Charcoal briquettes are a good substitute for those times when campfires are banned. Charcoal makes a good ready-made source of heat for camping. The briquettes are easy to count out and light, and they burn at a predictable rate.
Here are a few tips about using charcoal briquettes:
- Don't use lighter fluid to ignite charcoal briquettes. Instead, crumple one or two sheets of newsprint in the bottom compartment of a chimney charcoal starter and light. You'll have gray ash-covered coals in about 20 minutes.
- Control the heat by adding and removing burning briquettes. This takes practice. Start by placing a thick field of briquettes under the skillet or pot. Then watch the food. If it's cooking too quickly, use a pair of tongs to remove briquettes. Add burning briquettes if the food is cooking too slowly.
- Have a nearby water source to douse any fires. Purchase a galvanized steel bucket and ash shovel to collect spent briquettes. Drown spent coals inside the bucket. When all fires have been extinguished, discard the ash and briquettes. Some campers dry the coals and use them next time.
- Charcoal briquettes burn hotter and faster under windy conditions. In a brisk wind, coals that normally burn for 60 minutes may evaporate within 30 to 45 minutes instead.
It's important to use a firepan to protect the environment and to guard against wildland fires. Any fireproof implement can be turned into a firepan. Set a baking sheet (or any thing that's sheet iron or steel) between two or more bricks to hold the coals. You can also cook in a Weber-style barbecue. You'll need to elevate the pots and pans two to three inches above the coals.
Any cookware can be used when cooking over a charcoal fire. However, don't place burning charcoal briquettes directly on top of any cookware that isn't cast iron. Also, don't set anything directly on the briquettes. Thin-skinned cookware (like aluminum) will warp, and enamel pots can burn and chip. Either suspend pots over the coals with a chain or use a grill to hold them two to three inches above the fire.
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