Researching Camping
Cook Sets?

Camping cook sets are either engineered or a hassle. The best mess kits make backpacking and camping easier.

Well thought out camping cook sets can make your life easier because they save you time, weight, and room. The trick is to get the right camping cookset. Better camping mess kits are well-made, have multi-purpose uses, and "nest" or fit together for storage so they take up less space.

I don't recommend non-stick coatings because they can burn and once they do your pot/pan is history, plus they don't wear very well. I also avoid aluminum cookware when possible because food sticks easily to uncoated aluminum, it dents easily, and due to the possible health concerns it raises. If you're looking for something to use for car camping where weight isn't much of a concern stainless steel is probably the way to go as it's durable, scratch/dent resistant, and should last the longest.

Stainless is heavier and cooks less evenly than aluminum but I'll get to the light stuff in a minute. MSR is well known for making great cookware. Their Alpine Guide Cook Set (available at BackCountry) nests together, the 3 individual lids double as plates, and the removable handle keeps things compact, very cool (the Alpine Kitchen Set is light and a nice camping equipment addition too). Take a look at stainless if you cook over a fire. At 3 lbs 2 ounces it's going to be a little heavy backpacking though...

For backpacking lighter camping cookware is better. Titanium cookware is the lightest you can get, it's dent/scratch resistant, and it has the highest strength-to-weight ration (it's very durable). The bad news is that it doesn't heat as evenly as cast iron (best), aluminum (2nd best), or stainless steel so you'll want to cook at a lower heat, add a little oil, and stir often, it's also more expensive. Once again I give the nod to MSR with their Titan Titanium Mini Cookset. At 10.9 ounces for two pots, a lid, and pot lifter that's pretty darn good.

So it pretty much comes down to what people use their camping cook sets for and how much weight they want to carry. Unless of course you can sneak those nice cast-iron pans into your buddies backpack without him noticing.
;-)