[byproxy]

i've gone back and forth on this one. i really like fbc cooking but could really do the same thing in the pot too (same technique, just a different vessel really). that said, is it lighter to carry the necessary cozie thing for the fbc or would it be lighter to carry the soap and sponge for the one pot cooking? i'm thinking, at worst, it's a wash. your thoughts?

[rooinater]

I think it's pretty much a stalemate as to which one in general is lighter, since most of them can be prepared either way and the actual weight of each meal varies by the ingredients used in the particular meal. The only way you are going to get them any lighter is if there are components in the recipe that can be dehydrated to lighten the load. My reason for FBC over cooking in a pan, is by the end of the day I generally just want to sit back and relax. With FBC I boil water, empty it in the bag inside a cozy, let it sit for awhile while I go do other camp chores. I don't have to sit there and simmer and baby the food to not burn it. Then when I am done I lick my spork, roll up my ziplock bag and the dishes are done. I use a cozy mainly because I don't like the idea that in the off chance I have a bag leak or it's a smelly food that is going to permeate into the clothing or beanie. Since I sleep with a quilt I'll be wearing that beanie in national parks and other bear country. That is my main reason for using a cozy instead of clothing. I've tried just cooking meals in the pan, and it always leads to something crispy on the bottom of the pan... and the extra cleanup involved without cross contaminating a lake or river becomes a pita that I don't like dealing with after hiking all day. That's my 2 cents worth.

[byproxy]

i'm with ya... i think it'll be a wash too and i too like the no mess no fuss of fbc. i don't know how y'all do it in the quart bags though. that's 2 cups of water. that's in the range of what most recipes call for... which means your bag is going to be way way full. i prefer the gallon freezer bags. i just didn't want to have to carry a big ol' cozie for the big ol bag. i did some tests (boiled water, let rest for 30 seconds in cup, poured into bag and waited a minute to simulate mixing and such, then into either the bag cozie or the jetboil cup). the cozie kept the water 6 degrees hotter than the jetboil cup. i'm going to pick up some of that reflective bubble stuff today and test out a jetboil cozie to see if i can't match the temp of the bag cozie test. i'll post results once done.

[Dogpatch]

No matter how light your pot, a freezer bag has just got to be lighter. Can't see any way around that. And as others have noted, you don't really need a cozy--a hat will do. Add to that the convenience of not having to wash out a pot, and I'll take freezer-bag cooking any day.

[rooinater]

[bonobo]

A quart is actually 4 cups. A pint is 2 cups.

[Ski]

[sarbar]

Well...you can do it both ways if you use my recipes I try to do both directions when feasible when posting recipes - how to do FBC and also how to for one pot. (And also often for insulated mugs) If one does full on cooking one pot style meals (where you have to simmer for example) a high quality slick non stick pot goes far in cleanup so you can leave the scrubbie pad and soap at home. Another way to save weight is to only use as big of a pot as you need (hence I own multiple pot and stove setups so I can dial in just what I need!) and learn to cook with only a spoon. I can flip pancakes even with a long handled spoon

[sarbar]

[rooinater]

[Ski]

I'm cooking pasta, oatmeal, and rice in a plain aluminum pot, and what's left in it after I eat wouldn't even feed a few ants very long. Here's what puzzles me: if these new "non-stick" cook pots are so great, why do I see posts talking about food sticking to them? Are they burning the food in the pot? Or cooking stuff with a lot of sugar or grease in it? And why would you need soap or a Scotch-Brite pad? Sand and water won't work? Or would that wipe out the "non-stick" coating on the pot? I don't get it.

[Allison]

My big issue is I want the food to be yummy. Yum yum yum, yummy food.

[sarbar]

[Ski]

okay so.... if I'm still using my cheap-ass Ecko $6.99 2-quart aluminum saucepan ( with the plastic handle drilled almost to non-existence ) and a Dragonfly... and not experiencing the sticking problem... it must just be that I'm a better cook! I'm off to Leavenworth.

[sarbar]