Camping cookware recommendations?

[Ynne]

So I've been planning to start camping with a friend of mine this summer. We've been discussing cookware but I'd be interested in recommendations/advice.

Right now we are leaning towards non-stick titanium stuff. We realize that seems like it might have a shorter life potentially then other gear but seems like it'd be worth it for the plusses. Any suggestions, specific or generic?

Thanks!

[Caberfeidh]

So I've been planning to start camping with a friend of mine this summer. We've been discussing cookware but I'd be interested in recommendations/advice.
Right now we are leaning towards non-stick titanium stuff. We realize that seems like it might have a shorter life potentially then other gear but seems like it'd be worth it for the plusses. Any suggestions, specific or generic? Thanks!

Yes, but you're not going to like my suggestion! Plain steel billy cans with lids that are also frying pans. They cost about £20 for a set of three, you don't need to take them all, I use just the smaller two with their lids. Lightweight non-stick titanium needs very specific cookers, utensils and cleaning products; use them on a fire and they'll buckle and disintegrate, use a metal thing to turn your sausages and you'll scrape off the non-stick coating and if you're out of nylon sponge scrubbers and detergent you can't clean them. Steel cans can be used on any cooker or fire, can be used with an ice screw to turn your sausages and can be scrubbed clean with a handful of sand and heather. And they're much more robust and hard wearing, and a heap cheaper than titanium non-stick sets.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Billy-Can-Nesting-Pan-Set/dp/B002HSSSV6/ref=sr_1_17_sspa?keywords=steel+billy+cans&qid=1561565868&s=gateway&sr=8-17-spons&psc=1

[davekeiller]

What sort of stove do you intend using and how many people are you cooking for?
Also, what sort of camping are you intending doing?
If you're taking a car to a campsite, then you can just use your normal pans from home, at least for your first couple of trips.
If backpacking, I'd suggest a simple aluminium or stainless steel set of nesting pans for the reasons outlined above.

[Marty_JG]

My kit is Evernew Titanium Solo: a cook pot, a drink pot, a lid. Ultra-lightweight and it keeps my Titanium alcohol stove & bobbins (e.g. foil windcheater). Controversially I don't use the Evernew Ti stove I bought... runs through fuel too quickly. The Vargo Triad is a much superior.

However I don't "cook", I boil water, for organic dust to rehydrate, or for drinks.

[Marty_JG]

Lightweight non-stick titanium needs very specific cookers, utensils and cleaning products; use them on a fire and they'll buckle and disintegrate

Exqueezeme?

You need to strip any silicone grips for the handles, and be prepared for a coating of black soot, but if your titanium pot buckles & disintegrates in a camp fire you might want to have a few words with your vendor, the words being "take THIS ya thieving bast!".

[bydand_loon]

I use titanium pots, I've had one of them over 10 years and apart from it being a bitty discoloured due to different cookers It works as good as the first day out.

Most of mine are Alpkit, older models than they currently do, also have a toaks pot (I believe Alpkit and toaks get their Ti pots from the same source) and a wee snow peak one. They've all been used over Gas, meths, esbit and wood fuels

Biggest alpkit one i have is a 1350 size it has a frying pan lid, (dont know if it's still available) I've done steak, sausage, bacon in the lid no drama, the frying pan lid has slightly mis-shapen over the years, but its had some hard use.

I tend to eat freeze dried or meals/soups that just need water these days so get away with a 600 or 750 size, they do more than enough water for a meal and a brew.

The 750 Ti pot complete with a stormin cone and stove system + lighter, weighs a total of 178g. Down side being meths takes quite a bit longer than gas

My wife prefers her jet boil and doesn't care about the weight difference, I doubt if there many systems around that beat it for speed.

[Caberfeidh]

Perhaps everyone else has less conflagrational cooking fires; we melted a heap of aluminium beer cans in this one, in the morning there was a big lump of aluminium which had poured out and set hard under the grate...

Smelting aluminium in Bob Scott's Bothy fire, 1990s.

[rgf101]

I've got two sets

The Trangia 25 + kettle set. This has the stove, two pans, a frying pan and kettle. I use this for trips where I'm planning to be sitting around camp a bit drinking lots of cups of tea, or if it's not just me. It sits stably enough I don't need to watch it, but it's a bit bulky and heavy. I don't necessarily take all the bits every time. Needs a bottle of meths. I got the non-stick version, but the plain metal might be better - less worry about it getting damaged, and you can go at it with the steel wool.

GSI Halulite Minimalist pot. This comes with an insulated cover and a lighter which has never failed. Small fuel can and an MSR Pocket Rocket (or something similar, I forget) fits inside for very compact packing. Ideal for quick meals, but it isn't stable enough to leave it while you put your tent up, and the stove pours so much heat in at the bottom it's easy to scorch your food. I tend to use it to heat water for rehydrating meals / hot drinks rather than cook actual food in it.

[rockhopper]

Nothing fancy, not expensive, not heavy and still going strong, I've used the following for years with some tin foil to act as a windbreak.
Often just take the larger pan and lid as I only use it to boil water for dehydrated food and drinks - stove and 100gr gas with lighter all fit inside.

Cook set

Stove

Cannister stove stand [similar to this]

[dav2930]

Nothing fancy, not expensive, not heavy and still going strong, I've used the following for years with some tin foil to act as a windbreak.
Often just take the larger pan and lid as I only use it to boil water for dehydrated food and drinks - stove and 100gr gas with lighter all fit inside.

Very similar here, except the burner is a Coleman, at least 20 years old but v. light, and pots are Highlander aluminium mess kit, cost about £7 - 2 pans but I take only larger one, with lid, for backpacking. Burner, lighter and army style tin opener fit inside. Plus one of those articulated windshields with rods to poke in ground. Never felt the need for any alternative system.

[crfishwick]

So I've been planning to start camping with a friend of mine this summer. We've been discussing cookware but I'd be interested in recommendations/advice.

Right now we are leaning towards non-stick titanium stuff. We realize that seems like it might have a shorter life potentially then other gear but seems like it'd be worth it for the plusses. Any suggestions, specific or generic?

Thanks!

Depends on the type of camping you undertake. Titanium is rather expensive although for backpacking every ounce counts ( an old foggy here don't work in metric ).
Although any set is suitable at a push although remove any handles and rubber et al. Use a pot holder instead.

[Marty_JG]

Titanium is ultralight, and strong, and is what I have and use - but it has a high conductivity. That means it's unsurpassed for boiling water, and I use that hot water (and a home-made insulator) to rehydrate. It's not only less cookware weight to carry, it's less meal-weight to carry (I assume I'll find and filter water). But it's not ideal for cooking type cooking. Hard-anodized aluminium distributes heat better, and is still very light (compared to stainless steel) so if you're wanting your bacon & eggs & cook-'em-up meals then you should look to that.

[onsen]

Whatever you buy try & match it to your burner head...wide flame spread to a squat, wider bottomed pot. Narrow concentrated flame to a taller, small bottomed pot.

Aluminum if your actually cooking food...
Titanium if your just boiling water to add to freeze dried foods...

[simcc]

Definitely the Alpkit Brukit:

I consider it among the best bits of gear I have.

[SMRussell]

Alpit Kraku ultra-compact titanium micro camping stove (45g). Been using this for over a year. I've been very impressed and suffered no issues with it.

Alpkit MytiMug 650 titanium cooking mug. Fits a 100g gas canister inside with room for my Kraku stove, two lighters and a small bottle opener (or a Coleman C300 on its own). I tend to boil water in here and add it to freeze dried food (currently a fan of FirePot meals as I am a vegan and they have a good vegan range). Alpkit do the MytiPot 900 which is better for cooking.

Lixada Wind Shield - Ultra-thin Titanium Windscreen. Bought from Amazon.co.uk to upgrade from a traditional windshield. Very light and takes up very little space and has significantly reduced water boiling time. If it is a bit windy, one or two lightweight tent pegs can be used to keep it in place. It is designed to be rolled-up for storage and carrying. I flattened mine while it was rolled and now it has fold lines. This has in no way compromised the items performance.

Links:
Alpkit Kraku stove: https://www.alpkit.com/products/kraku
Alpkit MytiMug 650 titanium cooking mug: https://www.alpkit.com/products/mytimug#product-reviews
Alpkit MytiPot 900 titanium camp mug: https://www.alpkit.com/products/mytipot
Lixada Wind Shield: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010AOUZ3C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
FirePot camp meals: https://www.firepotfood.com/collections/firepot-dehydrated-meals