cook set suggestions

[wandering1]

at the moment im on the lookout for a good quality Stainless Steel cookset ( i tend to do a lot of hiking ( lake district fells, highlands etc )
i have a high gear 4 cookset (anodised ally) which is pretty light and ok with a small stove (but ive noticed it tends to burn a little in the centre

but when im doing bushy stuff i cant really use it on an open fire without wrecking it
however im restricted weight-wise (i aint got no motor.. so a whackin great cast iron griddle is not goin to fit in my pack

so any suggestions for a light weight stainless steel cookset that wont melt if i use it on a open fire ( obviously im not fussed if i have to modify it and add handles/chains etc

 

[HillBill]

SS swedish army trangia...... dave canterbury SS canteen thing?

 

[tom.moran]

i use ali mess tins on open fires all the time, never melted one or even come close

 

[Squidders]

Are we talking about a single pot or set with a frying pan etc?

Stainless is a very good choice for longevity but if you're cooking hot enough to notice a hot spot on your existing pots, your food will stick to stainless. I would go for something non-stick from Primus or MSR for the best quality.

 

[petrochemicals]

If you get a thickish aluminium pan, thicker than a trangia set, and your careful with it, you can use it on a fire, just don't expect to do dutch oven and things that require a very hot pan buried in the fire for hours on end.

If you want lightweight go for the obvious, titanium, see the offerings at backpacking uk

 

[peaks]

Crusader mess tins?? http://www.woodland-ways.co.uk/buy-online-bcb-crusader-mess-tin-331.html

 

[ozzy1977]

My coleman peak 1 set is still going strong after 20 years of use, and is quite small and light. But if you are getting hot spot in middle of the pan try turning the heat down.

 

[Haggis]

I've become a great fan of the two piece cooking kit; the heavy Swedish Mess Kit and the light Trangia Mini 28-t type kits. Just now my multi day pack carries a 1.8L Mors Bush Pot and a 8" nonstick cake pan; one pot for boiling water, and one pot for actual cooking. A Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set nested in a GSI cup/pot works very well too. Both are stainless steel and very cheap. Some folk seem to be content with a single cook set for all occasions, some folk (me) need a warehouse full of choices then change kits with every outing, and with the seasons of the year. It is very difficult to tell someone else what they might need, or be pleased with, but one can make suggestions. As for me, as mentioned, I'm pleased with a two piece cook set. Aluminum, stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or titanium doesn't matter so much as form, fit, and function.

 

[rg598]

There isn't really such a thing. Stainless steel pots are going to be heavy when compared to the alternative. You can limit the weight by getting a small pot with thin walls, but then you will have the same problems as with your current pot.

I'm not sure why you are wrecking your pot on a fire. That shouldn't be happening with any pot. Keep in mind, that if you get a thin stainless steel pot (to save weight), you will have the exact same issues. The reason why often steel pots cook better is because they tend to be much thicker than aluminum or titanium ones. True, there are differences between the metals, but they mean very little compared to the thickness of the pot.

 

[Bishop]

i aint got no motor.. so a whackin great cast iron griddle is not goin to fit in my pack

No probably not, but something like this baking tray or wire rack (add tinfoil for griddle) you should be able to find room for in a typical 35litre pack.

 

[santaman2000]

Get a small wok.

 

[Countryman]

Stainless Mess tins are rather expensive. Have a look instead for Stainless Bento on eBay and Amazon. You can basically pick your size to the CM and ship in from China in a couple of weeks for £5-10.




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[Alreetmiowdmuka]

How about crusader mess tin.ive got one it's pretty good for warming stuff up and a little skillet for the odd burger.
http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/crusader-mess-tins-117-p.asp


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[Alreetmiowdmuka]

If your a budding chef though pal yer better off with a cheapo generic fringing pan n a small pot


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[spiritwalker]

consider just a zebra billy can or a tatonka kettle?

 

[greenshooots]

cold handled pans good enough for cowboys

greenshoots

 

[Bowlin]

As with most bushcraft gear, you will end up trying/ buying multiple cooksets/ sleep systems/ shelters etc. etc. until you find some which you like (I say some because you'll have different kit for different times of the year/ length of trip/ type of trip etc.

However, I can tell you what I currently take with me on most trips.....

A Lifeventure titanium plate (used as both a plate and with the addition of a stick for a handle a frying pan)....
The larger pot and lid from a Coleman 1 solo cookset http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-204028-Solo-Cook-Kit/dp/B000YESELO
A set of two cheap aluminium mess tins which nest one inside the other
A swedish fold-a-cup

Once my Mors pot arrives from the USA I'll use it instead of the Coleman one and I may ween myself off of the mess tins (but they are light and have proved very versatile so unless pack space is at a premium they'll stay in the kit-bag)

Just out of interest the other cookset items I have and rarely use are...

Crusader Set
14cm Zebra Billy
Unbranded Boyscout set, consisting of small metal pot with lid, metal plate and faux copper bottomed frying pan

In the end it depends upon what you are intending to cook, how you are intending to cook (campfire, meths stove etc.) how many you intend to cook for, whether weight is an issue and whether pack-size is an issue. Each trip usually differs so I expect you'll end up with a collection of cookset gear and will mix-and-match from teh collection on each trip. It seems to be what most everyone else does.

Please let us know what you decide to get, and how you get on with it.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Corso]

what about a mucket

 

[Angry Pirate]

As with most bushcraft gear, you will end up trying/ buying multiple cooksets/ sleep systems/ shelters etc. etc. until you find some which you like (I say some because you'll have different kit for different times of the year/ length of trip/ type of trip etc.

^this
I use different set ups for different things.
For lightweight backpacking I just use an alpkit titanium mug for cooking and eating out of along with one of their titanium sporks. My stove, bottles of olive oil and washing up liquid, sak etc all fit inside.
For bushcraft stuff or family camping I use a (sadly now discontinued) tefal camping cookset. The smaller version of this: http://www.buachaille.com/p142-3-30/Stoves-and-Cooking/Tefal-Camping-Cookset.html

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Just got back from a weekend's camping. Over the fire I had a zebra 10cm and zebra 14cm pot, in hindsight, I think I would have preferred a pair of 12's or a 10 and a 12. I also had my MSR whisperlite stove on which I used the MSR alpine cookset. The alpine cookset is very durable, compact, my msr stoves fit inside, and it's pretty lightweight. Not the lightest on the planet, but not the heaviest. I have used just the frying pan over the fire, but after I turned the whole thing black, I got a bit precious about the set. Hence getting the zebra's for the fire.

I have tried several cheap cooksets on the MSR, but after melting an ali set, and de-laminating some copper bottomed sets, I gave up and got the MSR stuff.

Julia