Cooking equipment is one of the more debated areas of one’s hiking gear. The object is to provide a meal, taking into account the size, weight, and cost of the gear. Other factors are the type of fuel, speed to set it up, and how quickly and efficiently it cooks your meal. Lots of options, but where do you begin?

I started with fuel. The two primary fuels today are propane in a small canister, and alcohol. There are many articles on the pros and cons. I have a Jetboil system, an all in one canister system that works great, but is a bit bulky and heavy. I tried an alcohol system on my September hike, and though it worked fine, I decided to go back to the canister route, but something other than a Jetboil.

I did a lot of research over the past couple of months to find the perfect system, for ME. I wanted both a cooking pot with lid, and a coffee cup, which can double for eating cereal. With my alcohol system, I kept the fuel separate, in case it leaked. I carried a separate coffee cup, as it did not fit in the pot.

My new system fixes those problems. I now use an Evernew titanium ECA278; I got it from Trail Designs for about $65. It is a stackable .7L/.4L pot/cup combination, 2 for the price of 1.

For a stove, I bought the new Soto Windmaster, another $65. Great reviews, and on a 40 degree day, I boiled 8 ounces of water with this setup in 2 minutes.Like the Jetboil, a small 100 gram canister, the Jetboil canister stand, and stove all fit inside the pot. I then purchased a cozy from George at Antigravitygear.com; great service and about $10!