cookware for camping

see also:

• cooking options when camping

• cookware for camping is not an easy topic and depends upon whether you need to carry it hiking or if not, what and how you like to cook

• weight and bulk are the prime considerations
• most hikers just need a pot to boil water (for hot beverages, to make it potable, or for preparing dehydrated hiking food) or heat pre-cooked foods such as soups, etc.
• most hikers will be using a hiker's butane gas stove (some still like to use an alcohol stove and others may use wood twig stoves)
  • the basic choice then is pretty easy:
    • hard anodised aluminium pot with smaller pot to use as a lid to reduce time to boiling and conserve gas is probably the best way to go for most hikers
    • some hikers may wish to go even lighter and use a titanium pot instead - this is great for boiling water but not so good if you need to re-heat or cook food as titanium results in uneven heating and burnt food
• some hikers like to test their survival skills and rely upon an open wood camp fire
  • for them, a taller stainless steel “billy can” with a metal handle without any plastic or silicone that can be used to suspend it above a fire and not risk it melting would be the way to go
• if cooking for a group, you may need a larger capacity cooking pot and the best hiking option for this is probably the expensive collapsible silicone pots such as those made by Sea To Summit - fairly light, pack fairly flat and can nest them if needed - these are also great for heating up larger amounts of river water to bathe with
• the difficult choice comes when deciding upon a fry pan
  • hikers will NOT want a titanium or cast iron fry pan - the former cooks unevenly, while the latter is far too heavy to carry
  • you are thus left with aluminium or stainless steel
    • aluminium transfers heat better than stainless steel but needs a coating and so most either have hard anodised coating, Teflon non-stick coating or ceramic coatings
      • the main issues with these is that they scratch easily so you should not use metal spoons, etc and you need to be gentle with your cleaning, and of course, there are potential health and environmental issues with Teflon
    • stainless steel is far more durable and can be used on induction cooktops (as long as they don't have aluminium bases) as well as gas or wood fires and will take more scrubbing but they are heavier and not non-stick, so you will need more oil or butter and you will have to clean them harder
  • a further point is the design of the handle
    • you probably will want one that that allows it to be made as compact as possible - this either means a removable handle (but this risks losing it) or a folding handle
    • if you plan to use it on an open fire, you will probably not want to have any insulation on the handle as this will melt or burn

• weight is generally not so much of an issue now, but bulk still can be problematic
• if I am going solo with minimal cooking I just take my hiking set up with a 20cm frypan and a Sea To Summit silicone collapsible pot
• “traditional open wood camp fire campers” will probably want a stainless steel “billy can” and a cast iron set up such as a Dutch oven and fry pan or a wok
  • see also wood fired camp ovens - Dutch ovens, etc
• those using induction stoves in their campers will want induction-compatible cookware
• for those just cooking on gas stoves, then there are many options
  • you do NOT need to pay the extra expense of titanium - it does not heat evenly and you don't need the weight reduction benefit
  • for durability and health, stainless steel is probably the best way to go and is the most versatile but it is not non-stick!
  • if you really want non-stick then aluminium with a non-stick healthy coating is probably your best bet such as a ceramic coating

• simple two small pot gas hiking stove kits
  • Furno 360deg pot set
    • can fit a small butane gas cartridge and a small pocket hiking stove inside the two pots which makes this a perfect hiking kit
• larger pots / frypan hiking stove kits
  • Fire Maple hard anodised aluminium cooking kit
    • single 3KW, consuming max. 215g/h butane, burner which is placed inside a pot support and wind protection system - there is a cheaper alcohol burner version as well
    • two large pots (1.5L and 2L), larger one with lid, one 1.3L kettle, one 0.9L frypan, pot lifter (as none have handles so that it packs together well)
    • all pack inside each other to form a small light packed kit 1.3kg 8.4“x5” - just don't lose the pot supports and there is no piezo so bring a long lighter!
    • there is no steamer supplied
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doJyyshCWgg
    • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006614125073.html ~$AU130

• these are great for reducing weight and space but are quite expensive, will melt if used on open flames or contacting very hot objects such as stove chimneys
• avoid pushing down on them whilst cooking or boiling water as they will collapse!
• can get very compact, light, stackable kits which usually clean up quite easily - great for boiling water, cooking up soups, etc
• eg. Sea to Summit

• stainless steel (SS) is much less forgiving than cast iron or carbon steel cookware - but once you master it, it is probably the best you can use for most tasks
• the handle will not get as hot as cast iron or spun iron and is much more temperature responsive, cools down faster, and needs far less care than these as it wont rust and doesn't need seasoning
• don't buy budget stainless steel cookware as the walls are too thin for even heating and the base is often just welded on - it does need to have a bit of weight!
• for camping, the 3-ply pots using cheaper 304 (18-8) SS which is used for most domestic cookware should suffice although 316 (18-10) SS is more corrosion resistant, more resistant to salt water and chemicals, more pitting resistant, more crevice corrosion resistant but is more expensive
• for the kitchen, buy commercial kitchen quality cookware with 3 ply 316 (18/10) SS to the rim (ie. with an aluminium core)
• to reduce food from sticking to your stainless steel cookware:
  • ensure pan is clean to start with
  • ensure it is heated first for ~ 3 minutes to 200degC to produce the Leidenfrost effect when you drop water droplets onto it but avoid over-heating it (seasoned cast iron or carbon steel pans are more forgiving here)
  • you probably do not get significant benefits of seasoning a stainless steel pan but if you want to, do this:
    • use a little bit of oil on the hot pan then spread it around by using a paper towel to spread the oil around over all of the pan, then heat the pan until the residual oil starts to smoke then turn off the heat and allow to cool down to room temperature (takes about an hour)
  • SS needs some oil before adding food and ensure the oil is heated first - SS is not a no-oil cookware
  • you generally only need low to medium heat with a stainless steel pan (medium high to sear a steak, and lower temperature before adding eggs) - take great care with temperature control as SS is very temperature responsive and can get too hot very quickly
  • allow foods to naturally release from the pan (shake the pan a bit to see if it will release by itself) - if you prematurely try to turn a steak it will stick and create a mess, wait until it comes off very easily - but watch the temperature to ensure it is not too hot and burning it
• cleaning:
  • you may need to boil water in pan at end of cooking to help remove the font stuck on the pan (you may need a wooden spatula to help remove harder charred bits)
  • use warm water, detergent and plastic sponge to clean
  • if really problematic, try Demeyere Cleaning Cream or Gumption
• eg.
  • FireMaple 3 ply base stainless steel fry pan and billy with steamer
    • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004031572922.html
    • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006661803682.html

• more forgiving than stainless steel
• usually lighter and thinner than cast iron and spun iron pans, so they heat up and cool down faster, offering better heat responsiveness
• develop a seasoning layer (patina) that improves non-stick performance over time
• once seasoned they generally clean up quite easily are should last many years with care to avoid rust
• favored for tasks requiring quick temperature changes, like sautéing and stir-frying
• eg. fry pans, woks

• these are very popular for 4WD campers who love their open wood fires
• they take a LONG time to cool down!
• they need more oil than stainless steel to make them non-stick
• once seasoned they generally clean up quite easily are should last many years with care to avoid rust (heat them after washing them) but they are VERY HEAVY and BULKY
• Dutch ovens require a bit of practice to get right - you generally need to place hot coals on top of the lid to ensure even cooking
• eg. Dutch ovens, fry pans
• see wood fired camp ovens - Dutch ovens, etc

• similar characteristics to cast iron but much lighter, more responsive to heat changes, and cools down much faster
• require seasoning
• like cast iron, the handle will get hot, although not as hot as cast iron
• great for searing steaks

• very popular and although marketed as non-stick they are actually LESS non-stick than stainless steel or cast iron and they are not good for your health
• however, where they excel is cooking at low heat with minimal oil such as dumplings and scrambled eggs for anything else, they are a POOR CHOICE
• they are NOT great at high heat so don't buy a wok made out of one and don't sear steaks on them
• not very durable, can't use metal utensils, and Teflon coating starts coming off which is not good for you or environment
• see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHvm3-DUag0