Cast iron and campfire cooking share a history stretching back centuries. Long before modern stoves, cast iron was the cookware of choice for open-flame cooking because it could withstand direct fire contact and distribute heat evenly from irregular heat sources. Today, camping with cast iron connects us to this tradition while delivering exceptional meals in the great outdoors.
Choosing Cast Iron for Camping
The Classic Camp Oven
The Australian camp oven is specifically designed for outdoor cooking. Distinguished from regular Dutch ovens by three legs that allow placement directly in coals and a flanged lid designed to hold coals on top, the camp oven is arguably the most versatile piece of outdoor cookware.
Camp ovens typically come in sizes measured in quarts or litres, with 4.5 to 9 litre sizes being most popular for camping. A 6-litre camp oven suits most needs, accommodating everything from one-pot stews to fresh damper bread.
Skillets for Campfire Use
A standard cast iron skillet works wonderfully over campfires. Choose a skillet with a longer handle for distance from flames and flames. A 25-30cm skillet handles most campfire cooking tasks from frying bacon to searing meat.
Weight Considerations
Cast iron is heavy, which limits its practicality for backpacking. However, for car camping, caravan trips, or established campsites, the weight is manageable and the cooking benefits outweigh the bulk. Many Australian families keep dedicated camping cast iron separate from their home kitchen collection.
Pack your camp oven with nested items to maximise space. Spices, oil, utensils, and even food can be stored inside the covered pot during transport. Line with newspaper to prevent rattling and scratches.
Setting Up Your Cooking Fire
Choosing the Right Wood
Not all firewood cooks equally. Dense hardwoods like ironbark, red gum, and mulga burn longer and produce excellent cooking coals. Softwoods and pine burn quickly and can impart unwanted flavours. Where possible, use local hardwood or quality commercial firewood rather than scavenging random timber.
Building a Cooking Fire
For cast iron cooking, you want coals rather than flames. Build your fire early, allowing time for initial flames to subside and coals to form. A bed of coals provides steady, controllable heat that is far better for cooking than unpredictable flames.
Create a cooking area by raking coals to one side of your fire pit, keeping a coal-generating section burning to supply fresh coals as needed. This two-zone setup allows you to adjust heat by moving your cookware between areas.
Heat Control Basics
Temperature control with campfire cooking comes from:
- Number of coals: More coals equals more heat
- Distance from coals: Raising cookware reduces heat
- Coal placement: Coals on the lid provide top heat for baking
- Wind management: Shelter your cooking area from wind that accelerates burning
A rough guide for camp oven baking: for 180°C, use approximately 6 coals underneath and 12 coals on the lid. For higher temperatures, add more lid coals. For lower temperatures, reduce underneath coals. Rotate the pot and lid periodically to prevent hot spots from uneven coal distribution.
Camp Oven Techniques
Bottom Heat Only
For simmering stews, soups, or boiling water, place coals only underneath the camp oven. The legs keep the pot above the coals, allowing some airflow and preventing scorching. Start with fewer coals than you think you need; you can always add more.
Top and Bottom Heat
For baking bread, roasting meat, or creating the beloved damper, you need heat from both directions. The flanged lid holds coals securely on top, creating an oven effect inside the pot. The ratio of top to bottom coals determines your cooking style: more top coals for browning and crisping; more bottom coals for base heat.
Lid-Only Cooking
The camp oven lid inverted becomes a shallow pan perfect for frying eggs, bacon, or small items. Place it on a trivet or rocks over coals for quick breakfast cooking while your main camp oven prepares something else.
Essential Camp Cooking Equipment
Beyond your cast iron, bring these items for successful campfire cooking:
- Heavy leather gloves for handling hot cookware
- Long-handled tongs for coal manipulation
- Lid lifter specifically designed for camp oven lids
- Trivet or cooling rack for resting hot cookware
- Small shovel for managing coals
- Wire brush for cleaning
- Cooking oil in a secure container
- Paper towels for cleaning and oiling
Classic Australian Camp Recipes
Traditional Damper
No Australian camping trip is complete without damper, the quintessential bush bread. The basic recipe is simply self-raising flour, salt, and water, mixed to a sticky dough and baked in the camp oven with coals above and below. Variations include adding butter for richness, sugar for sweetness, or cheese and herbs for a savoury version.
One-Pot Camp Stew
Camp ovens excel at one-pot meals where everything cooks together over several hours. Brown meat in the base, add vegetables and liquid, cover, and let it simmer over gentle coals. The extended cooking time tenderises even tough cuts, and the flavours meld into something magical.
Campfire Breakfast
A cast iron skillet over coals handles the complete Australian breakfast: bacon first to render fat, then eggs fried in the bacon grease, followed by tomatoes and mushrooms. The heat retention ensures everything stays warm while you cook subsequent items.
Start your fire early, be patient with coal development, use less heat than you think, and always have extra coals ready. Camp cooking rewards patience. Rushing leads to burnt exteriors and raw centres.
Cleaning Cast Iron While Camping
Cleaning cast iron in the bush requires adapting your normal routine:
Hot Water Cleaning
Heat water in a kettle or pot and use it for cleaning rather than cold creek water. Hot water is more effective at loosening food residue and evaporates faster for drying.
The Bush Scrub Method
Coarse salt makes an excellent abrasive scrub when combined with a paper towel or cloth. Scrub stuck-on food with salt and a splash of water, rinse, and dry thoroughly.
Drying Essentials
Thorough drying is even more critical when camping, as rust can develop quickly in humid conditions. After cleaning, return the cookware to the fire for a few minutes to ensure complete drying, then apply a thin layer of oil. Store with lids ajar to allow air circulation.
Fire Safety and Leave No Trace
Responsible outdoor cooking requires attention to safety and environmental impact:
- Only build fires in designated fire rings or existing fire scars
- Check fire danger ratings and follow all fire restrictions
- Never leave a fire unattended, even while cooking
- Keep water nearby for emergencies
- Fully extinguish fires before sleeping or leaving
- Pack out all ash if no fire pit is provided
- Do not burn food scraps; pack out all waste
Transporting and Storing Camping Cast Iron
Protecting your cast iron during transport prevents damage and rust:
Line cookware with newspaper or paper towels to absorb moisture and prevent scratching. Store in canvas bags or boxes specifically sized for your pieces. Keep cast iron in the driest part of your vehicle or camp storage.
After returning from a trip, clean and re-season your camping cast iron before storing it for the next adventure. Any moisture absorbed during the trip can cause rust if left unaddressed.
Connecting with Tradition
Campfire cooking with cast iron connects you to generations of Australian bush culture. From the earliest European settlers to modern 4WD tourers, the camp oven has been central to outdoor life in Australia. When you lift that cast iron lid and smell the steam rising from your creation, you are participating in a tradition that defines Australian bush culture.
The skills you develop, reading coals, managing heat, adapting to conditions, make you a better cook both outdoors and at home. And there is something deeply satisfying about producing a perfect meal in the middle of nowhere with nothing but fire, iron, and basic ingredients.