Backpacker cookware for 2

[Warzinak]

Hey guys, im having a hard time deciding what to buy for our backpacking trips. We havent had much backpacking experience because we always had some1 with a car to bring us gear while camping. We are planning on backpacking/camping around england for a bit and still havent decided on cookware/cups/cutlery etc....

We had a look in Go outdoors today and did not really like what we saw, or it was really expensive.

We will probably want some sort of kettle/pot for tea/coffee and a frying pan for eggs/bacon if we are lucky to get some.
I did see the Vango Powerex kettle recommended here once and its really cheap now at cotsworld at £12.....but that limits us to only boiling water and maybe using it for cooking now and then.

Or the Primus Eta power pot 1l which serves as a pot and a frying pan but its quite expensive.

Not sure what else to look for really as far as kettles/pots/pans go and we dont want to spend a lot.
Also not sure what types of cups would be good but does anyone know of a 2cup set that nest into each other that might fit the kettle/pan i decide to get? or just any cups in general that might be a good choice for us.

I will probably go for some plastic sporks because the titanium cutlery is so expensive and others seem like they would be quite heavy....

I would like peoples input please because we are not that experienced and dont really know what we are looking for..
Hope you can help.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Try this, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-5-Pi...id=1372833697&sr=8-1&keywords=camping+cookset
Or this, http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSR-Quick-2...d=1372833956&sr=1-15&keywords=camping+cookset

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Are you looking for a complete setup including stove/burner or just the pots/pans?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=p...hl=en&client=safari#biv=i|2;d|bgcmpxrN_RWueM:

http://www.amazon.com/Guyot-Designs-Microbite-Set-Slate/dp/B001O47J9G

 

[StuMsg]

If your going with plastic sporks make sure you get good ones! some are made of plastic that is too brittle and breaks easily - I found out whist stirring pasta, used a stick afterwards. Steel sporks aren't that heavy, I got a couple of cheap titanium ones off alpkit.com

 

[Mesquite]

Large folding cup is ideal size. you can make a decent cuppa in one and it's a lot firmer than the smaller version.

Kettles, don't bother with if you're backpacking as they take up space and weight. Your pot can boil water just as easily. The Litech range that Johnnyboy linked to is a good range.

Plastic sporks... don't bother with them either as they break easily, just take a metal spoon instead.

 

[Humpback]

Mesquite, do you get a plastic taste off the folding cup? I do. But it does pack down quite small. Any cleaning tips for out and about and indeed at home which prevent the 'taste' ?


Alan

 

[Mesquite]

Mesquite, do you get a plastic taste off the folding cup? I do. But it does pack down quite small. Any cleaning tips for out and about and indeed at home which prevent the 'taste' ?

I noticed it at first because it was brand new but as it was used more the taste disappeared.

As for cleaning out in the wilds I would just rinse it out and let it dry naturally

 

[BearInTheWoods]

I manage everything with an MSR .85L Titanium pot. Prefer saved weight to the ability to produce a wider variety of meals. Good quality stuff though, and they do a two-pot cookset for about £100.

 

[mousey]

I had a trainga set, didn't take all of it, just 1 pot, 1 lid/ pan, the windsheild/ stand bit and the burner. Did me for a couple of weeks.

If I was to get out again I'd think about some sort of fire box/ cooking straight on an open fire and taking a meths burner [for when open fires are a no no] and light weight wind shield. 1 pot & lid per person.

I only took a spoon which was a little tricky but did the job. I wasn't cooking anything exciting - just rice or pasta with veg in a sauce - with an occasional meal in a pub

With regard to a cup awhile ago my local asda had a sale with those metal cups with a carabiner bolted to it. The carabiner fell off [rather I took it off before it got knocked off] filled the bolt holes with some metal glue, and have been using that for a while. Most impressive thing is the double wall so I can hold it with boiling water in without it scalding my hands, so get a double walled one.

 

[rg598]

It really depends on what your expectations are when it comes to cooking while backpacking. If you ask me, all you need for two people is one 2L pot (a smaller one will do, but I find that stuff always boils over) and two cups. Who makes them, or exactly what they are doesn't matter. A frying pan is good in theory, but in reality ends up being dead weight about 95% of the time unless you are really dedicated to bringing stuff you can fry. If you really had to, you can easily fry something up on the bottom of a 2L pot.

I personally use an Open Country 2qt aluminum pot: http://www.opencountrycampware.com/...ENT/Pots-and-Kettles/2-Quart-Aluminum-Kettle/ and a titanium cup: http://www.backcountry.com/stoic-ti-kettle-700ml

If I know someone will be coming with me, I ask them to bring a second cup, or a small plastic plate. The only utensils I use is a spoon.

 

[rik_uk3]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Billy-Can-N...&qid=1372858420&sr=1-1&keywords=billy+can+set can't go wrong.

 

[Warzinak]

Thanks for the replies! The Primus Litech does look like a great option but would it be worth the extra weight to get the Primus Eta Power pot which is the same thing but with a Heat exchange on the pot?
Another thing is im not sure the Litech or the Eta Power is big enough for the two of us....
So i found the Optimus Terra Lite which is bigger but im worried how i would nest cups/plates/bowls in it.
http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co...8/pots-and-pans-c9/terra-lite-he-cookset-p412
Seems perfefct but will pack big

The Gelert 5 peice looks good too but i would not use most of the set and all the MSR/GSI sets are so expensive. Same goes for anything titanium

 

[PDA1]

Rick's choice looks, as expected, v good. However, check this:
http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Pr343320000/Pr343320000

even cheaper and includes a meths burner. I have this set and am v pleased, but I suggest don't fry in any untreated aluminium fry pan, as the food will stick really badly, If you must fry, get a cheap, non-stick cake pan to use as a fry pan.

just remember that for backpacking, you have to carry every gram, all the time. So weight is even more important. The Assaklit set weighs just over half a kilo, and I think it is too heavy for serious hill work. A decent fry pan will probably weigh over half a kilo, which is why I suggest the cake pan option.

 

[Andy T]

I'd recommend a meta 50, a couple of large folding cups and you're good to go.

 

[pauljm116]

I was eyeing up one of these http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fire...e-Set-Outdoor-Cookware-For-3-4/843575793.html but ended up just get a pot as I already have a trangia set, titan kettle and myti pot.

 

[Teepee]

Classic backpacking food is de-hydrated and boil in the bag, just add hot water. A 2l pot is the right size for 2 people and a good non-stick pan means that you can fry in it too with an easy clean up afterwards.

To echo what others have said, a frying pan is redundant most of the time.

Personally, I prefer to cook than add hot water to a bag and a 2l non-stick pot will allow you to cook in it and clean it out easily to boil water in it afterwards. Pasta, rice, cous-cous meals with Chorizo or similar is a popular, easy and lightweight way of cooking tasty meals outdoors. Adding water to boil in the bag meals though is by far the lightest and easiest way of eating hot food as it means the pot will never have to be cleaned outdoors.

Pots with heat exchangers make sense, they reduce the amount of fuel needed to cook in them as they are much more efficient. I'd suggest one of the Primus Etapower pots for cooking in. Pricey but very good quality and the non-stick coating will last.

Just add 2 lightweight cups for drinking out of and a cheapo plastic spoons from the supermarket and you are good to go with one pot and 2 cups. Sporks suck, the cheap plastic cooking spoons however last well and cost pennies.

Hope this helps

 

[rik_uk3]

Classic backpacking food is de-hydrated and boil in the bag, just add hot water. A 2l pot is the right size for 2 people and a good non-stick pan means that you can fry in it too with an easy clean up afterwards.

To echo what others have said, a frying pan is redundant most of the time.

Personally, I prefer to cook than add hot water to a bag and a 2l non-stick pot will allow you to cook in it and clean it out easily to boil water in it afterwards. Pasta, rice, cous-cous meals with Chorizo or similar is a popular, easy and lightweight way of cooking tasty meals outdoors. Adding water to boil in the bag meals though is by far the lightest and easiest way of eating hot food as it means the pot will never have to be cleaned outdoors.

Pots with heat exchangers make sense, they reduce the amount of fuel needed to cook in them as they are much more efficient. I'd suggest one of the Primus Etapower pots for cooking in. Pricey but very good quality and the non-stick coating will last.

Just add 2 lightweight cups for drinking out of and a cheapo plastic spoons from the supermarket and you are good to go with one pot and 2 cups. Sporks suck, the cheap plastic cooking spoons however last well and cost pennies.

Hope this helps

Classic back packing food is corned beef and smash, thats the type of stuff we back packed 45 years ago lol.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220884630819?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 are very good but you need a stove then. The Clas Ohlson stove is very good, I've receommended it here a few times.

My opinions on stoves change because I have a few but my choice today for a new person would be the billy can set I linked to and http://www.wilko.com/camping/wilko-stove-compact/invt/0299806?VBMST=camping stove The little gas stove will easily fit in the small pot and remember you don't need to take all the pots with you (they are 2, 4, and 6 pint), you can use them easily on an open fire or just as easily on the little gas stove which throws out a lot of heat and simmers well. Complete cook system for @ £25.

 

[ADz-1983]

Get a non-stick trangia set, nuff said

There are cheaper alternative clones but they are nowhere near the quality.

 

[Teepee]

Get a non-stick trangia set, nuff said

There are cheaper alternative clones but they are nowhere near the quality.

TBH, mine haven't been great. The coating is very thin on mine. I had to send the first set back when the coating fell off on the first boil.

 

[ADz-1983]

TBH, mine haven't been great. The coating is very thin on mine. I had to send the first set back when the coating fell off on the first boil.

Where did you buy them from, Are you sure it was genuine as I the set I had was indestructible. Where you trying to stir it with a metal fork/spoon etc or something?