GerryS wrote:How does standard charcoal and wood burn at that elevation?
It is only 15 miles for me to leave my driveway and get to 10,000'+. During the summer it is a relief to get away from the heat by going up there. My experience is that charcoal and wood burn quite well at high elevations. There is a difference, but I don't notice it as much with them as with the liquid or gaseous fuels. I do use propane and coleman fuel at elevation, but they all seem to struggle compared to sea level. My alcohol stove is a joke anywhere above 8000' (it just isn't up to it at all). Essentially, anything that draws air from the environment will need adjustment to get enough oxygen to burn efficiently (just like cars and people) and don't work as well. I run my camp chef cooker at 3500' with the air mixture adjustment about 1/2 open to get the advertised 60k Btu, at 10,000' I wish I could open it more and I don't think I'm getting 45k Btu out of it. It just can't draw in enough air fast enough to burn well. Similar experience with lanterns and coleman stoves.
Cooking at high elevation can be a challenge. Remember that the boiling point of water changes from 212°F at sea level and is only 194°F at 10,000'. Because the boiling point is lower, the cooking times go up. Cooking pasta, which might only take 6-7 minutes at a boil at sea level, might take 15 minutes or more at elevation. Not only are you struggling to get up to temperature, but you have to hold it there longer. Things which need to reach a specific temperature to be safe (meats) must be cooked a little longer at elevation (use a thermometer.) Frying seems to work about the same as at lower elevation, but when frying, the temperatures are generally way above boiling. Baking is really tough and often involves altering the recipe to get the best performance (notice the high elevation baking instructions on cake mixes and the like.) If I'm pressed for time at all at elevation, I actually pull out the pressure cooker and cook that way. If you have adequate Btu's to get it up to temperature, it doesn't change much from lower elevations time wise. A dutch oven with a well fitting lid can become a makeshift pressure cooker by placing a heavy item on the lid ... don't laugh, it works.