Improvising a stable pot support

Three points always define a plane. That is why a pot sits steadily on three supports even if they are not quite the same height – at most it leans a little. With four or more supports, they must all match exactly, otherwise the pot rests on only three and rocks over the fourth.

The second point is the centre of gravity. A pot tips when, as it is knocked, its centre of gravity moves beyond the edge of the support. The lower the centre of gravity and the further apart the supports, the harder you have to knock it before that happens. A full pot high up on wobbly branches is therefore far more dangerous than the same pot low down on wide stones.

The supports should also be arranged so that the fire or burner underneath gets enough air. So leave a gap between the stones through which air can flow in – usually on the side the wind is coming from.

Choose a level, mineral surface – rock, gravel or bare soil – and clear leaves, dry grass and twigs from around it. Have extinguishing water ready before you start. Then set three dry, flat stones of about the same height in a triangle, so the pot rests securely on all three.

Always do the tip test: put the empty pot on and tap it from the side. If it wobbles, adjust the stones now – with an empty, cold pot that is easy. Only when it stands firm does water go in. Fill the pot only half to two thirds so nothing slops over while it boils.

While cooking, turn the handles outward, away from the flame and away from where people walk past. Hold the pot steady with a pot grip or glove while stirring and never lift it off with a bare hand – metal handles get very hot over a fire.

Besides stones, anything made of metal that will not burn is suitable: a grill grate, two or three metal rods or metal pegs laid across two rows of stones, or the frame of a stove. Wooden sticks are not a good idea – even green, fresh wood dries out over the fire and eventually burns through, and then the pot falls.

A large, empty metal tin can also serve as a pot support over a small burner if it has air holes at the bottom and top. You must deburr the cut edges – that is, smooth them – so you do not cut yourself. Many tins have a coating or paint inside or outside; let it burn off outdoors beforehand and keep away from the smoke while it does.

A support is also worthwhile for a stove on uneven ground: a flat stone slab or a board under the stove makes sure it stands level. A stove standing at a slant with a pot on top tips far more easily.

Wet stones and stones from streams, rivers or lakes do not belong in the fire or right next to it. Water in cracks and pores can turn to steam when heated and make the stone shatter, which can send fragments flying. How often this happens is not reliably known – but the risk is easy to avoid by taking dry stones from above the shoreline.

Scalds are the most common danger at a cooking spot. Keep children back, never leave the pot unattended and work without rushing. If something does happen: cool the affected skin with cool, not ice-cold water, and for larger areas or if a child is affected, call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

Outdoor fires are restricted or banned in many places, especially in dry weather and when there is a wildfire risk. Check local rules beforehand. A cooking spot like this has no place on balconies with flammable flooring or indoors. After cooking, put the fire out completely until no embers are warm any more.

During a power cut, a safe cooking spot in the garden can help you heat water or make a warm meal – with a stove designed for outdoor use, or at a permitted fire place. The same rules apply as on a trip: a level, non-flammable spot, the tip test, extinguishing water, children kept back.

On trips it is often the ground that causes problems: roots, sloping meadows or scree. Here a few minutes spent on the support can save a lot of trouble. Feel free to practise this at home first with an empty pot and a few stones.

Survival and mountaineering handbooks have long described cooking spots and fire rings. The idea behind them is always the same: a stable pot is the simplest protection against scalds – simpler than any treatment afterwards.