Cycle touring (camping) with a BBQ - anyone got experience?

[sarniacycle]

I'm thinking about a trip somewhere this summer, probably France or Spain, a week or 10 days. I'm on a budget but love food and happy to do sandwiches etc for lunch but want a hot dinner and can't afford a restaurant all the time. And I love BBQs.

I appreciate the weight will add a bit and charcoal too but even so... wondered if anyone's done it/has a model they can recommend that's light and folds up?

This looks flimsy but light: http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/62022620-summit-foldable-stainless-steel-bbq.html

Anyone tried anything ?

Thanks in advance, Adam.

[simonineaston]

Great Idea, Adam!
Thought about that myself now and then. No way I'd take something like you linked to - too heavy! However, I recall seeing a street-side vendor in Delhi, who cooked pieces of corn cob over the tiniest pieces of charcoal! So thinking along these lines, why not experiment with a super-small DIY barbie, something along the lines of the disposable jobbies from the supermarkets? I have in mind something made from the sort of foil container you get take-aways in, with a mesh top from off of one of the disposables and cut down to fit the smaller tray. You'll have to buy charcoal as you go - and maybe take some sort of extra-stout placcie bag to keep it in (filthy stuff!), but it could be done!!

[b1galus]

not a lot of help but i was walking the west highland way one year and met two guys carrying a cast iron bbq between them . nutters but it did keep the midges away

[bikepacker]

Why not buy a disposable one from somewhere near the end of your day cycling? I have seen them on sale in French supermarkets and that way you don't have to carry it too far.

[Vorpal]

I've bought the disposable ones a few times. They work well. I have to admit that I dislike the waste, but it does simplify doing BBQ on the go.

Edited to add: I had another thought... A friend in the USA swears by a little wood burning stove he carries. Maybe you could use something like that?

I did a little google to see if I could find one like my friend uses, and found http://www.biolitestove.com/products/portable-grill/ instead. Their products look quite good, actually.

http://www.amazon.com/Vargo-Titanium-He ... B0042J2PL2

Looks like what my friend has.

[iandriver]

For the truely compact and low budget, make your own http://www.wired.com/2010/09/altoids-mi ... lideid-194

[rualexander]

The Honey Stove and the optional Hive extension kit is a very versatile piece of equipment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjnUEbXv4c
Can be used as a stove, burning solid fuel (wood, etc.), or can be used with Trangia burners, fuel tablets, bbq charcoal. Also makes a great self contained mini campfire and good for keeping midgies at bay.
I'm just back from a trip in the west highlands and Hebrides and used mine with the Hive extension regularly as a campfire including burning wood, coal and peat!
I haven't barbecued on it but have cooked wood fired bacon no problem (photo is basic Honey stove without Hive extension).

[whoof]

I've carried the metal grid piece from the top of a disposable BBQ with me which I have used over the embers of a fire. At many campsites in France there are BBQ pits and people often leave a bit of spare charcoal behind for others to use. I have also used pine cone instead of charcoal and they work quite well.

[sarniacycle]

Hi everyone, thanks for all your responses. They've been really helpful and definitely got me thinking....

I love that Honey Stove, great design.

simonineaston, rualexander, vorpal, whoof and iandriver yes agree to all of that and today I saw a cake tin in a charity shop for £3 so am going to give a home-made version a go first.

cake tin bbq.JPG (29.6 KiB) Viewed 2846 times

With some bolts screwed through the sidewall to keep the bottom raised an inch off the floor, some airholes below that level and in the bottom itself and a bit of the grill from a disposable bbq cut to size on the top I reckon it should be just the job! Alright it won't fold flat but at less than 200 grams I think it's a justifiable inclusion in the pannier even if I only use it once.... I'm already looking at it and thinking what could go top, un petit poisson, saucisson....mmmm!

[Ish]

I use the Grilliput Portable Camping Grill with optional charcoal basket called a firebowl and it's ace. The BBQ on its own is phenomenally portable.