Survivalist Gear 101: Cooking

Pots and Pans are a essential part of survival

Now that you've managed to get some food, some water, and start a fire, unless you plan to eat crackers and cheese spread, you're going to need to cook. Camping pots and pans range from aluminum mess kits to high quality Cast Iron pots and pans, with the latter being higher quality.

You can't just throw things over a fire or cook them on a rock, since you'll lose most of the nutritional value of the food and that energy giving deliciousness will just end up dripping into the fire. Not to mention, if you need to boil your water, pots will be required.

Cast Iron
Cast iron pots and pans have the advantage of being durable and very easy to clean. These things will last forever as well. They are typically inexpensive, ranging from $11 up to $40. The down side is that they are heavy, and lugging a few of them around will add up in weight quickly. However, in terms of simplicity and quality, cast iron skillets and pots win hands down for cooking supplies in the wild if weight and storage are not an issue.

Mess Kits
Mess kits are pots and pans that fold up and are easy to store. You'll usually get more than a single pot or pan for the same price. For a mess kit, you're looking at spending $4-$20. Mess kits come in a range of metals, from Aluminum to Stainless Steel. These are lightweight, compact methods. If you're going on a short camping trip, or looking to be prepared, it doesn't hurt to have a quality Mess Kit at hand.

Cooking in the wild is always a enjoyable experience. Nothing compares to kicking back and cooking your food over an open fire. Personally, I enjoy my Cast Iron set and carry a mess kit as a backup or for cups and bowls. If you're looking for the cheaper, lighter, but lower quality pan and don't really care about how your food gets cooked, a simple Mess Kit will work fine. 

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