Cooksets??

[LeatherNeck77]

I am in need of a good cookset for my bob, preferably surplus. Anyone know any? I've looked at a bunch of surplus sites myself before asking this, helllllppp pls

[tommyatomic]

Is there a specific reason your after surplus? Is it for the perceived sturdiness?

How many are you cooking for? just yourself?

If you cooking solo I would suggest the Snow Peak Mini Solo Cookset. It is not surplus but it is titanium. And its made to contain a hiking stove/burner with fuel.

[Murph]

For backpacking purposes, a full blown cookset is a waste of weight. You should be able to cook most everything with a metal cup.
For car camping, it might be useful if you want to cook things over an open fire, but if not paper plates and plastic utensils make for way easier clean up.

Decent meal planning saves a lot of headache.

[Merovech]

Are you traditional or a 'gear head'?

I carry a small Iron Skillet (6 inch) in my BoB, I get laughed at by ZS, but it gets the job done and will last forever.

I also have a thing for the little stanley meal kits with the two nesting cups inside. Fits nice inside a hobo stove.

I also keep a larger iron skillet in my Vehicle as part of my car kit. This is a generational thing, I have photos of my great great grandparents along the side of the road cooking with one.

[bacpacjac]

It really depends on what you want to do and how much you want to carry, but some of my favourite cheap and lightweight options are:

-my GI canteen set
-a coffee can nested in a big tin cup
-a frying pan or pie plate is dual purpose for cooking and eating, and can work together for baking
-my BOB has an Outbound Robson andonized cookset
-our family BOB has an old bugaboo cookset
-LOVE my small cast iron skillet too, but I don't often carry it because of the weight
-aluminum foil makes a great lid, BTW

[jdev]

I use a GSI Pinnacle Soloist that I will be trying out on my next excursion. It's relatively small and lightweight, and fits a MSR PocketRocket and small fuel canister inside it, for added space savings.

[Crocuta crocuta]

I use a trangia Stormcoocker set alumium (small) and a titanium cup.


And i'm very happpy with it. less weight and good heat.

For my last hike i used a Tatonka pot set Stainless steel with a MSR burner. does the job, but can give troubles.


Perfect would be, a trangia burner with a stainless steel pot.

I perfer stainless cause it is easy to clean in the field. and its stronger,

[DaleGribble]

I have a GSI Pinnacle Dualist. It is not surplus, but it is extremely small and extremely lightweight for a 2 person set. I picked mine up for around $48. It conducts heat well, it includes everything you'd need, albeit the utensils are throwaway telescoping plastic.

The one person is available for less, and is obviously lighter/smaller.

[Manimal2878]

GSI soloist is what I use.

.like hinted at above toss the foon that comes with it.

[TacAir]

I am in need of a good cookset for my bob, preferably surplus. Anyone know any? I've looked at a bunch of surplus sites myself before asking this, helllllppp pls

Does it have to been USGI surplus?

If not
[url]http://www.survivingnstyle.com/emergenc ... g-kit/[url]
This basic survival cooking kit is made of sturdy, lightweight aluminum. The Meta-50 kit comes with 2 cooking/serving bowls, a wind screen, a handle for lifting hot bowls, and a lid that doubles as a plate. The pieces fit neatly together and secure with a leather strap. A small amount of fuel source, like Esbit Fuel Cubes or InstaFire, can be stored in one of the bowls before securing the lid. These kits are in "well used" army surplus condition (some dents) and they measure 8 1/2" x 4". Made in Switzerland.

Source- http://www.swissmilitarydepartment.com/ ... rplus.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AND

http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/view ... 14&t=49548" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AND


which I now have. Very nice, even for a china knockoff.

[Mikeyboy]

Like others have said it depends on what you want to do with it.

For a couple, Family or multi people I'm going to ditto the GSI Micro Dualist. I also agree that while the set is awesome the "Foons" are crap and should be replaced with something else. I have a few of those light my fire sporks in my family kit.


If you are talking surplus to save money, Those Stanley Adventure Steel CookKits they sell in Walmart/Target are actually great for the sub $20 price.


Personally though when I go solo hiking camping, all I need is a Spork with a Large metal cup to boil water and eat out of. That may gross out people drinking coffee for breakfast out of something that you just ate Mashed Potatoes or Ramen out of the night before, but it never bothered me.

Other cheap solo options is just to get a metal cup with a stainless steel water bottle.

Or you can go the USGI Metal Canteen and canteen cup combo.

[catalyst]

Are you traditional or a 'gear head'?
I carry a small Iron Skillet (6 inch) in my BoB, I get laughed at by ZS, but it gets the job done and will last forever.

WOW! That is a ton of weight. I love cooking on cast iron, but I don't think I'd ever have it in my pack. You might as well shove it into a plate carrier and call it a day. If you plan to live off your BOB indefinitely, I could see it having use, but then its more of an INCH bag, no?

I use a GSI Dualist for backpacking. My BOB gets a GSI stainless Glacier cup on the bottom of my nalgene. It'll do anything important that I need it to do and its pretty much bombproof, I considered a Ti cup, but the stainless glacier actually worked out better for me over an open flame / coals, and it holds the heat better.

[74 or more]

I have a Jetboil ZIP and a MSR alpine stowaway pot. These 2 together make for a bulky cook set but it works. Might switch to an MSR pocket rocket.

[drop bear]

Been using a tangia alcohol stove with a rocket stainless steel pot and a knock off silicone fold out cup thing for my work brew kit.

Works Ok and is simple. I like that it is wide. It means I can get to the handle throught the alcohol stove flames.

[Action.Jackson]

For a BOB I think a jetboil is a fantastic option if you dont already have a stove. Its relatively light, very efficient on fuel, and its easy/fast. Easy/fast seems to get overlooked a lot. I have a Caldera Tri-Ti stove, which has the capability of running alcohol or wood or esbit tabs. This is what I plan on using for an extended scenario.

If i'm in a 72 hour bob bag situation, I want something thats fast that requires no thought on my part. No gathering sticks or measuring fuel or priming. Also its FAAAAST. Two minutes and youre ready to go again. So if youre eating on the move, you can boil your water and as soon as you pour it stuff everything back into the pot and stow it.

They do have surplus jetboils as it is used by the military, but your most likely going to be able to find it at a camping website like rei or backcountry. I was lucky to have found mine for $40 dollars as a store was selling all their rental gear.

[Towanda]

I'm partial to alcohol stoves. Alcohol is a safer fuel than either propane or white gas. Here is a review of a civilian Trangia burner and Clikstand stove that I wrote a few years ago.

Sent via mimeograph.

[Mikeyboy]

Been using a tangia alcohol stove with a rocket stainless steel pot and a knock off silicone fold out cup thing for my work brew kit.

Works Ok and is simple. I like that it is wide. It means I can get to the handle throught the alcohol stove flames.

Oh they are the MSR stowaway pots. The originals are not that expensive, between $15 and $25 depending on the size, and you can find them in REI and Dicks. If I was going to go all stainless I would get one of those. A bit heavy, but pretty indestructible.

[Pinkmist]

Okay OP if your buddy is trying to go on the cheap you may want to look into something I found on another board and will be trying later on.

1) $6 Knockoff MSR pocket Rocket, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004U8 ... UTF8&psc=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Comes from China so it hasn't shown up yet. Other's said it can be difficult to screw onto the fuel cannister at first but improves the more you use it and with a bit of lube added. Here is a video review, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUZ-I0GOB24" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , there seem to be a bunch of other videos on this stove as well.

2) Cheap aluminum pot, http://www.amazon.com/Imusa-Aluminum-Gr ... +dispenser" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I bought this at Walmart the other day for $6 or $7.

Including the 8 ounce fuel canister I picked up at Sports Authority today for $5.99 I may have a useable setup for under $20. Combined with the canteen cup and GI mess kit I already have I may have my bases pretty well covered. We will find out when the stove gets here.

[maldon007]

I have this knock-off stove, used it many times with no issues, works great.
http://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Triang ... tove+piezo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kommander]

I use a $15 aluminum pot I got from REI to cook for my girlfriend and I with a trioxane stove. All my cooking stuff fits right into the pot for storage.

[drop bear]

Been using a tangia alcohol stove with a rocket stainless steel pot and a knock off silicone fold out cup thing for my work brew kit.

Works Ok and is simple. I like that it is wide. It means I can get to the handle throught the alcohol stove flames.

Oh they are the MSR stowaway pots. The originals are not that expensive, between $15 and $25 depending on the size, and you can find them in REI and Dicks. If I was going to go all stainless I would get one of those. A bit heavy, but pretty indestructible.

Because I am in Australia Buying from asia is considerably cheaper. But otherwise yeah it is basicly the MSR.

[drop bear]

By the way these are silicone dog bowls. They are about three bucks.



I personally cant stand drinking out of the metal container I have cooked in. Mine has been going constantly as my coffee cup for almost a year now.

[Merovech]

Are you traditional or a 'gear head'?
I carry a small Iron Skillet (6 inch) in my BoB, I get laughed at by ZS, but it gets the job done and will last forever.

WOW! That is a ton of weight. I love cooking on cast iron, but I don't think I'd ever have it in my pack.

It's a small 6 inch, it doesn't weigh all that much and my BoB is otherwise pretty trim at 30lbs. Cast Iron is what I know and what I use.

[111t]

You have different POU's with regard to cooksets. You may be looking for something to boil relatively small amounts of water to rehydrate FD food or make some warm drinks. In such cases many of the small backpacking pots may do quite nicely. Military canteen systems are generally good for this as well. Also dont overlook some of the compact tea kettles. If you think that you will be boiling large amounts of water from ice and snow, a moderate to large backpacking model is in order. If you will be stewing game a larger billy type pot may be best. In general, I prefer stainless steel for any implement that will be used for extended periods with 'non traditional' cleaning supplies. Aluminum will work well, but will be less durable. The stanley pot listed above seems nice. GSI has introduced a stainless steel teapot that would work well. The often mentioned MSR/seagull Stow away pots are excellent and are a personal favorite of mine. You can select the size to fit your needs and also to fit your kit. I think the large Stow away is an ideal compromise for all of the different uses.

The choices I've personally made are as follows:
Compact-- USGI canteen cup and or BCB Crusader system. both with Heavy Cover Lids.
Short term(+/- 72hr-- Ledmark alcohol cookset)
Main Bag Large Stow away pot
Basecamp- Ordinary household cookware + Dutch oven.

Also... If you insist on a military kit... Thed gold standard in every respect except weight is the stainless steel version of the Swedish Military cookset. As I said it's a little heavy, and possibly priced in a ridiculous manner.