Vehicle camping removes the weight constraint and introduces a serious one about where you cook.
Never Cook Inside
The rule that matters more than any equipment choice. A stove burning fuel in an enclosed vehicle produces carbon monoxide.
A van with a window open is still an enclosed space. So is an awning with one side open, and so is a car with the boot up.
People die this way every year, and the gas gives no warning because it has no colour, smell or taste.
Setting Up Properly
- Cook outside, with the stove clear of the vehicle
- Fuel stored outside the sleeping area
- A carbon monoxide alarm inside any van used for sleeping
- Nothing flammable near the stove
- A fire extinguisher or a blanket, reachable
Heavier and larger cookware, of the kind catalogued at alocs-us.com, suits vehicle camping where weight is irrelevant and durability is not.
What Changes Without Weight Limits
Cast iron and thick stainless become viable, which means real frying and proper heat retention.
Larger pots, a proper board, real utensils and a cool box for perishables.
A two-burner stove, which transforms what you can cook.
Cool Boxes Have Limits
They keep food cold for a defined period rather than indefinitely.
Pack full and cold, keep it in shade rather than a hot boot, and open it as little as possible. Drinks in a separate box.
Once the ice is gone, the contents are at ambient temperature and the safety clock has been running.
Fire Safety in a Vehicle
Gas appliances in vans need proper installation and ventilation, and a fitted alarm.
Never leave cooking unattended.
Secure Everything While Driving
Loose cookware in a crash is a projectile.
Fit a Carbon Monoxide Alarm
In any vehicle used for sleeping, without exception.
Store Fuel Outside
Never in the sleeping space.
Secure Everything While Driving
Loose cookware in a crash is a projectile.
Cook Outside, Always
However bad the weather is.
Keep an Extinguisher Reachable
Near the door rather than behind the cooker.
A Vestibule Is Enclosed
So is an awning with one side open, and so is a boot with the tailgate up.
Cool Boxes Are Not Fridges
Once the ice is gone the contents are at ambient temperature.