Cooking Gear

Cooking includes a spectrum of cooking skills that range from heating up water for dehydrated bag meals on remote backpacking trips to putting together gourmet meals on car camping trips.

To make meals outside of a kitchen, you need the right gear. 

While our troop has stoves and other cooking gear for camping use, Scouts will need to provide their own mess kits.  Scouts heading out to high adventure may also wish to bring better gear for cooking and there are so many options out there.  That said, before you run out an purchase fancy cooking gear for your Scout, come talk to our Hiking and Backpacking Team.  We can point you in the right direction.

Mess Kit

Every Scout will need a personal mess kit for site/car camping.  This can be something really simple or something fancy. 

• Kit should be easy to pack away and clean

• A Mess Kit should ideally include:

  • Spoon and fork - or Spork

  • Bowl and Plate

  • Mesh bag for storage and for hang drying

    • If your mess kit doesn't have one, these are easy to find on Amazon 

Example Mess Kits

• • Sea to Summit Delta Camp Set 

    • Sold at REI

    • Plastic plate/bowl/mug/plasticware in mess bag

    • Bright orange so harder to lose and easy to write name on

  • GoKit 

    • also at REI- add $10 and get a kit with a mug

    • This lacks a mess bag

• • GSI Outdoors Glacier Mess Kit 

    • Stainless steel with mesh bag

See our Mess Kits Page for more on this gear.

Stoves

There are many types of stoves to consider 

• • Isobutane Stoves

  • Propane Stoves

  • White Gas Stove

  • Alcohol Stoves

  • Hexamine Stoves

  • Wood Stoves

Of the different types of stoves used for camping and backpacking, isobutane stoves are the best choice for backpacking and propane stoves are the best choice for car camping.  

Backpacking Stoves Recommended for Scouts

• • There is a lot that goes into stove selection

  • If you are looking for a basic all around stove for your Scouts, consider a basic Isobutane/butane over-the-canister stove such as:

    • MSR Pocket Rocket 2 

      • Tried and True

      • Loved by many

      • Dependable and easy to use

      • Lightweight

  • If you want to know more about backpacking stoves...see our Backpacking Stoves Page

Camp Stoves Recommended for Scouts

• • It is hard to beat a 2-burner propane stove for car camping

  • The Troop can generally supply these - so don't rush out to purchase one

  • If you want to know more about stoves...see our Camp Stove Page

  • Also consider using a Chuck Box for your Camp Kitchen

Pot

• A pot is required to boil water or cook food

  • Use for boiling water

  • May be used as a bowl if you are not eating out of a bag

• Ideal size for Scout: 750-1600 mL (3-Season)

• Examples:

  • MSR Alpine 775 mL Stowaway Pot

    • Stainless Steel is durable and easy to clean

    • Price is reasonable 

    • Heavier than titanium counterparts

Mug/Pot

Some people like to use a mug/pot combo for cooking.  Obviously, you can't cook or boil much water in it.  That said, for some types of minimalist cooking this may be adequate. 

Examples:

• • Stanley Cook Kit 

    • Stanley Adventure Camp Set sometimes goes on sale for $10

    • theprepared.com/blog/review-stanley-cook-kit 

  • Cup/Pot the nestles around water bottle (38oz Nalgene, 40oz Klean Kanteen, Stanley Pot, etc. )

    • GSI Glacier 20 and 24oz

    • Olicamp Space Saver

    • DZO 20oz Cup  (Ozark Trail 18oz Cup fits over this cup)

    • DZO 27oz Cup 

    • Lixada 750ml Cup 

    • Lixada 750ml Titanium

    • Toaks 750ml Titanium Cup 

    • G.A.K Stove - Nestles over cups 

    • Pathfinder stove - Nestles over cups (recommend against their metal canteens)