Hello,
I am making my first BWCA trip this upcoming summer, and I'm trying to get my backpacking gear lined up. Which fry pan/pot set does everyone prefer for cooking over an open fire on the fire grate? Not sure if foods being cooked make a difference, but I plan on frying fish at night, and maybe dehydrated hash browns. Breakfast would be dehydrated eggs and possibly bacon. Thanks

The not-fancy route is to get one of these at walmart, use foil for the lid, and just throw it away after your trip. These come in 3,4 and 5 qt sizes. They're nice because you can both fry and boil in them over a fire, and you really only need one pot for the trip.

If you are worried about Teflon over an open fire, a sheet of foil between the pan and the firegrate works pretty well at cutting the heat. I think the cheaper pan models have handles you can unscrew and not use (use a leather glove), or you can rig up some kind of removeable handle. Helps to have leather glove(s) for moving pots around on the fire - and then you don't need the handles as much.

Open fires and grates tend to destroy aluminum pots and pans. The only cost effective alternative is bringing heavy cast iron pots and pans.

So, in my mind, you have a choice, carry lightweight aluminum pans and use them until they've fallen apart - and then toss them, or haul cast iron pots and pans and most likely wish you could toss them mid-trip.

I vote for getting decent low cost aluminum pots & pans and enjoying them while they last. A large pot with a lid (not sure how long a foil lid will last you ) for heating water, maybe a mid-size pot and a fry pan for cooking should do you well.

I know some people buy a decent pan at thrift stores and take the plastic handle off. After using it for awhile you haven’t got much invested in it and can then get rid of it.

Cast iron is the best, imo, on an open fire, but there is the weight factor. You can also opt for a cast aluminum pan, which is lighter than cast iron but more expensive. Personally, I would not use any thin aluminum pan, and I never cook anything anywhere with teflon. I also want to use something that will not end up in the garbage after a few uses.

Cast Aluminum Fry Pan

IowaFishingGuy I am in the same situation as you. I have a 2 and 4 quart pot made my Open Country, very easy cleanup. As far as a skillet goes I bought a cheaper T-Fal and drilled the rivets out so I could remove the handle. I can deal with the holes. I will try it tomorrow over a campfire in the backyard. If it doesn't work I am just going to pick up a fry bake alpine set. When are you going and where are you from? I am also from Iowa near the Quad Cities.

Consider a Carbon Steel skillet. Compares favorably to cast iron at a fraction of the weight. It will last as long as you continue to camp. Purchase once for less than $50.


America's Test Kitchen Carbon Steel Skillet Video Review

At the risk of not directly answering your question, have you considered a stove? I love an open fire but depending on your experience, how tired you are, and the weather, having a lightweight stove to get something warm done quickly is really nice.

Rs130754: "IowaFishingGuy I am in the same situation as you. I have a 2 and 4 quart pot made my Open Country, very easy cleanup. As far as a skillet goes I bought a cheaper T-Fal and drilled the rivets out so I could remove the handle. I can deal with the holes. I will try it tomorrow over a campfire in the backyard. If it doesn't work I am just going to pick up a fry bake alpine set. When are you going and where are you from? I am also from Iowa near the Quad Cities."

I’m from the Quad Cities.

No such thing as "best". Most important what works for you!

I have never destroyed an aluminum pot over a campfire, it's melting point is 1200 degrees, and if your cooking over that, well that is a problem.
Thin aluminum pots may deform some at too high heat, but that's too hot to cook also. Actually it is easier to melt and deform metals over a stove, because the flame is hotter and probably in direct contact. But the cook will not let that happen or doesn't rate the title.

My favorite pot/pans are stainless steel for ease of cleaning and versatility, SS clad aluminum bottom frypans are available from Primus and MSR and general stores stocking cookware . Thicker, anodized aluminum will heat and cool faster, if fast boiling is important, Dutch Ovens of various sizes are made in cast and anodized aluminum, lids doubling as griddles. Cast iron is great to cook on if you want to care for/carry it. Cold rolled steel in frypans/shallow pots work well but need the same care as cast iron. Titanium's only real benefit is weight, as it transfers heat too fast, quickly developing burnt food.

I have cooked all the items IowaFishinGuy lists and more in commercial aluminum pizza pans. over an open fire. Know anyone in a metal fabricating shop of high school metal shop? Making a designed to your specification, griddle out of 1/8 inch sheet aluminum is easy. Also use spun steel gold-panning pans as cookware. While bringing up a link found this very interesting item, Aussie Campa Pan

butthead

Rs130754: "IowaFishingGuy I am in the same situation as you. I have a 2 and 4 quart pot made my Open Country, very easy cleanup. As far as a skillet goes I bought a cheaper T-Fal and drilled the rivets out so I could remove the handle. I can deal with the holes. I will try it tomorrow over a campfire in the backyard. If it doesn't work I am just going to pick up a fry bake alpine set. When are you going and where are you from? I am also from Iowa near the Quad Cities."

I'm in northwest Iowa, about 45 miles northeast of Sioux City, and I'm going middle of June

Thanks everyone for the input so far. Basically every thought I had you guys talked about. Cast would be better, but I was hoping that there was a good quality aluminum out there to use. I'm planning on bringing a backpacking stove along as a backup/secondary cooking source, but was hoping to cook over an open fire as much as possible. I think it adds a little more to the experience. I could bring a cast pan and cook over fire, and if need be use the stove for cooking with the aluminum pot/pan.

We broke down and bought the fry bake expedition and deep alpine set specifically to fry fish, cook bacon, sausage, etc and bake biscuits, brownies, dump cake, pizza, etc... at the same time. IMO overpriced but the matching lids, anodized aluminum construction, sturdy build will allow use to bake like a Dutch oven w/o Dutch oven weight. Just another option for you. Frybake

FLATLINER: "At the risk of not directly answering your question, have you considered a stove? I love an open fire but depending on your experience, how tired you are, and the weather, having a lightweight stove to get something warm done quickly is really nice. "

+1

Simple question, how many of you have actually destroyed an aluminum pot or pan over a fire? What do you mean by destroyed? Is this an example of a tale rooted in miss-interpretation? I've been cooking food over open fires for decades, in aluminum and other materials. Never occurred, except by usage error where an empty pot was forgotten on a fire too large. At aluminum's melting point even cast iron can warp.

I know how, and have melted aluminum over wood/charcoal fires and over camp stoves. I needed to work at it, with empty aluminum containers, enough draft, and fire temps way too high to cook over.

The cook-sets I used in the 1980's were Open Country (or very similar) thin aluminum, with the exception of a heavier aluminum frypan. They are blackened a bit and carry dents but are displayed in a friends basement with his gear from the time.

butthead

I don't want to hijack but what have you found works well to store your sooty cook sets in? I haven't found anything sturdy enough to store my cookware.

Rs130754: "I don't want to hijack but what have you found works well to store your sooty cook sets in? I haven't found anything sturdy enough to store my cookware."

Brown paper bags worked for me in the past. Also acquired a bunch of cotton field harvest sample bags (cocoa bean sampling bags), over the years. But most of my cook gear is old enough to have developed that campfire patina, that is mostly soot proof, easy to wipe off. Boiling water over a cedar fueled fire puts a real good, hard coating on them!

butthead

Rs130754: "I don't want to hijack but what have you found works well to store your sooty cook sets in? I haven't found anything sturdy enough to store my cookware."

The re-usable grocery bags, can also be tossed after the trip. Tall kitchen garbage bag inside the re-usable grocery bag - or any bag - helps to contain the soot if things get wet.

IowaFishinGuy: "Thanks everyone for the input so far. Basically every thought I had you guys talked about. Cast would be better, but I was hoping that there was a good quality aluminum out there to use. I'm planning on bringing a backpacking stove along as a backup/secondary cooking source, but was hoping to cook over an open fire as much as possible. I think it adds a little more to the experience. I could bring a cast pan and cook over fire, and if need be use the stove for cooking with the aluminum pot/pan. "

A lot of us use the BWJ Fry Pan for cooking over a fire. It works especially well for large servings and for frying up fish.

NotLight: "

Rs130754: "I don't want to hijack but what have you found works well to store your sooty cook sets in? I haven't found anything sturdy enough to store my cookware."

The re-usable grocery bags, can also be tossed after the trip. Tall kitchen garbage bag inside the re-usable grocery bag - or any bag - helps to contain the soot if things get wet.
"

Tossed meaning thrown away? Why? I mean, if you're just going to create waste, why not do it with something a little more disposable than a bag meant to prevent waste? Why, if you used a reusable grocery bag, would you even have to toss it anyway? Just clean it and keep using it.

For the OP, pot-wise I have a Solostove Campfire and use the pots that came with it (which store in a stuff sack that came with them). I don't currently have a pan but am likely going to invest in a Fry-bake set this year.

Old cold handle steel frying pan.

I'll echo the comments about cast iron being the best option, if you can afford the weight. It's indestructible and has great heat distribution. If you're looking for something faster and lighter (and more fuel efficient), MSR's stainless series is excellent and allows you to avoid concerns about aluminum altogether. Their Alpine cookset is phenomenal and, while it won't be as versatile or nonstick as cast iron, it can handle just about any cooking task your throw at it and it will make portaging much more pleasant (it's also sized better for a backpacking stove). I've had mine for several years and I don't think I'll ever have to buy another cookset again.

A vote for cast aluminum. It stands up to the fire abuse fine. Conducts well enough to help avoid uneven heat. I had a square griddle I loved with a ceramic non-stick coating that was great. I cut off the handle and install the riveted handle from another one of my old camping pots for a removable handle.

Open Country (nee Mirro), if you can still find it.

Did someone say cast iron?

This poor guy is trying to get his backpacking gear lined up and you guys are recommending cast iron pans. OK?

butthead: "Simple question, how many of you have actually destroyed an aluminum pot or pan over a fire? What do you mean by destroyed? Is this an example of a tale rooted in miss-interpretation? I've been cooking food over open fires for decades, in aluminum and other materials. Never occurred, except by usage error where an empty pot was forgotten on a fire too large. At aluminum's melting point even cast iron can warp.


I know how, and have melted aluminum over wood/charcoal fires and over camp stoves. I needed to work at it, with empty aluminum containers, enough draft, and fire temps way too high to cook over.


The cook-sets I used in the 1980's were Open Country (or very similar) thin aluminum, with the exception of a heavier aluminum frypan. They are blackened a bit and carry dents but are displayed in a friends basement with his gear from the time.


butthead"

Good point. I am still using nesting aluminum billy pots (made in England) which I bought in the 1970's. Other than several slightly warped pot bottoms they are fine and completely usable. I have been given some newer pots but am still trying to use up the old ones.

Something I have not tried yet, but have given some thought to is brining an authentic spanish paella pan . They are fairly cheap and made out of higher carbon steel, though not as heavy as the high carbon steel skillets often sold for home or restaurant use, and certainly not as heavy as cast iron. Sides aren't too high, saving space and weight, though allowing a bit of splatter. Could even cut one or both of the handles off to save space/weight. The only downside I can think is those little dimples on the bottom. I may try making some eggs and pancakes in one of mine tomorrow to see.

As long as you watch the temp. on a "dimpled" pan you will find them somewhat more non-stick than smooth, virtue of holding cooking oils and steam/vapour in the dimples.

butthead