Originally Posted by
Spokebreaker
Of course not. Please read the post. I didn't say it was "the" way to go, I said it was "a" good investment. There are dozens of great options, many of which were stated in this thread. I only claim that cast-iron works well for me, and that it's a valid option.
The biggest frustration I run into on tour is people telling me I'm "doing it wrong" - I am definitely not telling anyone how they "should" tour. Coolest guy I ever ran into touring was this kid from Illinois I met in the middle of Nebraska, riding a mountain bike to California with what looked like a junior steamer trunk strapped to the rear rack, everything shoved inside without a care in the world. He was obviously doing it wrong, and having the time of his life.
I did read your post. I even quoted it. When you something like "If you want a *meal*", I interpret it as you telling me that I can't cook a *meal* unless I do it the way you do. Yes, your option is valid but then so is mine. If you would have said 'If
I want to cook a *meal*', I might not have had a problem with it but you were implying that if the rest of us don't do it your way
we are "doing it wrong".
Originally Posted by
Spokebreaker
I don't know, is it? From my perspective, that's not the point - the point is being able to cook my food without burning it, and to be able to walk away from the stove for 30 seconds without worrying it will char. Also, the mass of the pan turns the blowtorch of the MSR Whisperlite into something more approaching the "simmer" of an isobutane stove. I wanted to use something other than canister fuel since the canisters generally can't be recycled. And I don't personally care so much about the extra fuel use because I carry 2 MSR fuel bottles and am rarely more than a day or two away from a fuel source. Most of the meals I choose to prepare require more than 5 minutes to cook (rice, pasta, etc), and my stove has enough BTUs that the extra 2 minutes to heat the cast-iron isn't so much of an issue - plus my eggs & bacon cook better in the morning.
It's not for everyone - I'd say the vast majority of touring folk aren't going to carry the load I bring on my tours, and that's ok. Just saying that minimizing weight and fuel use isn't the end-all and be-all for everybody.
I can cook my food over a MSR Whisperlite or a butane stove without burning it. It just takes some practice. The Whisperlite has finer control than off and 'blow torch'.
Using cast iron
does take more fuel. While it may not be a problem for you, I've been in situations where I can't necessarily get extra fuel every couple of days.