Just wondering how many cook with a wok vs a scottle or any other perfered cooking device for overlandi
Wok vs Scottle
- Thread starter wandering nomad
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Enthusiast III
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- Phil
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- Preston
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9245
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I have not personally used either, but the scottle and a wok look to be very similar , but I think a wok may be a little more bowl shaped then the scottle. I personally use a combination of cooking methods while out and about. I use a Blackstone griddle, and a Coleman single burner for all my propane cooking, an old small metal toolbox with a refrigerator grate cut to fit the top shelf and a bag of matchlite in the bottom for a bbq grill. I have a fire basket and tripod for campfire cooking, and I even been known to use my engine block and manifold to cook on the go. 
Influencer I
I love the Skottle for both group and solo camping. Once you get the hang of it, it's kind of fun to cook on. I use it mostly for fajitas, breakfast tacos, hashbrowns, or similar fare that I'm cooking for a group, but you can cook just about anything you would normally do in a frying pan. I can feed 10-18 people fairly fast and keep the food warm. When I'm traveling solo it makes dinner pretty simple to prepare and clean up after. I like the free standing aspect. You can set it up anywhere in camp and move it if needed. Like under the awning when a sudden shower hits or behind the rig when the wind kicks up...
I personally do not get the skottle. At all. It seems like a fad. If cooking that way worked so well, restaurants and our homes would have similar type devices. They dont.
Single use, large, no sides to prevent food from falling off, the heat is concentrated to the middle, and the whole thing takes some assembly.
Not to mention ive heard stories about wind putting the flame out while cooking, over and over again.
I'd save your money and get a Partner Steel Stove along with a wok from Ross/Marshalls/Costco.
Just my very biased $0.02
Single use, large, no sides to prevent food from falling off, the heat is concentrated to the middle, and the whole thing takes some assembly.
Not to mention ive heard stories about wind putting the flame out while cooking, over and over again.
I'd save your money and get a Partner Steel Stove along with a wok from Ross/Marshalls/Costco.
Just my very biased $0.02
Thanks for all the great ideas, I have been using the coleman 2 burner stove for camping/hunting/shooting and such for years and have found it never two fail but just limits me on what i can cook .
The Scottle is nice because its freestanding but other than that it's expensive, bulky, and trendy. Go with a quality two-burner stove, some pots and pans, and be happy - it's just dinner after all.
O
Okay, let’s add in a grill top too. You’d have to do the same with a skottle.nothing like a grilled burger in a frying pan
Influencer I
The Skottle could very well be a fad, just like the Beatles. People didn't get them either at first. Yet, as the Skottle or similar cooking devices have been around cultures in Central America, South America and Africa since the coming of the iron age it is a fairly long lived fad. Those cultures are more adapt at outdoor cooking because they are historically more nomadic and tossing a Skottle-like pan on an open fire was easy and fast. The shape allows a cooking area to the center and a warming area to the outside. Granted, the Skottle sold today is relatively small and civilized compared to the ones used elsewhere, but it offers many of the same benefits. It also offers something not found when using my Partner Steel stove, a sense of connection to those older cultures.
As far as single use goes, our western culture has adapted a habit of separating meal components in pots or pans and even on the plate. Other cultures have blended these components in the process of cooking to enhance the experience, improve the flavor and simplify the job of preparing a meal.
The Skottle isn't designed to replace our western style cookware. It's designed to simply enhance our outdoor experience and maybe give us a glimpse at cultures that cook every meal over an open fire under the stars. No, a Skottle is not for everyone for all of the reasons you mention, but it is fun to cook on. It also tends to become a social gathering place in camp, kind of like the kitchen in your home when you have company over...
Influencer I
I believe some of the long lasting mystique of the Wok/Scottle way of cooking was from Genghis Khan, as his hoard were moving across Asia. They would gather food as the traveled and in the evening several would gather to prepare their combined gatherings. Throwing all gathered goodies in an upside-down shield and placing the shield on a fire. In a little while, the hoard is feeding itself. If you study supply chain characteristics this is one of the reasons Genghis Khan was so successful. "An Army marches on its stomach" ~Napoleon
PS: This is vehicle based travel and the size/weight does not seem to bother me. I love and enjoy it, to the point if I lost this one I'd buy another.
But this is also just my $0.02, so I could be wrong.....
PS: This is vehicle based travel and the size/weight does not seem to bother me. I love and enjoy it, to the point if I lost this one I'd buy another.
But this is also just my $0.02, so I could be wrong.....
Member I
I'm sure the Skottle is a great addition to the Overland kitchen, as for me during the evenings after exploring on foot the wife & I like to prepare a meal have a couple of cocktails & enjoy time together reminiscing the entire day. We like cooking with cast iron pans, whether we are going to have blacken catfish, a brined venison round steak being seared & pan fried potatoes, brown onion gravy & green beans w\bacon call us old fashion. IMO you can not beat cast iron you can do just about anything with it.
Enthusiast III
- 2,259
- First Name
- Phil
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- Preston
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9245
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- KN4LET
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- First Responder
You just made me hungry, when’s dinner [emoji16]
Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk
Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk
Influencer I
@OregonTrail4runner , how long does it take to cool down enough to pack it away? Unless we're staying multiple days in the same spot, we usually roll out right after breakfast. Typically, I'm breaking camp while The Wifey is cooking.
Pathfinder III
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- First Name
- Kent
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- Reynolds
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1632
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- K6KNT
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- Retired Firefighter
Some members of our club use the Skottle and love them, as to the Q. about cooking down they say that it cools down in the time it takes to eat the meal, they wipe it down and stow it.
I don't personally find them appealing at all. I prefer my small msi nesting pots and pans that take up very little space and work well on my camp chef mountain series two burner stove. I also have a griddle for it, which lets me cook some things more like a wok. I have two different sized pots, and a pan, some cups, some bowls.
Also probably depends a lot on what you cook, and how much. I rarely need to cook for more than 2 adults and 2 kids, so a small pot is plenty.
I also am not sure how I could cook in odd places. I can use my two burner on my tailgate in a parking lot without being to conspicuous and it blocks wind really well. Also works at higher elevations better than an average setup.
How do people pack those skottles? they look huge and finicky to setup.
Also probably depends a lot on what you cook, and how much. I rarely need to cook for more than 2 adults and 2 kids, so a small pot is plenty.
I also am not sure how I could cook in odd places. I can use my two burner on my tailgate in a parking lot without being to conspicuous and it blocks wind really well. Also works at higher elevations better than an average setup.
How do people pack those skottles? they look huge and finicky to setup.
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Influencer I
Pretty fast. Since I travel solo I cook then eat. When finished dining I'll wipe it off, loosen any stuck on food with rock salt and give it a rinse if needed. Normally by the time I've cleaned it up and oiled it I can pack it away. Full disclaimer... I also carry a set of cast iron cookware including a Lodge grill/griddle, a Partner Steel stove and a JetBoil.... just for the record.
Wow! That’s a well organized chuck box! I’m envious!I don't personally find them appealing at all. I prefer my small msi nesting pots and pans that take up very little space and work well on my camp chef mountain series two burner stove. I also have a griddle for it, which lets me cook some things more like a wok. I have two different sized pots, and a pan, some cups, some bowls.
Also probably depends a lot on what you cook, and how much. I rarely need to cook for more than 2 adults and 2 kids, so a small pot is plenty.
I also am not sure how I could cook in odd places. I can use my two burner on my tailgate in a parking lot without being to conspicuous and it blocks wind really well. Also works at higher elevations better than an average setup.
How do people pack those skottles? they look huge and finicky to setup.
I’m going to build a mount for my homemade discada under the lid of my trailer.
Pathfinder III
- 5,200
- First Name
- Kent
- Last Name
- Reynolds
- Member #
-
1632
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- K6KNT
- Service Branch
- Retired Firefighter
What box is this? I like the set upI don't personally find them appealing at all. I prefer my small msi nesting pots and pans that take up very little space and work well on my camp chef mountain series two burner stove. I also have a griddle for it, which lets me cook some things more like a wok. I have two different sized pots, and a pan, some cups, some bowls.
Also probably depends a lot on what you cook, and how much. I rarely need to cook for more than 2 adults and 2 kids, so a small pot is plenty.
I also am not sure how I could cook in odd places. I can use my two burner on my tailgate in a parking lot without being to conspicuous and it blocks wind really well. Also works at higher elevations better than an average setup.
How do people pack those skottles? they look huge and finicky to setup.
I'll try not to sidetrack the thread too much, but my setup does seem somewhat related. The picture ill put below was at the OB midwest meet. I've added some things since then, like my shelf, but in this case it rained on us right before dinner. I wouldn't have really been able to use a skottle very easily here, but I was able to cook on my tailgate under the rear tailgate and the front part of my tent hooked up to it with bungees.
This is a Pelican 1630 case. You can buy the same case as a 1634 which comes with the two layers of padded dividers which I configure for my gear with velcro. You can buy the padded dividers alone as 1635. The 1639 Lid Organizer is also great.
This thing holds a TON of gear. It is heavy. I only ever pull it out as a drawer on my tailgate, I pull the top layer off onto the other side of the tailgate or my front runner table. Then I can just live out of it.
Lid layer: I keep my dish soap, brush, fire starting gear, trash bags, hot hands, all the silverware, spices, stainless steel short wine glasses, and a few other things.
First Layer: GSI pots and pans, 2 1lb propane, right side back is all food or sometimes battery powered fans in how weather. The coleman D-Cell lattern has 4 detachable lights. Small med kit, tent brush, table cloth stuff, bug sprays, chem lights, misc items. Stainless steel gsi plates sit on top of the pots.
Lower Layer: gloves, camp chef stove, camp chef griddle (under stove in bag), cuttong board, more propane, rain gear, bowls, tons of spatulas, tongs, knives, thermometer, matches, etc
Pano, you can see the stove on the tailgate, the top layer of my kitchen case out on the table to the right. The pelican is just a drawer for me.
