By Sara Baird
My son has said since he was little that “everything tastes better when you are camping”. I agree, there is just something about eating your meal outdoors in all kinds of weather that improves the flavor of everything.
As the head chef of our camping expeditions, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges in preparing our meals. I’m an enthusiastic cook and I’ve never shied away from cooking for my family no matter where my current kitchen is located. Even at home, I’ve logged many hours on our camp stove through kitchen remodeling projects. With this in mind, I was excited for the opportunity to try out the Windtamer to see how it would impact my outdoor cooking endeavors.
Contents
What is the Windtamer?
The Windtamer is essentially a tent that encloses your camp stove. It will keep your food dry, block wind, and hold the heat in. It even claims to save cooking fuel. The Windtamer arrived quickly but was missing the warming shelf, so inquired by email and received a friendly response in less than an hour. The shelf was shipped within the week.
The Windtamer is manufactured in California from materials sourced in the United States. As I assembled the Windtamer, my inner seamstress was a little bothered by unclipped threads and some messy but sturdy seams. This definitely has a handmade appearance but it won’t fall apart on you. It is designed to be used with a variety of stoves, grills, and can even withstand a small cooking fire. I found it simple to assemble. It comes in a large bag you can store your camp stove in as well.
How did it work?
I was thrilled to take advantage of a wonderful sunny 50-degree day with a good strong breeze to do my cooking outdoors. I first made a pot of baby potatoes in the dutch oven, they cooked for almost an hour during which the stove stayed lit. The potatoes tasted amazing! The Windtamer creates a convection effect and is advertised to work well for the type of dutch oven cooking you would do with coals.
I next tested that out with some apple crisp. I put the pot on a low flame and cooked it for about 40 minutes. It was just about perfect when I checked it. Of course, I then I bumped the flame control and left it for a few more minutes during which the bottom burned black. That was total user error, it would have been great if I had just pulled it off when I first checked on it.
I decided to cook breakfast, sausage and asparagus with scrambled eggs, outside the next day to try out something that required more active cooking. It was about 30 degrees outside. The Windtamer allowed me to cook this dish quickly and ensured the food was warm when we ate it even though it was 30 degrees out. Anyone who has cooked outdoors on a cold morning knows what it is like when your fresh cooked food is cold right from the pan. This is a great solution to that issue.
The fabric on the Wintamer will not catch on fire and will not melt until it reaches 770 degrees Farinhieght. I tested this out by accident when the connection to our stove came to lose and the Windtamer filled with propane. This led to a big dramatic poof of flame. It was quite the sight to see flames pouring out and definitely gave me a scare but I easily shut off the fuel and fixed the issue. The Wintamer came out with a small amount of discoloration but was otherwise perfectly fine.
Be sure to check your connections carefully before cooking and keep your fuel outside of the Windtamer if you can. I left the Wintamer up on my deck for two weeks through rain, snow, and wind and it held up perfectly. It also protected my camp stove and the cast iron skillet I forgot to bring inside.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Protects your stove flame from wind
- Light and easy to carry
- Provides great organization for your cooking station
- Made in California
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Cons
- Bulky for packing and too big for most wilderness trips
- Looks pretty rustic (could be a pro as well)
- Expensive relative to cooking stoves
- Can not be used over a camper trailer outdoor kitchen stove because of the base
Do I Recommend It?
I have mixed feelings about this product. I think it would be a wonderful addition to an outdoor kitchen. I will use this one when I cook outdoors during our next remodel project. I will definitely bring it camping with us, especially in areas without bear issues where I can leave it set up. I was hoping it could be used over our outdoor kitchen on our 5th wheel but the design does not allow for that.
My holdback is the price, I don’t know that the value of this product would justify a price of over $100 unless I was going to use it frequently. This is probably more than the cost of the stove you will be cooking on. On the other hand, camp kitchens are comparable in price with similar options for organizing your supplies but they do not protect your stove and are likely to be harder to travel with. If you are a frequent camp cook this may be the perfect option for you. I would also recommend keeping an eye on this product at windtamercampstovecompanion.com as they actively ask for feedback and it appears that some different options will be available in the future.
Happy camping!
I am an adventurer at heart, always looking for the next opportunity to learn something new. I spend my winter days working with high school students to explore their interests and develop passions.
I spend my evenings and summers developing new hobbies and being outdoors as much as possible. I enjoy camping, hiking, cross country skiing, and biking.
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
- Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
This sounds like a must for winter cooking. I have never been camping in the winter, but it would be much more bearable if I was able to do some cooking like this.
I really love good honest reviews. I’ll bet the company will like your review, too, because of the accident that actually proved its durability when engulfed in flames, even if it was just for a moment. I seriously would have thought it would have burned up but it barely has a mark!
This looks like a good item to have if you are a regular camper. I wonder if less expensive ones could have withstood the flames that this one did.
I love this! I definitely need to invest in one, to help when we grill!
You had me convinced until I saw the fire part because that would be my luck! With trying to decrease pack weight, I don’t think I’d buy it. I love the idea, but I use my JetBoil religiously and no wind stops that bad boy from heating up in a hot second!
I had never heard of the Windtamer before reading this. I’m like you, I’m not entirely sure the cost is justifiable. But it does sound like it certainly has its uses where it would be perfect too. I don’t go camping often enough these days to want to spend that much money on gear though. Or not on an accessory I could live without, I should say. I will definitely share this with some friends who are more camping enthusiasts than I am.
The Windtamer is such a innovative product and would make the cooking experience easier and smooth. I completely agree with you and your son that anything cooked outdoors during camping always tastes better. Even when we go out for a picnic the food tastes awesome and I tend to overeat.
I really enjoyed your very honest review, felt as if I was on the camp with you, testing this product. Love the outdoors although I’m not into camping, but it does sound like something I’d try out in my backyard when we do small, late evening, outdoors get-togethers (now only me and my immediate family lol)
This is an awesome addition to our camping equipment! My husband would love it.
This sounds really interesting. I know in the past we have definitely faced the struggle of trying to cook in a heavier wind, and it would be a great resource for that. However, I have to agree with you – the price tag combined with the fact that it’s a little bulkier makes me hesitate to pull the trigger. Thank you for sharing!
I have never heard of this before, but looks like a very useful tool for camping for sure xx
Interesting product. I can see how this could be super cool for outdoor cooking. I bet it keeps the number of bugs down as well.
I didn’t even think about bugs, it is not that season yet. I bet it would help.
I am going to see if this is something my husband and son would find useful. They go camping often with scouts.
I thought of my son’s scouts campouts at well for this. I imagine it would be a great product for scout troops.
This looks so practical! Looks like you cook quite gourmet too 🙂
I just love cooking and eating!
What a fantastic idea! It solves so many issues about cooking in the outdoors, but like you said… the price is a bit high. Definitely one of those items you watch for a good sale, though.
This would be so useful, but I’m sad to hear how bulky it is! We do a lot of backpacking so always look for products that are small and lightweight!
I thought this as well. I know they will have a smaller version, perhaps they will make a backpacking version as well.
Wow! Never saw or heard of this before. It looks pretty ingenious and definitely good to use while out in the elements.
Hi, first time visitor to your site here. It is a lovely and inviting place to learn more about camping and I’m so glad I found it. I’ve been hoping to get out and do such trips more often. Hopefully after the lockdown is over.
This Windtamer looks quite useful, especially as it is heat resistant. This would be a big consideration for me as someone who’s set my kitchen towels on fire multiple times already. As a beginner camper, it’s probably not worth it yet for me, but for someone who cooks outside frequently, it would be great.
This seems like a smart helpful camping “tool” to have. I would consider it if I was an avid camper. The closest I have gotten to camping is sleeping in a tent in our backyard.
I never knew that these existed but I love it. Maybe on our next camping trip we will try it out!!
This is so cool. I’m not much of a camper, but if I make it a habit, I’m going to invest in one of these.
Wow I didn’t know about this product . Definitely gonna buy it for when we want to cook up a storm outdoors. Thanks
Although a bit on the expensive side I could see this being a really useful item in the right situation. Plus helping all that heat contained would certainly help the food to cook faster and stay warmer longer. I guess for most it comes down to the benefits of the Windtamer compared relative to your budget. The fact that it doesn’t catch fire would be pretty big for me.
I was certainly relieved that it didn’t catch fire! It is a unique product that could definitely make outdoor cooking a little easier.