Are Cast Iron Pans
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Cast-iron cookware is great for camping, although they may be a little heavy to include with your hiking gear. ;-)
Cast-iron is tough, though not as tough as titanium cookware, (dropping hot cast iron pans into a bucket of ice water or on a rock would be a bad idea) heats evenly (unlike thin aluminum pans), and can last a lifetime if properly cared for. Properly seasoned cast iron pots and pans will resist rusting, provide a non-stick surface, and allow you to cook with little or no extra oil/fat. Mmmmm lard... Just kidding. ;-)
Cast-iron camping cookware is a porous material with many tiny hills and valleys. By coating it with vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, or lard and heating it to 300 degrees F or so for half-an-hour to an hour and then repeating this a few times will help to fill in the crevices and make your pan very resistant to sticking. So if you're food is sticking re-season your pan. And as you already know oil and water don't mix so it will also protect your cast iron skillets from rust.
Note: Make sure you buy all metal pans because some materials can burn up if they're placed in the oven during seasoning.
How do you tell if your cast iron pan is at the correct temperature to cook?
When a drop of water is dripped on the cast iron pan it should skitter around for several seconds. This is because the water droplet isn't actually touching the bottom of the pan it's floating on a cushion of air. If the pan is too cool the droplet will just hit the bottom of the pot and stay in one spot and bubble. If it's too hot the droplet will immediately evaporate into steam. As I hinted at above, you'll want to avoid putting a hot pan into contact with a big quantity of cold water as it will crack your cast iron cookware.
Wash your cast iron camping cookware while it's still hot in hot water as it makes clean-up easier. If you use it everyday then you'll want to avoid using detergent. And like modern non-stick surfaces you'll want to avoid scrubbing with scouring pads as it will wear down your layer of protective seasoning... That means no dishwashers if you like them so well you decide to use them at home too. To dry them thoroughly you can warm them up on your camping stove.
Lightly re-oil your cast iron pans and wipe away the excess oil if you need to. Store them with the lids off and with a paper towel or something of the like inside to avoid rust. If you're not going to use your pans for a few days and are worried about excess oil turning rancid, it would actually be a good time to wash them in light soap. Then dry them thoroughly to avoid rust.
Never store food in your pans for the same reason. Natural acids can cause your cast-iron camping equipment to rust. So if your food tastes "irony" or looks black make sure you're not storing food in them or that they're not rusty.
What do you do if you get some rust?
This is the time to pull out the steel wool and scrub the light rust spot on your cast iron pans. Once all the rust in completely gone wash out your pot, dry it thoroughly, and re-season it.
Cast iron Dutch ovens can also be used on top of your camping stove (avoid placing them in the campfire as they can crack). Cast iron does a nice job of evenly heating food (though you can still burn it if you're not careful) and a Dutch oven can heat just about anything. And of course you'll want to use tongs or good heat resistant gloves to pick up the lid, etc.
Quick Summary
Cast Iron PansAdvantages: Nice consistent even heat, so it's less likely you'll have hot spots or burn food.
Cast Iron PansDisadvantages: Too heavy for backpacking and requires a little more upkeep.
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