Lightweight cookware

[Nicole H]

what do you use for cookware on a thru hike?

And does anyone have experience with collapsible silicone cookware, like the “escape 3 liter pot”? (Sorry I tried to add a picture but it wouldn’t let me). I imagine they’re susceptible to leaks and I wonder how the aluminum base holds up to flames

[bjc]

750 ml  ti pot

Long handle spoon

That’s pretty much it.

 

[Ben H.]

a 3 liter pot on a thru hike? Looks like something to consider for family backpacking.

[HkNewman]

A Snow Peak Lite Max and their 700mL titanium pot (w/lid) that also doubles as a bowl works for me for 3-seasons.

I would like to go gourmet (and have seen a bit of that on trail), …. but my norm to save time is just boil water + a carbohydrate, then add protein, maybe cheese, and any sauce packets I remember to bring.

[David Thomas]

That GSI Escape pot is crazy heavy, even for a heat-exchanger pot.  And expensive.  I’ll bring HX pots on large groups trips, especially in winter when there is snow to melt and more hot drinks being made, but they’re not that heavy.  I haven’t had any problem with the bases of any of my many HX pots, but I’m really careful to ALWAYS have water in them.

Here’s a particularly cheap option at $29 for a 2.4-liter heat-exchanger pot, 370 grams = 13 ounces:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32699439730.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.39201321O3Sat6&algo_pvid=4e20d722-c63a-4f1b-b81e-fd0a5ba574f2&algo_expid=4e20d722-c63a-4f1b-b81e-fd0a5ba574f2-13&btsid=0ab6d59515984934742384386e70de&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

A similar, smaller Bulin HX pot I stripped down (to have no handle, no lid), suggests the 2.4-liter one would be 9.5 ounces, pot only – half the weight of that GSI Escape

Since gear fits inside my pots, I don’t see much value in making it collapsable.

 

[David Thomas]

For solo trips, my pot is a 12-ounce Open Country aluminum cup (with handle).  1.73 ounces.  $5.

[David Gardner]

David T., I’m very interested in your cup. Do you cook with it? Use a lid on it? I’ve searched online and it’s listed at 1.6 ounces several places. Haven’t been able to find dimensions, particularly the diameter.

On the page your link took me to there was also some amazingly inexpensive Ti camping cookware shown.

My usual is a Foster’s Ale can modified with a flat cat can base, SS wire bail, part of another cat can base for the lid. The added rib is the top part of the cat can I cut for the base and sits on a Ti windscreen cone when I’m using alcohol or esbits. The flat base also lets it sit stably on canister stoves and I’ve used it with BRS 3000T, Fire Maple Wasp, and similar clones. I’ve been using this one about three years. $2.50, 1.04 oz

[David Thomas]

DavidG,

Your Fosters can is bigger, lighter and cheaper (and you got to drink the $2.50 of beer!) than my $5 cup, but the cup is far sturdier.  Your’s being taller probably has less evaporative losses while heating water.

Both your Fosters can and my Al cup are a nice match to the BRS-3000T on low throttle because of their small bases and the BRS’s small flame pattern.

Googling a bit, I also see the 1.6 ounce weight for that aluminum cup.  I weighed it on a scale I trust to 1.73 ounces, but I no longer find the exact part number ( 2208-1285 ) available anywhere so maybe they’ve switched suppliers and now have one that is a bit thinner-walled.

[David Thomas]

I did cook in it last month.  Put some FD veggie mix and ramen in it (breaking the Ramen strategically to fit) for 2 minutes.  It’s kind of a 1.5-person size.  I did two batches for my buddy and me.

Far more than most sub-2-ounce “pots”, you could easily swirl some sand around in it to scour out any cooked food.

[Author]

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