Cooking camp

W

warrigal

Joined
May 15, 2005
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Last weekend ( 20th June) I was invited out to help a local Cadet unit ( the leader is an old mate of mine)
I ran the session on camp ovens ( Dutch, cast iron) and a simultaneous session on safe use of a Block splitter ( to feed the coals for the ovens )
We did a couple cakes and then 8 chooks ( chickens) in 6 Dutch ovens and one large Bedourie oven.
I had about 190 kids attended my bit all of them got to swing the block splitter (Fiskars power axe, some of the girls could barely lift it) Thanks to Mors and “Bushcraft” I got them to do it on their knees. They all left with the same number of toes they started with.
Kids at the Briefing Sat morning.
IMGP3776.jpg

Male cadet sleeping arrangements.
A Hootchie is a glorified tarp. Two join together by press studs ( as seen here) with loops and eyelets down the sides.
IMGP3778.jpg
 
Bell ovens, a grill supported by four fencing wire struts to the top covered in alfoil like a pyramid. One panel is connected only at the top so it can be swung out of the way the heat is regulated by the size of the fire and/or the hight above the fire. There were cakes, pavlovas and roast beef cooked in these. This pic they are up waiting for the fires to burn down.
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Same concept but just a wire hook through the chook, trussed so it didn’t fall apart and open on the bottom.
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Mud ovens A 20lt drum with a fire trench under neath and chimney at the back, a wire rack in side to keep the item from contacting the base and burning.
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The kids also got to make their own sausages. Roast a pig on a spit. Correct use of a BBQ.
Carl
 
Good for you. It's great to see people helping out! Great pics and I'm sure it was a great time.
 
WOW. That's first rate. Good work.

Would love to hear a little bit about what Cadets do.
 
Forgot to mention there was also a Hungi ( Mario pit/ground oven)
Army Cadets in Australia. Learn basic military skills, some bushcraft, Drill, leadership I'm not a uniformed leader so I'm a bit out of the loop. I run a Survival Bushcraft course for the NCO's. They also do Ceremonial parades for ANZAC and Remembrance Day parades. They will do visits to Military bases. I know they sometimes parade with live weapons but the days When my dad was a cadet and they were issued with a Lee Enfeild to take home and love. are long gone.
Carl
 
Sorry Marion I thought I replied to this Yesterday. Don't know what happened.
The mud ovens were made with spoil so dig a hole for something else they must be above ground. and it takes a fair bit of dirt, sand is harder and needs to be wet to hold in place.
You can make the fire trench buy puting an object in the ground under the tin and then remove it carefully or by filling it full of twigs/kindling and burning it out. Same with the chimney, chim needs to be at least 2x4 inches ( you have to get a draught) hole underneath needs to be 6x8inches square you need to be able to feed the fire. The dirt will need a good pack down with the back of the shovel before you try to remove the moulds sticks or whatever your using.
The drum is a empty 20lt steel drum.like bulk paint comes in. clean and obviously not one that stored anything hazardous.
The tray for the bottom should be long enough to reach the back and be an inch on two short of the front of the drum. it should be wide enough to sit a couple inches off the bottom. For fridge racks try any store that sells new fridges and removes the old ones. don't forget to keep the lid of the drum it has to sit/balance on the edge of the drum it doesn't need to be a tight seal.
A similar oven called a yukon stove except with rocks. Maintaining the heat with this device is trial and error Also for the work involved not the sort of thing I wold normaly think of for a single weekend camp. But then the great thing about cadet camps is there is always plenty of manpower.LOL
does that help?
Carl
 
This is real cool, Warrigal. I've never seen this before either. I've done a Hawaiian oven before, but never a mud oven. I'm certainly going to try it.
 
Great post. I just hope my son doesn't read it before our next outing or we'll be cooking in one of the bell ovens. Maybe I should say "trying to cook", looks like it could take a little practice to get it just right.
 
I ate a lot of charcoal and dough ( sometimes in the same meal) when I first started camp cooking as a 10yr old.
Carl
 
warrigal said:
Sorry Marion I thought I replied to this Yesterday. Don't know what happened.
The mud ovens were made with spoil so dig a hole for something else they must be above ground. and it takes a fair bit of dirt, sand is harder and needs to be wet to hold in place.
You can make the fire trench buy puting an object in the ground under the tin and then remove it carefully or by filling it full of twigs/kindling and burning it out. Same with the chimney, chim needs to be at least 2x4 inches ( you have to get a draught) hole underneath needs to be 6x8inches square you need to be able to feed the fire. The dirt will need a good pack down with the back of the shovel before you try to remove the moulds sticks or whatever your using.
The drum is a empty 20lt steel drum.like bulk paint comes in. clean and obviously not one that stored anything hazardous.
The tray for the bottom should be long enough to reach the back and be an inch on two short of the front of the drum. it should be wide enough to sit a couple inches off the bottom. For fridge racks try any store that sells new fridges and removes the old ones. don't forget to keep the lid of the drum it has to sit/balance on the edge of the drum it doesn't need to be a tight seal.
A similar oven called a yukon stove except with rocks. Maintaining the heat with this device is trial and error Also for the work involved not the sort of thing I wold normaly think of for a single weekend camp. But then the great thing about cadet camps is there is always plenty of manpower.LOL
does that help?
Carl
Click to expand...

Thanks Carl. That helps.

I have a dream to do an extended remote camp once a year, and this the kind of thing that would fit that kind of camp.

Thank you again,
Marion
 
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