Snowpeak Trek 1400
Toaks Titanium Pot 
How Big Of A Pot Do I Need For Backpacking? The Complete Guide.
A common question I find myself asking whenever going on a backpacking trip is how big of a pot do I need? The size of your pot can vary based on how many people you are cooking, and what you are cooking.
If you eating backpackers freeze dried meals the straightforward equation you can use to determine the correct sized pot for you is below:
How Big Of A Pot Do I Need For Backpacking =
Most Volume Of Water Needed For A Meal x Number Of People Eating
Now, if you do not want to use freeze-dried meals and want to cook something on your own, the equation above would not work for you as you may require more space depending on what exactly you plan on cooking.
In this article we will discuss the importance of having the proper size cookware as well as which one will be the best for your next adventure.
Why Is It Important To Have The Correct Sized Pot When Backpacking?
Everyone needs a good cooking set when out on the trail, but an important question is how big of a pot you need. When backpacking you need to have a pot that is big enough to cook all your food in one shot but not unnecessarily large where it takes up valuable pack space and weight.
Things To Consider Before Buying Your Backpacking Pot:
As I said, the two important factors that determine what kind of backpacking pot you need are the number of people you are cooking for and what you plan on cooking. Let’s take a deeper dive into this to discover what kind of backpacking pot you need for your next trip
What Will You Be Cooking:
Knowing your meals beforehand will give you an idea of how much space you will need in your pot to cook your meals in. Your meal choice comes down to preference, would you rather pack light and keep it simple with instant freeze-dried meals, or would you prefer to cook something a bit more elaborate for your backcountry adventure?
How Big Of A Pot Would You Need For Simple Backpacking Meals?
When I say “simple backpacking meals,” I am referring to meals that just require adding hot or boiling water to cook them, such as oatmeal and freeze-dried backpacker meals.
I prefer simple backpacking meals because they allow you to pack lighter, and it is easier to know how big of a pot you need for backpacking because you just have to use our equation above.
For example: For breakfast, I typically eat 2 instant packets of oatmeal requiring ¾ of a cup of water each and coffee which requires 1 cup of water. Totalling 2.5 cups of water needed for breakfast. For dinner, I eat a freeze-dried backpacking meal which, although the amount of water varies, usually comes out to about 2 ½ cups of water needed for dinner.
2 1/2 cups is the most water I will need for any given meal and I am only cooking for myself so if I plug that into our equation….
I need at least a 2.5 cups backpacking pot
For The Backpacking Chef:
Now, if you enjoy more variety or need to have eggs and bacon for breakfast, you may need to do a little research before selecting the correct sized backpacking pot for you. The reason being is that you are going to want to make sure that what you have is wide enough to cook your meals in a reasonable amount of time.
For those of you trying to chef it up on the trail, you may be better off with a collapsible backpacking cook set where you have the option of different-sized cookware for whatever it is you plan on making. While you can’t use our formula for more meals that require actually cooking, you can use trial and error when car camping before you bring your set into the backcountry
Who Are You Cooking For
Okay, after you decide what you are cooking, the last thing you need is to figure out how many people you will be cooking for. It is helpful for those of you cooking for a group to get a pot big enough to cook for the entire group in one shot. Otherwise, you may wind up wasting fuel by cooking multiple meals in the same pot.
Pot vs Mug:
Okay now that you know about what size you need it’s time to decide whether a backpacking pot or mug would be best for you.
Backpacking Pot: A Backpacking pot is the larger of the two, inherently making it more bulky and tougher to pack. However, on the upside, the extra volume is beneficial when cooking for multiple people, or if you actually plan on cooking meals that require more skillet-type surfaces, such as bacon, eggs, or rice.
Backpacking Mug: The backpacking mug is essentially a little can that packs down well, making it great for ultralight backpacking. In contrast to the pot, a mug does not have the volume needed to cook for a group or to cook actual meals. Backpacking mugs are best for simple meals that can just require adding hot water. So if you are a solo backpacker looking to travel ultralight and cook relatively simple meals, the backpacking mug would serve you well.
Check Out Some Backpacking Pots and Mugs!
Backpacking Pots:
| Item | Volume | Description | Check Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Liter |
| Check Prices On Amazon | |
| 30 fluid ounces |
| Check Prices On Amazon |
| 2 Liters |
| Check Prices On Amazon |
Backpacking Mugs:
| Item | Volume | Description | Check Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 750 ml |
| Check Prices On Amazon |
| 24 ounces |
| Check Prices On Amazon | |
| 30 ounces |
| Check Prices On Amazon |
