Your cooking area should be placed fairly close to the campfire, away from the tentage and ideally close to a clean water supply. Your cooking area includes area for food preparation, serving, utensil storage and food storage. It should be within a shelter (even if you have no mess tents/dining shelters you can construct a simple shelter that at least provides cover from the rain). All food (storage and preparation) should be done off the ground. If you have no tables construct a table/dresser from natural materials (see camp gadgets). Water can be stored on the ground as long as it is in good quality, sealed containers. Your cooking area must be kept clean at all times. There should be several 'bins' for wet and dry refuse. All utensils/pots etc. should be stored off the ground in a clean environment.

If you are cooking under a shelter with gas, the gas bottle itself should be outside the shelter if possible. Common sense dictates that any flame should be away from the sides of the shelter, and any fire should be on a sturdy rest that will not fall, or get knocked over. If cooking within the shelter a water container of some description must be kept nearby for the sole purpose of safety. It is to be kept full, ready to hand, and not used for any other purpose.