whats in your cooking kit

[brucepanther]

I'm just wondering what people are carrying in they're packs for cooking, such as pot, pans, billys.
Just trying to figure out a set up that isn't too heavy but can cook a variety of foods.
Thanks

[Ichneumon]

I have everything from a dutch oven through to a titanium cookset, with a lot of other stuff in between. It depends on what you will be doing and what your personal preferences are. None of the many sets I have are perfect in all circumstances, there really isn't a one-size-fits-all.

There are many cheap aluminium sets on the market, some even come with a burner. You can cook many things with these but none to Michelin 3 star standard. If the set will fry and boil you have the basics covered. A four or five piece set should do enough for most people.

[FishyFolk]

One of my favourite themes :-)

Mine has been ever developing and it varies a bit what, and how much I bring depending on the trip. But for an overnight I have
an alu frying pan with a collapsible handle (makes for space saving). I like fried food so a frying pan makes sense for me.
Then I need some kind of pot for everything else. I do not like billy cans. They have a use, as they are easy to hang over a fire...but for me that's where their usefullness ends.
Can be difficult to pour from. But okay for a stew...

But mostly I need a pot for boiling stuff in, either just for tea water, or an isnatnt soup, or other freeze dried food. So my preffered wepon of choice these days is a
1 litre tea pot with a big suze lid, like GSI stainless steel tea kettle. Superb to boil water in, can be hanged over the fire, the handle does not get hot, has a spout so easy to pour from,
the big lid can be used as a plate, and makes for easy cleaining if I use it to heat a stew or make porridge in it.
If I have company I also bring a STainless steel cooking pot, or if the whole familly is out, the Trangia 27 kit.

Else for a short solo trip I only bring the tea pot.

[FishyFolk]

I have everything from a dutch oven

Thats what my dad gets for christmass...in the vain hope he will not like to use it, and fling it back at me later, ha ha.
But knowing the cunning old man, he'll stick to it, and use it every second day for the rest of his life...*grumbles*

[Ichneumon]

Thats what my dad gets for christmass...in the vain hope he will not like to use it, and fling it back at me later, ha ha.

That had me laughing! :D I fear you will never see it again Rune. :(

[FishyFolk]

That had me laughing! :D I fear you will never see it again Rune. :(

Well, well...then I just have to do the second best thing...show up hungry whenever he is using it, lol

[brucepanther]

I love my Dutch pot but I fear it's a bit of a beast to be carrying around in my kit bag that I'm trying to assemble

[Ichneumon]

It would help us to help you if you told us what you plan DO.

A question that runs like: I plan to be an engineer, which tool should I buy? Is almost impossible to answer. I shall be removing spark plugs from my car, what tool do I need? That is easy to answer.

See what I mean?

[OakAshandThorn]

First I used vintage aluminum mess tins from a cookset along with an old kettle, both of which were hand-me-downs from my brother's godfather. After that I switched to a Zebra 12 cm, but the heftiness wasn't too appealing for me. So I found an instructional video from Sintax77 on how to make a DIY ultralight cook pot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzWxP_b3dZM. Works fine for boiling water, but because of the shape of the can, cooking soups (not the instant mixes) can be tricky without scorching. But for boil-'n-bag meals or a pot for a day trip, this is what I favour. Aside from that I have an Olicamp 1 qt stainless steel cookset which consists of a pot with a frying pan that doubles as a lid. It is almost a clone to the Tatonka Kettle you brits have. Really like that kit...still a bit hefty because it's stainless steel, but the shape of the pot is ideal for slow cooking and even baking. Plus, you can cook two meals or two parts of a meal simultaneously...eggs and ham in the pan and oatmeal in the pot :D. I reserve the Olicamp for multi-day outings, though sometimes I cannot resist taking it along for an overnighter.

[ChrisCraft]

my whole kit is just a single billy can.

frying stuff in it is a little annoying, as its deep, you need something long to get down in there, but it does pretty much everything. turn it on its side, and it can become an oven, to bake in too.

i take a knife, fork, a spoon too, proper solid kitchen ones, i dont piss around with the kids size, fold-in-half, flimsy type. useless those things.

[brucepanther]

It would help us to help you if you told us what you plan DO.

A question that runs like: I plan to be an engineer, which tool should I buy? Is almost impossible to answer. I shall be removing spark plugs from my car, what tool do I need? That is easy to answer.

See what I mean?

I wasn't being vague my freind, I'm simply interested in what kit people carry with them, so far it's been very informative on the different kit people have said they are using.

[ChrisCraft]

i think he meant specifically, what you want it for.
you can optimise your kit, for doing certain things, or you can cater for everything.

for general water boiling, you can pretty much use any style pot, pan, container, either on a small stove, or directly sat on the fire, or hung above the fire.
what you should choose is down to volume of water needed i would say.
if you only go on day hikes, or single over-nighters, and just make the occasional cup of tea/coffee, something small will do you fine, but if your doing multiple days, or more, and need to stay properly hydrated, with spare water for cleaning things, and washing, i would recommend something bigger. its amazing how fast water can run out when theres no cold tap to turn on :)

depending on what you choose, most of the time you can use the same pot to cook in too. just gotta clean it more often.

aluminium stuff is lighter.
steel is more durable.

if you wernt using them that often, i think something like this, would do you good.
ive owned the exact same kit in the past, and it did more than i needed, and wasnt too big, or heavy.
only bad thing i found, was the copper coating on the base of the pans, came off after several cleans with a wire wool. maybe i was being too aggressive. didnt stop the pans from doing there job tho. still steel underneath.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vango-Stainless-Steel-Cook-Kits-1-2-3-4-and-8-Person-/170555432346?var=470009760506&hash=item27b5e55d9a:m:mSHdQ2KgVOCVQg9YFXxLdHA

2 Person kit : £21

- 1 x frying pan 16cm / 2 x pots 0.9L & 1.4L / 2 x cups / Weight: 724g
- Robust stainless steel body
- Copper base on pots & frying pan
- High sided frying pan
- Rounded bases
- Removable handle
- Plastic cups with handle
- Supplied in carry bag

can be used on a portable stove, or sat directly on the coals.
only downside with these type pans, is they cant be hung above the fire, as they dont have a handle.

[Happyhanger]

I usually carry a zebra can for boiling stuff or using as a small oven and a wire rack for grilling, I use a copper bottomed stainless steel plate with a foldable handle that doubles as a frying pan for when nothing but fried eggs with the bacon will do :) oh and tin foil.

[beermaker]

I have one of those Swedish army stainless trangia cookers which literally goes with me everywhere and regularly gets dogs abuse. The lid is great for frying and for using as a cup or cooking small amounts and the billy is good for bigger stuff and the whole lot including fuel, burner, tinder and all that packs into itself. I also use it on wood fires too and it works fine. Made a duffel bag for it to stop it making my other things mucky when it gets sooty.

Also have a larger billy that I made from a stainless biscuit barrel which I use over a wood fire, with an Ikea hobo stove which packs inside it too which I use when cooking for more than just me and the sprog.

[nephilim]

I have a campingaz camp stove for when I can't light a fire. And I small stainless steel frying pan and a plate. Will be buying a zebra billy kit when funds allowed.

[beermaker]

I picked up some nesting stainless steel storage bowls for a couple of quid from a local homewares shop. Combined with a camping pan handle they make great frying pans or small saucepans and double as bowls or deep plates. Being nesting, they take up very little room.

[nephilim]

You got a pic beermaker?

[beermaker]

Not to hand but will get one and post it

[brucepanther]

You got a pic beermaker?
I was going to ask the same thing! Sounds like a good little kit.

[Peaks]

Are they something like these? - Amazon have a range too

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5x-Stainless-Steel-Food-Container-Set-Crisper-Storage-Lunch-Box-Bowls-With-Lids-/141607613249?hash=item20f878b341:g:MFYAAOSw7aBVB-o5

[beermaker]

Typical sods law!! I know they're in the pantry somewhere but be damned if I can find them!!

Peaks, they're exactly like that set there! All I did was get them and add a camping pan handle and they work a treat!

Taken pics of my billy can set though - amazing what you can get in it really!!

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o775/beer-maker/IMAG0219_zps5upwdg9n.jpg (http://s1342.photobucket.com/user/beer-maker/media/IMAG0219_zps5upwdg9n.jpg.html)

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o775/beer-maker/IMAG0220_zpsxo34r4nc.jpg (http://s1342.photobucket.com/user/beer-maker/media/IMAG0220_zpsxo34r4nc.jpg.html)

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o775/beer-maker/IMAG0221_zpsqylczsvq.jpg (http://s1342.photobucket.com/user/beer-maker/media/IMAG0221_zpsqylczsvq.jpg.html)

One Billy holds a hobo fire, a smaller Billy and lid made from a sugar canister, a pan handle, a tin of fat wood, a tin of kapok, a pot of cotton wool and Vaseline, a tin of char cloth, a bic lighter and a fire steel!

[brucepanther]

How the hell did that all fit in there! !

[Humakt]

What I take depends on what I'm doing.
For just a simple brew kit then I use a titanium pot/mug - it fits snugly under a nalgene bottle and you can use it to boil the water and drink from (just like the old crusader mug).
A cooking option is the crusader mess tin.
You can boil up in the main tin, then use it for cooking in, and use the lid as a frying pan. I use it with all the usual kinds of stove - gas, meths, wood stove. I even rigged up a bit of chain so it could be suspended over a fire. Not sure how much the crusader mess tin is (£20?) but its money well spent. The size and shape is perfect for one person and because it's flatter than a zebra billy it's easier to pack and find a space for. And being stainless steel means it's tough.

[beermaker]

How the hell did that all fit in there! !
Ninja packing!!

[rik_uk3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkOlj-DUXzE&feature=youtu.be

[brucepanther]

Wow that's some kit you got there Richard! The chilli looks awesome mate :)