Lightweight Backpacking Pots & Mugs
I'm back from Argentina! The wedding was beautiful and Argentina was a truly amazing country. We even got to take a side trip to Uruguay. Thank you to all of you who sent us your regards--I wish you all could have been there. Anyway, the honeymoon is over and now it's time to get back to gear!
Lightweight Backpacking Pots & Mugs
Reviewed by Jason Klass
on
April 17, 2009
Rating:

16 comments
I'm working on finding the best solo pot right now. Presently have been trying out the Trapper Mug from backpackinglight.com. It has just enough water for one dinner, and just barely enough for a little morning coffee after making my oatmeal. I really would like to get one of the BPL Firelite 550 mugs as soon as they get restocked. I think it would be just about perfect for my boil in bag meals and a warm drink. For backpacking with my girlfriend I've been using an old Ti Evernew .9L pot. It's the prefect size for 2, but I'd like to find a lighter alternative.
Jared,
I used to have the Evernew 0.9 L pot and it was great! I sold mine on eBay but wish I would have kept it. The MSR Titan Kettle is great for couples but I miss the wide, swing-out insulated handles of the Evernew. Nice design!
Day hikes (hot tea only): Heinie can with MBD Magic Mouse alcohol stove. Absolute lightest setup I've found.
Solo: Ultralight Outfitters Beercan Esbit Stove System or MSR Titan kettle with MBD Mini-Atomic alcohol stove and a tea light tin glued to a foil disk for simmering. Either gives me enough capacity to boil enough water for Ramen and tea in one burn.
With kids: Open Country Sierra 5-Piece Non-Stick Backpacking Set (usually just the large pot, lid and pot holder) with Brasslite alcohol stove. I can actually cook something with this if I have to.
I use the BPL 550 without handles and the Evernew 900. For short trips it is the BPL pot but for longer trips it is the Evernew because I like to have more flexibility the longer I travel.
Congratulations on your wedding.
Jason,
You came up with this one a while back. The silicone pot grips, the idea to cut them down to make insulated pot grips. This makes a lid that can be easily used in any mug or pot as well. I cut the circles out of the silicone to suit any pot dimensions. I cut them about ½ inch bigger than my pots. To make a perfect round lid I use a gasket cuter or even better find a can that is ½ bigger than the desire dimension you need. Then use the exposed sharp edges of the can as a cookie cuter and press against the soft silicone making a lid. I have punch a hole near the edge and simply adding a length of fiberglass wick for lifting the lid and it work great. (Another of your ideas) This was so easy to make and is very versatile.
Thanks.
Esdras
Jason,
Welcome back! I'm going to be switching cook kits soon. I'm going with the Titanium Goad Ti-tri caldara (3 fuel system). It can be custom made from many pots but I think i'm going with their standard 550.
Robin
BackpackBaseCamp.com
I'm a big fan on non-stick cookware for easy cleaning. I use a non-stick 1.3L REI titanium pot (made by Evernew, I believe) for solo or two person trips. I don't fret the extra weight I carry because of the size, coating or handles. I'll pass on the various non-handled, or metal-handled cookware.
Pot linky: http://www.rei.com/product/764182
Esdras,
That's a good idea to use the pot grip as a lid! I never thought of that. Now, I'm going to revisit the idea. Thanks!
Jason,
I would say my go-to pot is my GSI Soloist Pinnacle. If I am doing larger meals and actually cooking (not just boiling water) I use a GSI Backpackers Set (the Bugaboo version, which is much more affordable).
While I own a ton of pots/mugs these are my favorites due to cooking evenly and not failing. For me I only use Ti on rare occasions. Hard anodized aluminum pots are more my fave...
I enjoyed this post a lot. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the review. I like the MSR Titanium pots but they are a bit expensive. Where did you get the material for your pot cosy?
www.desertdogjournal.com
Desert Dog,
You can get the material at most hardware stores like Home Depot. It's called Reflectix and comes in a roll. Some places sell it by the foot.
thx, i'll look for it.
The silicone pot grips, the idea to cut them down to make insulated pot grips. This makes a lid that can be easily used in any mug or pot as well. I cut the circles out of the silicone to suit any pot dimensions. I cut them about ½ inch bigger than my pots.
cpcheats
Thanks
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