Keeping cookware clean.

[Kieran]

Hi guys.
if you make a brew/cook food in pans on the trail.
how do you clean it? :)
Thanks

[Shewie]

Bracken or sphagnum moss are superb for wipe out wet mucky pots.

If you've got greasy remains in your pot, throw some ash from the fire in then top it up with water, let it boil for about five minutes and the grease will have disappeared and your pot will be shiney clean.

[gabrielo]

i´ve always got a metal sponge in my kit you know that kind of you also would use in the kitchen. works perfect on stainless steel. but the tip from shewie with the ashes is also an excellent way of cleaning your pots & pans.

[Ashley Cawley]

I do the same as Shewie really , Sphagnum moss, ash, whatever is near the river bank, squirrels, ok don't use squirrels :p but sometimes I'll use silt from the bottom of the stream to help remove stuck-food. Best not to use any with large gravel in or you'll start to put grooves in the bottom of your pot.

[Shewie]

Forgot to mention another one for you coast dwellers ...

Put your mucky pot on the rocks at low tide with a couple of stones in, by morning the waves and sand will have cleaned it out nicely. My mate does this when we're canoeing on the sea lochs in Scotland, it's probably not a good idea to just set one down on the beach in front of the breakers though :)

[MikeWilkinson]

can't beat wood ash and a quick boil, it's like mini soap making in your pot, a really mild potassium hydroxide solution is made with the ash, combines with the grease to make a really weak soap (Saponification). It is only mild but it works. Real soap making takes a lot more effort, think there is a tutorial on the website somewhere.

[Ashley Cawley]

As for the black outside of your pot; that stays for me, obviously I like the black/used look, so a newly received billy-can cosey that Martin made for me could be handy for keeping the black/char/tanin away from the rest of the kit in my bag. :)

Thanks again Martin! ... (might be after one for my Zebra billycan soon) ;)

[Martin]

As for the black outside of your pot; that stays for me, obviously I like the black/used look, so a newly received billy-can cosey that Martin made for me could be handy for keeping the black/char/tanin away from the rest of the kit in my bag. :)

Thanks again Martin! ... (might be after one for my Zebra billycan soon) ;)

Anytime mate and anything to make those horrible black pans look a little shinier. ;)

Martin

[Bambii]

In cadets the hexi blocks leave loads of black crap on the bottom of your mess tins, if you tuck the handle in and hold onto it and scrub forward on back on the ground. That seems to get rid of it.

[Bush_Men]

If you want shiny pots on the outside, rub the charcoal left from a fire and then, just use some water or cloth and it will be a lot better...

[Mouldsy]

I have used horsetail in the past(the plant not the real thing) they work really well as they have a natural scourer in them, I have also used horse-chestnut leaves and the seeds when they are both crushed and little hot water added they make a great soap with I think has anti-bacterial properties as well.