Nailed my stove setup after a rainy night at Harriman State Park

Last month I was out at Harriman State Park and my little backpacking stove kept blowing out in the wind. Finally figured out I just needed to set up a windbreak with my gear bag, and now I'm actually cooking meals in under 10 minutes instead of 20. Anyone else have a simple fix that made a big difference on a rainy trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylorshah4d ago

Funny how the same lesson pops up everywhere once you figure it out. It's like how I always used to fight with tangled extension cords until I just started wrapping them a certain way. Now I don't even think about it. Same with the stove and the wind. You just need to stop fighting the problem and let your gear do the work for you. Simple thing, but it saves so much time and headache across the board.

parkerbrown3d ago

Does that cord wrapping trick work for any length, @taylorshah?

mason_lopez3d ago

Hold on, I gotta push back a little here. Is a wind gust really that big of a problem that it calls for a whole life lesson about fighting the system? I mean, I get it, wind sucks for stove cooking, been there. But wrapping a cord a certain way is not the same as setting up a windbreak with a backpack. One is just basic convenience, the other is survival 101 when you're soaked and hungry. Your mileage may vary, but I feel like people overthink this stuff. A little wind never killed anyone, it just makes your dinner take a few extra minutes. Unless you're in a total whiteout, you're probably fine just turning your back to the breeze and getting on with it.