cant believe I never saw these on my travels
A compromise is overdue and I think I,ll go for peelywallys suggestion. 
I still believe that I can eat better on a tour without carrying all the cooking gear.. a brew in the mornings without having to put the sad-eye routine on with other campers would be nice though.


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## rich p (11 Feb 2012)

Me and the wife do 2, 3 or occasionally longer continental cycle camping tours and if you ate out out every night with the accompanying beer and wine it gets pretty pricey. We eat out and cook in, 50% of the time, depending on weather, shopping availability, restaurant closeness etc.
Tea and coffee making facilities are an essential.
The second stove attachment is irrelevant in terms of weight as the heavy bit is the gas and you carry a spare anyway.


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## psmiffy (11 Feb 2012)

rich p said:


> if you ate out out every night with the accompanying beer and wine it gets pretty pricey.


 
I think this is another good point


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## rollinstok (11 Feb 2012)

rich p said:


> Me and the wife do 2, 3 or occasionally longer continental cycle camping tours and if you ate out out every night with the accompanying beer and wine it gets pretty pricey. We eat out and cook in, 50% of the time, depending on weather, shopping availability, restaurant closeness etc.
> Tea and coffee making facilities are an essential.
> The second stove attachment is irrelevant in terms of weight as the heavy bit is the gas and you carry a spare anyway.


 
I agree that it would be very expensive to dine out every night and to be honest I very rarely did. Takeaways, cold food in the tent or late supermarkets were the norm. Hot food was always a cafe stop during the day. I did budget for a few beers every night and tried to catch a live band/performer if possible...all part of the fun of touring. 

I would say tea and coffee is pretty easily available as you go but as I previously mentioned, a brew in the morning without scrounging would be very nice.

Another problem when cycling alone is trying to buy for one, in some places it is very difficult to buy single portions of anything. If you count the waste food and the cost of gas it can be just as expensive as a decent takeaway ( and a lot less hassle ).


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## stephenjubb (11 Feb 2012)

doog said:


> its part of the experience for me...I dont care if im next to a pub or town nothing better than having a brew on tap and first thing in the morning when packing the tent away.
> 
> Im a bit odd in that I tend to avoid civilisation If I can...even if I was near a town I would rather cook my own food.


 +1000


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## bigjim (11 Feb 2012)

I've tried the alcohol stoves and esbit. They both always seem to taste the food and drink and are not the easiest to light. Last year I took a mini gas burner to France with an adapter for the long gas cartridges which are really cheap. I like a brew and porridge in the morning but we tended to eat out at night. We also had one bad cold day of continous rain but were able to have a hot drink in a small village when all cafes etc were shut. One of the best meals we had was a tin of stew and a shared bottle of red, finished off with a coffee whilst sitting in the barbeque area of a quiet campsite in the South of France. Cooking setup incl stove, gas, cup and bowl was about 400g. Gas cylinder lasted all week and plenty left in it when I had to dispose of it before the flight.


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## doog (11 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Another problem when cycling alone is trying to buy for one, in some places it is very difficult to buy single portions of anything. If you count the waste food and the cost of gas it can be just as expensive as a decent takeaway ( and a lot less hassle ).


 
The cost of gas is minimal, even doing Spain to the UK and cooking every night over 10 days, brews included, I didnt get through a 5 Euro cannister of gas. In addition worth bearing in mind it can be a life saver/ or just save your spirits ? whats the cost of cooking gear....£20 for a stove and pots?

This photo below was taken after I was hit by 4 hours of freezing rain that soaked me through in a very remote mountain region of France. The ability to eat hot food and have a hot drink when you need it most was evidenced that night, bloody hell I was cold. Cooking equipment seems a small sacrifice to pay for a touring cyclist....

(Worth bearing in mind just in case something happens and you dont quite make the next town / takeway.)


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## psmiffy (11 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Another problem when cycling alone is trying to buy for one, in some places it is very difficult to buy single portions of anything. If you count the waste food and the cost of gas it can be just as expensive as a decent takeaway ( and a lot less hassle ).


 
One what? I never have problems - even in a lot of supermarkets its easy to buy excactly what you want in person size portions - in proper shops - butchers et.al. its even easier - and it allows for some interesting interactions with the locals


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## rollinstok (11 Feb 2012)

doog said:


> The cost of gas is minimal, even doing Spain to the UK and cooking every night over 10 days, brews included, I didnt get through a 5 Euro cannister of gas. (However i appreciate you are on about UK touring.)
> 
> In addition worth bearing in mind it can be a life saver/ or just save your spirits ? whats the cost of cooking gear....£20 for a stove and pots?
> 
> ...


 

What a mess !! I couldnt live like that 

I take your point, and have experienced similar. I,m still here today though and none the worse for the experience, despite not having a stove.
When the going has been tough and relentless with no sign of a blue sky, I have on occasions opted for a b&b.
My worst experience ( strangely enough ) was south of Clement Ferrand heading for the Med.. freezing cold driving rain with a strong headwind for 3 days and a number of passes to get over. I took shelter at a small village in a toilet/shower block which was unlocked next to a football field. A local official found me there in my sleeping bag the next morning. He invited me to his home where I was well looked after off the guy and his lady wife, stayed there all day and night before continuing in much better weather.
Sorry for rambling.. my point is that in most parts of Europe and specifically in the UK, the elements will not defeat you just because you dont carry a stove.


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## jags (11 Feb 2012)

i seen a great video one time of some scottish cyclist even on a long day ride he would wip out his parafin stove a cook up a big fry ,it was fantastic to see this guy knew how to enjoy his cycling and cooking was a major part of it brilliant.


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## vernon (12 Feb 2012)

I've never understood the reasonings behind not taking a stove

Weight penalty - not really noticeable on a bike.
Cheaper to eat out - oh really? Eating out would add a substantial extra cost to my summer tours and would shorten them by a week.
Difficulty in buying for one - not in the shops and supermarkets that are peppered all over mainland Europe that I've encountered
Scrounge a cuppa instead of making one - the OP is not a Scot or Yorkshireman is he?
Food waste - I once threw out a pulped banana. No other waste in around twenty weeks of touring.


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## P.H (12 Feb 2012)

vernon said:


> I've never understood the reasonings behind not taking a stove


 
Maybe because it isn't a question of reason.
I'm on holiday, I want to spend as much time doing what gives me pleasure and for me that doesn't include cooking, shopping, washing up and carting a kitchen around with me. On the other hand, I take great pleasure from brewing a cup of tea in the morning without getting out of the tent. I'm no weight weenie, but not carrying full cooking gear allows me to travel with two rather than four panniers, that dose make a difference. When I'm touring I love the time on the bike, I'll often arrive so late that any cooking would be in the dark and make it a late night.
I toured once with someone who was the complete opposite, I have no doubt that the sourcing of the best local ingredients, the creativity in the meals from the one stove, the ingenuity of the folding collapsible cookwear, all gave them great pleasure. It wasn't my idea of a fun way to spend the time.
Viva la difference!


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## rollinstok (12 Feb 2012)

vernon said:


> I've never understood the reasonings behind not taking a stove
> 
> Weight penalty - not really noticeable on a bike.
> Cheaper to eat out - oh really? Eating out would add a substantial extra cost to my summer tours and would shorten them by a week.
> ...


 
Weight penalty not really noticeable. Apply that logic to everything else and you wont get very far.
I,m from just the right side of the border but within a catapult throw of Hadrians wall. There may be some faulty genes in my system because of all the raping and pillaging the wild scots visited on us.
Cant be that tight if I prefer to buy a proper meal instead of huddling over a weak flame to warm up some pot noodles 
There is no difficulty in buying for one if you will accept what is available. What if you fancy bangers and mash with just a small supermarket in the area.. do you buy a pack of 8 sausages and 5lb of potatos. I guess a tin of soup would be the compromise.


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## bigjim (12 Feb 2012)

You don't get a weak flame from a gas stove. You can buy most things in a can these days. I use one pot and 1 cup and eat well. I've also used an electric element which is great for a brew or boiled water if I was just making porridge or a brew and using campsites or hotel/hostels. It weighs hardly anything and I've used it all over Europe wherever I found an electric outlet.


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## rollinstok (12 Feb 2012)

I guess that for some people tents and camping = stoves and tent meals
Is it because there is a call for back to basics when camping ? A sense of adventure perhaps ?
Would the people who advocate never going on a tour without the stove, take a stove for a holiday in a b&b with the lady wife ? ..why not ?
Despite the very strong arguments from some posters, I still dont see a need to take cooking equipment when touring in the UK and most parts of Europe.
We live in one of the most densely populated areas of the world and even in the wilds of Scotland you are hardly ever more than a couple of hours cycling to the nearest shop/pub/supermarket/cafe/roadside cafe etc. In most places you are lucky to cycle for half an hour without passing a place to eat and drink.
Cost is a pretty weak argument when a meal can be had in any town with change from a fiver in most cases.
Backpacking is a totally different issue where a stove is pretty much essential ( a few posters went off on a tangent here )..the backpacker can be a days walk or further from any settlement.. roads, however, are only there to take you to one.
I do find it rather odd when many cyclists disregard the weight of what is in reality a non essential item, yet count the grams of the items that are pretty much a necessity.
I,m still going to get peelywallys suggestion to make myself a brew in the morning.


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## andy_spacey (12 Feb 2012)

If I did not take my cooking gear on tour I could not afford to go for 5 to 12 weeks at a time. ( A poor man and a bike) Trying to eat 4000kcal of real good quietly food a day would cost to much. When buying food I have to think smart. If I was well off and had a nice credit card. It would be nice to eat out, but I would still take my cooking gear for coffee and meals. The whole point of the bike is freedom to go any where and the stove is freedom to eat anywhere. But that's just me


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## psmiffy (12 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> I still dont see a need to take cooking equipment when touring in the UK and most parts of Europe.


 
Totally agree - there is no reason why *you* should take cooking equipment on tour!


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## gilespargiter (12 Feb 2012)

I certainly take my stove. My 1948 Swedish primus type, paraffin pressure stove that my grandfather and mother used to similarly use. Best stove in the entire known and unknown universe- because it belongs to me! Except possibly the modern multi fuel equivalents although it also works on bio-diesel, alias barbecue fuel.
Unlimited cups of tea and coffee whilst in my tent are essential and I can cook a “proper” meal with fresh ingredients very easily, in conditions from –anything to + anything. I find it an essential part of the pleasure to have the independence a stove gives. It is certainly a huge amount cheaper than eating out – but I can eat out any time I wish.
I have on a number of occasions got into adventures with local people in pursuit of high quality local foods at local prices.
I do think that although not quite as critical as backpacking, weight is an issue. I manage, when touring with a tent, with space to spare using two panniers and a saddlebag.
Taking the point rollinstock makes; it certainly depends on what you do and how long for, but one of the most common mistakes made, is to underestimate the weather, although this probably applies more to backpacking than cycling. You certainly can very easily go to places both in the UK and Europe where you may be defeated by it if under equipped. Try looking on your local mountain rescue web site at the rescues they have carried out. I know if you look at the N. Wales site, you will find that although most rescues are reported in good natured terms, in actual fact at least ninety per cent would be unnecessary if people were a little better equipped or more determined to help themselves before crying for a new nappy.
Of course if I use B+B, I still have my stove. . . and have certainly used it – for my unlimited cups of tea, British rail stylie. The only people that can make a decent cup of tea are Brits! I usually use an electric element or the kettle provided in hotels however.
A further point IMO if you think camping is “roughing” it – then you have not mastered your environment. This mastery is shown by the ability to walk into a new situation, clean, shaved, fit, fed and ready to go.
Of course, having said all this, the caveman technique is still very effective :- a flint and steel (cheap lighter) and a handful of very small sticks can easily be made to produce a cup of tea.
I see doog knows how to make himself at home, wherever he lands, looks as if he is very comfortable.


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## vernon (12 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Would the people who advocate never going on a tour without the stove, take a stove for a holiday in a b&b with the lady wife ? ..why not ?


 
I wouldn't take a stove on holiday to a B&B because:

a) They provide an electric kettle, biscuits and assortments to make tea and coffee. A stove would be a retrograde step in efficiency.
b) They provide a cooked breakfast - the clue is in the second B of B&B thus rendering a stove redundant.
c) I will have budgeted for eating out when at a B&B and will have accepted the much higher costs than I would have paid had I camped with a stove.

If you want to pursue a stove-less existence with your messianic zeal then that's your prerogative. 

I will continue cooking while cycle camping with each meal being much cheaper than eating out and the overall cost of the tour being reasonable. It's much simpler than you make it out to be.


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## rollinstok (12 Feb 2012)

vernon said:


> I wouldn't take a stove on holiday to a B&B because:
> 
> a) They provide an electric kettle, biscuits and assortments to make tea and coffee. A stove would be a retrograde step in efficiency.
> b) They provide a cooked breakfast - the clue is in the second B of B&B thus rendering a stove redundant.
> ...


 

Oops, someones getting a little upset !!
If you read the first post and my subsequent posts you will find that I have fully appreciated every argument without being at all aggressive
The idea of the post was to convince me one way or the other whether to continue camping without a stove.. as it happens ( again if you read the posts ) I have decided to buy one for my morning brews

My views on your points

a) not always
b) ok if you only eat a breakfast and nothing else
c) this is a point of my question.. is it cheaper ? if not is it that much more expensive ? ( i,m talking takeaways etc-- again mentioned--and not the Ritz )

Why is it that people will "budget" if dining while staying in a hotel room, but not if they are staying in a tent ( which after all is a portable room )
I guess its just the way different people view camping. I look at touring as a holiday and not as some form of endurance/survival test. For £25 a day maximum I can pitch a tent, eat hot food twice, have cold food once and enjoy a couple of beers as well ( in fact most days I,ll have change from £20 )


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## bigjim (12 Feb 2012)

I would not be happy, having to get up, pack all my gear away before I can then mount up and go searching for a warm drink or some breakfast on a cold miserable morning in Europe. By the time you have found somewhere, queued up, perused the menu, paid, ordered and sat down, you are surely losing more time on the bike than if you had taken ten minutes to cook your porridge and make a brew. One of the great things IMO about camping is sitting in or outside your tent sipping a warm brew and planning the day in your head or simply people watching. Quality.


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## vernon (13 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Oops, someones getting a little upset !!


 
Don't flatter yourself with the notion of you being able to divine my mood.

My tears are ones of laughter at your devotion to self aggrandisement.


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## rollinstok (13 Feb 2012)

vernon said:


> Don't flatter yourself with the notion of you being able to divine my mood.
> 
> My tears are ones of laughter at your devotion to self aggrandisement.


 
Says he with the weight loss chart plastered over every post

Please lets get back on track and have some sensible arguments without throwing the toys out of the pram !!


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## psmiffy (13 Feb 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Says he with the weight loss chart plastered over every post


 This has nothing to do with the price of bread!  




rollinstok said:


> Please lets get back on track and have some sensible arguments


 
No argument - just different points of view – it is nobodies reponsibility to convince you either way - I assume you are an adult and can make up your own mind - somehow though, I think you have missed the point of the replies to your thread – they illustrate the point that like everything in cycle touring (and life for that matter) there is no black and white – everybody’s rationale is different (although in this case the majority seem to be pro stove and probably actually pro cooking– you have pretty much talked yourself into your basic rationale – small stove for drinks and junk food when and if you need something to eat. Fine that’s your choice.


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## rollinstok (13 Feb 2012)

psmiffy said:


> This has nothing to do with the price of bread!
> 
> 
> 
> No argument - just different points of view – it is nobodies reponsibility to convince you either way - I assume you are an adult and can make up your own mind - somehow though, I think you have missed the point of the replies to your thread – they illustrate the point that like everything in cycle touring (and life for that matter) there is no black and white – everybody’s rationale is different (although in this case the majority seem to be pro stove and probably actually pro cooking– you have pretty much talked yourself into your basic rationale – small stove for drinks and junk food when and if you need something to eat. Fine that’s your choice.


 
Well I thought it was an excellent thread with some very convincing arguments for and against ( some of yours included )
Its a pity it descended into getting personal and I,m sorry if I took the bait ( no pun intended )


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## currystomper (13 Feb 2012)

Taking a stove isn't a life or death decision in 90% of rides - do what floats your boat!

if I have stove and you don't your welcome to a morning cuppa anytime!

...we can sit a discuss the merits of recumbent v diamonds!!

:-)


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## stephenjubb (14 Feb 2012)

I use a stove in a B and B for an evening meal, saves eating out at a restaurant. Only works if you can cook in a bath or a sink (without damaging it of course) and using gas and it can be easily put out in a sink.

As for those who do not want to take stove, good on you if you are happy with that.
As for those who do want a stove, same applies.

That is the beauty of cycle touring the customisation to fit ones personal style. I like a stove having done both sides of the argument.

Certainly the discussions are interesting but sometimes have got heated. They say in life don't talk about sport, politics or religion to people (I follow this) as sometimes reasonable discussion is difficult. It seems perhaps in a minute way this can be applied to some people about stoves.

It certainly shows they are passionate but perhaps need to chill a bit?


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## mike1026 (20 Feb 2012)

The times I've been into a pub and been told sorry mate no food on today, plus the closures of pubs anyway together with village cafe's and shops mean you have to be able to cook on the road especially in rural UK. I always have cooking stuff and emergency food as it makes me feel so much better having a hot meal.


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## Fandango (21 Feb 2012)

It's amazing how many times you pitch up at a campsite which advertises a bar/restaurant only to find it's only open during the summer holidays - I have learned to check in advance, but the nature of cycle camping is that you never know for sure where you will end up each night. I have been trying to reduce my weight to less than the 30KG I used to carry, and it makes the cycling much easier, but I can only really do without a stove if I am staying at B&B's, and the state of the kitchen market, where I earn my living, doesn't allow for that this year so I bought a mini Trangia instead of my large one.

What we tend to forget is that the weight of the stove is a minor issue. If you decide to cook, you have to carry fuel for it, and food to cook on the stove, as well as utensils, plates, cups, cutlery, oils, bread, butter, spices....Hmmm...anyone want to buy a kitchen?


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## jackthelad (26 Feb 2012)

I have been looking at the jetboil, put water in with a couple of eggs,remove eggs and use the water for a cuppa,or carry a spare cup for making porridge or soup


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W39jwKIyfgA


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## psmiffy (26 Feb 2012)

jackthelad said:


> I have been looking at the jetboil, put water in with a couple of eggs,remove eggs and use the water for a cuppa,or carry a spare cup for making porridge or soup


 
Ive always wondered about those - apart from being a bit limited - how often would I find a flat surface to put it on - or is it so quick that holding it upright for a few minutes would not be a problem


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## jackthelad (26 Feb 2012)

smiffy it comes with a base stand,check out further videos on you tube,people tend to think it is just for making water for a cuppa but it will boil any liquid food even a stew with some stock


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## Bodhbh (26 Feb 2012)

jackthelad said:


> smiffy it comes with a base stand,check out further videos on you tube,people tend to think it is just for making water for a cuppa but it will boil any liquid food even a stew with some stock


 
It does look like an interesting system to start with for us that fit into the can't be bothered camp. 2mins to boil a cuppa? Sounds like you could take it on days rides, never mind touring.


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## currystomper (26 Feb 2012)

I've got one of the new jetboils that comes with a tripod to stablize it, also an adapter to use a nomal pan. (it boils water so fast in the cup - it tends to burn anything too thick!!) .

Yes two about two minutes to the boil. PS plan to organise an evening Eccose ride and use the jetboil at the stop.

CS


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## WilliamNB (9 Mar 2012)

When out cycling on my own, even just for a day trip, I normally take my little gas stove with as the coffee in my thermos flask won't stay hot forever.
While I appreciate others feel different (and are entitled to feel different) I thoroughly enjoy the camping experience! I have a small no-name brand 2-man tent that straps onto the bars of my bike, while everything else (including a mini foot pump, fairly decent set of tools, spare water bottles, etc.) goes either in, or on the panniers.

These days I'm on de-caf, having weaned myself off a serious caffeine addiction, but I still want a cup of coffee while reading a good book before I go to sleep, and of course another cup first thing in the morning. I'd also boil enough water to make a flask of coffee, so I don't have to whip out the stove every time I want a refill.

I'll also admit to a fondness for oat bran porridge for breakfast, which takes a few minutes to do in the morning. After I've had my breakfast I'll break camp and load up the bike before moving on. I don't rush breakfast, and some mornings I'll have bacon & eggs instead. Packing up afterwards means I don't start riding moments after having eaten, which helps.

To me, bike touring is about the whole experience, so I try to ignore average speeds and other deadlines. I want to be able to stop and admire the view, or just pass the time of day with passing cyclists or walkers, without having to clock-watch all the time. The destination doesn't matter that much, but the journey does. I suppose that's why I tend to have a great big grin on my face while cycling!

When cycling with customers, I try to let my philosophy about enjoying the journey percolate through the whole trip, and yes, I'll have my gas stove ready to make a fresh brew along the way! If ever you see somebody boiling water for a fresh cup along the Devon Coast to Coast route, stop by and say hello, and I'll be happy to make you a cup too. :-)


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## middleagecyclist (10 Mar 2012)

WilliamNB said:


> ...If ever you see somebody boiling water for a fresh cup along the Devon Coast to Coast route, stop by and say hello, and I'll be happy to make you a cup too. :-)


 
I might have to include the Devon C2C in this years Summer tour. I was going to start at Cardiff but nothing is set in stone!


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## bigjim (10 Mar 2012)

Does anybody know of a fuel that I can use in a Trangia burner that does not produce so much soot or stink so much? I've tried uncoloured meths and have also tried adding 10% water but it's still the same. The soot gets everywhere. What do they use in Fondue burners?


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## Bandini (10 Mar 2012)

I have a tiny burner in a pouch and a little canister, small lightweight frying pan and a small pan - so I/we can have a cup of tea and a bacon butty if necessary. Very light, very little room in paniers. I do quite like eating in fields of an evening sometimes though, so a little disposable barbie can be useful with the burner for some al fresco dining!


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## oldfatfool (10 Mar 2012)

bigjim said:


> Does anybody know of a fuel that I can use in a Trangia burner that does not produce so much soot or stink so much? I've tried uncoloured meths and have also tried adding 10% water but it's still the same. The soot gets everywhere. What do they use in Fondue burners?


 
A smear of washing up liquid on the base of your pans before you start cooking means the soot wipes straight off with a piece of kitchen towel if that helps.


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## peelywally (12 Mar 2012)

bigjim said:


> I would not be happy, having to get up, pack all my gear away before I can then mount up and go searching for a warm drink or some breakfast on a cold miserable morning in Europe. By the time you have found somewhere, queued up, perused the menu, paid, ordered and sat down, you are surely losing more time on the bike than if you had taken ten minutes to cook your porridge and make a brew. *One of the great things IMO about camping is sitting in or outside your tent sipping a warm brew and planning the day in your head or simply people watching. Quality.*


 
yeah thats part of the charm for me also ,
wish this weather would sort itself out and let me have a weekender around Argyll


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## just jim (12 Mar 2012)

jags said:


> i seen a great video one time of some scottish cyclist even on a long day ride he would wip out his parafin stove a cook up a big fry ,it was fantastic to see this guy knew how to enjoy his cycling and cooking was a major part of it brilliant.


That would be the great Bill Houston?


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## compo (12 Mar 2012)

If just for a quick brew or fry an egg I am surprised no-one has mentioned a hexamine cooker. A small stand which folds down to tobacco tin size and a few Hex tablets and away you go. My favourite, though not the lightest by a long way is my faithful trangia. The ability to cook up a decent hot meal is well worth the extra bit of weight.


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## jags (12 Mar 2012)

just jim said:


> That would be the great Bill Houston?


 just jim thanks a million for that one of the best i've seen.


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## P.H (12 Mar 2012)

Jetboil in use, I like the minimum space it takes up, both in the panniers and the tent.


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## rollinstok (12 Mar 2012)

P.H said:


> Jetboil in use, I like the minimum space it takes up, both in the panniers and the tent.


 
Love the window, which tent have you got ?


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## just jim (12 Mar 2012)

jags said:


> just jim thanks a million for that one of the best i've seen.


Great isn't it? And some decent grub in those saddlebags.


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## P.H (12 Mar 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Love the window, which tent have you got ?


 
It's a Terra Nova Solar 2.2.





Now discontinued, though the new Voyager 2.2 has some similarities.


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## rollinstok (12 Mar 2012)

P.H said:


> It's a Terra Nova Solar 2.2.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Its a very similar structure to the Salewa Micra that I use, the entrance on the Solar is much better though--great for people and sky watching


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## Marcosplace (10 Apr 2012)

Couldnt think of anything worse than packing my tent away without a coffee....Petrol station would be an alternative for a coffee if i was without a stove.

Im a trangia fan!


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## bigjim (13 Apr 2012)

I've just bought one of those Titanium esbit stoves from Wiggle [I had a £5 voucher]. Love it! That plus a foil screen and 4 small fuel tabs weigh less than 50 grams. It will boil a 1/2 pint of water in about 3 mins using less than 2 of these tabs

```
http://www.winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk/gelert-solid-fuel-tabs-p-acc038-c-not-applicable.html
```
. I've also got the Army style Esbit stove which is also very efficient and you can add twigs to it to increase burn or use it for a base for a penny stove etc. I just can't stand the soot off alcohol, the solid fuel tabs I use don't really leave any noticable residue.


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## DaveK (13 Apr 2012)

Camping cooking gear is one of those things you really need to try once or twice to decide if its for you. 

I've never actually taken cooking gear on a bike trip but i did once when i walked the west highland way a year or so ago. Weight is even more critical when you are carrying it on your back. With the amount of calories being burned a day i ended up having proper meals in pubs etc. I would rather save the weight and buy good grub to compensate. If no hot food is available then cold sandwiches etc will suffice for a day.

I wont be taking cooking gear with me on my next cycle/hike trip!


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## saoirse50 (14 Apr 2012)

Just back from a ten day trip on Skye and a bit of the West Coast. Eating out every evening would have made this trip ( and all my cycle touring trips) unaffordable. Added to that, I would not have wanted to miss sharing a fresh fish and mussel bouillabaisse cooked outdoors together with my daughter on a beautiful sunny evening overlooking the Sound of Sleat and Knoydart, or even the hot chocolate brewed up inside a cosy warm tent after a wild wet windy ride down from Portree the day before.


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## Crankarm (15 Apr 2012)

rollinstok said:


> On my first camping tour of the Lake District and Scotland ( many years ago ) I found that cooking gear was not worth the space/weight ... stove/fuel/pans/oil/seasoning/cutlery/extra water/ingredients etc.
> 
> In the UK we are never far away from a hot meal, often cheaper and more substantial than one small stove can muster, especially if butane is being used.
> 
> ...


 
Frequenting cafes, greasy spoons, pubs and restaurants is obviously your thing. Great if it works for you and you like cardiac arrest inducing levels of salt and saturated fats, but you miss the whole point about cooking for yourself and being self sufficient whilst cycle touring.


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## bigjim (15 Apr 2012)

Good luck with finding a cheap meal in the UK. I have found that prices of a meal on the road have soared recently. Last week on a club run we stopped at one of our usual haunts. It had been taken over and updated, beans on toast was £3 and a cup of tea £1.80. We pass many pubs with signposts stating lunch at £12 etc. Unless you are in large urban conurbations where there is plently of
competition, eating out is not cheap. Down the chippy a fiver goes nowhere. Gas costs me about 20p to boil water and esbit about 10p. A tin of stewed steak with a tin of beans thrown in and heated up, with a yogurt for afters, lovely. Nothing more substantial than that. I could invade Russia after eating that lot.


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## psmiffy (15 Apr 2012)

Totally agree with bigjim about cost of eating out - however not with his philosophy wrt ingrediants (if he can recommend a brand of stewed steak that does not look and taste like dog food that is available in most of europe pls do  )

I tend to actually buy better quality ingredients than I would at home (I am on holiday so I might as well treat myself  ) - ie. thinly cut fillet, et.al and fresh vegetables to make cooking easier - I am still way ahead compared to buying the same meal in a restuarant/cafe - often better cooked than I can find in the establishments that would be available - higher value in refuelling the body - totally more satisfying both physically and mentally.


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## Bodhbh (15 Apr 2012)

Crankarm said:


> but you miss the whole point about cooking for yourself and being self sufficient whilst cycle touring.


 
Well the point is there is no point, everyone does things there own way.

I'm not rolling in money, but for me touring has mostly been limited by time available not money (as it's a cheap as chips way to travel anyhow). So I like to go to the pub, eat a meal there, people watch, have a few pints, etc. If I was going on a 6month tour I would not carry on like this, but for 1 or 2 weeks in the UK or Europe, when it's my main holiday of the year anyhow, no problem.

Like DavidK above spent 2 weeks walking the Cape Wrath Way without cooking gear, prefered just to munch museli and powdered miik and stuff ourselves silly whenever we passed civilisation.


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## psmiffy (15 Apr 2012)

As an aside - when I am on tour I tend to eat more or less what I eat at home except that the variation comes with what I find locally.

Do you change your basic diet when you go on tour? I read with horror the accounts of many of our transalantic brethren that seem to survive (and horror is probably the correct word) on an diet exclusively composed of pot noodles (not cooking as I know it) and peanut butter sandwiches - many threads I see on this side of the Atlantic seem to discuss the pros and cons of various dehydrated products that would never be seen crossing the threshold of chez psmiffy in normal circumstances.


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## bigjim (15 Apr 2012)

I'm no cook and I don't think I have an educated palate. My likeness for stewed steak goes back to my camping days as a teenager when I also used to mix a raw egg in it. I never eat it at home [my wife would have a fit]. On the road I fill up with fruit for Lunch and cook my porridge for breakfast. I'll throw any leftover fruit in the porridge. In France last year, I picked masses of blackberries on my route which were delicious thrown in the morning porridge. I do also eat out in the evening but not every night as I am quite happy with whatever is in the tin I find in the nearest shop and maybe some nice bread to mop it up, plus a decent bottle of Red. A deprived [of food] childhood comes in useful enabling you to eat almost anything. My kids think I'm very strange.  Whats wrong with Dogfood?


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## Bodhbh (15 Apr 2012)

psmiffy said:


> Do you change your basic diet when you go on tour? I read with horror the accounts of many of our transalantic brethren that seem to survive (and horror is probably the correct word) on an diet exclusively composed of pot noodles (not cooking as I know it) and peanut butter sandwiches - many threads I see on this side of the Atlantic seem to discuss the pros and cons of various dehydrated products that would never be seen crossing the threshold of chez psmiffy in normal circumstances.


 
It seems a madness unless you're going somewhere without food for several days, just to eat rubbish for the sake of calories. I met someone on my last tour going across europe lugging about a 5kg bag of museli for rations and surviving off a 10 euro a day budget (wild camping with tarp, hammock, and lots of ticks). I travelled with him a couple of days and didn't mind sharing a bit, but come mealtimes eventually the sitution got arkward for both of us so I left him too it.

I eat the same stuff as home just moreso. Only difference is after a day on the bike seem to have a craving for huge slabs of meat in my evening meal. Not sure if there's any nutrional reason for this. Plus some cold beers.

I have to admit, when I've stopped in hostels or other places with access to a kitchen it is very satisfying cooking from whatever you can rummage up on the hoof.


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## bigjim (15 Apr 2012)

Define rubbish?


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## Crankarm (15 Apr 2012)

bigjim said:


> Define rubbish?


 
Sh*t food. Not healthy food. Processed food. The sort of pies that pubs and cafes serve that look like soggy cardboard or would bounce if you dropped them.


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## Crankarm (15 Apr 2012)

bigjim said:


> I'm no cook and I don't think I have an educated palate. My likeness for stewed steak goes back to my camping days as a teenager when I also used to mix a raw egg in it. I never eat it at home [my wife would have a fit]. On the road I fill up with fruit for Lunch and cook my porridge for breakfast. I'll throw any leftover fruit in the porridge. In France last year, I picked masses of blackberries on my route which were delicious thrown in the morning porridge. I do also eat out in the evening but not every night as I am quite happy with whatever is in the tin I find in the nearest shop and maybe some nice bread to mop it up, plus a decent bottle of Red. A deprived [of food] childhood comes in useful enabling you to eat almost anything. My kids think I'm very strange.  Whats wrong with Dogfood?


 
Nothing .............. if you are a dog .


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## Crankarm (15 Apr 2012)

bigjim said:


> Good luck with finding a cheap meal in the UK. I have found that prices of a meal on the road have soared recently. Last week on a club run we stopped at one of our usual haunts. It had been taken over and updated, beans on toast was £3 and a cup of tea £1.80. We pass many pubs with signposts stating lunch at £12 etc. Unless you are in large urban conurbations where there is plently of
> competition, eating out is not cheap. Down the chippy a fiver goes nowhere. Gas costs me about 20p to boil water and esbit about 10p. A tin of stewed steak with a tin of beans thrown in and heated up, with a yogurt for afters, lovely. Nothing more substantial than that. I could invade Russia after eating that lot.


 
Yeah practically blow them away having eaten a tin of beans  .


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## Bodhbh (15 Apr 2012)

bigjim said:


> Define rubbish?


 
What I mean is dehydrated food, energy bars, spoonfeeding peanut butter and cereal. All the energy dense stuff that you wouldn't normally eat unless you had too because you are burning a bunch of calories in the middle of nowhere. I can't see why anyone would want to eat that stuff if they can either eat a proper meal or cook something in their tent.


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## compo (15 Apr 2012)

People keep on about cooking in their tent. I have been a keen backpacker for much of my life and have camped and wild camped throughout Britain. I have never cooked in my tent. I often lie on my stomach with just my shoulders out of the flap but my cooker is always outside. I appreciate that modern fabrics are much more fire resistant than they where years ago but tent fires are not uncommon. the tent also gets full of fumes and muck carried by the steam. I prefer to cook outside and keep my tent clean and fresh.


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## snorri (15 Apr 2012)

I have to say I enjoy eating out while touring, part of the pleasure comes from simply getting cleaned up beforehand and the relaxation that comes with sitting on a proper chair at a table indoors after a day outside on a bicycle seat. I cook for myself all year and am quite happy to do it but eating out makes a pleasant change whilst on holiday.


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