I never gave much thought to what I ate off of because the group had a set of dishes that were adequate. This year I'm taking a trip with just my wife and decided to look at every piece of equipment including plates and decide if I was happy with it.

Whether you end up sitting on a log around the fire grate , on a rock or in an aluminum chair, it's then that the balancing act begins with your meal being at stake. The problem is that most plates (round) just aren't that stable on your lap so I started looking around the house to see what size and shape might work better. The width was most important and a rectangular shape optimized the plate resting on my thighs. I decided that thin gauge SS with a lip, to hold the food and utensils, would be what I wanted.


This 7-1/2 X 14 Winco product should work!

Looks great for warm weather use. I think during shoulder season the metal plate would be cold and cool food unless you pre warmed the plate or ate quickly. Nice idea on the shape though.

The bottom of the plate will get quite warm where the hot food is if you are planning on setting it you lap while you eat.

My son's each went through 4 or 5 different camping grub kits for Scout outings. Ultimately, they chose medium sized silicone mixing bowls from our pantry.

Silicone are tough, squishable, easy to clean, easy to pack and are non-conductive. I guess it depends on what you cook but, if you don't mind your entrees touching each other consider giving it a try.

iSi Silicone bowl

I prefer bowls to plates. You can put a steak in a bowl, but you can't put soup on a plate. A few years ago I discovered these great lightweight stainless bowls made by GSI. They are now my preferred plate/bowl both summer and winter.

I eat mine out of the bag in the cozy - keeps it nice and warm even when it's cold in late Sept.; easy to hold in the palm of my hand.

I've been bringing a Sea to Summit X-Plate for the last couple of years. The backside of the plate is also my cutting board.

X-Plate

Pack a couple rectangles of thin plywood to use as lap trays with any plate. Also work as fire fans, stove wind guard, filet board, food prep chopping block, bucket tabletop...

bobbernumber3: "Pack a couple rectangles of thon plywood to use as lap trays with any plate. Also work as fire fans, stove wind guard, filet board, food prep chopping block, bucket tabletop..."

That's what I'm after with this. The size and shape should be just right.being SS, I could even cook with it in a pinch. Large bowls, for me, make cutting into a steak with a knife and fork kind of hard with the tall sides. Bottom line, nothing is perfect.

I generally do one pot meals starting the cooking with what takes longest then adding additional items then I eat out of the pan using a towel and sometimes a small plastic cutting board for insulation and stability. Works great for solo tripping with less to clean up.
Bowls work better than plates but cutting something can be an issue. That is where the cutting board comes in handy, so many uses for that little rectangular piece of plastic.