Outdoor Gear

Backpacking Cooking Equipment

Lightweight backpacking cooking equipment

Today’s photo, of my backpacking cooking equipment,  is an illustration for a booklet I am writing about backpacking food. This is my lightweight backpacking cooking equipment I use regularly when backpacking and lightweight camping. I often carry it when I head out to work on a Friday, where I think I will have time in the afternoon when I am finished to go out in the countryside somewhere for a walk and a mug of tea.

lightweight backpacking cooking equipment

It is based around a titanium mug with a lid that I use both as a mug and a cooking pot and a multi-fuel titanium stove. Most of the items will pack in a small stuff sack.

When backpacking the kit goes in an outside rucksack pocket so it is easy to get to for using on the trail.

For a full description if this kit, including the latest updates I have made – backpacking cooking gear.


This article and kit has been updated several times since I wrote this. Must most up to date lightweight backpacking cookset can be found here, with the weights spreadsheet here.

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Sleeping Bag

Yesterday one of the outdoor shops in Inverness was having a sale – and I found a sleeping bag to replace the rubbish sleeping bag I bought last year.

In the shop, I was able to get into the bag to try it for size and comfort.

It is filled with down, weighs just less than 1kg and is warm to about zero centigrade – it will reduce weight and space in my rucksack for backpacking.

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Robens Down Lite 500

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packed and compressed

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The specification looks to be just what I was looking for. I hope it is made well enough to keep the down inside the bag and that it is warm. The real test will be during my next camping trip.

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Day Pack

Ultra Sil Day Pack – Sea to Summit

I was going to buy a lightweight stuff sack/dry sack for using to carry some extra kit strapped to the top of my Golite Jam. However I have bought this day pack instead as it will probably be more useful.

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here it is packed with my Swiss Army Knife for comparison

It is a 20l pack for 68g. On longer backpacking trips I can use it for groceries or for day walks out from campsites – when I was away last May Day I used my Golite Jam when day walking, this will be more suitable.

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click on the above image for a larger version

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Craigellachie National Nature Reserve

Craigellachie National Nature Reserve is very close to Scandinavian Village, so with poor light and snow forecast for later in the day it is a good place for a short walk. As it was poor light I did not climb to the higher areas but stayed in the forest.

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It was not so cold – so I found somewhere suitable, over looking the loch, to make some tea.

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Walk along Loch Tay – tea break

As followed the route along the Loch there was a convenient picnic area for a tea break.

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I carry the meths bottle in an outside mesh pocket, on my rucksack, which meant I did struggle to light the meths as it was very cold.

Here is the view from my cafe – menu, fresh hot tea with custard creams.

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Travel Tap – Micro Purification Water Filter Bottle

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Jeremy bought me this bottle for Christmas – the specs are here.

This is a really simple, lightweight, way to produce safe drinking water whilst I am backpacking or wild camping. No moving parts, batteries or pumps – drink straight from the bottle or use it to fill another water container or pot. When I wild camped in the Lakes last year I carried 3l or 3kg of water, my pack without the water weighed less than 9kgs – in the future I can top up along the way and save weight.

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