Cooking supplies recommendations?

**Iskander** · 02-23-2015, 12:33 AM

Just looking for brands or names of good kits to check out. I don't really know what all I would need, hopefully something that folds up to some degree. Not sure on material either. I don't want anything too bulky but a pot would probably be best (I've decided ramen noodles is going to be my staple food supply for camping and stuff).

What do you guys pack for cooking supplies (if any)?

**Winnie** · 02-23-2015, 02:59 AM

An old Army mess tin. It cost me a £1 and has been on every camping trip I've taken. I have other cooksets, but the mess tin beats them all, mainly because of it's surface area and the fact I can pack a lot of stuff inside to save on space. I always have some tinfoil to fashion a lid. I have heard good results of a Swiss Army ranger cookset too.

http://www.militarymart.co.uk/index....roduct_id=2268

**Iskander** · 02-23-2015, 04:29 AM

Thanks for the rec. Do you boil your drinking water in the same thing you use to cook? That's a question for anyone who wants to answer.

**crashdive123** · 02-23-2015, 05:26 AM

For lightweight and not taking up too much space - a mess kit as Winnie has suggested is a good choice. There are lots of varieties to choose from - choose which works for you and fits your budget.

For your second question - yes. I have often traveled with only one container or "pot". It cooked all of my meals and boiled all of my water.

**Rick** · 02-23-2015, 08:42 AM

I also use the mess kit and canteen cup when hiking/backpacking. I have all sorts of cookware from stainless steel and aluminum to titanium and it's all good. I just prefer the military stuff. I carry a filter but if I have to boil water it's in the canteen cup.

**finallyME** · 02-23-2015, 12:32 PM

When traveling light, I only take one metal pot, about a liter in size. Since the plan is to only boil water in the pot, titanium is the best material. Aluminum and stainless are both good. Then I will also carry a plastic insulated bowl to warm up food in. If I have mountain house, then I just dump the water in the pouch. If I made the food myself, then it is in a ziplock and I dump it in the bowl to warm it up. Another option for the bowl is to pack the food in freezer bags, and use a little cozy to put the freezer bag in after you add the hot water. Sometimes I don't bring the extra bowl and just eat out of the pot.
If you plan to cook with any method other than boiling, then a different setup is required.

**xjosh40x** · 02-23-2015, 12:59 PM

An G.I. issue canteen and cup is the perfect way to start. And if you're looking for inexpensive Walmart carries an aluminum mess kit by Ozark Trail for around 6$ and I've had two of them. The pack well and work great.

As for boiling water in same container as cooking. I don't see why not. I've always done it when I only had my canteen cup, bailing water and making a stew never failed me. Of coarse I'm not dipping my cup in murky still water either.

**Winnie** · 02-23-2015, 01:40 PM

I've never had to boil water for drinking, but I would use the mess tin for that too.

**xjosh40x** · 02-23-2015, 03:08 PM

Never had to boil water. Lucky! Ever time I'm on the trail, unless it's bottled water, I boil everything. A habit my granddaddy taught me. Just second nature now

**Iskander** · 02-23-2015, 04:45 PM

Cool, thanks everyone. In scouts we would pack a lot of things like pop and bottled water which I regret because it kind of spoiled us. A lot of the cooking we did was 100% disposable. One excellent thing I remember doing once was digging a good hole for a fire, waiting for it to burn down to hot coals, then we wrapped meat, corn, potatoes and onions in tin foil, threw it in the coals and then buried it and let it cook for a few hours.

I just imagined being in the wild and cooking things, I suppose if you make sure to clean it up right away it wouldn't be an issue, but I just have this visual of boiling water in a dirty container. I don't know why lol I know that I would clean it. Just seemed like a good idea to have a designated water boiling pot.

**TXyakr** · 02-23-2015, 06:09 PM

There was a recent thread on this were many people posted some excellent simple pots they liked.

I would attempt to summarize it like this for relative minimalism: A light weight metal pot with a lid that at least one thing fits into such as your water container, stove, food or other cookware for compactness. The lid could be a fry pan, a silicone bowl/plate or just a metal lid. The metal could be Titanium, Aluminum or Stainless Steel alloys with or without brass/copper on the bottom. Good places to buy are at yard sales, thrift stores, Wal-Mart, Sports Stores, Specialty Camping Stores, Prepper Stores, Army/Navy Military Supply Stores, Online or Brick and Mortar. Often you can get great discounts. There are many brands in all styles and metals there are many who make them out of Ti, and anodized Aluminum. If for car camping or backpacking gourmet you want multiple pots/pans be sure they nest inside each other. Personally I own about 20-30 possibly more pots and pans specifically for camping, some I paid less than $1 for some about $100 for one.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-how-many-pots

my favorite pot is 900ml from Snow Peak but there are several other Ti brands that are just about as good like Keith and Toaksoutdoors
http://snowpeak.com/collections/cook...iant=671149681
http://www.keith-ti.com/en/ProductList.aspx?Category=2
http://toaksoutdoor.com/tableware.aspx

I enjoy cooking outdoors, my sister and I cooked tiny frogs, snails, queen ant abdomens, cashew nuts etc out in the jungle in tin cans over wood when we were barely old enough to walk. It is a bit of a lifelong obsession.

**TXyakr** · 02-23-2015, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by Iskander

I just imagined being in the wild and cooking things, I suppose if you make sure to clean it up right away it wouldn't be an issue, but I just have this visual of boiling water in a dirty container. I don't know why lol I know that I would clean it. Just seemed like a good idea to have a designated water boiling pot.

Just a small scrub sponge cut down to about 1"x2" or at the most 2"x4" with a few drops of concentrated soap in a small ziplock bag is enough to clean most small pots you need to eat "one pot meals" out of. Then some water (1-2 cups) to rinse the soap out of the pot before you pack it up. If all you do is boil water no need to scrub it, obviously. But if you heat up instant rice, noodles etc mix in dehydrated veggies, and vacuum packed meat for a regular meal or oatmeal + dehydrated fruit,nuts for breakfast then you will need the soapy sponge and some water to clean it out. Or if you prefer use a purchased mylar vacuum packed meal like from Mountain House/ Backpackers Pantry or one of the dozens of others. 100s of good ways to go. I can walk into just about any grocery store and show you 2-3 dozen backpackers meals right on the shelves there.

**welderguy** · 02-23-2015, 06:35 PM

Mine is a canteen cup and an old boy scout mess kit

**Traditionalist** · 02-24-2015, 08:05 AM

I use a us gi mess kit and a zebra pot. Works great for me!

**Tokwan** · 02-24-2015, 08:41 PM

Iskander, my advice is for you to learn to make dehydrated rice, jerkies, salted fish. dried fruits and bread. I only carry these items now. Lost of cost saving and you get to practice in the storing of food.