Lightweight Camping Cook Set for Canoeing and Kayaking

I recently got back from a ~160 mile trip that followed the route of an 1879 expedition to the north shore of Lake Superior and into what is now called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The route included around 30 miles of portages and I needed to go lightweight.

In the past, I used a slightly lighter cook set for camping, but I changed my camping cook set for 2021 to something slightly heavier. I did so because the stove is so much better and more fuel efficient, especially in wind, and I also wanted to try a new water bottle.

Lightweight Camping Cook Set

The main system is made up of two parts: a Vargo 750 ml Ti Mug (Read my review here: Vargo Titanium Ti-Lite 750 Mug Review) and a MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Deluxe. I changed from the BRS Stove, which while light and cheap wasn’t able to match the MSR’s stove output, speed and fuel usage when there was any wind. The change cost me an additional 1.9 ounces. The BRS Stove is 1 ounce and the MSR is 2.9 ounces. I figured over the length of this trip which I estimated between 10-12 days that I’d save that much or close to it in fuel and only have to carry one instead of two canisters. That saved 3.2 ounces in empty canister weight plus the consumable fuel.

My son and I tested this while camping one weekend. The MSR had our water boiling in under two minutes in 7 to 10 knot winds while the BRS wasn’t able to bring the same amount of water to a boil in under four minutes in the same wind. After two minutes, we added a wind block. We decided to quit the test at that point. The test used two new canisters and the same pot. The stoves were set it up in the exact same spot between tests. The wind was constant and the same.

Additionally, the MSR has a regulator which helps it maintain output with low fuel or in the cold, and it offers a piezo ignition.

Water Filter for the 2021 Camping Cook Set

For my water filter on this trip, I tried a new item. I used the Sawyer Personal Water Filter Bottle. It weighs 6 ounces with the filter inside, the cord shown and a mini-biner. During the trip, I retied the cord and dropped the toggle off of it.

With this kit, I also needed to bring a Sawyer Squeeze Bag (just in case) and the syringe to backflush if it got clogged. It didn’t get clogged. That added 2.1 ounces, but eliminated the need for a second bottle. I did backflush once. To do that, I boiled water for dinner and added a extra for the backflush. Then I put an included straw on the tip of the syringe and backflushed through the top of the bottle.

The total was 8.1 ounces and I’m not sure it was worth it. The bottle turned out to be hard to squeeze, so I couldn’t get much water out of it without sipping. That in turn made making breakfast, which was just adding water, difficult. It was also hard to get enough water to clean my toothbrush.

Due to the number of bushwhacks and my goals, I wanted a hard water bottle that I could just set on the canoe floor and not worry about cross contamination. While this bottle worked, I’m not sure that I’d use it again. I need to think about this. It might be easier to get a water bottle holder made from Dyneema that the squeeze bag can sit inside and hang it from the thwart.

I switched back to the Sawyer system from the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L (Read my review: Katadyn BeFree Review), because I’ve found that the BeFree doesn’t last long. I’d have to buy a new filter each trip and I was filtering water so pure in most places that people often drink it without using a filter. Maybe I just had bad luck.

I think in the future, I’ll go with the Sawyer Mini (Read my review: Sawyer Mini Review) and carry a Smartwater bottle. Those weigh 0.6 ounces. The mini weighs 1.9 ounces. The syringe weighs 1.1. Note: if I’m not carrying this syringe, I do carry one in my first aid kit for cleaning wounds. I’ve had to use that in the field and I’d rather clean a wound in the field properly. A syringe does a much better job than a plastic bag with a small cut in the corner. Total would be: 3.6 ounces. Or maybe I’ll go back to the 1.9 ounce BeFree and just buy a new one for each trip. (With a smaller first aid syringe, it would be 2.8 ounces).

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Ditty Bag Items

The rest of my camping cook set included a Light My Fire Spork at 0.4 ounces, a small 0.5-ounce Nalgene bottle with Dr. Bronner’s soap at 0.7 ounces w/ the soap, a Osprey zippered bag at 0.6 ounces and an old bear bag with 50 foot of cord at 2.1 ounces. The total was 3.8 ounces. The 0.5-ounce bottles are so hard to find online. I got mine at here.

Also shown in the photo are my vitamins and vitamin I in a small flip top container from this kit. I count that as first aid, so I’ll list it there instead of here. But, it’s easier to use if it is with my cook kit. I knew that with the long portages, my knees might hurt. My first day had 9 miles of portages. I took the Ibuprofen to keep down any swelling and prevent issues at the start of the trip and didn’t use any later.

The MiO is considered consumable. I’ll list it with the food. It was so much easier to get a shot of caffeine vs. making coffee or tea. Plus, it tastes good.

I currently keep my toothpaste, brush, small wash cloth, hand sanitizer, lip balm in a separate bag, but in the future I’ll put it all in this one and save the ounce of the other. I’m going to have to cut the handle of my toothbrush to make it fit.

Note: the line from the bear bag was also used to help line the canoe down whitewater. I’ll write more about that later, but it saved the weight of painters which would have been near two to three pounds.

Total Weight

Cook Set	Ounces
Vargo 750 ml Ti Mug	3.8
Vargo Mesh Stuff Sack	0.6
MSR Rocket Rocket 2 Deluxe	2.9
Light My Fire Spork	0.4
Nalgene 0.5-ounce bottle	0.26
Osprey Zippered Bag	0.6
Empty canister	3.2
Sawyer Water Bottle Filter	6
Sawyer Squeeze Bag 1 liter	1
Sawyer Syringe	1.1
Total Ounces	19.86

Where Can I Save Weight

I could save weight with a TOAKS 550ml pot, switching back to my old filter system of a BeFee. There are probably lighter stuff sacks. I’m sure there are lighter spoons. Those changes would get me down below 12 ounces. I do notice that many hikers put their soap weight in with another tally. Maybe I should do that to standardize. While I’m not an ultralight person — I generally try for sub-15 pounds not counting camera gear — I’ve seen ultralight hikers get their cook set weights down to around 10 ounces, including food storage bags (they aren’t hanging their food).

Do you have any thoughts to save further weight here?