Carrying a small skillet

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Sometimes I carry a small “two egg” skillet, handle sawed off. It’s aluminum with a ceramic lining and weighs the same as my anodized aluminum Open Country 3 cup pot that I take on every backpacking trip in every season. I also take a little fork-sized Lexan spatula when i take the skillet. Hey, it works.

I use it for frying freeze-dried omelettes and in winter, for frying link sausage.

Does anyone here ever carry a skillet?

[Duane Hall]

After messing about with various unsatisfactory ultra light titanium pans (easily burned food and uneven heat transfer)  for years, I realized that I could get a fairly light non stick pan from my local hardware store if I unscrewed the handle.  “Two egg” size is about right.  It’s just a few ounces that adds versatility to my cooking system and variety to my meals.  Eggs, bacon or sausage and once in a while a little bread fried in a little butter or olive oil as a nice substitute for morning toast.

[dirtbag]

I have carried one on occasion.  Quesadillas!!!

And i made pancakes also!!

[Duane Hall]

My set up exactly, except for a cheap hardware store pan.

[dirtbag]

Lol. Yeah, the titanium pan is tough to cook on. You have to be right there on top of it every split millionth of a second or else your food will BURN.

[dirtbag]

almost burnt pancake!!!

[Bonzo]

Yeah, I’ve carried one; I like having a pan for eggs and quesadillas, as mentioned.  They’re also good for a fresh fish, even if that’s somewhat cramped at times.

[Kevin Babione]

Timely!  As I was looking for food for an upcoming trip I saw the Packet Gourmet Skillet Biscuits & Sausage Gravy and was sad that I don’t have a skillet of any kind so it’s really off the table.

Perhaps now I may reconsider it…I’m guessing that, if I do this, I probably won’t be using my alcohol stove.  Hmmm…I have lots of other choices.  Fun to think about.

[dirtbag]

I also have the MSR ceramic coated skillet that mates with my windburner set up.  Its a nice set up.. good for family trips so I can toss it in someone else’s backpack!!

[Kevin Babione]

Poking around I found this 2.8 ounce Titanium skillet.  Only $20 so I figured that I’m not out much if I don’t like it.  Folding handle and at 5.3 inches across is the perfect 2-egg size.  I believe I have some biscuits and gravy in my future…

[Bonzo]

Nice find, Kevin…although I might grab the 6″ version, myself.  5″-ish would be a bit cramped for a two-person meal, methinks.

[Alex Wallace]

I’ll occasionally bring an MSR Quick skillet, which is 7″, nonstick, hard-anodized aluminum, that weighs 5.9 ounces w/ handle. Like others above, I’ll make quesadillas/bean & cheese burritos, pancakes, and fresh caught trout!

[Michael B]

I am usually too lazy to carry fresh food which would require a skillet, but now you are making me jealous. I already have a Snow Peak skillet, I’ve only ever used it as a double boiler setup, simultaneously boiling water for coffee while cooking some oatmeal. Otherwise you gotta do the two-step process

[Bonzo]

I really need to convert over to a non-stick pan.  Not having one is why I rarely do pancakes…but those sound pretty good now that I think about it.

[Kevin Babione]

I was reading the directions for the Packit Gourmet biscuits and sausage gravy and you make the biscuits with a lid so I may have to fashion a lid of sorts out of steam-table tray bottom.

It will be fun to try!

[Bonzo]

…I may have to fashion a lid of sorts out of steam-table tray bottom.

Stainless steel?  And why that specific starting point?

[Kevin Babione]

Sorry – I meant the disposable aluminum pan inserts that you get when you order Chipotle for an office luncheon.  Wow – that was so 2019…

Anyway, I buy them at Costco in packs of 20 to put meals in when I’m delivering them to others.  A little more sturdy than aluminum foil and I may, depending on the depth of the pan, need to fashion a bit of a domed lid.  I can cut them with scissors.

[Bonzo]

Ahhh… I get it, now.  Makes sense.

I wonder if I could get the guys at the local machine shop to press-form a titanium lid… 🤔

[Paul Wagner]

I’ve carried a very light aluminum pan/lid on a number of trips.  It fits almost perfectly over the top of my Bearvault, and serves as both a frying pan and an oversized lid to my cook pot.  Used only to fry trout…and then only when i decide to keep a few trout to eat, which isn’t very often.

[Kevin Babione]

When my Ti skillet arrives (between March 8 – 15 according to Wallyworld), I’ll play around with some different lid styles and post my results.  I’m thinking I should be able to fashion a lid that will fit in the skillet inverted for carrying it, but still have enough of a dome shape for my biscuits to cook.

 

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Sure! I do. I use a lightweight lid one from one of my GSI kits. If its just camping, I have so many to choose from ;-) I love doing biscuits and gravy…..

 

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Btw…if anyone is using a Ti skillet, a fair warning: you need a highly adjustable stove, cook low and slow, and use a lot of oil. As well, be prepared to hold the skillet above even the lowest flame.

[Bonzo]

Btw…if anyone is using a Ti skillet, a fair warning: you need a highly adjustable stove, cook low and slow, and use a lot of oil. As well, be prepared to hold the skillet above even the lowest flame.

Pretty much my experience as well.  The weight of the thick aluminum pan that you didn’t bring rapidly becomes negligible when attempting to sautee fish in a different, lighter pan that’s materially configured to burn the **** out literally anything you put into it.  I keep thinking that I’ll get better at it, but that never happens.

[DAN-Y]

Small Keith pan works for me on a reactor stove set on simmer. I’ve fried 2 eggs over easy with it.

[Kevin Babione]

Has anyone tried to use a skillet over an alcohol stove?  It would sit nicely on my windscreen and would be above the flame far enough (perhaps too far though) that I shouldn’t have to worry about hotspots as much.  Since I’m just looking to use my skillet for biscuits, I don’t have to worry as much about undercooking something.

I’m putting my Packit Gourmet order in today – I’ll order a couple of extra Biscuits & Gravy to try at home before I’m out on the trail.  I do have  Jetboil Sol Ti that I could take, but if the alcohol setup works it might be fun!

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