I have been using stoves and pots for a bit of time now. I have a snow peak canister stove and multiple homemade alcohol stoves. I have had a 700ml and 1300ml titanium pot to cook in. I have had enough time to figure out what kind of cooking I do on the trail.
So I'm looking for my "perfect" go-to cook set for my thru hiking, camping, back country, hunting, & world adventures. I believe there is one out there.
And I'm eyeing the Caldera Ti Tri Sidewinder with great hopes that it is everything I'm looking for.
Things I like:
It's lightweight
It's multi-fuel compatabile
It's efficient
It's a proven design
It fits inside your pot
What I don't Like:
I've never seen one in person
There's a lot of parts
It's a heavy investment
Not sure how easy they are to cook with
I also want to pair it with the Toaks/Evernew 900ml wide bottom pot. I prefer wide bottoms like my Evernew 1300 ultralight pot. I think they are easier to cook in and boil water faster with alcohol stoves. I feel I do not all the space the 1300ml offers and can move down to a 900ml for all my solo adventures. And I always appreciate cutting out some real estate from my pack space.
I do A LOT of in pot cooking. I'd say 50/50 when I'm on the trail. It's one of those things I just enjoy doing. There's also something about eating out of your pot and not a freezer bag that makes me feel better at the end of a long day on the trail. I successfully cook over alcohol stoves. But prefer one that doesn't burn on FULL blast. One that has a smaller flame output.
All though I never really use esbit, I do cook over a fire and WILL utilize the stove as a wood burner. I'm actually very excited about having a real dedicated wood burning stove. Not specifically for an AT thru-hike, but I would use it on overnighters/hunting trips all the time if I had a wood burning stove. I've never really found the need to use Esbit...yet. On the AT or most other hiking trails I'll use the alcohol stove most of the time and maybe do some wood burning when I feel like it.
So my research has led me to the Caldera Cone Ti-Tri Sidewinder with Toaks 900ml pot and modified starlyte stove. I'm about to pull the trigger on this setup. I feel its everything I need/want in a cook set.
I have not really found any other systems that are competitive with the CC setup. The Ever new Appalachian set is the only other one but I have not read good things. I've already crossed that one off the list of possibilities.
Any other options out there before I go ahead with the CC? Anything I should know about it? I feel as if I need to do more research especially with all the options it comes with. But, that's why I'm here asking.
Regards