backpacking pot sets (1 Viewer)

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Mace

Mace

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I have a MSR whisperlite stove and need a new pot set for it (going to be hiking the narrows in the near future)

Any good recommendations on a nice nestable pot set that does not cost a sea note?

GST looks the most appealing right now, but if there are better options out there. I'm all ears..
 
GST makes a nice set, so does MSR, but it's smaller, both sets rattle badly. I currently use the Optimus Terra cookset, which fits snug, and comes with an insulator cover, but it fits only enough for two.
I've combined the Terra and parts of my old MSR Duralite for a little bit of everything.
 
One of my buddies uses a MSR set that his Whisperlight nest inside of.


I'm still using my BSA set. :hillbilly:
 
I have a steel MSR kit that my Whisperlite nests inside of. It has two pots, one lid, and a handle. I bought it about 15 years ago so I'm not sure if it's even made any more.

Do you need them right now? If not watch Steep and Cheap: Zeal Emit Sunglasses - Polarized - $43.99 - 60% off. They have sets come up at least once a day for around 50% off. They just had a titanium cook set up for $32.
 
I'll keep an eye out on steep and cheap
Thanks!
 
How about one of these: Jetboil Flash Cooking System - Free Shipping for Members at REI.com

I bought this set up about a month ago and it works great. Just boil water and add to some freeze dried food. The Mountain House brand of freeze dried meals taste as good as anything you can make "fresh" while camping. Saves a lot of weight and space. You can get a coffee press for it, make some grits or oatmeal. I'll never pack pots/pans again.

Good deal at the sale price.

HTH

Edit: I had to give this item a better review. I think the Jet Boil is a game changer for the backpacking crowd. This product is well thought out and works very well. It will boil two cups of water in 2.5 min. which makes it very efficient. I bought the smallest gas can which will nest inside for storage. I have boiled water 12 times and it's still not empty. I bought the coffee press for about $15 and it works great, just use the jet boil for a mug. If you use the Mountain House freeze dried food, you use the bag to eat out of so no need for a plate. It has a built in piezo lighter that works with one push. Everything, including optional pieces, is nestable making for a very compact and lightweight unit.
 
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Not interested in purchasing another stove.

And, I am not a fan of the canister stoves.

I just want a pot to put the stove I already have in. :)
 
Keep an eye out on craigslist. I scored on a stainless MSR set for 40.00
 
I've had one of the classic 3/4L MSR pots for over 10 years, along with a Whisperlite stove. It's worked well, done everything I have asked of it. It was a bit bigger than I needed for solo endeavors, but was just right for me and the wife. It's heavy-ish but indestructible. In the past I've mostly done Mountain House type dehydrated meal-in-a-pouch stuff, so I've mostly used it to boil water. I've done more involved meals with it, but more as an exception than a rule.

I just this spring picked up this GSI set. I'm cooking for 2 1/2 people now, as we have a not-quite-two year old son in the mix now. I'm also starting to venture beyond the freeze dried pouch meals, which factored into the decision. It's not added any weight and bulk (maybe even reduced; I've not set it all side by side to see) in my backpack compared to the MSR and cobbled-together plate/bowl/mug kit that I'd assembled. It all packs into a self-contained kit. With it I've got a much bigger pot now, as well as a skillet. I have carried my cast iron (very occasionally and very short distances) backpacking when I was expecting to be catching some trout. I won't be doing that anymore.

It is NOT as burly as the classic MSR stuff. I have already gotten a bit of melting of the plastic lid if I'm not careful to keep it centered on the stove. I could see it melting more when using it over the skillet with higher heat. However, it cleans easier, packs easier, and generally is good quality solid stuff.

If I were to do it again, I'd take a close look at this guy from MSR. Pricier, but certainly looks to be a bit more durable. Either this or the GSI that I've got is robust enough for more involved meals/vehicle based camping and compact enough to go in the backpack anywhere I want to go.

Because it's simply what I have had, I've been using my backpacking kit, unchanged, for vehicle-based stuff up until now (except that the cast iron usually comes along), but that's changing too. I'll probably leave the Whisperlite at home now that I've got a two-burner propane, and I'll bring both the GSI and the MSR pots. The cast iron will likely keep coming with as it's a much larger cooking area than the small skillet in the GSI kit. One thing my MSR will do that the GSI will not is baking. The plastic lid is no-bueno for anything approaching baking temps. Putting the MSR with ~1/4 of it over a stove and rotating periodically will let you do some rudimentary baked goods without the weight and fire requirements of a Dutch oven.

Sorry for the cookware-life-story novel thing, but there you go. :)
 
lowtops said:
How about one of these: Jetboil Flash Cooking System - Free Shipping for Members at REI.com

I bought this set up about a month ago and it works great. Just boil water and add to some freeze dried food. The Mountain House brand of freeze dried meals taste as good as anything you can make "fresh" while camping. Saves a lot of weight and space. You can get a coffee press for it, make some grits or oatmeal. I'll never pack pots/pans again.

Good deal at the sale price.

HTH

Edit: I had to give this item a better review. I think the Jet Boil is a game changer for the backpacking crowd. This product is well thought out and works very well. It will boil two cups of water in 2.5 min. which makes it very efficient. I bought the smallest gas can which will nest inside for storage. I have boiled water 12 times and it's still not empty. I bought the coffee press for about $15 and it works great, just use the jet boil for a mug. If you use the Mountain House freeze dried food, you use the bag to eat out of so no need for a plate. It has a built in piezo lighter that works with one push. Everything, including optional pieces, is nestable making for a very compact and lightweight unit.
Click to expand...

Not a fan of Jetboil, or any other raw BTU unit of this style, they lack finesse, and I find canister stoves to be far to expensive for regular use, not to mention the limitations of finding fuel for them, the bulk, and dificulty in very cold temps. I do some pretty gourmet things while backpacking, and sometimes you need to simmer a sauce for your dinner or a creme anglaise for your morning granola, neither can be done with narrow pots and jet-engine stoves. They are great if everything's perfectly freeze-dried and reconstitutes in a few seconds flat, but I just don't roll that way, store-bought food generates too much trash.

Back on-topic: MSR makes a solid pot kit I think it's the Duralite kit, and I would not have replaced it had I not recieved the Optimus unit as a gift. That said, both are about the same in every way, lightweight, compact, and convenient.
I dislike the rattles and lack of and insulating cover for the MSR set, but am more bothered by the lack of a pot lid for the Optimus set. I must have a lid for my pots to save fuel and energy, and I use my MSR lid as a plate for eating, so I stuck the lid inside the Optimus set, and I'm happy.

I think the price is the cheif advantage for the MSR set, it's about 20 bucks cheaper thant the Optimus Terra, and it feels more complete, but I've come to find the non teflon surfaces of the Terra pretty handy because I don't ever worry about scratching it off.
Both have the cons of being a little undersized for anything more than three people.

GSI has the best anodized gear and lightweight hardware you can find, I have one of their tea kettles that I've stuck into my cookset, and it weighs nothing.

Brunton can be really hit-or-miss, some of their gear is just outstanding, while some of it is simply inconvenient.

Snow Peak is leading the pack with Titanium hardware, and I really dig their chopsticks.

Finally, Rusty:
I'm outright jealous of you, by the time I joined the Scouts, they were phasing out alot of their gear because they couldn't compete. If only I had a BSA cookset...
 
I have a set similar to this from MSR. I cut sections from a shammy towel to fit between the pots to prevent scratching and rattling and in the top pot to sit my Whisperlite bag w/ lighter on.

msr_quick2_pot.jpg
 
Bighead said:
I cut sections from a shammy towel to fit between the pots to prevent scratching and rattling and in the top pot to sit my Whisperlite bag w/ lighter on.
Click to expand...
I always used a few extra pairs of clean dry socks for pot and whatever padding. In a pinch they can be yet another pair of dry socks. Yeah, multiple uses for everything...
 
Eau de Bogo..
cody socks.jpg
 
Bogo said:
... Yeah, multiple uses for everything...
Click to expand...

X2!!!
I have no space in my pack for uni-taskers.

Man, I need a good backpacking trip soon...
 
lowtops said:
How about one of these: Jetboil Flash Cooking System - Free Shipping for Members at REI.com
Click to expand...
I have a JetBoil system and have to admit that it's pretty slick. I prefer a smaller/lighter setup though, small titanium stove and small SnowPeak pot). The JetBoil does really good at what it was designed to do...boil water. Also have a Whisperlite Intl which I haven't used in years. I love the design of the Whisperlite, can be used in extremely cold temps, etc....it's just so heavy and messy (prime, burn big orange flames, get pots all dirty) compared to a canister stove. Got the MSR SS cookware set with my Whisperlite, great sets of pots...a bit heavy/big for a solo trip, but durable pots that are still light enough to backpack with. -Mark
 
And I still haven't bought a TI cookset yet. Still using the stainless heavy ass one I started with.

Odd to go googling and find a thread you started lol.
 
Can you get by with one pot/cup? First pot I ever got was a stainless MSR stowaway 475ml, but I also picked up a 700ml REI Ti cup on sale many moons ago. Unless you are cooking for more than one, I think I could get by with one pot. My MSR Micro Rocket fits in either one with room for a packet of instant grits or oatmeal and some Starbuck's Via coffee and honey packets from Chick-fil-A. Canister gets stuffed somewhere else. For cold weather I take the Whisperlite, but it doesn't pack down as well.

1305031509_94.jpg

440
 
Last night I found this kettle. Hard anodized and stupid cheap. I'll be boiling water for at least 4 people meals so the 1.4 liter size is about right, and the whisperlite should fit inside without issue.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CRBLQJE/?tag=ihco-20

41oI818TlgL.jpg
 
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