Cooking with a Cast Iron Skillet: A Rustic Culinary Adventure


Cooking with a cast iron skillet over a campfire is one of the most rewarding ways to prepare a meal in the great outdoors. This timeless method combines the rich flavors of open-fire cooking with the reliability of cast iron cookware. Whether you’re a seasoned camper or new to outdoor adventures, using a cast iron skillet at your campsite can elevate your meals and enhance your camping experience. This guide will provide tips and inspiration for cooking with a cast iron skillet while camping.

Why Use Cast Iron While Camping?

Cast iron skillets are the perfect camping companion because of their rugged durability and excellent heat retention. They can withstand the high heat of a campfire and distribute heat evenly, making them ideal for cooking over uneven flames. Additionally, a well-seasoned skillet is naturally non-stick, allowing for easy cooking and cleaning in the wilderness.

Preparing Your Skillet for the Trip

Before heading out on your camping trip, ensure your cast iron skillet is properly seasoned. Seasoning involves coating the skillet with a thin layer of oil and heating it to create a protective, non-stick layer. This process prevents rust and improves cooking performance. If your skillet needs a refresh, simply apply a light coat of oil and bake it in your oven at home, or over a campfire before cooking.

Setting Up Your Campfire

The key to successful cast iron cooking is building a good campfire. Aim for a bed of hot embers rather than high flames, as embers provide consistent heat. Start your fire with dry wood and allow it to burn down until you have a stable base of glowing coals. You can place your skillet directly on the coals or use a campfire grill or a flat rock to stabilize it.

Cooking Techniques in the Wild

1. Searing: Use the intense heat of the fire to sear meats. Preheat your skillet on the coals for a few minutes, then add your meat. Sear each side to lock in flavor and juices.

2. Sautéing: Quickly sauté vegetables by adding a bit of oil or butter to the hot skillet. Stir frequently to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.

3. Baking: Yes, you can bake at your campsite! Dishes like cornbread or dessert cobblers can be made by covering your skillet with foil or a lid and placing hot coals on top to create an oven effect.

Safety Tips for Campfire Cooking

Use Proper Gear: Cast iron gets extremely hot. Use heat-resistant gloves or a sturdy handle cover to avoid burns.

Control the Heat: Campfires can be unpredictable. Move your skillet around the fire to manage cooking temperatures effectively.

Clean with Care: After your meal, let the skillet cool before cleaning. Scrape off any food residue with a spatula, rinse with water, and dry thoroughly. Apply a thin layer of oil to the skillet to prevent rust while it’s not in use.

Classic Camping Recipes

1. Campfire Breakfast Hash: Start your day with a hearty breakfast. Sauté diced potatoes, onions, and bell peppers until tender. Add cooked sausage or bacon and top with scrambled eggs. Cook until the eggs are set, and sprinkle with cheese before serving.

2. Skillet Steak: For a campsite dinner, rub steaks with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Sear in a hot skillet for a few minutes per side, then let rest before serving.

3. Berry Cobbler: For dessert, mix fresh berries with sugar and a bit of flour. Top with a simple crumble of oats, butter, and brown sugar. Cover with foil and cook over the fire until bubbly and golden.

Conclusion

Cooking with a cast iron skillet while camping adds a rustic, flavorful dimension to your outdoor meals. The versatility and reliability of cast iron make it an indispensable tool for any camper. With a little preparation and some simple techniques, you can enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals in the heart of nature. So pack your skillet, gather around the campfire, and savor the unique experience of cooking in the great outdoors.



The lowly pine knot.

The wind is out of the northwest, blowing a steady rain into our face.  The temperature is just warm enough to keep the rain from freezing to your coat.  Everything in the forest is wet, including you.  You know hypothermia is coming, it is just a matter of time.  As the cold sinks into your bones, you look around, there is no dry tender to start a fire with.  Then you see it, your salvation.  A pine tree that died many years ago, almost completely rotten.  All that is left is the heartwood of the tree and knots.  

Pine knots can be a life saver, one of the few items in our forest that almost guarantee the ability to start a fire.  Their usefulness comes from the tar in a pine tree.  Once the tree dies, most of the tree rots away, however the knots of the tree and in the heart wood often.  The pine tar or resin is infused into this wood and preserves this part of the tree.  This is also what gives it its usefulness in our scenario.  The tar effectively waterproofs the wood and it is flammable.  If you take a shaving from a pine knot and light it, it will burn like a candle.  If you take a lot of shavings, you can light larger pieces of the knots.  This will start to burn hot enough to dry out wet wood and give you the ability to start a fire in the pouring down rain.  

How to find pine knots.  

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you need to find a dead pine tree.  But to make it easier on you, you need to look for an old stand of trees.  Young pines do not have time to build up significant resin in the heart wood to preserve the wood.  Naturally, the older the stand the better.  If you find semi-rotten logs, you can break them up and often find pine knots inside of them.  In an area that has been clear cut, you can find pine knots in the roots and stumps.  Often, if you are paying attention, you will find them just laying on the ground.  As you walk through a forest it pays to pick up one or two.  Even if you don’t use them, they are worth keeping.  

How to use pine knots  

When you find a pine knot, you can’t just take a match to them and expect them to burn.  You will need to create some thin slices that will light easily.  You can do this with a knife, but a hatchet works best.  Due to the amount of resin in the wood, it is extremely hard to cut.  Use the shavings as your tender and chips as kindling, these can be then used to light other fire woods.  Another method is to take your blade of choice and cut into the knot.  Cut shavings and slices into the knot, but do not completely cut them off.  You want your knot to somewhat resemble a pine cone.  This will create a lot of surface area for the flame to catch on, and burn hot enough to set the whole knot on fire.  

So, the next time you are in the forest, whether you are hiking, camping, or hunting, keep an eye out for pine knots.  They will make your fire craft much easier and could possibly save your life.  

Primer on Hiking – Pt 4  What to Carry

Finally, we need to look at what gear you need to bring.  Now remember, we are just getting started.  You should have everything you need already.  This is not a gear list for back country outings, backpacking, or all day trips.  This is our entry level list for short hikes. 

Water…

Really, for short hikes, this is the most important thing.  Find a water bottle, fill it up, and drink the water.  Plan for drinking up to a litter per hour.  So as your trip length increase, your water consumption increase.  For longer hikes, you need to consider how to fill your water bottle, a good back up is to carry Water-purification tablets, just in case.  They will give water an off taste, but that is a small price to pay verse being dehydrated or getting giardia.  On down the road, look into other methods of water purification.

Other general things to carry include a knife, first-aid kit, and fire starter.  Depending on the weather and location, consider a wide brim hat, rain jacket, sunscreen and insect repellent are a good thing to include.  In the evenings and mornings, a small flashlight or headlamp would be nice.

Beyond that, you should be ready for a short simple hike.  So, lace up your shoes, maybe grab a friend and hit the trail.

Simple list for short hiking trips

Water Bottles
There are lots of options here, but the budget option is reusing a bottle of water.  Smartwater™ bottles work really well for this. Always carry more than you think you need.  For emergencies get some purification tablets or a life straw.

Knife

You don’t need anything big for this.  A small knife will meet almost any need that arises.  Don’t rush out and buy an Arkansas Tooth Pick.  Pick up something simple, like a swiss army knife, a small lock blade or a multitool.

Small First Aid kit

You don’t need anything fancy.  Stick with a simple kit to start with, then modify the kit over time to add things you hope you never need.  Many basic kits are sold at your local box store.  Start small and then grow into what you need.  Remember to replace anything you use.

Lighter or Firestarter

You can get fancy with a Swedish Fire Steel, or grab a cheap lighter from a convince store.  I carry both.

Light

Get a cheap headlamp or flashlights with extra batteries.  I personally carry a ProTac 1L-1AA by Streamlight.  It is not a cheap light, but it is the best light I have found at a relatively low price point.

Sun Protection

Sun Screen and a wide brim hat will take care of you.

Extra Food and Water

Always bring more food and water than you think you need.  Being hungry and dehydrate is never fun and can lead to some bad things.

Primer on Hiking Pt 3 – What to Wear

Now that we know where to go.  Next, we must get dressed for the big event.  As I said before, most people have everything needed to get started.  What you wear is wide open, that being said you have to manage chaffing, moisture, and the cold.  There are a few good rules of thumb worth addressing, then we will wrap up with some basic suggested gear.

Cotton Kills

There is an old outdoor saying “Cotton Kills”.  There is a lot of truth to this.  Cotton is a great fabric.  It naturally wicks moisture away from the body and helps keep you cool.  Your probably thinking that’s awesome, I have a 100 percent cotton tee shirt I can wear.  But stop and think for a moment.  That feature that keeps you nice and cool in the summer, can cause major problems if the temperature dips.  In the cooler or cold weather, cotton will continue to wick moisture away, thus cooling your body even more.  If cotton gets wet or damp, cotton will no longer keep you warm, but will cool you off more.  This can leaded to hypothermia and frostbite.  Hypothermia can set in in 60°F weather.  So beware of cotton, including cotton socks.

Baggy and chaffy

Baggy clothes can be comfy and warm, but this opens up a major problem of getting chaff.  And that will ruin a trip fast (And is also the reason I carry desitin).  Any time skin rubs against skin there is a chance of getting chaff.  Add moisture, including sweat, just makes it worse.  Tight fitting undergarments are one of the best ways to prevent it and if you find some that wicks moisture, it can do double duty.

Layer-up.

Dressing in layers is a good trick used by any with much experience.  This will allow multiple combinations of clothing to ensure we are as comfortable as possible.  As the day heats up, you can remove layers, as evening sets in you can add layers.  For example, start with a base layer, add a light long sleeve shirt, and finally a light jacket.  As the temperature changes, you can remove layers to keep from sweating and add layers to keep warm.

Dress cool

In cold weather, dress cool.  This may seem odd at first, but if you dress with enough clothes that you are cool.  As you start walking, your core will warm up and you will be comfortable.  This little trick will keep you from sweating at the start of the trip.  Sweat will cool your core off, but in winter, it can open you up to hypothermia.  And remember, to pack a jacket that you can put on as needed.

What to wear.

Now, let’s take a look at what you should wear.  First, we suggest what you can wear that you might own and then some entry level items.

Shoes.

When we look at our shoes, especially staring out, just use what you have.  I have seen people hike in sandals, work boots and sneakers.  Some even hike barefoot (humans have been doing this for thousands of years).  So go through your shoes and find a comfortable pair that you don’t mind getting dirty and don’t rub.  Just remember, if they rub, blisters may be at the end of the trail, and that can ruin a trip.  A good rule of thumb is lighter weight is generally better.  Weight on your feet is more strenuous that weight on you back.  However, if the terrain is rough, you may want the support that comes with a boot.  When you start looking to buy a pair, you must try them on.  Don’t buy on-line unless you can return them. 

Socks

Next to shoes, socks are one of the most important things to consider.  Find a sock that completely covers where the shoes come into contact with the foot.  For boots, use socks that come up above the top of the boot.  Shoes need socks that come over the ankle.  This will prevent that rubbing we just mentioned.  It is also worth considering how much padding the socks have and how well they keep your feet warm in colder weather.  Personally, I prefer wool socks or a wool blend.  They have the padding and keep your feet warm and dry.

Underwear.

So, this is probably one of the hardest areas to address because of the wide verity of preferences.  But, no one wants to be chaff, trust me.  In this department, you want everything to be nice and snug.  Nothing baggy.  For the guys, grab some non-cotton boxer briefs.  Those will work for the ladies too.

Pants

Shorts or pants will work.  Make sure you dress for the season and don’t worry about it.  They do make pants with legs that zip off.  It is nice to be able to start a cool morning in pants and then convert them to shorts as the day warms up.

Shirts

Anything seasonal will work.  Just grab and go.

Headgear

I like a wide brim hat to keep the sun off, but this is optional.

Don’t let your clothing keep you from hiking.  As you can see. The barrier to entry is very low, you should already own all of this.  So now all you need is to get your gear togather.

Primer on Hiking Pt 2 – Where to Go

Before going hiking, we must find a trail.  I recommend you visit two places, your friendly local outdoor store, and www.alltrails.com.  The local outdoor store will have some good local knowledge about the best trails and current conditions of the trails.  They will have a selection of trail guides and can tell you what parks are in the area.  (Other places worth checking are government web sites like the US Park Service, US Forest Service, and don’t forget your state parks and wildlife agencies often have good maps)  Don’t under estimate this resource. 

Alltrails is a good site to get started with.  Log in and find the link that says “Explore”.  This will show you the closest trails in a map mode.  From here you pick on that looks interesting.  When you pick one, you want to look at three primary things, Distance, Difficulty, and route type.

For distance, you want to start slow.  I would recommend for the new hikers, you stick to a trail from one to three miles.  A flat trail of one mile should take 20 to 30 minutes to complete.  If you have been exercising, you can increase this if you fill it is necessary, but remember, if you bite off more than you were expecting, you have to get back.  So start small and work your way up to higher distances.  Your typical half day hike will cover 6 to 10 miles.  A full day hike can go up to 20.  But don’t try this for your first hike unless you are in good shape to start with.

Difficulty takes into account several factors.  The elevation gain and change is a big factor, as this increases, the difficulty also increases.  The condition of the trail will also affect this.  A paved trail would be much easier than a foot path with a rope bridge.  How well the trail is marked is another factor.  Start off with easy trails and proceed from there.  Two thing to consider, the trails change over time, so read the reviews and sometimes the difficult trails are more fun and make memories.

Finally, we have the route type.  Generally, we are looking at loops, point to point, and out and back.  This is exactly what they sound like.  Loops your trail makes a rough circle.  Most people really like these trails because you end up back where you parked your vehicle and there is little to no back tracking.  Point to Point, you walk along the trail to a different finish point.  These trails have a major drawback of having to get back to your starting point.  However, if you are hiking a long distance, this is typically the only type of trail you will get.  Out and back is simply a trail that does not have exit on one end and walk back on the same trail you came in on. This trails are often to a scenic spot. Any point to point trail can be turned into an out and back. Some people do not like out and back because half the trip you are seeing the same thing again, but really, you get to enjoy it again.

Across top of the map in AllTrails, you will also see a verity of drop down menus that will let you search for several other criterial like “What To Do” or “What To See”.  This just gives you more options on selecting a trail you will enjoy.  One of the other major benefits of all trails is the review and comments that other users post about the trails.  The reviews simply let you know if the trail was enjoyed by others, but take some time to read the comments, they can let you know some important information about the current condition of the trails. 

These tools will help you get started down an enjoyable trail.  They are worth checking when you travel and can keep you informed in areas that you do not know much about.  So, pick a trail, your excuses for not hiking are dwindling.

Primer on Hiking – Pt 1

What is hiking?  It is simply going for a walk in nature.  Typically, we are looking at a fairly long walk, but not long enough you need camping gear.  This can be done alone or with a group.  It can be a short trip or an all-day trek.  Flat ground or a strenuous hike through the mountains.  It is the simplest way to get off our backside and into nature to enjoy our wild lands.

Hiking can also be the base for most other outdoor pursuits or can be easily added to them.  Want to go fishing, hike to a secluded pond.  Outdoor photography almost requires you to hike to a place for your photography.  Rock climbing, you need to hike to the rock face.  You can easily see how it can be incorporated other outdoor pursuits.

Why get into hiking.  To start with, it is good exercise.  Starting out, you can do easy trails over flat ground.  As you begin to look for challenges, you can add difficulty or increase your pace.  Want even more of a challenge, add a backpack and go for a ruck or overnight backpacking trip.  You can push your speed to keep your heart rate up and turn your simple walk in the woods into a cardio workout or go all out and start trail running.  In addition to the physical exercise, hiking has been shown to help with the mental side of things too.  Just being outside lowers stress levels.

What are the road blocks to hiking?  They are very few.  Where to go, what to wear, and what to carry.

Finding a trail can be a simple matter.  AllTrails.com has over 52,384 trails listed on their site.  They are the biggest database of trails and reviews that I am aware of, and they don’t have them all.  Almost every park has a trail of some type.  The issue is not finding a trail, but choosing what trail to take and finding what trail is the challenge you want to overcome, and maybe what gear you have.

For all of the outdoor pursuits, hiking has the lowest barrier of entry.  In the back of your mind, you may picture someone with a massive backpack and a ton of gear, but it does not have to be that way.  You should already own everything you need to get started.  Hiking can be an epic backpacking trips or something as simple as a short walk on a trail with friends after work.  As you progress, you will probably buy more gear, but gear should not keep you from getting out side.  All this being said, you should be able to start with no upfront cost, just put on your shoes and go for a hike. 

We are going to have a series of detailed articles to get you on the trail.  Including where to go, what to wear, and what to carry.