so-mod1

A lot has happened since this question was asked 7 years ago, so I think it's time for an update.

A: **Yes you can.**

I've been cooking on Trangia (alcohol), Esbit fuel tablets and gas (MSR Windburner, MSR Reactor & Vango folding gas stove) with the scouts in Scandinavia, the army, high winds on alpine expeditions and in polar regions for over 25 years. In 2019 alone I've made breakfast in the vestibule in strong winds and rain over 30 times.

That said I strongly advice against using pressurised liquid fuel / multi-fuel burners in the tent until your are 100% confident in how to use your pre-heater.


To cook so safely in the vestibule:

1. Clear the sheltered vestibule so that you can work comfortably.

2. Prepare to cook: You're the fire marshal: When the flame comes on, you don't move.***That's the rule.*** If you need to move, turn the flame off, then you're allowed.

3. Set the cooker up on a stove base. If the stove can wobble, it's not ready for usage. Scratch the ground, rearrange some rocks, use a lid, a snow-shovel, ... until it is stable.

4. Assure free ventilation: You must be able to feel a draft. If there's no wind and it's poring down, keep the vestibule sufficiently open for you to be able to exit. See youtube clip from fjellraven to see what the minimum ventilation should be: https://youtu.be/JJo8_9V-414

5. Assure presences of a flame shield to reflect flames dancing from the ventilation. For Trangia's storm cooker, MSR windburner and similar this is not necessary as the windshield is installed. For all open gas burners use the aluminium foils (Heat Reflector with Windscreen).

6. Put an empty pot on the burner before opening the gas. This disperses any burst flame that may come from impurity in the fuel.

7. Prepare your food and check repeatedly that the cooker remains stable.

8. Enjoy.


American bears seem to be getting mythical status on par with Welsh Dragons, so I will stick to my own experiences here:

In the arctic, polar bears don't care about 100m or 500m. Their nose is too sensitive. They will track you even if you don't cook. So have your alarm wires set up first. If you don't have enough wire or the terrain is obstructed, leave a tiny bait/decoy with a scare flare on it. That will give you a warning to wake up. After that you won't need coffee. Your adrenaline will keep you alert for the next few hours.

Nordic brown bear and European wolves tend to run away at the noise of pots and pans or shovels (metal) being banged against one another. We've never hoisted our food into the trees. We just kept the food in air-tight bags.