Who does the cooking when you go camping?

Submitted: Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:32
ThreadID: 65591 Views:3105 Replies:14 FollowUps:7
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I'm just curious if others also find a wee bit of role reversal going-on when they're camping and if you have views on why this is.

For the record. At home I am the cook most of the time. The Missus is the brains, loves gardening & since I am not good at much but still fair minded, I do most of the chef's duties. This includes breakfast, lunch & dinner and morning & afternoon tea.

When I was a kid I noticed that my Dad would take over at BBQ time and I often wondered about this acceptance that his 'burnt offerings' were in some strange way considered normal practice. After all, he was a lousy cook and never ever seemed to improve.

But I digress, when the Lady in Waiting and her Cook go camping, she suddenly becomes my Dad. Er in the cooking department that is.

Mind you, she's a fine cook. But I have sat there at camp wondering why this is happening. Still and all......if it's happening......why question it eh?

But howz about others? Do you suddenly find your partner cooking AND is he (or she in my case) really up to the task?

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Reply By: Member - RFLundgren (WA) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:39

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:39
I will generally cook at home, if I am back from work in time as to all here at home, my cooking is far better than hers :)

Having said that though, she does the most amazing stews and curries, so I generally leave those to her.

When we are camping it is still pretty much the same. I do most of the cooking and will let her do the stews and curries, so not too much changes for us.

Cheers

Richard

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Follow Up By: Wayne David - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:54

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:54
RFLundgren (WA) - Mmm interesting.

By the way, that sunset.......amazing!
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Follow Up By: Member - Duncan W (WA) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 12:10

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 12:10
Same here Richard. l do all the cooking whether at home or at camp.
If left up to Kerry I'd be as skinny as a whip. Maybe that's what I should do then go on strike and lose weight at the same time. LOL
Dunc
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Reply By: On Patrol & TONI - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:44

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:44
Wayne,
At home it's an even thing, we share that role, BUT camping it's my domain. Er Indoors is good in a full kitchen, however when the cooking requires some degree of improvisation she falls short and is happy to relinquish any claim to the role.

Maybe it's my Boy Scout training, "be prepared" but I love the challenge of improvising.

She has however found an interest in camp oven cooking, to my delight.

She read about cooking with a camp oven without a camp fire to supply coals. She uses an old deep electric frypan and puts about 10 heat beads (on a trivett) under the oven in the frypan and about 12-15 on the lid, depending on whats cooking, and gets very predictable results.

We now work as a team without getting in each others way.

Cheers, Colin.
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Follow Up By: Wayne David - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:56

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:56
On Patrol & TONI - "We now work as a team without getting in each others way". I'd heard a rumour that some people actually achieve this. But I'd put it down as a myth.
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Follow Up By: On Patrol & TONI - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 13:35

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 13:35
WD
ROTFLMAO.
Colin.
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Reply By: Willem - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:47

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:47
Wayne

I am encouraged to stay away from the mechanical side of food preparation apart from the obligatory setting up and washing up.

My missus is an excellent cook so there is no need for me to get involved in food.

I have the reputation of being a bad bush cook and when we have a Boyz Trip whoever is travelling along normally takes over the cooking role and I am banned from the kitchen.

I can feed my self though. Just open a can of baked beans and crack a tinnie to wash it down. Staple diet...that stuff ....LOL


Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member Brian (Gold Coast) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 13:39

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 13:39
Willem,

I once cooked a lovely pasta and seafood meal whilst camping.....



.....ok.... I opened a tin of spaghetti and a tin of tuna!


Was good though!!

Cheers

Brian
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Reply By: greybeard - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:49

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:49
i'm the camp cook :)
we came to an agreement years ago, i'll use four pegs to put up a tent, the boss wants all the pegs used. I like getting dirty and playing with fire.

so, the boss puts up the tent and sorts out the 'clean area' and i play with the fire, cook and make sure no one gets dehydrated ;)
AnswerID: 347028

Reply By: Member - Lance S (VIC) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:51

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:51
WD,

Camping is mostly BBQ, that is my domain and my domain only, SWMBO does the side dishes and my 3 kids do the washing and drying, how easy is that.

Most of the time,

cheers,

Lance
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Follow Up By: oz doc - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:33

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:33
Lance - I am in awe of you!How on earth do you get three kids to do the washing and drying? I have two kids and there is no hope of getting them near a sink without world war 3. For the sake of peace - the other half cooks, and I clean up.doc.
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Follow Up By: Member - Lance S (VIC) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:42

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:42
Doc,

When in the middle of nowhere, its either be fed to dingos and this coming trip its easy peasy, where off to the Kimberley, so its the crocs turn if they don't wash and dry. LOL

But yes every now and then it is WW3, but most of the time its OK.

cheers

Lance
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Reply By: Member - Royce- Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:56

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 11:56
Anything involving campfire, bbq, pizza oven..... I'm the bloke who does it!

I also get to carve the roast as did my dad and his before him.


Sadly while my better three-quarters moves through a vegan faze I'm having to cook up some carnivorous supplementation from time to time.

AnswerID: 347030

Reply By: Member Brian (Gold Coast) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 13:37

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 13:37
Although I can eat EXTREMELY well...... I am lousy at cooking. In fact, when our kids were younger I used it is a threat to get them to do there chores. As in...... "If you don't clean your room, I'll cook your dinner!"
Worked for years!! Stemmed from a time when SWMBO was away and I damn near poisoned them with snags an eggs.

But a couple of years ago, I decided to share the load while camping and started cooking brekky's under the watchful eye of SWMBO. And I began to enjoy it! So now I try to cook the brekky's and help with the evening meals. And at home last night I cooked a BBQ that was delicious.... albeit under instruction! Home cooking is a raritie though.

Cheers

Brian
AnswerID: 347043

Reply By: didiaust - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:04

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:04
He cooks when we camp (most of the time) as it's mostly done on the open fire and secondly I refuse to touch or go near the dual fuel stove. Like the duel fuel light I hate the thing.

I cheat and take a few frozen things then thaw & heat (with little fuss and less mess).

I do all the stir frys too.

I do make the deserts - scones, muffins, banana & apple jaffles etc.

I also cook the fish in beer batter ( if and only if it's filleted to perfection)

Now I'm wondering who actually does do most of the cooking
AnswerID: 347049

Reply By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:16

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:16
Home - we share the cooking, both work crazy hours.

She cooks the basic meals,
Me, I like having a go at more complicated recipies.

When camping, she does all the cooking, we eat like Kings.
I pour the drinks and make the cocktails and keep them coming
as fast as she can down them. [that goes for breakfast also] lol.



Cheers......Lionel.
AnswerID: 347051

Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:44

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 14:44
I have an absolutely wonderful SWMBO, but I do most of the cooking.. especially anything that has anything to do with meat.

SWMBO will help with all the cutting up and prep, but I do the cooking. She always does breakfast (we usually have cereal and fruit), occassionally she will fry an egg. Don't get me wrong, she can cook, it just evolved that she does the vast majority of the cleaning etc, and I do the cooking. Same with camping, I get to play "fireman" so I get to the cooking (especially if we want to eat)... But she is very good at making the camp comfortable and getting everything ready and at hand.
Fred
Fred B
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Reply By: Hairy (NT) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 15:30

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 15:30
Hahahahaha...
Who does the cooking when camping?
Same person who does it at home!!!!
ME!

AnswerID: 347069

Reply By: Motherhen - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 16:23

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 16:23
So pleased to see there are a few blokes in Oz who can cook. You are redeeming your species!

Motherhen

On the road we have the driver and the navigator.
When we stop we have the cook/dish washer and the fix-it man.

Still arguing over who empties the loo!
Motherhen

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Reply By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 21:01

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 21:01
About 80/20 at home, but rolls reverse camping, having a wife who is coeliac, severe gluten intolerant, makes life interesting on the road, so we tend to cook most of our meals to save her from getting sick from others who dont understand.

Cheers Pesty
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Reply By: Member - Heather G (NSW) - Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 21:33

Sunday, Feb 01, 2009 at 21:33
I do the cooking, He drinks the beer and cleans up the kitchen!
Pretty much the same whether we are travelling or at home really.

When we have camp oven meals I do the prep and He does the adding, stiring, checking and fire tending (depending on how many beers have been consumed!).

We are both very happy with our job sharing!
Have been married 37 years - about twice a 'life sentence' at least!!!
Regards
Heather G


Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. John Muir

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