We cannot emphasize this enough – if you have any plans at all of heading to the wilderness or the nearest nature trail because you need to go camping or communing with nature, make sure that you have the right cookware with you. And no, we’re not referring to the pots and pans in your kitchen.
If you want your pack to be reasonably light with all the things that you need to survive for a few days away from your house, then you need outdoor cookware. Outdoor cookware provides the best experience to campers, and they are usually more compact and more durable than ordinary cookware for your kitchen.
Trust us; you don’t want to bring regular pot camping, especially if you are alone. The pot’s going to be heavy and awkward, and you will be carrying excess weight for no good reason!
MSR Titan Kettle
The Standard in Titanium Pots?
The MSR Titan Kettle is well-respected camping gear (especially in the US), and many outdoors people have at least one MSR Titan Kettle in their arsenal. Of course, if you are camping with the company, it is a good idea to have at least one more pot with you, or you can ask your buddy to carry a pot with him.
People often compare new titanium cookware with the standard, which happens to be the MSR Titan Kettle. But, if you’re new to camping and hiking, know that there are two contending groups when it comes to cookware: those who love the lightness of anodized aluminum and those who swear by the tensile strength and durability of titanium. Today’s review covers two clashing titanium titans – we have no anodized aluminum today.
The Verdicts:
- Seasoned backpackers who invest heavily in new gear post-season say they have never regretted picking up an MSR Titan Kettle. The most common reason was that the MSR Titan was always lighter than larger lidless pots, and over time, they have been able to observe the impact of pack weight on performance.
Whether you intend on backpacking or climbing a mountain, the amount of weight you have on your body will always impact how your body sustains the effort. Try weighing your pack if you don’t believe us! All the ‘small things’ in your bag eventually add up. - The MSR Titan performs as if brand new even after ten years of regular use. You might observe some dents and some discoloration on the surface (which is normal – it’s called patina). However, titanium is very sturdy. If you are cooking on a portable gas stove, there’s no reason for the MSR Titan to take any significant damage even after several camping seasons.
- Many campers and backpackers agree that the MSR Titan lid has a superior fitted cover that handles heat and pressure better. The MSR Titan also has a spout for easy pouring. However, sometimes if it is a toss-up between similar pots or kettles, seasoned folks will compare individual components like the lid to decide better. In this round, the MSR Titan wins by a league because it has a better-designed cover.
- MSR Titan owners tend to own multiple pots or kettles, but they rarely let go of their MSR Titans. The cheaper kettles and those from other brands may be resold, but there’s something about this titanium pot that makes the owners keep it longer than others. Ten years is light – some have owned theirs for longer.
TOAKS Titanium Pot
A Good Alternative
Let’s face it – we can’t always find the brands that we need. If you can’t find an MSR Titan in your area, there’s a viable alternative based on reviews – the TOAKS Titanium Pot. This pot is also made of titanium to won’t want anything in terms of durability.
Titanium pots or kettles are superior to aluminum ones for several reasons – they resist damage at a higher level, so if you drop yours in the river and the current takes it away, you have a good chance of recovering it intact.
The only advantage that anodized aluminum has over titanium kettles is the heat distribution. Anodized aluminum is the master of heat distribution, and if you need your food to warm quickly, you’re probably better off with another metal than titanium.
The Verdicts:
- When comparing a TOAKS pot with anything else, campers often state that the lid has less to do with efficiency – according to them, what is more critical, is the pot’s capacity. How much water do you need to cook your meals, or even bathe a little with warm water?
Many campers combine TOAKS with other pots because of the limitation in water capacity. However, they are evenly matched, so we have to move away from the durability factor just the make and form factor toward other factors that might affect the ease at which you will use these outdoor pots. - Some hikers say that the TOAKS pot outdoes the MSR Titan in terms of stability. However, they seem to have hit one of the critical design issues with these two pots. TOAK pots tend to be shorter and stockier, and therefore, they have a lower center of gravity. Depending on where you backpack or hike, you may or may not always have access to flatter surfaces. Go with the former if this is the case. However, if you have a knack for finding flat ground for your gas stove, then the stockier TOAKS pot is an excellent choice.
- The TOAKS pot has thicker walls, which means it will have a bit more weight than other titanium pots with thinner walls. Consider this if you are sharply cutting the weight of your packs and you want a reduction in every aspect.
The main picture is from Amazon – TOAKS. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
