When camping or camping, a few cookware essentials are definitely required, and while many people make do with just a pot for their cooking needs, a backpacking frying pan is a welcome addition, and a required piece of cookware for many different meals. And food really is a priority when you're backpacking. After a long day on the trail, a nice hot meal is a definite requirement, and if you need to add a frying pan to your pot to get that, then it's not such a bad thing.
Backpacking Frying Pan
Features to look for when shopping for backpacking frying pans.- Material - When shopping for backpacking cookware, you have a few different materials to choose from. First, there are many aluminum options out there. Aluminum is lightweight and cheap, but not that sturdy, whereas stainless steel is tougher, but also heavier, and titanium is tough and lightweight, but also very heavy. Choices, choices.
- Combo Set - Another option you have when shopping for backpacking frying pans is whether to get a standalone unit or a combo unit. There are a few backpacking frying pans out there that come in a set with a pot, and you use the frying pan as the lid for the pot. Since most people will be taking a pot, in addition to a frying pan, this set up saves you from having to carry a separate lid.
Best Backpacking Frying Pan
A few of the better backpacking frying pans available to you.- MSR Flex Skillet - First up, a great backpacking frying pan from MSR. It's made of aluminum, and has a non-stick coating, which a fantastic feature both for cooking in and for after, when you have to clean up. It comes with an attachable handle, and has a diameter of 9 inches and a depth of 2.5 inches. It weighs a total of 7 ounces, which is 198 grams.
- GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Frypan - Another frying pan, this time from GSI. This is a similar frying pan to the MSR one above, being made of aluminum and with a non-stick finish, but at 13.2 ounces, or 375 grams for the 8 inch version (there's a 14 inch version too) it's not nearly as lightweight. If you like the rounded edges, or the larger 14 inch size, then this would be a good choice, but otherwise the MSR is likely a better choice.
- Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium Cook Set - If you don't already have a backpacking pot, or are looking to upgrade that too, then this is an ideal set. You get a pot big enough to cook for one, and the lid doubles as a frying pan. The only real drawback here is that the frying pan is only as big as a lid, so not that big. But being titanium, the whole set weighs just 6.2 ounces, or 175 grams.
