How many liter pot/pan to use on long section hike.

[Many Moons]

Were to buy a cheap cooking pot for a long section hike and how many liters should it be?

One of my last needed items for Springer(NOBO) hike in April is a cooking pot. Already bought a pocket rocket, now I need something to cook in. Saw a 1.1L and 1.6L MSR pot at REI that seemed a bit heavy. I will be solo and will need to heat some Romen Noddles and Mountain house type meals. Any advice from the experienced would be nice. I'm taking a thru-hike class at REI this weekend that may answer some of my questions, but would like to know if there is a cheap alternative to the MSR cook pot.

Thanks!

[Ender]

I've used a 1 liter pot on my AT thru and PCT half-thru... never needed anything bigger.

[Ender]

As far as cheap alternative... go to K-Mart or WalMart and get a 1 liter aluminum grease pot. They are very light, and the perfect size. You'll also probably want to go to your local camping store and pick up a pot gripper so you can pick up the pot when it's hot.

[RWheeler]

As far as cheap alternative... go to K-Mart or WalMart and get a 1 liter aluminum grease pot. They are very light, and the perfect size. You'll also probably want to go to your local camping store and pick up a pot gripper so you can pick up the pot when it's hot.

If you go with the grease pot, a beanie works well as a cozie once you've moved it with a gripper or whatever, btw.

[Many Moons]

What is a beanie?

[RWheeler]

AKA a knit cap.

[TOMP]

try the Primus litech kettle, only 16 bucks, and fills 32 oz works like a pot and it boils quicker do to larger surface area on the bottom then comparable backpacking pots. It weighs 6.5 oz and has its own handle.

[Spokes]

I used a 1.3L titanium pot on my 2009 thru but have since gone down to a .9L pot. I've also carried a 15.9 oz. Snow Peak without any issues.

[JAK]

A 1 litre pot is better in winter, and for doing soup at the end of your hiking day. Depending on you stove system though, you can get by with something smaller. I`ve taken to a bowl recently, rather than a mug or pot. I also like ambiquous shapes, as in, is it a cup or a mug or a bowl or a pot. Keep them guessing.

[Spokes]

I look at it this way, most dinner meals require about 3 cups of water (2 cups for meal and 1 cup for a hot beverage). So 3 cups equals 0.709L. My .9L pot works out perfectly.

[flemdawg1]

For Mtn House and Ramen (1 package) you really only need 16oz or 600ml of volume. Ramen requires 1 cup of water (8oz, 500ml) and enough space for displacement before the water is soaked in. MH meals typically only need 2 c (16oz, 500ml) and you pour the water into the pouch.

AGG sells a 3 cup Al pot for $10 that only weighs 4oz. You might need a grabber, but you can easily make one by cutting down a silicone cupcake cup that'll weigh 1/4 of a metal one.

http://www.antigravitygear.com/antigravitygear-3-cup-aluminum-non-stick-cook-pot.html

[rocketsocks]

I look at it this way, most dinner meals require about 3 cups of water (2 cups for meal and 1 cup for a hot beverage). So 3 cups equals 0.709L. My .9L pot works out perfectly.Yes sir,+1 on the .9L and a big A+on the extre git up spokes.

[RWheeler]

I look at it this way, most dinner meals require about 3 cups of water (2 cups for meal and 1 cup for a hot beverage). So 3 cups equals 0.709L. My .9L pot works out perfectly.


For Mtn House and Ramen (1 package) you really only need 16oz or 600ml of volume. Ramen requires 1 cup of water (8oz, 500ml) and enough space for displacement before the water is soaked in. MH meals typically only need 2 c (16oz, 500ml) and you pour the water into the pouch.

AGG sells a 3 cup Al pot for $10 that only weighs 4oz. You might need a grabber, but you can easily make one by cutting down a silicone cupcake cup that'll weigh 1/4 of a metal one.

http://www.antigravitygear.com/antigravitygear-3-cup-aluminum-non-stick-cook-pot.html

The thing to keep in mind is extra space for the "boil-over". In my 600mL pot, I have enough space to have water + Ramen and not have it empty out all over the place once it hits a solid boil.

And I like that idea of a cupcake cup. Probably works like the holder from the GSI Minimalist set I have.

[KeyWest]

GSI makes a 1L pot they call the Soloist. It's a cook system that comes with the pot, lid, and a cup with insulation. It nests with a fuel canister, pocket rocket, and their cup. It also includes a spork of some kind that I would throw away.

Mine lasted me 4000 miles and is still in good shaped despite having fallen off a firetower onto some rocks.

[flemdawg1]

The thing to keep in mind is extra space for the "boil-over". In my 600mL pot, I have enough space to have water + Ramen and not have it empty out all over the place once it hits a solid boil.

And I like that idea of a cupcake cup. Probably works like the holder from the GSI Minimalist set I have.

The GSI grabber is what gave me the idea, I'm just too cheap to pay $15 to buy it seperately. And I have a nice AL pot already.

[Spokes]

The thing to keep in mind is extra space for the "boil-over". ......

Well said for cannister stove users. Hardly an issue for eagle eye pot watchers using a trusty alcy stove. hehehehehe

[Bati]

The size of your pot also depends on your size and when you hike . I was eating 2 packs of ramen or 14 ounces of minute rice for a meal and still losing weight. When it warmed up, I was able to eat less and not lose any further weight. Add in some meat, oil and dry veggies and you'll want a pot bigger than a liter to cook it all at once.

If I'm on a short trail (250 miles or so) in good weather, a smaller pot is just fine and much preferred.

[Tinker]

Beware of pots with indented bottoms. This is done for efficiency of heat transfer, but if you try to fry something (or pop corn) you will probably burn the item where the inside of the pot is high in the middle (I did this with an old stainless MSR Alpine cookset).

I now use an Evernew 1.3 liter ti pot with the handles removed. My 750 ml. Snow Peak cup isn't that much lighter. It's amazing how much more volume you can gain vs. how much weight you gain. A pot that's 2x bigger than another one will not weigh 2x more.

[Bags4266]

a tall .9L Ti pot. One that can be used as a cup for hot beverges. .9L is plenty big for the type ofcooking your doing

[Blissful]

I used this (http://www.snowpeak.com/cookware/backpacking/trek-700-titanium-scs-005t.html). Worked great, no issues with a pocket rocket or similar. Took a separate small cup also, esp good for dipping water

[Tinker]

I used this (http://www.snowpeak.com/cookware/backpacking/trek-700-titanium-scs-005t.html). Worked great, no issues with a pocket rocket or similar. Took a separate small cup also, esp good for dipping water

I have one, too. The top is ridiculously heavy for its size. Use tin foil instead.

[Many Moons]

Went to wal-mart no luck, but found it at Kmart. It looks like it will work well. Now off to look for a pot gripper this weekend. Thanks for the advice.


As far as cheap alternative... go to K-Mart or WalMart and get a 1 liter aluminum grease pot. They are very light, and the perfect size. You'll also probably want to go to your local camping store and pick up a pot gripper so you can pick up the pot when it's hot.

[Spokes]

I just don't like how the top seam on the grease pot folds inward making it hard to clean. Seems like a great place for old food to accumulate and grow weird things.

[rocketsocks]

Are there two sizes of grease pots at WWorld?I saw one there but it looked pretty large maybe $9.98 or somethin like that.

[RWheeler]

I think there's a 1.4 or 1.5L pot as well.

[rocketsocks]

Thanks,yes the one I saw looked a little to big to carry

[Don H]

I used a 600ml Snowpeak Ti mug with a foil lid my entire thru. Never needed anything more.

[mkmangold]

If it uploaded correctly, this is a pic of mine. It's inside diameter is about 5.5 inches. The lid fits tightly which I like. I made a cozy for it from some extra water heater wrap I had laying around. The lid has a layer of the same stuff taped to it.

[Zipper]

0,9 ml. I liked my Snowpeak titanium with a lid. It had handles so no pot gripper needed. I wrapped my stove in a bandanna and tossed it and the fuel inside the pot. Worked great for me and is still my go-to. Makes a whole box of mac and cheese with no problem.

[Papa D]

14863

This should be adequate.

[Hikes in Rain]

Looks like part of my car camping kit!

[Many Moons]

Why does one need a cozy for the pot? I see many responses with statements that they use a cozy after removing from stove. The grease pot I picked up last night has the lip turned to the outside and holds about 3-4 cups of fluid. According to most posts this should be about right.



If it uploaded correctly, this is a pic of mine. It's inside diameter is about 5.5 inches. The lid fits tightly which I like. I made a cozy for it from some extra water heater wrap I had laying around. The lid has a layer of the same stuff taped to it.

[Hikes in Rain]

Using a cozy allows you to turn off the stove a few minutes before your food is done, allowing it to cook the rest of the way on it's residual heat. Saves a bit of fuel each time, which can add up.

[mkmangold]

That's right: a cozy saves fuel. It also allows you to enjoy hot food longer in cold weather. I once used a beanie for my cozy but found it caused a conflict of interest between the pot and my head.

[Tinker]

That's right: a cozy saves fuel. It also allows you to enjoy hot food longer in cold weather. I once used a beanie for my cozy but found it caused a conflict of interest between the pot and my head.

....and you probably wouldn't want any mice chewing on spilled food on your hat when you're trying to sleep.

Hang anything that smells like food (or put it in Lone Wolf's tent);)

[Miner]

If you want to be able to actually cook in the pot, look for something around 900ml.

However, I used a 550ml titanium pot that weighed just over 2oz for my PCT thru-hike though titanium single wall mugs also work well. Google "Freezer Bag Cooking". For that style of cooking and for mountain house style dinners where you also pour the water into a bag to cook, you only need a pot big enough to boil enough water for your food. As you don't actually cook in the pot, you don't need as much volume and you don't have to clean it aftewards.

[QiWiz]

My favorite cheap pot for you would be the Stanco aluminum "greasepot" available online as well at some Kmarts and other outlets. Modify the lid it comes with or make a lid out of aluminum flashing or foil to save weight. It will hold a full liter. Cost is less than $10. Pot weight with foil or flashing lid is less than 4 oz.