Cooking at camp when the weather turns

Plan for rain before you leave

The best wet-weather cooking happens at home the night before. Chop vegetables, measure out dry ingredients and pack them in labelled bags. When it is raining sideways you want to be opening a bag, not slicing an onion on your knee.

Keep your fuel dry

Wet wood is the single biggest reason a camp fire fails. Bring a small bag of kindling and dry offcuts from home, keep it sealed, and top it up from dead branches that are off the ground. Split damp sticks to reach the dry wood inside.

Pick your spot carefully

• Use the wind. Put a rock, bank or your vehicle between the stove and the prevailing wind.
• Find firm, level ground so the stove cannot tip when you stir a pot.
• A tarp rigged high above the cooking area keeps the rain off while letting smoke escape.

Cook simply

One pot, a lid and a hot fire will get you further than any recipe. Stews, rice and anything that cooks in its own steam are ideal, and a lid keeps both heat and rain where you want them. Save the ambitious cooking for the clear evening that usually follows.

Leave no trace

When you are done, let the fire burn down to ash, douse it thoroughly, and check it is cold to the touch before you pack away. Take every scrap of rubbish home with you.