Gear Closet: Backpacking Stoves, Pots, and Kitchen Accessories

Here are the backpacking stoves, cooking pots, and "kitchen" accessories, including bear bags and bear canisters, that I use year-round on a regular basis (90-120 nights/year.) Many of these items are old friends that have withstood the test of time and I've been using for years and years. Why the variety? I backpack year-round and like to bring gear that satisfies my needs best. These needs change with the season, objectives, locales, and my companions. That said, consider these my "top" gear picks…the stuff that I recommend to friends without reservation.

Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot

I've been using The Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot ($69) since 2010 (when REI private labelled it) and mine is blackened by fire and a bit bashed up. Weighing 3.9 ounces, it holds 0.9 liters of water, which is perfect for making the one-pot meals I like to eat. It has a silicone-coated, fold-out handle and strainer holes in the lid (good for pasta) that help prevent boil overs. The inside has measurements scored in ounces and millilitres. I use it when I cook with Esbit or wood, which is the majority of the time. I can also fit my stove, fuel, and fire-making system inside, which is a big convenience.
See the Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot (med)

See my Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot Review

Evernew Titanium UL 1.3 Liter Pot

The Evernew Titanium 1.3 liter pot ($68) is an uncoated cook pot that I use for winter backpacking when I need to melt snow for drinking water. It weighs 4 oz and has a volume of 1.3 Liters, with a wide bottom that helps diffuse the heat of a high-powered liquid fuel stove. In addition to folding insulated handles and a pour spout, it has liquid measurements in ounces and millilitres scored in the pot interior. Very basic, lightweight, and compact.
See the Evernew Titanium 1.3 Liter Pot

See my Evernew Titanium UL Pot 1.3L Review

QiWiz Titanium Dual Burner (Esbit/Alcohol) Stove System

QiWiz, pronounced Chee-wiz, is a one-man cottage gear maker who specializes in titanium stoves and tools. I'm a big fan of his dual burner (Esbit/Alcohol) stove system ($49.50) which includes a 750 ml titanium pot (110g), a dual fuel stove (18g), titanium windscreen (15g), and stainless steel mesh pot stand (10g), although I use a different pot. I also use the titanium windscreen with other stoves, since it's so convenient to pack in a cook pot.
See the QiWiz Dual Fuel Stove System
See my QiWiz Titanium Dual Fuel Stove System Review

QiWiz FireFly Wood Stove

The QiWiz FireFly Wood Stove ($69) is a 2.8 ounce titanium wood stove made from interlocking pieces of titanium that fold flat when not in use, making it convenient to carry in a backpack. It has an integrated pot stand and mesh floor, as well as a side port that lets you feed in larger pieces of wood to keep it going. You can also purchase a very thin titanium ground guard to place under the stove to avoid scorching the ground. The Firefly is a great little stove that burns very efficiently and adds to one's camping ambiance. You can also use it as a pot stand/wind shield for an alcohol or Esbit stove when it rains.
See the QiWiz Firefly Stove

See my QiWiz Firefly Wood Stove Review

Kovea Spider Remote Canister Stove

The Kovea Spider ($52) is a 6.0 ounce, remote canister stove that can be used with a windscreen to boost fuel efficiency since the burner is not located next to the canister. It also folds up small and can be stored inside a 1 liter pot for individual use. The Spider is special because it can burn the fuel inside a canister in its liquid form down to about 0 degrees fahrenheit (by turning the canister upside down), giving you a 10-15 degree advantage over regular canister stoves that can only burn isobutane in its vapor form.
See the Kovea Spider Stove

See my Kovea Spider Remote Canister Stove Review. 

MSR Whisperlite Liquid Fuel Stove

The MSR Whisperlite ($89) is my deep winter camping stove, the one I use when I have to melt large quantities of snow to make drinking water and need to use a high power fuel like white gas. The Whisperlite includes the burner, which has an integrated primer cup, pot stand, fuel line, and a plastic fuel pump. MSR fuel bottles are available in a variety of sizes and sold separately. The 11.4 ounce Whisperlite is a very reliable stove and one that you can clean or repair by yourself. It takes a little practice to prime and ignite without burning your eyelashes off, but I wouldn't winter camp without it.
See the MSR Whisperlite Stove

See my MSR Whisperlite Stove Review

MSR Whisperlite Fuel Bottle

I use a 20 ounce MSR fuel bottle ($19) that weighs 6.3 ounces empty with my Whisperlite stove. You can also purchase 11 and 30 ounce bottles. While MSR bottles are compatible across MSR liquid fuel stoves, I don't know of any other non-MSR stoves that you can use them with. The MSR bottles have a locking cap to prevent fuel spills. I've wrapped my bottle with duct tape to help prevent a cold injury when touching it. The temperature of liquid fuel can drop below freezing and cause frostbite.
See the MSR Whisperlite Fuel Bottle

Folding Wind Screen

I use a cheapo folding windscreen ($8) with my Whisperlite – they're easily obtainable on Amazon. It weighs 4 oz and is just the right height and length to wrap completely around the pot. It also fits inside the 1.3L Evernew Pot I use in winter, together with my Whisperlite Stove and fuel pump, so they take up less space in my pack.
See the Cheapo Folding Wind Screem

See my Compact Folding Windscreen Review

Light My Fire – Fire Steel

The Light My Fire sparking fire steel ($13.95) is a stove and fire ignition source that always works and that I never have to resupply it after a trip. Matches get wet. Butane lighters jam or run out of fuel, but a fire steel always throws sparks. Light My Fire has two models and I use the chunkier one designed for military use because it's more durable and rated for 12,000 uses. I carry vaseline covered cotton balls as a firestarter for lighting Esbit cubes or my wood stove.
See the Light My Fire Fire Steel Army

GSI Outdoors Table Spoon

I use a big GSI Outdoors Table Spoon ($0.75)to eat all of my backpacking meals because it's hard to misplace. It weighs 0.8 oz and is heat-proof and BPA-free, of course. It also costs less than a buck at REI and is probably the least expensive thing in the store!
See the GSI Outdoors Table Spoon

OPSAK Odor Barrier Bags

The manufacturer claims that OPSAK plastic bags are odor-proof ($10.50/2). While I can't verify that scientifically, I've been using these bags for the past 10 years to hold all my food and line my bear bag or bear canister with. At 1.3 ounces each, these big ziploc bags are quite durable and help prevent a mess when one of my food bags rips open or a bar of chocolate melts.
See the Plastic Odor Barrier Bags

Ursack Bear-Proof Bag

I own two Ursacks ($79), which are lightweight (7.7 ounce), soft-sided, bear-proof bear bags made with Spectra fabric. I've been using them since 2008 to store my food overnight on backpacking trips and they're infinitely easier to use than hanging a bear bag overhead in a tree. I can fit 5-7 days of food into one. They passed the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) test and were placed on its bear-resistant products list on July 31, 2014, but some national parks still prohibit their use. That's not a problem in New England where I do most of my hiking and I know quite a few other hikers who use them. I've been evangelizing their use for close to a decade, since most backpackers have difficulty hanging regular bear bags well.  I was thrilled when REI started selling them.
See the Ursack Bear-Proof Bag

See my Ursack Bear Bag Review

Bare Boxer Contender Bear Canister

The Bare Boxer ($59) is a small 2-3 day hard-sided bear canister good for short trips where a bear canister is required. It has three locks in the lid and weighs 26.3 ounces. I only use it for short trips when I head into bear country, where a canister is required. It's the lightest weight hard bear canister available, perfect for a long weekend.
See the Bear Boxer Contender

See my Bear Boxer Content Bear Canister Review

Garcia Backpacker's Cache Bear Canister

The Garcia Backpacker's Cache Bear Canister ($74) is my larger bear canister. It weighs 43.5 ounces and can fit a week's worth of food and smellables. It's not the lightest large bear canister available, but the Adirondack bears haven't figured out how to open this bear canister out yet, which is where I use mine. It makes a pretty good camp seat too!
See the Garcia Backpacker's Cache

That's the extent of my backpacking stoves, pots, kitchen accessories and bear protection gear. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.

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