Hi I'm new to bushcraft and Iv been going with friends and using there kits now I would like to do a few solo trips just the odd night etc so I'm after a good cook set just a pot fry pan and kettle set any recommendations apretiated
Advice needed; Cooking pot set for newbie?
- Thread starter Garymitchell
- Start date
hello,Mr Mitchel I personally think it's difficult to "recommend specific Kit" As Kit tends to be tailored to the needs & requirements of the individual, it's what ever works best for you, buying kit can also be a costly business, so that will also be a contributory factor, you say you have been using your friends kit, so you already have a rough idea of what you want (a pot fry pan and kettle set) start with the type of cooking you want to be doing & go from there, get kit that is aesthetically pleasing to yourself & suits your own personal needs (basic at first) your Kit will inevitably evolve over time & morph into something specific to your own needs & requirements..... what ever you start out with will quite possibly be totally different to what you end up with it's the nature of the beast & all part of the fun... welcome to the forum, looking forward to your input...
Small trangia set? If it turns out that you don't like cooking with meths there's a conversion kit to turn it in to a gas stove...
Hi there,
I have changed the title of your thread so folk know that you are looking for advice, not just saying "hello". There is actually a sub-forum here for new folk to make a first post and tell us a bit about themselves...and get made welcome.
Alan said it well, recommendations are hard, especially when someone is new to camping and doesn't yet know what they really need the gear to do for them. Its almost certain that whatever you get, you will want to change and adapt it.
I would steer clear of stainless steel, with the exception of Zebra billies if you want to cook on a camp fire. Zebra make good stuff for that, but they don't work so well on stoves. Aluminium spreads heat better and is lighter. Titanium is light and strong (not so good for heat conduction) but is expensive. Trangia, Optimus, MSR, GSI, Primus, Vango, they all make cook sets and pots that could work for you. For my own use I have found the tiny lid/fry pan arrangement unsatisfactory. They only start getting to a useful size when the pot is getting on for 1.4litres. Their function as a lid to speed up boiling is more important than their use for frying.
Never needed or wanted a kettle, although my mum won't be parted from her Optimus, since she likes it for her morning coffee.
I have changed the title of your thread so folk know that you are looking for advice, not just saying "hello". There is actually a sub-forum here for new folk to make a first post and tell us a bit about themselves...and get made welcome.
Alan said it well, recommendations are hard, especially when someone is new to camping and doesn't yet know what they really need the gear to do for them. Its almost certain that whatever you get, you will want to change and adapt it.
I would steer clear of stainless steel, with the exception of Zebra billies if you want to cook on a camp fire. Zebra make good stuff for that, but they don't work so well on stoves. Aluminium spreads heat better and is lighter. Titanium is light and strong (not so good for heat conduction) but is expensive. Trangia, Optimus, MSR, GSI, Primus, Vango, they all make cook sets and pots that could work for you. For my own use I have found the tiny lid/fry pan arrangement unsatisfactory. They only start getting to a useful size when the pot is getting on for 1.4litres. Their function as a lid to speed up boiling is more important than their use for frying.
Never needed or wanted a kettle, although my mum won't be parted from her Optimus, since she likes it for her morning coffee.
You can always add a kettle if you need to to, but Alpkit's set (actually made by Fire Maple) looks like good value https://www.alpkit.com/products/alipots for £25. Vango often uses Fire Maple ones as well, http://shop.scouts.org.uk/p-14992-vango-hard-anodised-adventure-cook-set-2016.aspx, and £18 is a decent price.
Sticking with Alpkit, there's the HAAP cookset, fry-pan, pot and kettle for £25 https://www.alpkit.com/products/haap
You won't go wrong with a Trangia 27 cook set. Good versatile stoves which have stood the test of time. This was the first stove i bought, but i changed out the 3 aluminium pots for Duossal ones, as not keen cooking on bare aluminium and for ease of cleaning, also bought a clone trangia gas burner to use with it.
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I started out with a three piece nesting aluminium pot set, but only took the two smaller ones with me. The lids doubled as frying pans. I'd recommend starting out cheap and generic so you can work out what sort of stuff suits you and what sort of cooking you want to do.
I have since got really into packing out ingredients and doing proper cooking on trips so I have upgraded to a shallow stainless steel pot (MSR mountain stowaway) and a titanium frying pan, as I much prefer cooking with these materials. My Canteen is also stainless so I can use that as a kettle in the fire, or use the nesting mug it comes with, though for winter trips i'll still probably take an aluminium pot just for water boiling on the stove.
But thats all very personalised kit that I have slowly built up based on experience from previous trips, and having a good idea of what i'm using it for.
Basically, get cheap simple kit, get out there and do some trips and see what you use and how you use it and go from there!
I have since got really into packing out ingredients and doing proper cooking on trips so I have upgraded to a shallow stainless steel pot (MSR mountain stowaway) and a titanium frying pan, as I much prefer cooking with these materials. My Canteen is also stainless so I can use that as a kettle in the fire, or use the nesting mug it comes with, though for winter trips i'll still probably take an aluminium pot just for water boiling on the stove.
But thats all very personalised kit that I have slowly built up based on experience from previous trips, and having a good idea of what i'm using it for.
Basically, get cheap simple kit, get out there and do some trips and see what you use and how you use it and go from there!
If you are new to bushcraft - can I suggest you avoid the 'kit centric' black-hole that most of us (me included) have fallen into over the years
Bushcraft can be about self reliance, improvisation and escaping the confines of the modern world
Try
1. Large baked bean tin with wire handle for boiling water
2. Bottom of large baked bean tin with a 1 '' rim for frying
or any number of improvised solutions - look around in the garage for all the accumulated rubbish (that we all seem to have) - look at it with a view to how it might be re-used
When your mates pull out their latest shiny gadget - take pleasure in pulling out your home made equivalent
Save your money for trips
just a thought ...
Bushcraft can be about self reliance, improvisation and escaping the confines of the modern world
Try
1. Large baked bean tin with wire handle for boiling water
2. Bottom of large baked bean tin with a 1 '' rim for frying
or any number of improvised solutions - look around in the garage for all the accumulated rubbish (that we all seem to have) - look at it with a view to how it might be re-used
When your mates pull out their latest shiny gadget - take pleasure in pulling out your home made equivalent
Save your money for trips
just a thought ...
I have a trangia 27 but haven't been able to find reasonably priced duossal pans to use with it...am very reluctant to use naked aluminium due to suggested potential health risks.
In my kit I tend to use a stainless zebra billy, which serves all my needs and is a good space for a fire kit or a days food. If I don't have to worry too much about weight I'll add in an outwell kettleto keep a brew on the go whilst pottering around.
Cheers j
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
In my kit I tend to use a stainless zebra billy, which serves all my needs and is a good space for a fire kit or a days food. If I don't have to worry too much about weight I'll add in an outwell kettleto keep a brew on the go whilst pottering around.
Cheers j
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would recommend the tatonka 1.6l kettle as the main pot. Good for putting over a stove and hanging over a fire. A metal mug for boiling just a bit of water for a brew etc.. and then a pan for frying.
For the mug i use either a tatonka folding handle, which works with a nalgene, or a us issue mug which works with my canteen.
I have an msr frying pan with a removable handle which i find very good, it has an aluminium base to spread the heat. For a proper camp i have a mid size de buyer crepe pan, very good if a bit heavy.
Try a few out, no doubt you'll find what works best after a few attempts.
Tonyuk
For the mug i use either a tatonka folding handle, which works with a nalgene, or a us issue mug which works with my canteen.
I have an msr frying pan with a removable handle which i find very good, it has an aluminium base to spread the heat. For a proper camp i have a mid size de buyer crepe pan, very good if a bit heavy.
Try a few out, no doubt you'll find what works best after a few attempts.
Tonyuk
I got a set of these for cooking in a few years ago and have been pretty good, I use the small one the most [it fits into a PLCE waterbottle pouch with a cheap Chinese wood-gas stove] and the large one occasionally [fits into a PLCE side pouch] I generally use the large one as a container for fragile foods to stop it getting bashed around in the bag. The medium one I actually tend to use at home on the hob.
withstood cooking directly on a fire [albeit it's a bit messy on the outside of the pot]
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See here for more info...
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72332
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http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/mil-com_...wUwFUTkb69L5BuFCSPoHbnemY-_Vsjjnr1BoC2T3w_wcB
[no affiliation to the seller of theses pots - just the first Link I came across, I got mine on ebay or amazon can't remember.]
withstood cooking directly on a fire [albeit it's a bit messy on the outside of the pot]
edit//////////////
See here for more info...
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72332
//////////////////
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/mil-com_...wUwFUTkb69L5BuFCSPoHbnemY-_Vsjjnr1BoC2T3w_wcB
[no affiliation to the seller of theses pots - just the first Link I came across, I got mine on ebay or amazon can't remember.]
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I got mine from here : https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/search.php?txtSearch1=Trangia+Duossal+Frying+Pan+27+Series&srcType=SP&flagSearch=Y
I ordered the two pans last year when someone put a link on here. I emailed the shop, they only had a few left in stock.
I ordered the fry pan last week from there, which was still in stock. I got a bit o.c.d to finish the set off.
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