Lightweight cooking...

**richbat** · 03-24-2015, 10:42 AM

I know this has probably been covered over and over again,but other than the Canteen Cup,Nalgene Bottle and the Klean Kanteen what other light weight cooking pot/bottle is out there for boiling and cooking combined?Like I said in prior post I like to keep everything to the lightest and most compactness in my pack.I really think going light is a positive thing,meaning I can cover a whole lot more ground then having a pack that weighs me down,I see some hikers with pots,pans and what not hanging from their packs and sometimes I just shake my head and grin and wonder why all the unnecessary weight and knowing darn well they could lose a lot by doing away with what's not a necessity.Don't take this the wrong way,I to have been there with the heavy pack but why work harder?instead work smarter.Just my look on this.

**Rick** · 03-24-2015, 11:21 AM

Anything in the titanium line. I have some pans that are titanium but still prefer my GI mess kit and cup. They are heavier but I prefer them.

**hunter63** · 03-24-2015, 11:30 AM

I do as well...or my cast iron....and I pack in a trailer.

**richbat** · 03-24-2015, 11:52 AM

Rick,hunter63,I was looking at the Canteen Cup and Stove and though they have been a time proven good idea for many years,I just think with this time and era there's gotta be something better,maybe I'm wrong.I never been a big fan of Titanium,stuffs just to darn expensive for me.I like the Stainless items and Aluminum items are to prone to bending to easy.I'm gonna keep looking around,maybe might have to come up with something myself.

**richbat** · 03-24-2015, 11:54 AM

Rick do you find yourself using the stove more or less with canteen cup?

**hunter63** · 03-24-2015, 12:10 PM

When history has tried to make the better mouse trap.....for a long time....yet the time proven version is still effective and cheap.....?
Have at building your own....you never know.

Many thing have been invented by someone saying....This sucks...I want some thing better.

I don't use the stove much unless I'm on an over night to heat a meal, and make coffee for morning.....I'm mostly a munch a lunch guy when hiking.
When camping...I am more living in the woods(or where ever).......hence the trailer.

**finallyME** · 03-24-2015, 12:42 PM

The lightest weight cooking method is boil in bag/pot. Basically this entails only boiling water, and then pouring the water into dehydrated/freeze dried food. There are two variations of this theme. One is to use disposable freezer bags or mylar bags. The food is in the bag, and then you pour the water straight into the bag. A bag with a ziplock type seal is best. You reseal the bag with the hot water, and put it into a cozy. 15 minutes later, you eat out of the bag, and then carry the bag out with the rest of your trash. No dishes to clean. The other variation is to rehydrate in a pot instead of a bag. You can use the same pot you boiled the water in, or another one. The second one doesn't have to be metal. Some people don't like eating out of a bag. You can use thinner food pouches as well. You do have to do dishes afterwards.
With this type of cooking, all you need is a small pot and a stove. The lightest stove will be an esbit stove, then an alcohol stove. You can get a pretty light butane stove if you want as well. For the pot, 700 ml is about all you need. You generally only need to boil 2 cups. A 700 ml titanium pot is really nice, but an aluminum one will be lighter, just not as durable. For extremely light pots, use a beer can.

Do a google search on "freezer bag cooking" for different techniques and recipes.

**Rick** · 03-24-2015, 01:24 PM

No, I don't. I carry an MSR Pocket Rocket stove. I got tired of cleaning soot so I switched to isobutane and never looked back.

**Zack** · 03-24-2015, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by richbat

I know this has probably been covered over and over again,but other than the Canteen Cup,Nalgene Bottle and the Klean Kanteen what other light weight cooking pot/bottle is out there for boiling and cooking combined?Like I said in prior post I like to keep everything to the lightest and most compactness in my pack.I really think going light is a positive thing,meaning I can cover a whole lot more ground then having a pack that weighs me down,I see some hikers with pots,pans and what not hanging from their packs and sometimes I just shake my head and grin and wonder why all the unnecessary weight and knowing darn well they could lose a lot by doing away with what's not a necessity.Don't take this the wrong way,I to have been there with the heavy pack but why work harder?instead work smarter.Just my look on this.

I just use a USGI mess kit (the two part, half frying pan, half plate one) with some aluminum foil, an Esbit stove, fuel, matches, tinder, CRKT Eat'n tool, and wash rag inside. It gives me what I need to cook, eat, and clean up a quick meal. Sometimes I'll take a metal nesting cup, folding silverware set, wire (for hanging pots over a fire), extra couple rags, and a few other accessories as well. I've cooked and eaten with much less (ask any Boy Scout, a weenie and a stick is about the lightest you can get in terms of cooking), but for the sake of simplicity, I take the above for camping.

**pete lynch** · 03-25-2015, 04:44 AM

I use a Stanley 24oz stainless pot like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-Ad...k-Set/16784406
I can fit a fuel bottle, a Trangia stove, a small cup, a little scrub pad for cleaning and a wind screen inside of it.

**Wildling** · 02-22-2016, 01:42 AM

Have you ever made a "rocket stove" from tin cans? I'm in the middle of making one. I've never made one before but thought it would be useful in hot weather.
concept here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove
I did a search on this website to see if anyone else has made one but perhaps I should try the advanced search?

**finallyME** · 02-22-2016, 10:17 AM

This post is about lightweight cooking. Rocket stoves are not light weight. However I still haven't built one. I might make one for the backyard, but I would probably not make one for camping. If I am burning wood, I generally don't care much about efficiency because I am not buying the fuel.

**InfantryAmerican** · 03-03-2016, 05:04 PM

The main thing you have to be aware of with a lot of "lightweight" cooking products is that many are prone to rust and giving your food / water the infamous metallic taste.

I know Coleman products are hit or miss, but they have a really good three piece stove set. I can't link you to it because I'm too new here.

**natertot** · 03-03-2016, 09:10 PM

I use the Stanley set that Pete mentioned and I use the Chinese knock off version of the msr pocket stove that is $8 on Amazon. The stove, along with a sponge with a green scrubby side to it and some camp suds, fits in the Stanley set. Aside from that, I use mil-surp utensils that snap together for storage, a canteen cup with lid, and a stainless canteen. I like the stainless canteen cause I can also boil water in it whereas the plastic ones limit you in that aspect.

With this set up, I can make safe water, cook anything that requires water, make coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and cook any food that I obtain in the process. I am a fan of pouring water into pouches to save dishes. Especially oatmeal. That stuff is a PITA to clean in the woods. I am also a fan of eating non-cook items for lunch when hiking. Save cooking for round the fire at night and in the morning.

**Rick** · 03-03-2016, 10:47 PM

How does the knock off stove work quality wise? There are more and more companies making them. It's a great design.

**crashdive123** · 03-04-2016, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

How does the knock off stove work quality wise? There are more and more companies making them. It's a great design.

There was a guy that had a couple of the Brunton Raptor knock offs on my camping trip last weekend. I believe he said he paid 6 or 8 dollars for them They worked great.

**natertot** · 03-04-2016, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

How does the knock off stove work quality wise? There are more and more companies making them. It's a great design.

Works great. Pretty comparable to the smallest MSR stove but mine comes with an ignitor whereas MSR does not. Pretty happy with it.

**Rick** · 03-04-2016, 12:06 PM

I do miss that. I have a couple of isobutane lanterns with pizio and love them. Just gotta be fast so that first whoooop doesn't get you when you light it.