I thought I’d comment on the gear used for cooking while camping.
We have tried so much, but what we actually use varies a lot depending on what kind of camping we are doing. Here are lists.
Car camping
- Coleman stove.
- Cast iron and Dutch oven. (The only place these things aren’t mentioned as a joke).
- Cooler.
- Plates, cups.
Sections (short expeditions) and short days (hiking ten miles when you are physically up to much more).
- MSR Windburner. (Pot/stove combo).
- Quesadilla pan. (Pure luxury).
“Real” backpacking (anything where we need to cover distance between resupply).
- Stanco Greasepot & Cosy.
- BRS stove.
Silverware varies a lot. Other than long handled titanium spoons it can really vary.
All of those things are right “at the right time” and many are right for younger, stronger hikers where they would not be for us.
That is an important point. Much of what is right is relative to who you are and your tastes.
We own:
- Two different frying pans.
- Multiple pots.
- A Snow Peak, two different GasOne stoves, a Jet Boil, an MRS Windburner (with two pots), titanium and aluminum pots (including two IMUSA cups and the Stanco), an Apex Giant and a BRS for our simple stove collection. And the Coleman style stove (well, two of them).
- Two different filter types (Sawyer and Katadyn, including their authorized clone) and Aqua Tabs.
- Two titanium long spoons, a short titanium spoon and a Sea to Summit Aluminum spoon as well as Light my Fire sporks (spoon one end and fork the other).
- Cold soak jars.
For framing of what we use our cook gear for:
On trail, we quickly got to one hot meal a day with a cold breakfast, a snack, lunch and a second snack. Then a hot dinner. Hot breakfasts just were not worth the effort.
Sometimes if we are tired we have breakfast style food for dinner.
For car camping it is the same unless it is with children/grandchildren, then we do full breakfasts and more.