One of the major issues on an extended paddling trip is the ability to carry enough fuel for the stoves plus the added complication of finding out whether the particular fuel that you require will be available upon arrival at your chosen destination.

On a recent 4 week trip to Greenland we used MSR stoves running on petrol, which is clearly available, as even the smallest and most isolated communities require fuel for their boats. Possibly the most useful item we took though was a small pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker

Small pressure cooker on the stove

It accelerated the boiling of water, it was large enough to provide boiling water for 6 drinks plus some spare. In addition, it reduced the cooking time of items such as rice and pasta. So overall, it reduced the fuel consumption of the stove quite significantly. 0.75 litres was enough fuel for six people for drinks and porridge at breakfast, 2 flasks of hot water at lunch time and soup, main meal and hot drinks in the evening for approximately four days.

Inside Tipi

Cooking inside a Tipi also increased the speed of food preparation particularly on days when the weather was less than co-operative.

The other advantage of the pressure cooker, which we accidentally discovered, is that if the container is knocked over then the contents won't spill.

So the next time that you are in a kitchen equipment shop or a large French supermarket, keep a look out for a small pressure cooker, it could transform your kayak camping.

Kevin Mansell

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