Fires

Fire should not be left unattended! 

They should be put out before going to sleep or leaving camp. 

Firestarters

Traditional methods of making fire, such as an iron fire striker and flint, make good display items, but most of the time, we use matches or a lighter. We do not use accelerants, but simple starters such as fatwood or other charcoal firestarters may be used. 

Elevated Fire Pits

Elevated fire pits can be used in most venues. We usually confirm this before we make plans for fire usage. Elevated fire pits can be found at various sources, though it is not always easy to find one that breaks down for easy travel. 

We often use fire bricks and/or fire mats to make sure the ground does not get singed as well. 

Braziers may also be used, especially if it looks similar to historical sources. 

Fuel

Charcoal

If we're only doing a fire for food, we can use charcoal rather than wood. Lump charcoal is recommended as it looks good, but it is not required. 

Wood

Dry wood is the usual fuel. Often we ask everyone to contribute firewood if possible as a means of shared contributions.

Cooking Equipment

Grills

There is evidence of some types of grills used by both the Late Romans and during the Early Medieval era. If grills that are shaped like those historical sources can be found, that is ideal.

Fire Irons and Tripods

Hanging grills and pots from a fire iron is historical, though less common for tents and traveling. Nevertheless, it makes a good display for food and for cooking. 

Pots and Pans

The most common kind of cookware historically is ceramic. Ceramic pots and pans have been found. This makes sense as clay is more abundant than metals. Ceramic cookware can be found at various locations, but can be expensive. We have had some luck finding some generic and affordable stoneware pots at Hmart. Ceramic pots should not be dried on the fire, as themal shock could break them.

Bronze or copper pots and pans are also possible, though perhaps a bit more common in the Roman periods. But be aware that certain foods should not be cooked in it, such as citrus foods. 

Iron cookware is probably the most common for WicSaga and other reenactors to use. Cast iron is the easiest to find and use, though historically wrought iron was more common for cookware than cast iron. However cast iron is much easier and affordable to get today. There are also some pans that are designed to look like wrought iron and are ideal for events.