When cooking over a campfire, you’ll need a way to hang your pot above the flames. If you haven’t brought any cooking gear—like a metal grill or pot stand—you’ll have to improvise with what nature provides.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with several methods, many of them inspired by the techniques described by Mors Kochanski in his classic book Bushcraft. Below are some of the solutions I found most effective.

Platform

The quickest way to support your pot over the flames is by rearranging the firewood to form a stable platform. It’s simple and requires no extra materials. However, you’ll need to keep an eye on it — as the wood burns down, the platform can quickly become unstable.

Simple stick

Another quick option is to prop up a stick and hang your pot from it. The stick needs to be supported and anchored by something sturdy, such as a pair of logs. Keep in mind that the stick will eventually burn through, so you’ll need to finish cooking before that happens.

Tripod

My favorite method is the tripod. If you know how to make a withy —a flexible branch used for binding—or if you have some rope, it’s quick and easy to build. The tripod is versatile: you can adjust the cooking height simply by spreading or closing its legs.

Here are two short videos showing how to make a tripod using a withy or a rope.

Burtonsville rig

The elegant Burtonsville rig doesn’t require any binding material. It does take a bit more time to prepare, since you’ll need to cut and shape the wooden components, but the result is a nice adjustable cooking system.

Here’s a short video of me making one.

High bar with forks

highbarsuspensionforks1 — High bar suspension with forks

highbarsuspensionforks2 — Pothanger made from a withy

Another method that requires no binding material is a high bar supported by two forked sticks. Several types of pot hangers can be used on the bar.

Australian cooking crane

When cooking for a larger group in a fixed camp, it’s worth investing more time and effort to build a more robust system, such as the Australian cooking crane. It can support multiple pots by adding extra crane arms.

High bar with tripods

highbarsuspensiontripods — High bar suspended by tripods

My favorite method for cooking for a large group in a fixed camp is a high bar suspended over a long log fire and supported by tripods. It takes some time to build, but the result is a sturdy and versatile system. An added advantage is that it also works well on frozen ground, since no sticks need to be pushed into the soil. You can hang your cooking sticks from the high bar using loops of metal wire or rope.

Here’s a short video showing how to make the cooking sticks cuts.

Below is a summary of all the pot suspension methods I’ve tested over the years, including the approximate construction time for a single, experienced builder, along with their main advantages and disadvantages.

Summary

Pot suspension method	Build time	Advantages	Disadvantages
Platform	5 min.	Very quick No materials needed Works with pots without a bail (if you have a pot lifter)	Can be unstable as wood burns Not height-adjustable Ash can easily get into pot if it has no lid
Simple stick	10 min.	Quick and simple Requires few materials	Stick burns through quickly Limited height adjustment
Tripod	20 min.	Relatively quick to construct Works on frozen ground (nothing goes into the soil) Easy to move	Requires rope or knowledge of how to make a withy (a flexible branch for binding)
Burtonsville rig	30 min.	No binding material needed	Requires several precise cuts
High bar with forks	30 min.	Can support multiple pots by adding pothangers No binding material needed	Forks must be firmly anchored in the ground Limited height adjustment
Australian cooking crane	90 min.	Stable setup for group cooking in a fixed camp Multiple pots can be supported by adding cranes	Requires quite some time and materials to build
High bar with tripods	180 min.	Stable setup for group cooking in a fixed camp Can support multiple pots over a long log fire by adding cooking sticks Works on frozen ground Easy to move	Time- and material-intensive to build

2 thoughts on “How to suspend your pot over a campfire”

Tim says:
January 3, 2016 at 21:23
Nice article. I often use the simple stick method. But I push the back end in the ground en use a movable support log. Moving the support log will in or decrease the pot’s height.
Michael says:
January 24, 2017 at 18:13
I use the platform method and I carry usually in my kayak just a pot with no lid. Pot gets pretty black but ash inside is no problem if you take account of the wind. I always carry the lightest possible equipment otherwise I get wet in the kayak on windy days or in rapids.

How to suspend your pot over a campfire