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Planning some breakfast bike rides with my eldest, and then some overnights when it gets a bit warmer - any suggestions for a lightweight pan for bacon and eggs on a micro stove action? I realise I’ll probably have to stop it wobbling off!
TBH I just went to Asda and bought a cheap alloy one - and take a plastic bag for it, PITA to wash off grease without hot water & washing-up liquid - so just took it home.
Trangia ones are good, need a separate handle
TBH I just went to Asda and bought a cheap alloy one – and take a plastic bag for it, PITA to wash off grease without hot water & washing-up liquid – so just took it home.
A bit of water heated over the stove for 30secs makes cleaning a lot easier. A dish sponge weighs next to nothing and squashes in anywhere - cut in half of necessary. That tends to take care of all my bikepacking washing up needs, but I don't usually cook anything very greasy. If you're carrying a frying pan, a little bottle of washing up liquid is neither here nor there. I usually carry a little bar of soap anyway, and you can use a bit of that in a pinch.
Paul Messner is the man. He almost always seems to be frying a steak on his backpacking missions. Looks like a fairly standard, yet smallish, frying pan. Small bottle of oil, sponge and plastic bag and you're away 🙂
I have a vango aluminium one, has got a folding handle. Seems ok.
There's a good selection here:
https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/pots-and-pans/
I guess it depends on what size you want, how lightweight, how much you want to spend and what material you want to use. Titainum is prob the lightest and most expensive, but it's terrible for dissipating the heat throughout the pan- you tend to get a hotspot in the middle, where the flame is. It tends to discolour if you over heat it too. Aluminium seems to be most people's happy medium, but I do find cooking on it just a bit 'weird', and it scratches really easily (not that that really matters!)
Use lard or dripping etc. You can pre load the pan at home, let it set and bag it. No messing around with oil FFS. It won't need washing anyway. Wipe it out with some bread or lick it. Make the most of that tasty grease. mmmmmmmmm
Wipe it out with some bread or lick it. Make the most of that tasty grease.
This is actually the correct answer.
Mean sods- the correct answer is let the dog lick it
NB: It should have said bikepacking, not backpacking! And I don't have a dog but like the idea of pre-loading with lard.
Maybe a hard anodised trangia pan plus handle is the best way to go at a reasonable cost?
Maybe a hard anodised trangia pan plus handle is the best way to go at a reasonable cost?
Whatever Asda/Morrisons etc. have with a removeable (via bolt) handle
“ Whatever Asda/Morrisons etc. have with a removeable (via bolt) handle”
Aren’t pan handles usually riveted in place?
Aren’t pan handles usually riveted in place?
Most of my cheaper ones (stuff I take camping) seem to be screwed and come loose periodically ... my expensive ones are cast as part of the pan but that's another ballpark.
Example
I have a micro sized asda alu one, it’s small and easy to pack and weighs naff all.
It’s also teflon so really easy to use and clean.
Can’t remember how much it cost but it won’t have been much, or I wouldn’t have bought it.
Edit: i also have a pathfinder stainless skillet, with a folding handle, takes a little more care to use to avoid sticking, but it’s still not actually heavy. It was around £35.
Please don't be using a dab of Fairy or similar to clean your pan in the great outdoors.
It isn't biodegradable. Full of surfactants.
If you need to clean, then look for biological soaps that can be broken down naturally. And use it sparingly.....
Saw a guy with his kids using Fairy in a river the other day. FFS.... What is wrong with people!
Decathlon do a folding stainless steel frying pan AND biodegradable soap.
It isn’t biodegradable. Full of surfactants.
Its all biodegradable. The manner in which it does so its the issue.
Mmmm proper fried bread.
I cheat and pre cook sausages before we go.
In the last 40 years of playing outside GSI Outdoors Pinnacle frying pans are the best I have found if weight is important!
I have a handle clamp thing from a random cook set and just bought a cheap small pan and removed the handle and use my clamp / removable one.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vardagen-frying-pan-carbon-steel-00461237/
Is that small/light enough?
😉