What is your favorite campfire cooking utensil?

[XXX]

Fryingpan? Roasting fork? Dutch oven?

I'm curious about which you own, which you prefer, and how often each gets used. I'm interested in hearing about anything from beanpots to copper boilers, both light and heavy treks. Thanks.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I have a #8 deep skillet with lid that I'd have a bad time w/out. it can be used as a small do.
and my teapot.

 

[Poor Private]

I use my mucket the most. It will hold a meals worth of food for me. cooking jumbalia, rice, stew or even scrambled eggs. 1/2 the time I just eat out the the thing too. This makes for a easy cleanup usually only the mucket and a fork or spoon. With the closing lid you don't get wood ashes or detrious from around the fire in it (usually someone stumbling around and kicking up dirt and dust). the lid also seems to help the meal to cook a bit faster. And if you have a early morning formation just tie the bugger on your belt and eat as you march :rotf: ( I love that closing lid). once in a while I use a really small skillet it's only about 5" across you can cook a 1 person steak (about 6oz.) with some veggies in it. Then eat right out of the skillet.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I most enjoy my Cast iron cooking pot (three legged with a rounded bowl like bottom).... :thumbsup: We always go about with our 18 ft tipi, and a tipi combined with a good cast iron cooking pot is GOOD living! You just can make everything in it - as far as your imagination goes :grin: Think of stews, soups, baking bread - pies - oh dang now i am hungry! :shocked2:

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I most enjoy my Cast iron cooking pot (three legged with a rounded bowl like bottom).... :thumbsup: We always go about with our 18 ft tipi, and a tipi combined with a good cast iron cooking pot is GOOD living! You just can make everything in it - as far as your imagination goes :grin: Think of stews, soups, baking bread - pies - oh dang now i am hungry! :shocked2:

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Oops - Sorry - I have a "double barrel" reply :redface:

 

[XXX]

Is your mucket like a corn boiler?

 

[sparky911]

12 quart DO with legs

Biscuits
stews
cobblers
potatoes

 

[Poor Private]

A mucket is basically a tin can with a bail and hinged lid. you can get them in period correct tin or the more modern S.S.. Mine is SS i find that after it's been on a couple of fires and has the smoke stain on they both look the same. Thoough I had to chew out my wife one time when I brought it home from an event. She scrubbed it down with steel wool it looked new again. I know she thought she was doing me a favor but I had to start over again to get the smoke stain.

 

[Black Hand]

Sharp stick....

...and closely behind is my small brass kettle.

 

[XXX]

Thanks guys. Looks like a small mucket type boiler gets a lot of votes so far.

Is there anything you lug around or have but never seem to use?

 

[vern faulkner]

Thanks guys. Looks like a small mucket type boiler gets a lot of votes so far.

Is there anything you lug around or have but never seem to use?

:shocked2: Yup, my common sense. :blah: :blah:

 

[shmrck1]

XXX,
I would have to say my cast iron 4" deep skillet/w cover lid.I love my D/O but that 4"
deep skillet is a go to pan for a lot of recipes
at deer camp.IMHO
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[XXX]

Thanks, It would seem that you can get a lot of mileage out of a skillet and a boiler.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

actually my tea pot is really just a pot with lid and pouring lip on the edge with a bail and small handle on the upper side. aluminum.
1 qt, I use it for cooking also. boil spuds, rice, grits beans and so on.

 

[Poor Private]

Blizzard,
YOu might want to google "cooking with aluminum"
my understanding that is not ok to do anymore. Something about getting a certain chemical in your system and doing yourself harm. It may have been ok to do in the 50-60's when it was a wonder metal. I may be wrong though. But the BOSS (the queen of all she surveys) says it's a big no-no. we don't have any aluminum cooking pots or pans in the house anymore. they all went to the scrap metal co.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

now why did you have to go and remind me of that PP?
I've got a sentimental link with my pot, I carried it from Maine to Georgia in my pack on the AT in '72. :redface:

 

[oletymepreacher]

For trekking, I use a tin mucket. It is good for cooking any meal, as well as boiling up some tea or coffee while eating dried fruit snacks.

In a destination camp, nothing beats an African potje. It is big, round bottom, just the perfect utensil for stews, beans, roasts. With its long legs it can be set in a corner of the fire ring for a low heat from coals scraped under it. Then there is the 12 inch dutch oven that has cooked and baked everything for the past 40 years. Everything from stews to bread to pizza..I think I'll go light a fire and bake a pizza for the XO.

 

[XXX]

now why did you have to go and remind me of that PP?
I've got a sentimental link with my pot, I carried it from Maine to Georgia in my pack on the AT in '72. :redface:

72! Sounds like you were one of the early through-hikers. I'm willing to bet you didn't take any cast iron through the whole trip, right?

 

[Blizzard of '93]

you're right XXX I did not carry any cast iron but did carry a stamped gauge metal steel skillet w/a folding handle that I made good use of.
when the weather turned cold I carried bacon, butter, eggs (in a chrush-resistant plastic box) and even cabbage that I sauteed in bacon grease. and other grocerys includeing hamburger and bakeing taters but I always cooked it up near where I got back on the trail.
the heavy food items I fixed up to eat before I went far from the re-supply point.
canned corned beef and a tater was a treat for me,I fryed it in my skillet and considered it a treat.
also I should say that before I went on the trail I made some 'caches' of items well buried near a crossing. all of them were in good condition when I got to them.