Got back a couple of weeks ago for the first trip of the season. Tried out my new fry-bake cook set. 10.5 and inch pan with covers and they worked great, dont weigh very much and easy to clean with sand. Very impressed.

My dilemma is how to keep everything else in my pack from getting sooty. Is there something easy around the house I could use or something I can buy? What do you guys do?

I would love to hear solutions to this. I am sure you use something easy I am not thinking of.

Also, best method to get soot off your cookware? I dont mind the color of the pan being black but what can I do to minimize how much comes off when handling the pans.

Thanks

I no longer cook over the fire. When I did, I used lightweight canvas/cotton bags that had been made to fit the cookset and the griddle. Then washed those after the trip.

you could clean your pots after you cook since you're probably washing the inside anyway? just spread dish soap around the outsides and bottom of pots BEFORE you put them over the fire, they'll clean up easily and you can store them in whatever you packed them in.

I wrap a garbage bag around my sooty stuff.

I made ripstop nylon bags for my moors pots. Pan and larger pot go in plastic shopping bags.

Nylon stuff sack does the job for me.

Use one of those re-usable shopping bags, and then a tall kitchen garbage bag around that. Toss them after the trip and get new set for next trip.

Steel wool and a drop of soap. Much like an SOS pad. Like others have said, soaping the pans first works very well.

quote Mocha: " just spread dish soap around the outsides and bottom of pots BEFORE you put them over the fire, they'll clean up easily and you can store them in whatever you packed them in."

That's what we always did, plus have it's own stuff sack. Now, I've gotten where I use stoves all the time and it does make it a little easier.

quote redoleary: "Nylon stuff sack does the job for me. "

Me too. Made one from a scrap and bought the other.

We love to cook over the fire whenever possible. We only use the stove when we have to bc of weather or to heat water fast for early morning coffee

I cook over the fire when I can and don't worry much about cleaning the outside of the pans until I get home. I store each one in a heavier type of plastic shopping bag like you get from a Menards, same as I put my camp shoes in when on the move. After I get home I do a first cleaning outside with a garden hose and scrub pad and then once through the dish washer.

quote Birdknowsbest: "Got back a couple of weeks ago for the first trip of the season. Tried out my new fry-bake cook set. 10.5 and inch pan with covers and they worked great, dont weigh very much and easy to clean with sand. Very impressed.
"

Did you happen to bake anything? How was the anodized surface as far as food sticking? Did you fry any fish in it?

The cast iron fry pans go into a cloth washable bag. The reflector oven goes into a bag made for the oven. The big water boiling pot goes into a plastic bag and then into the pack. We just leave it out by the fire pit area for most of the trip because we base camp. Everything gets cleaned at home.

Never worry about the outside as the pans are carried in a bag. However, when I get home, and after the season is over, I cook 'em clean in the oven run during a "self-cleaning" cycle. The pots and pans come out looking mighty fine. One of the best of many tips I received from Cliff Jacobsen.

Mac

quote Mashuga: "I cook over the fire when I can and don't worry much about cleaning the outside of the pans until I get home. I store each one in a heavier type of plastic shopping bag like you get from a Menards, same as I put my camp shoes in when on the move. After I get home I do a first cleaning outside with a garden hose and scrub pad and then once through the dish washer. "

+1

on the trail, I just have a large stuff sack that they go inside....Can through that in the wash when we get home.

As far as cleaning the gear when I get home. I use all stainless steel pots and just hit them with some oven cleaner, let sit for a few minutes, wash off, then run through the dishwasher. They are not perfect, but not getting soot on everything either. As far as my fry pan (cast aluminium), I just hit the bottom with some dish soap and steel wool, whatever comes off in 5 minutes is good enough for me!

quote rdgbwca: "

quote Birdknowsbest: "Got back a couple of weeks ago for the first trip of the season. Tried out my new fry-bake cook set. 10.5 and inch pan with covers and they worked great, dont weigh very much and easy to clean with sand. Very impressed.
"

Did you happen to bake anything? How was the anodized surface as far as food sticking? Did you fry any fish in it?"

Didnt bake anything. 4 ppl on the trip. Used the 10.5 inch to cook and yes fry fish. (worked great with some oil) and we mostly used the 8 inch pan to cook small things or for help with meal prep.

Nothing stuck to the bottom. After each meal we filled the pan about halfway with water and boiled it. Then used a metal spatula or sand or clean it. Zero issues. Couldnt be happier with them

quote Mocha: "you could clean your pots after you cook since you're probably washing the inside anyway? just spread dish soap around the outsides and bottom of pots BEFORE you put them over the fire, they'll clean up easily and you can store them in whatever you packed them in."

Yup, soap the outside BEFORE you put them on the fire - learned that trick as a kid in the 60's. Still works!

we never cook over an open fire with the exception of reflector ovens.

As to dirty cookware. . .our wives raised us right. Dishes/pots/cookware is being used or they are washed, clean and stored.

quote ockycamper: "we never cook over an open fire with the exception of reflector ovens.


As to dirty cookware. . .our wives raised us right. Dishes/pots/cookware is being used or they are washed, clean and stored."

Ivory soap the outside of the pots/pans like others have said before you cook over the fire. Makes cleanup later MUCH easier. As far as storage and keeping things from getting "sooty" in the pack, keep it simple, black plastic trash bag works well and lightweight. Get some of the stretchy or heavier plastic, not the real thin flimsy ones that can tear easily.

quote Mocha: "you could clean your pots after you cook since you're probably washing the inside anyway? just spread dish soap around the outsides and bottom of pots BEFORE you put them over the fire, they'll clean up easily and you can store them in whatever you packed them in."

I got that one from my dad. He used to frequent the BW back in the 70's. We do it every time now and the pots come out looking good enough to use/store in the kitchen.