avatarworf

Any advice on which pots, or rather what kind of pots, to get to cook in for a tour? We are pretty much sold on the MSR Whisperlite International but not sure whether we should go for stainless steel or splurge on titanium. We will be using them a lot so don't mind splurging but not sure it's necessary? I guess weight is a benefit of titanium, do they cook any better?

Bekologist

they do NOT cook better. the heat transmission is not nearly as good for cooking. actually the stuff sucks for anything except boiling water. aluminum billies are almost as light as ti.

Erick L

I've used MSR Alpine (SS), Blacklite (alu with coating), a bunch of no-name pots and now use GSI hard anodized Extreme Cookset. From least favorite to favorite:

MSR Blacklite - Not very durable, has separate lid and pan, which is nice. Not recommended.

MSR Alpine - Very tough, no need to worry about scratching the coating. The lid doesn't make a good pan.

GSI Extreme - Seems more durable that the Blacklite (haven't used it as much). Smallest pot is 1L, which is more practical for solo touring than the 1.5L pot of the MSR. Good pan double as lid or bowl. Only negative point is how the handle connects to the pot and pan. VEry minor point, just a little akward sometimes. I recommend it highly.

The MSR Duralite is the same as the Blacklite but is hard adonized like the GSI (more durable). It's almost twice the price of the GSI.

WestOz

I use stainless steel. They have no handles and are a no name brand. They have sealable lids and pack inside each other. I only take two, and they cook really fast on an MSR. I use a small alloy handle that grabs the rim of the pots.

I usually pack something in the inner pot, and then the inner pot goes in the next size up and fits neatly in a pannier.

ncscott

I'll second the GSI extreme comments. Excelent pots. I used the smaller one for my Appilachian Trail hike and still use it for every backcountry trip. Definately like the lid/pan.
Scott

Monoborracho

I have an aluminum coffee pot and pretty much use it for all my cooking. I also carry an older style military mess kit which I find to be excellent. (There's a reason our soldiers had them) With those things I can pack my stove, utensils, a real cloth towel, two fuel cannisters, fork/spoon, lighter, and anything else that fits in the coffe pot.

Bekologist

i use old 'luminum Bulldog billies! they're british and they're brilliant!
Perfect lid system!

never store an alcohol stove or fuel in your cookset. i wouldn't store ANY stove in the cookset, unless you are fond of potentially going blind from methanol or ill from accidental petroleum injestion.

kesroberts

We (spouse and I) carry just one big pot - a 3 liter stainless MSR with a lid/pan. It's big enough to cook about anything for 2 in and virtually all of our other cooking/eating stuff other than the stove fits inside. We also carry a cheap aluminum cup that works as a small pot for making sauces or as beer mug as the case may be. This set up has worked great on several tours, including the two weeks we just spent on the Norhtern California coast, possibly the coolest place I've ever ridden a bike!

BostonFixed

What about a canister stove?

NoReg

How is the lead content in pots these days. The old aluminum pots used to be pretty bad, but that was before the likes of MSR started making them.

markf

Since the MSR's have detachable fuel tanks, how can you ingest any petroleum if you detach the fuel bottle, give the white gas time to evaporate from the burner, put the burner in a plastic bag or stuff sack, and pack the fuel bottle separately from the stove? My Whisperlite fits perfectly in my MSR Alpine cookset this way.

cyccommute 

I'd have to disagree on the MSR Blacklite. I've had mine for a long time and it's very durable. It heats evenly and isn't too heavy. I much prefer a teflon coating to trying to scrub out a noncoated pan. I have a 1.5 l and 2 l pot. I also carry a tea kettle since pouring water out of one of these pots is next to impossible. (The MSR Alpine pot is good.)

One precaution that I take is to line each pan and the lid with a spider mat. The spider mat keeps the pans from rubbing together in a pannier and has lots of uses during food prep.

I'd agree on titanium. Titanium has about the same density as aluminum so it won't save any appreciable weight and it cost a lot more.

Riderfan_lee

I just recently purchased a set of MSR Blacklite pots and they cook very well. They come with two pack cloths to place between pots to keep them from rubbing and come in handy for cleaning up. They don't make any noise at all when packed away. Nothing is worse than a set of rattling pots breaking up the silence when biking or hiking. I am a fan of aluminum pots as they are lightweight and seem to last a long time.

seeker333

just some general info -

1. alum
pro: cheapest, widest selection, disposable after some use
con: bends easily, from 2 ft falls or just cramming stuff in your bag

2. steel
pro: most durable alloy for cookware, won't bend easily, inexpensive
con: heaviest alternative

3. titan
pro: very minor weight advantage over alum
con: super expensive, bends easy, everthing but water and oil sticks to it (uncoated)

Some pots come coated with teflon. My experience is that teflon lasts a short time even on expensive gourmet level kitchen skillets, and you eat some of the teflon that comes off. I prefer uncoated pots, you can clean them in field with a bit of sand and water (this is not possible with coated).

I store my teensy store in cookware with no problems. Pack with bandana / paper towels to cut rattle noise.

I own 4 sets of all the above types of pots, plus several odd pieces, and i prefer my MSR Alpine stainless steel set because its tough, survives repeated trips / gorilla baggage handlers / my mistakes and cleans easily with soap and common sand. MSR has sold this cookset for at least 17 years (bought mine in 1989) with no changes needed. I use a titanium evernew pot on backpacking trips. Weight is less critical when BIKEpacking.

If you go with liquid fuel store outside of bag to avoid inevitable spills from damaging food/gear. Thats why you often see a fuel bottle jammed in the under downtube / third bottle cage position.

cyccommute 

Considering that teflon is a nonreactive polymer (that's why stuff doesn't stick to it ), ingesting it isn't a problem. It just passes right on through. Modern teflon coatings don't come off that easily however. I have cookware at home that has been used daily for 10 years and still has the coating. My Blacklite pans have been used for lots of camping and tours and has not a scratch. You can't scrub it with sand but you don't have to. Wipe the excess food out with a paper towel, use a little water and soap and a mild wash pad (a Dobie pad works well) and you are on your way. No need to scrub with sand and water which, by the way, isn't that good for streams. Fish don't really need nor like pasta.

avatarworf

Thanks all. I'm leaning towards the MSR Alpine set, largely because I don't want to deal with any non-stick coatings and while the GSI Extreme stuff looks good, it doesn't seem to be available in the UK. Thanks again for all your help.

tourbike

I hate to disagree with you, but as a former fire-eater, I used white gas (benzene) as my fuel of choice for over 7 years, and I ain't dead yet. While I am sure it isn't good for you, a little residue doesn't mean much, when you consider I have probably drank the equivalent of a quart or more over my career.

Benzene or White Gas is a fairly purified form of gasoline that is the petroleum equivalent of alcohol, but obviously more flammable. I haven't suffered any ill effects yet, but then, I could die of cancer tomorrow. Who knows? It's been years since I performed. I think the best solution for taking care of residue is a little soapy water, you'll be fine... I've stored my Svea in my cookpot for years.

gpsblake

I use the Walmart grease pot. Real light, real easy to clean, real easy to eat out of. It's a favorite among Appalachian trail hikers who like lightweight cooking pots. Packs nicely also.

radical_edward

I use the Primus pots, which are hard anodized like the GSI pots, but also have a non stick coating. I have two pots, a pan and a kettle that nest. I also have a Kovea titanium cannister stove that fits inside the kettle. Also a kovea 'moonwalker' stove, and a small camp kitchen zip case (like a small toilet bag) with plastic bottles of salt/pepper/mixed herbs/oil, teabags and extra utensils.

I usually don't carry all of this kit! It depends on where I am going, and how large the group is. I only carry the kettle and stove if going lightweight. A pot or two if touring in a group, and the works if car camping on mountainbiking trips.

Non stick means non scrub! With these pots, when the non stick wears, there is still durable hard anodising underneath.

I carry a tiny silicone scraper (shaped like a leaf!) that I got from a japanese goods store but you can get silicone type scrapers from most dept stores and just remove the handle. This lets me scrape away most of the food, and then clean up requires a moist pack towel segment with some detergent, rinse the pack towel and wipe again. I can wash up two pots with less than a cup of water if I have to. As mentioned, use the pack towel to stop the pots clanking.

If you use lexan cutlery, then the problem of scratching the pots is eliminated. MSR make folding scoops and spatulas, but I much prefer using 'real' utensils and cutting the handles down.

derath

This is all I take when backpacking. It may not be the lightest overall, but it is DAMN cool to make up a pizza or bake some brownies in the middle of nowhere. The pan is teflon and works equally well for frying and boiling water. (well the water is a bit trickier due to the pan's shape, but it works).

https://www.backcountrygear.com/catal...oductID=BP1000


-D

Bekologist

exposure to benzene is toxic, and so is injestion of methanol. you don't want to be swallowing white gas if you can avoid it, i believe. methanol actually causes blindness and in very low concentrations

hey, i've gargled with %100 DEET jungle juice, and i ain't dead yet either, but i'm not going to recommend it as a way to keep mosquitos off.

ive stored my stove in my kit plenty of times over the last 30 years, but i don't anymore.

and i like SVEAs and whisperlites and trangias and what not.

Erick L

Mine didn't last very long, coating and the pot itself. They're not as durable as the Duralite, which are hard anodized. (they don't call it dura for nothing!) You can get the same hard anodized for almost half the price with the GSI, and they have a non-stick coating too.

cyccommute 

You did not use benzene as a fire-eater and live to tell the tale. White gas is not benzene. It is a cut of petroleum distillate that is commonly called naptha and contains only straight chain hydrocarbons. It has a low boiling point, a low vapor pressure and isn't that flamable (similar to kerosene which is also used by fire eaters). Like kerosene and diesel fuel, it is also not terribly toxic.

Benzene is a cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. It has a slightly higher boiling point, a higher vapor pressure and is extremely flammable. It is used in gasoline as an antiknock agent and is a known human carcinogen. If you use benzene as fuel for a fire-eater act, I pretty sure that you would have incinerated the first couple of rows of your audience as well as yourself.

eubi

I'd get a pot big enough to do the job and small enough to fit in my panniers (or backpack).

I've used everything from fancy Titanium to an old coffe can, and you know what? They all work the same!

My favorite now is a no-name aluminum pot. I painted the bottom black with high temp paint for better heat transfer.

cyccommute 

For several years, I used a pot set that I put together after trying several different cheap sets which meet their demise when I ran out of elbow grease to clean the charcoal out of the bottom. I used a regular 2l pot, a 1.2l pot and a small skillet, all aluminum with teflon coating. I removed the handles, wrapped the screw that the handle attached to with tape and then padded the inside of the pots with paper towels to keep them from rattling and to protect the coating. Because of the thickness of the pots (about 1/4"), they heated very evenly...even better than the MSR Blacklite I use now. The only drawback is that they are about twice a heavy. I still use them for car camping.