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Thru-hike cookware

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    • What you have sounds like the basics. What else do you think you need?

      I'm a clueless weekender rather than a thru-hiker, but as far as I can tell, the cooking is the same. I bring a homemade alcohol stove, and a couple of ways to light it. I carry a pot stand and windscreen. I bring a Grease Pot from XYZ-Mart, a spork, a freezer bag cozy, and a Melitta coffee filter cone (one of my luxury items - if I can't have real coffee I'm not going). I most often use a Nalgene bottle with a Reflectix cozy to drink my coffee, but sometimes I bring an insulated mug-bowl from a GSI cook kit (it nests neatly in the Grease Pot). If I think I might have a lazy morning, I'll bring a Fauxbaker and a few foil muffin cups. I might bring a little squeeze bottle for olive oil. My Leatherman serves for cutting cheese or sausage. I think that's it for my trail kitchen.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • Pot choice must be linked to stove choice.
      You already have a jetboil and that limits your options to jetboil products.
      If you get a different stove the rule is a wide bloom flame from the stove requires a wide pot. If you want a narrow pot you need to get a stove with a strong centre burn. A wide bloom will be wasted and just cook your pot handle. I use an Evernew 1.2 (3?) litre pot which is wide. I generally use it with a MSR pocket rocket. For minimalist solo use I use a mug and an alcohol stove that is a centre burner.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • you don't need a bowl - eat from your pot. you don't need a fork either; just a spoon. and don't even think about a spork. :)

      some people talk about using a bandana as a hot pad, but i prefer a pot lifter.

      you don't need a special drinking bottle; drink from your water bottle. you will want some type of coffee/tea/hot chocolate mug. i like one that is insulated with a lid.
      2,000 miler
    • I cook in and eat from my pot (Olicamp xts). I picked it because it has a 1 to 1 height to diameter ratio. Tall pots are hard to eat from and slow to heat. Wide pots loose heat fast and the water sloshes more. The 2 to 1 ratio has the minimum surface for a given volume. It also has a handle which I like. I may experiment with FBC but the pot will work as a water boiler too. Not UL but efficient with its heat exchanger. Bomb proof anodized al.

      I use an 8" melamine spoon.
    • I try to keep things really simple. I hike slow, so usually do long days and I am tired by the time I get to camp. I am out there to hike, not to cook and certainly not to do dishes. :)

      So all I have is a Jet Boil (Flash for past 3 years, just got a Flash Lite :thumbup: ) and a spoon. For 7 weeks this summer I just ate Mountain House for supper. I even went stove-less for breakfast.

      This summer I plan to do 5 weeks and will go back to grits and oatmeal for breakfast (at least some of the time to mix things up). Still not an extra pot or dish, just pour water into the paper bags they come in. Did 4 weeks with this for breakfast back in 2013, but used a cup which I have since cut out.

      This may not be the cheapest method, but does allow for warm food with minimal combined time, weight, water, and hassle.

      I recommend doing a lot of weekend (or extended weekend) trial hikes. You will find a lot of options out there, and just need to find what works for you. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • I also cook and eat from pot. I use a pot cozy. Cannot recommend them enough.
      I use a long handled spoon. I have both a titanium one and a hard anodised and consider them identical. Weight etc indistinguishable and I don't care which I carry. Save money and don't buy titanium. Sporks are okay but I have never found a long handled one and the functionality of the handle is superior to the functionality of the spork. If I want more than a spoon I have my swiss army knife and I sometimes pack a $1 mini tongs I have instead of a pot gripper which I stopped carrying years ago. My pot has half a dish cloth (called a tea towel here) in it which serves as mitten etc if needed.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • max.patch wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      the hutzler spoon is nice. The bowl has a flat end good for scraping out the last bits firm the bottom of the pot.
      i can see where the flat end is helpful, but isn't the hole in the bowl counter productive?
      [IMG:http://www.hutzlerco.com/files/1012/8510/2782/511.jpg]
      yes, but it's ultra light. I also cut weight by pulling the bristles out of my toothbrush.
    • The vast majority of my "cooking" is heating water for rehydrating food or a hot drink. For that I use a Toaks 750ml pot, a MSR Pocket Rocket and a long handle spoon with a polished bowl (easier to clean). All of which are fairly light and bomb proof. I also have a DIY pot cozy for when I rehydrate in the pot instead of the bag or when drinking coffee. Works well.

      When on a day hike I replace the Pocket Rocket with a DIY alcohol stove if I plan on making Ramen. I make them in my garage and usually end up giving them away to other hikers if they ask about it.
      RIAP
    • Foresight wrote:

      My idea of ultralight is sneaking my gear into my buddy's pack.
      On the Camino one of the traditions is to carry a rock to place at the Cruz de Ferre about 600km in.
      Annie had a couple of pretty big ones and I refused to carry them (the tradition is that they're your burdens).
      The morning we packed up to go to the Cruz she pulled them out of my tent stake bag where they had been since France.....
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • OzJacko wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      My idea of ultralight is sneaking my gear into my buddy's pack.
      On the Camino one of the traditions is to carry a rock to place at the Cruz de Ferre about 600km in.Annie had a couple of pretty big ones and I refused to carry them (the tradition is that they're your burdens).
      The morning we packed up to go to the Cruz she pulled them out of my tent stake bag where they had been since France.....
      You married a smart woman! :thumbup:
      As for you, well you are great guy I would love to hike with some day. Especially if you will carry some my gear. ;)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      Foresight wrote:

      My idea of ultralight is sneaking my gear into my buddy's pack.
      On the Camino one of the traditions is to carry a rock to place at the Cruz de Ferre about 600km in.Annie had a couple of pretty big ones and I refused to carry them (the tradition is that they're your burdens).The morning we packed up to go to the Cruz she pulled them out of my tent stake bag where they had been since France.....
      You married a smart woman! :thumbup: As for you, well you are great guy I would love to hike with some day. Especially if you will carry some my gear. ;)
      Yes to the hike.
      No to the carry.
      But I have been known to carry a 6 pack and share. Sort of DIY trail angel.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • JoshofSparta wrote:

      Im doing a thru-hike in March so I'm looking for a reliable cooking set with only the necessities currently I have a jetboil zip and a sea to summit xbowl beasides a camp fork and a drinking bottle does anyone have any recommendations ? HomerBanana
      Back to the OPs question, here's my kitchen:



      MSR Titan Kettle, Cat Can stove ( there is another stove in one of the pictures but its not my usual carry), roofing flashing wind screen, roofing flashing heat shield (used under cat can), one serving soup bowl and lid re-purposed for coffee cup, reflectex coozie for freezer bag cooking, liquid soap in an eye dropper, a small piece of shamwow, and of course a little bourbon- it was chilly that weekend. And a spoon- no sporking here.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
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