Can a hiker get excited about new gear even if its just cooking related? I picked up a Sea To Summit Alpha Set 1.1 cooking set and feel pretty good about it. Some others were considered but this set looks like it will work well for me, which I will talk about in addition to what I cook and pack for cooking in the backcountry.
As far was what I have typically carried in the past:
- Homemade Super Cat alcohol stove: I am pretty committed to this stove, which was initially born out of being extremely frugal but it has proven itself to be very lightweight and reliable over many trips. This is probably the simplest version to make, and you can find a good tutorial here.
- Imusa Mug: I have been using a pretty minimalist aluminum mug I found on Amazon like this one for equally as long. On the “pros” side: it was super cheap, fairly lightweight at only 2.4 ounces, and is just big enough to boil 2 cups of water to make dinner. The downside is that it has no lid included (so not as efficient), and the handle gets hot so I still need something like a handkerchief to hold it without getting burned.
- Other odds and ends: A Sea to Summit Alpha Long Spork, waterproof matches, and a small bottle for denatured alcohol (You can get an assorted pack of them here). No extra bowls, mugs, or cutlery. This all packs down pretty small into a small dry sack.
So why did I land on the Alpha Set?
- Shape: This is actually a big deal. For people who use gas canister stoves, a narrow to medium pot that does not hang off the stove is usually the most stable, and I think this influences the design of most ultralight cookware. A lot of gear companies make fairly tall narrow pots for backpacking. For my very small alcohol stove though, I find that anything tall and narrow is actually more likely to wobble on the stove’s small diameter when full, therefore a wider flatter pot works better for me. Also, since the flames from an alcohol stove tend to spread out along the bottom of any cooking vessel, having more bottom surface area should equate to quicker cooking times in theory, versus losing some of that heat running up the sides of the pot.
- Design: Most cooking sets in this price range ($45+) have some type of handle that stays cool and also folds up for packing. The unique Pivot-Lock handle design on this set is particularly cool though. The handle swings out nice and wide then locks into place, plus it has a rubberized grip, so there will be no burned fingers here. The lid has a small rubberized grip in the center, and also has built in holes for straining, which I don’t know that I would use but nice that it is there.
- Bowl and mug as add-ons: The plastic bowl and mug are a nice add-on and make the price point seem a bit more attractive (most of the titanium pots I looked at started at $45 for just a pot and lid). The Alpha Set 1.1 is designed for one person versus their Alpha Set 2.1 which is for two people. The 1.1 pot has a capacity of 1.2 liters though and since it includes a bowl, you could potentially boil enough water for two and one person eats from the pot for a two person setup. For me, I will carry just the pot and lid.
So how does it stack up? Well, at 6.6 oz, its a bit heavier than Toaks 900 ml pot at 4.4 oz or Snow Peak’s 900 ml pot / skillet lid combo at 5.7 oz, but both of those other offerings are titanium so its a bit of an apples to oranges comparison. That said, the handle is more robust and nicer on the Sea to Summit.
How does this fit into my overall setup, and what am I adding or changing? Well, like I said – I like the SuperCat type alcohol stove for simplicity, and no bulky fuel canisters to carry. I can carry exactly how much fuel I anticipate using in a mini Nalgene bottle, and can clearly see how much I have. After getting some waterproof matches wet and realizing how hard they are to light when wet, I figured it made sense to switch to a small Bic type lighter. Far more longevity or potential numbers of uses than a pack of matches. I am also adding some aluminum foil as a windscreen since the handle on the Alpha pot won’t interfere. Total weight for pot and lid, stove, 2 oz of alcohol, spork, windscreen, and a lighter for me is only about 13 ounces.
Out on the Trail . . . 