Patrol Cookware

[dtchiz]

Well after our first 4 years the cooksets purchased from Campmor have just about lived out their lifespan. We are looking for new cookware for the Patrols. We have recently gotten a donation to purchase 3 new stoves & are now looking to replace the worn cooksets the scouts are currently using.

 

I can still get the teflon coated cook kits from Campmor that we originally used however Im thinking a nice stainless steel/copper bottom set will have a better lifespan

 

Any ideas for suppliers?

 

I did find the GSI Large Cookset however nowhere can I find the guage of the steel so I have my doubts as to the durability

[SSScout]

I'm making an assumption here, but I will guess you've just discovered why non-stick cookware is not a good choice for Patrol gear. The teflon coating does wear off and flake off. One choice is to sand off the rest of the coating (power drill and wire or sanding disc) and be done with it. If the aluminum (?) cookset is not physically deformed (how?) or broken (HOW?) then you have a good cookset for many more years.

I would argue against the fancy, heavy steel copper clad cookgear. Scouts will not treat it with the respect it needs and will not appreciate any difference in heat distribution. A Scout's cookset should last many more years than 4.

Gas stove cooking is one thing, but woodfire cooking is another. A heavy duty alumimun cookset is usually the best multi use choice. Until the Scout wants to buy (pays his own way?) the latest titanium jetboil set, let them learn on rugged, indestructable aluminum. I know of Troops where the Scouts are using the same cooksets their fathers used. Not only is it economical, but in one case, the Scouts think it is cool to see the initials of their dad scratched into the side of the pot.

Tradition!

[Eagle92]

This is what my troop used, with some modifications

 

http://www.scoutstuff.org/trail-chef-aluminum-cook-kit.html

 

What we modified was the number of plates and cups. We had 8 of each, not four.

 

It's pricy, but kits are built to last as SSScout said. The patrol kits my troop had were old when I got in, possibly 20+ years. They are built to last, even with the abuse Scouts can give.

 

Also as stated previously, if the scouts want to use the high dollar kits, let them buy their own.

[Stosh]

Overheated teflon leaves unhealthy chemicals in food. It doesn't take much to overheat the stuff when in the hands of the scouts.

 

Fancy stainless is useless in that food sticks to it terribly and is a pain to clean up afterwards.

 

Aluminum is the only route to go. I use aluminum only and would recommend it. It is a relatively soft metal that can take a lot of abuse. None of my mess kits actually seal off anymore. But when they do get bent, dented or whatever, I simply tap them back into shape with a mallet and I'm good to go. I don't know how many cook pots I've had to fix on the end of a log over the years.

 

The only aluminum that gets tossed are the pieces that have worn through from years of scrubbing with SOS pads. When that happens, It's a treat to have a nice new $5 mess kit that I don't have to mess with for a while.

 

The only other piece I use is a fry pan with long handle that is stamped steel. It works just like cast iron and doesn't bend. A bit heavier, but I don't backpack with it either. I also have a 18" aluminum griddle that goes right in the fire as well. I grew up cooking on it as a kid and have used it for the past 40 years. A bit pock marked, but works just fine after thousands of pancakes done on it.

 

On a stove this advice might be different, but I do about 90% of my cooking on the open fire.

 

Stosh

[desertrat77]

All good advice.

 

The link Eagle92 provided is the way to go, in my opinion. These kits are tried and true, and have been around for decades.