I love toast. If I’m at home my breakfast inevitably involves a slice or two.

I have a big job/grill that does an OK job when car camping

But is there an ultralight, bikepacking-friendly way to make toast?

I used to have a toast "rack" that sat on top of my Optimus (possibly a Primus) stove. Think along the lines of a truncated pyramid and you are in the right ball park. I can't remember now if it was collapsable or not, would make sense if it was.

You do need a decent amount of heat so I doubt an alcohol stove would do.

Great question. I too love toast, especially with tomatoes, olive oil and a bit of S&P.

You want a fire with coals on something like a Honey Stove with the grill it comes with.

My next bivvy breakfast will include this. Pics will prove it.

I’ve used one of those pyramid things over a gas burner in the distant past and remember it being pretty crap.

I do have a wood stove from Joe’s shop. Might try and bicycle something up with that. Should I try charcoal?

And I’ve just got a roll of fine steel mesh for rat-proofing the compost heap that might come in handy …

Rat on toast?

(Look forward to seeing your pics Tim)

GSI do a foldable toaster thats works on a gas stove and is about 180gs

A bit of stainless welding rod fashioned into a toasting fork?

Easily adapted for spit roasting your rat as well!

How about planning overnight stops to be within easy riding distance of a cafe.

When I was traveling in my camper I had the same problem, sometimes you just want a nice slice of toast, marmite and a brew. I made a toaster from some wire mesh, a priamid which I filled with scrunched up wire. The wire inside would heat up and glow red on the gas, worked a treat. I reckon on of those mats you put under a bunsen burner might work. You just need something to diffuse the heat/flame otherwise you just get scorched bread which just isn't the same thing.

Ooh a review of toasters
https://campfiremag.co.uk/best-camping-toasters/

Thinking about it a little deeper, I think a MSR REACTOR stove might be ideal for toasting duties, it's already got a diffused flame which glows red, pretty much bang on for toast duties and only around £150 with a pot, you'll also have to budget for a night in an hotel so you can trouser some little pots of jam or marmite.

Looking at Steve's review list, I can say that the ridge monkey is great, not just for toast but cooking all sorts on a gas ring. Not the lightest but the versatility is where it wins.
There's lots of "recipes" on the Tube to see what you can do with them.
Bought the smaller version just before we went on a family trip in the camper and bought the XL when we came back as the regular was too small for a family of 4 (inc 2 teenagers).

When we were speccing our campervan, a grill was deliberately included for the purpose of morning toast.

Can't you make it before you go and just eat it cold? A slice of bread weighs the same and takes up as much space as a slice of toast so there's no weight/packing advantage to cooking it in the morning

Bread will actually be lighter when toasted.

But far less stuffable.

Can you make a reasonable approximation by crisping up each side on a flat pan? Appreciate a frying pan might not be something you normally carry, and is a bit unwieldy, but might be easier to improvise something flat rather than something to hold your bread in an open flame. You just need a flat piece of stainless/aluminium/titanium - maybe an old mess tin cut down. You could pack it with the bread, which would keep it flat for more even toasting

If you're taking a frying pan, then you may as well make fried bread, and get some extra calories in.

Here’s the result of my home experiment with a wood stove, some mesh and the remnants of a coat hanger.




‘Toaster’ - 48g
Toast - delicious

Boab wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:35 pm If you're taking a frying pan, then you may as well make fried bread, and get some extra calories in.

This crossed my mind too. I love a slice of fried bread with breakfast. But it might be a bit weird with jam or similar on it if that's what the OP is intending.

Charliecres wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:52 pm Here’s the result of my home experiment with a wood stove, some mesh and the remnants of a coat hanger.




‘Toaster’ - 48g
Toast - delicious

How have you managed to burn that but still not made it hot enough to melt the butter?

You can't do meaningful toast over flames. We've all (maybe) got memories of trying to toast bread with a fork over a camp fire and basically the surface just goes black and it tastes all sooty and blurgh. Nah.

As BDS opined above, the heat needs to be diffused in some way and there were subsequently some good suggestions about sorting this over a gas stove.

But if you're using a wood stove, you have to take the flames out of the equation and let the embers do their work.

Get the fire on and try to use better wood that I collected during my lunch time walk with the dog.


Let the flames die down.


Bread on. Use good bread. It's better.


Let it cook. I like my toast well done but you gotta be careful as the coals are very hot and it'll crisp into dust if you leave it too long. I just got this in time.


Enjoy. Obviously with tomatoes grown in your garden, organic olive oil and sea salt from Wales (which is the best in the world)

That’s some quality toastage, I’m surprised you don’t pack a dualit and genny though

That’s top toasting, TBD. I will learn from the master.

However, I have to say my results from holding next to, rather than over, wood flames, were good enough to eat and not noticeably smoky.

Your method should slim the toaster down to about 20g, too, and make it more packable.

I’ve got one of these, works quite well over a gas stove. The mesh heats up, starts glowing and gives your bread a even toast.

Question is, how to pack your best sliced and not get is squashed?

Summit Folding Toaster Stainless Steel Ideal For Camping, Fishing, Travelling & Outdoor Use https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VFWZVN8/ ... UTF8&psc=1

pushirons wrote: ↑Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:21 am I’ve got one of these, works quite well over a gas stove. The mesh heats up, starts glowing and gives your bread a even toast.

Question is, how to pack your best sliced and not get is squashed?

Summit Folding Toaster Stainless Steel Ideal For Camping, Fishing, Travelling & Outdoor Use https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VFWZVN8/ ... UTF8&psc=1

That's the same design as the GSI one I mentioned earlier but slightly cheaper