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Pots & Pans

Submitted by admin on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 10:29

 

This equipment category can be highly subject to personal tastes and cooking habits. Minimalists will get by on a sierra cup and a spoon. Gourmets will pack the backpacking oven and the cake mixes. Most of us will get by somewhere in the middle. Here are some suggestions, along with advice on how to wring extra function out of some of the components:
 Pot Set/Mess Kit
This can vary from the group/family set comprised of 1.5 L and 2 L pots to the individual mess kit designed for preparing individual servings.
  1. Consider making your own pot/billy set from empty coffee cans. Punch holes in the sides, near the top; make a handle out of a metal coat hanger and loop it through the holes. These are very serviceable, are large enough to cook for a group, and come at the right price. After a trip or two they rust and you have to make a new one, but that's not hard, or expensive.
  2. If you are sharing a stove, consider bringing at least one large pot in which the group can prepare a common meal.
  3. Individual mess kits are fine if you are never cooking anything bulkier than a serving of oatmeal or ichiban noodles. We don't recommend them, though.
  4. Keep in mind your needs and your menu. Will your pot set accommodate the meals you intend to cook? Will you be able to boil sufficient water for the trail (if that will be your method of water treatment)?
  5. Generally speaking you never need more than a bowl to eat your meal. The lid of most individual mess kits will usually work for this purpose. Or, use the smaller pot or the "fry" pan of a larger mess kit.   A plastic margarine container also makes a good bowl (complete with lid, even!) If you are cooking on your own, eat right out of the pot and save on dish washing. 
  6. Many pot sets or mess kits come with a small plastic cup(s) which can be rather useful. Apart from their obvious use as a cup, they are usually marked to be used as a measuring cup as well. Or, they can be used as a very small mixing bowl (flour and water for thickening soup). They can also be used to dip servings of your masterful concoction out of the pot and into your bowl.
Pot Grabber
If your mess kit has poor, tippy handles, or if the handles tend to get so hot they burn you, you can make it safer by making this $2.50 investment. It is simply a clamp designed to grab the rim of a pot and serve as its handle.
Frying Pan
Heavy, bulky and highly optional. We recommend leaving the frying pan at home unless this is also a fishing trip. If you insist on frying, buy a coated, non-stick aluminum pan ($10-$15).  Most of the fry pans in stainless pot sets are near useless, and cast iron, cast aluminum, and heavy stainless steel are too heavy - leave them at home.
 Portable Grill
A mesh grid with a handle or light folding legs which can be used to make toast, grill meat, ... over a fire. Highly optional on backpacking trips, especially since many of the locations in which you will be camping will not allow fires. Leave it at home in these circumstances.  On canoe trips, you might want to bring it along, however.
Insulated Mug
A bulky - but not heavy - luxury which can be prolong your enjoyment of a hot drink. Mix instant soup mixes directly in the mug. Make coffee and tea directly in the mug as well.  Can  double as a bowl for minimalists.  If you have room, it's worthwhile bringing.
CutleryLexan utensils
Bring a spoon. That's it. A fork is optional. (Ask yourself whether any of your meals actually need to be eaten with a fork). Use your jack knife for a knife. If you are cooking in a group, bring one extra spoon to stir the food. Raid your mom's junk cutlery cupboard for the spoon and the fork. If it amuses you to buy one of those cute little camping cutlery sets, go ahead, but be sure that the spoon is actually large enough to get food to your mouth. Those with sufficient dexterity might forego the fork for a set of chop sticks. If you like spending money on "neat" stuff, you can invest in a set of lexan (plastic resin) cutlery ($4/set) to lighten your load. Disposable plastic cutlery, however, is not durable enough to re-use often and melts in really hot food - bad for the environment, not so good for your culinary pleasure either.
Spatula
The egg-turning kind. You won't need this unless you intend to make eggs or pancakes, two meals which we do not highly recommend. Find the cheapest, lightest spatula you can. If you have a non-stick finish on your frying pan, remember to buy/bring a plastic spatula to avoid damaging the finish. We think you can leave this at home, though.
Small Set of Metal Tongs
These can be used to toast bagels or pick up light, hot objects. Bagels can also be toasted on the end of a metal fork. If you intend to do any cooking over a camp fire, these are essential.
Mesh Bag
This can be used both for storing and for drying your mess kit. Thread a cord through it and hang it from a tree branch to allow your dishes to air dry, which is actually more hygienic than drying with a tea towel. Alternatively, you can take a tea towel, fold it once, and sew it into a pouch to carry your mess kit. Sew a string into the top of the pouch so that it can be drawn shut. The pouch can be used as a tea towel and a storage compartment.
Dish Cleaning
Dish Cloth (J-cloth), Small Pot Scratcher, Environmentally-friendly Dish Soap: Pack in a small ziploc. Put the dish soap in a small container, like a contact lens solution bottle or a sample shampoo bottle. Can be shared among a group. The soap is optional. 
Other Items
  1. Aluminum Foil: Has many uses.
  2. Water Bottle: Well mention it twice, just so you don't forget it.
  3. Extra Bags: Ziplocs (small and large), garbage bags, plastic grocery bags. There are just so many uses for these. They don't weigh much, and, if folded, don't consume much space. Remember to bring a garbage bag to cover your pack in case of rain.
  4. Mini-gloves (or garden gloves): As well as keeping your hands warm on cool mornings, they can be used when handling hot pots to prevent burns.