backpacking pots and pans

[rlown]

I did read some reviews of the titanium pots that they leaked as they were thin and when they punched in the quantity markers, they'd leak there. YMMV.

[fishmonger]

I did read some reviews of the titanium pots that they leaked as they were thin and when they punched in the quantity markers, they'd leak there. YMMV.

my Mont-Bell has made it over 100 days of cooking for three without a leak problem. it isn't the lightest material, though. I have a second much lighter pot that worked fine on a one week trip, no leaks either, but I would not trust that thing for a longer trip or in winter when the pot becomes rather important.

thing about titanium as a material is that it doesn't conduct heat as well as aluminum, so you get a hot spot above the burner. I may do some experiments with my old square Belgian military aluminum pot - see if it boils faster.

If MSR didn't charge $40 for their strap on heat exchanger thingie, I'd try that too, but the price of that thing is ridiculous

[AlmostThere]

They are starting to come out with non teflon nonstick - a Primus set I have is hard anodized with multi layer titanium nonstick coating. It's not like teflon... Since they are being forced to stop making teflon anything in 2012, we should be seeing more options soon.

Check the Primus website - they sell frypans and pots ala carte. Not the lightest but probably better-for-you nonstick.

I'm a water boiler - I have a couple hard anodized options and a REI branded (Evernew, actually) ti pot, the .9 liter with no coating. The GSI Halulite teakettle (not the Kettlist, the other older version) weighs in as very slightly heavier than the REI ti pot. Either is a great lightweight option for most stoves. The other not-pricey solo option is the GSI Minimalist - I have used it with a small alcohol stove and the cozy/grabber works okay. My standby, however, is the REI Ti pot - it just works, with every stove I have, with just enough room inside to steam bake a couple muffins. It's about 40 bucks if you can still find it without the nonstick. 5 oz, I think.

[badtux]

As others mention, if you're wanting to cook vs. boil water, aluminum works a lot better. I'm a boil guy, so I've had a Snow Peak titanium pot for, hmm, close to 10 years now. Does *not* leak, BTW -- it's Japanese, the Japanese don't make stuff that leaks. It's sort of tall and skinny so it works okay with blowtorch-type isobutane stoves, not so well for those that spread the flame out, but an isobutane canister fits in it so it makes for a compact package in my backpack.

If you're intending to cook, your 30 year old aluminum pot is going to do much better than a newfangled titanium one. As for "easy to clean", that doesn't apply to any non-coated pot, whether titanium or aluminum.

[Wandering Daisy]

I do "real cooking" and have used both aluminum and titanium. I prefer titanium. I find it cleans easier and cooks better (as long as you have a stove that simmers). I feel that my set of nesting titanium pots are one of my best backpacking investments. I have use them for nearly 10 years and they still look new. Plus they do not get bent and dinged as much as the old soft aluminum pots did. Alternatively, maybe I have just become a better cook over the years!

[East Side Hiker]

From what I've heard, aluminum cookware is very bad for you. There are so many things to sort out as research results give us more info about how different materials impact us.

[js hill]

Wandering Daisy, I was wondering what type of scouring/sponge you use to clean your pots? I find a "Tuffy" plastic, scratch pad works well on aluminum. How do you protect your larger pot from becoming scratched when you put the smaller pot inside of the larger one...or do you have to be concerned about this? Do you use plastic spoons and forks to stir your meals while cooking? I don't know how durable titanium is, with aluminum it is not an issue. Thanks for your input. js hill

[kpherzog]

For years I have been using a Mirro el-cheapo supermarket aluminum pot with lid and attached handle. I cook in the pot & use a cozy my wife made for it. The total, pot & cozy, weighs in at 5.2 oz. (Similar sized REI .9 liter Titanium weighs in at 4.9 oz.). I used the $50 I didn't spend on the titanium to buy something more cost-effective, and don't notice the "extra" 1/3 oz. I am carrying!

. . . Kurt

[Wandering Daisy]

to answer js-hill's questions-- I only take one pot so scratching with nesting is not an issue. I still like the nesting set, because I use a different size depending on the size of the group I am with. I actually have a smaller solo pot for when it is just me. The smallest of the nesting pots is the one that gets used the most.

To clean, I put cold water in the pot after use and let it sit while eating dinner. I then clean it with my fingers! Occassionally I will use a pinecone or small fir swatch as a scrubber. When I cook it is a full time job- I turn the stove down to simmer when I add food to the water and stir a lot. I NEVER burn food. If you clean it right away or at least soak it in water if you wait to clean, it is easy to clean. If it is still greasy inside, I just wipe it out with a small kerchief I carry as a towel - or use a few squares of toilet paper. I do not try to get it spotless. The next meal I will boil water in it and so it automatically gets sterilized. I use a titanium spork to stir. I have had these pots nearly 8 years of heavy use and they are almost good as new. The one pot I use the most is a bit discolored. When home I scrub the outside with a brillo pad just to get soot off, then put the pot in the dishwasher.

[Wandering Daisy]

To be honest here -- the $$ for the pots did not come out of my pocket. I am lucky that my kids are always asking "what do you want for Christmas" and then they pool thier money and get me really nice but not absolutely necessary backpackgear. As much as I love the pots, I really do not know if I would have bought them on my dime. Now that I have used them for years, I would pay the price if I ever need replacements.

I actually spent a good share of my backpacking in the past with the ultimate cheap pot- a tin can and pot grips and a free wooden paint stir stick. #10 can works great if cooking for 4. There are lots if different sizes- a lot that actually nest well. When finished with the trip, the "pot" would simply be discarded. You have to avoid tin cans that are coated inside. This was about 30 years ago and you could find simple, plain tin cans that were not coated. To clean the can, if we ever burned on food, we would scrape it out with sand or gravel. Snowballs make good scrubbers too.