This initially started because someone suggested that bringing cast iron cookware on a bicycle tour might be a good idea and a few people dared to agree with him.

But now a question was asked specifically about Tramontina SS cookware so I'll answer that.

Cooking characteristics are exactly the same as you'd get at home and they work really well with an alcohol or butane stove or anything that can simmer. The blast furnace output of most white gas stoves can damage laminated cookware - using them in high heat isn't recommended even on an electric stove at home.

But - The smallest pot or pan made by Tramontina is 7" which is OK for two or more people but larger than I'd like touring one up so there are other alternatives.

These 5" SS clad pots and pans are more versatile then one pot because you can stack them and multitask. They have a laminated base with a core for even heat distribution and have the same heat limitations as the Tramontina. Cast iron doesn't have that limitation, is also available in mini sizes and is also available with a glazed ceramic coating. Cobco made some nice stuff where the lids doubled as frying pans.

Some people here seem to think that a cast iron frying pan has to weigh five pounds. That's a lot like saying a pound of cement weighs more than a pound of feathers. The size and quantity of what you bring is just as important as the material in determining weight. Sixty pounds of lightweight equipment still weighs sixty pounds.