One of the most important things to know before cooking at camp is that it is the coals that you want to cook over rather than the fire itself. Cooking over the fire will burn your food on the outside while it is still raw on the inside. In addition, the heat is more consistent and controllable when cooking over the coals. Before you are ready to cook, you need to build up at least a couple of inches of live coals and then let the main fire settle down a little. Dense woods and hardwoods make the best coals.  Try to avoid pines, aspen, redwoods and other light or soft woods when looking for woods to use for coal.
 
If a fire pit is not provided at the camping site, you will need to dig one.  The pit should be approximately ten inches deep and three feet wide.  If you plan on using it for several days or you want to use it for a bonfire it is a good idea to make it both deeper and wider. For fire safety, you should keep nearby a shovel stuck in a pile of dirt removed from the fire pit. Any medium to strong wind is hazardous and the sparks can ignite a forest fire. Also, the coals will reduce more quickly and provide much less cooking time.

There are two ways to control your heat when cooking over an open fire. They are to (1) add or subtract coals or (2) raise or lower your cooking pots or pans.  You can pile up rocks to put your pots and pans on to provide height above the fire.  When using this method be certain that you can still tend to the coals through the rocks.  To make this part of cooking easier you may want to purchase a Spyder. Spyders are three or four legged trivet-like devices that hold your pans above the coals. They have a ring for the pan to sit in and an open bottom. They can be purchased in varying heights so that you can cook close to the coals or several inches away from them. There are really tall ones that are great for keeping food warm.

One tip is to make up some meals in foil. These can be made up in advance to leaving home. Take a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded in half, and lay on it a piece of meat (ground round, chicken or steak).  Add some potatoes and vegetables like carrots, onions or green beans and season. Dry or powdered seasonings are better than liquid sauces. Then fold over the foil and crimp it several times at both ends. These meals will cook in about 15-20 minutes and can be placed directly on top of the coals or even bury them within the coals for optimum cooking all the way through.  Whole potatoes can be prepared and cooked in foil using this same method. Hollowed vegetables stuffed with ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and rice are also good. Green peppers, onions and tomatoes work well. Meals in foil cut down on the need for cookware and make clean up easy because the fire will consume the foil.

A Dutch oven or crock pot works great for stews or casseroles and even cobblers.  To cook using this method the pot needs to be place on a thin layer of coals with a few more coals sprinkled on the lid.  It is important to remember that less is better when considering the amount of coals to use. 

  
Cast iron pots and pans work great for cooking over an open fire and come with varying lengths of legs on them so the coals can get up under the pan and better cook the food without the risk of burning the food.  Setting a pot or pan of food directly on the hot coals can result in a burned meal. 

When you are ready to leave, check the area for trash and throw that into the pit. Then, put out the fire and fill in the fire pit. You can find easy ways and delicious ways to cook meals over the open fire when you camp.