The team decided to use a lightweight spirits stove called a trangia to cook with. The skill of cooking needs to be practised, and during our training day at Ellerslie Farm we made sure our meals were of a suitable standard. All the equipment was checked before use and we made sure it was in full working order. The whole team needed to be able to use the chosen stove in a safe manner as different types of stoves can be dangerous in their own way and so safety was very important.

Hygiene needed to be of the highest standard and the small stove required a tidy and methodical approach. The instructions on packets were followed. If we had any doubts about cooking a particular food we looked up the method and practised cooking it before we went on the expedition. We also had to be able to judge when it was cooked as under cooking may cause illness.

METHOD

Cooking a full breakfast on a spirit stove needs practice. One problem that is encountered is trying to serve many cooked items, all hot, at the same time to four people. The boiling of a large billy of water is needed. When the water is boiled the large billy needs to be taken off the stove and have a lightweight metal plate placed over it with another smaller billy upturned on top. Food can then be placed under the small billy to be kept warm.