Took heavy to hike with but man I love the taste of my seasoned cast iron. Many health benefits over non stick cook wear. If I cook a low temp my seasoned cast iron doesn’t stick either. Here is video on how I seasoned my cast iron.
https://youtu.be/rvhXY59yLtE
Not useful as a paddle, but may make a great anchor!
I love cast iron, but I don’t love the weight for long trips. Some outfits sell cast aluminum, but I haven’t tried it to advise.
Greg, those fry bakes are really good, a bit pricey, but very high quality. Hold up to a lot of use, standard issue on most NOLS courses, where they do a lot of cooking. The lid “clicks” on the pan, so it’s fairly secure, keeps heat and moisture in, and if you’re cooking with fire ashes out. You can “bake” in the pan with the lid on over a stove, just flip the bread halfway through, can have fresh bread in the backcountry. Pizzas, calzones, biscuits, all possible, throw a half teaspoon of water in, secure the lid, and the steam helps bake up the food. Just my 2 cents.
Good to fight off bears! Hit them with the frying pan.
I’ve cooked some good stuff with cast aluminum, but I’m told it causes brain plaque.
Not on my canoe trips. River trips would be ok. Portage canoe trips uhuh
Where you canoe matters
Does anybody else get ads for cast iron cook wear in the margins of this site when they click on this thread? The internet is getting too damned smart.
Our outfitter gave us the cast iron to carry during our kayak trip on Yellowstone lake. We lashed it to the deck. It is great on a wood fire. It gives more even heat on an uneven heat source. A ten inch fry pan is nothing on a big tandem kayak. IF you don’t have to portage.
If you portage with it, best to do a hand load with a cast iron dutch oven. I did that a couple times using a carry case. You can stuff your lunch inside for easy access. The cases carry easily with a paddle.
I’ve been cooking with anodized aluminum Dutch ovens (GSI brand) on whitewater rafting trips for close to 20 years. They work amazingly well, are easy to clean & care for, and are much lighter. No way would I carry cast iron.
I’ll often lug my dutch oven along. Dump cake, monkey bread, brownies, cookies - nice to have something sweet at night. I should actually cook a meal in it, but I usually don’t.
@Loon_Watcher said:
If you portage with it, best to do a hand load with a cast iron dutch oven. I did that a couple times using a carry case. You can stuff your lunch inside for easy access. The cases carry easily with a paddle.
How long were your portages? I’m talking 5000 meters a day one way
@eckilson said:
I’ll often lug my dutch oven along. Dump cake, monkey bread, brownies, cookies - nice to have something sweet at night. I should actually cook a meal in it, but I usually don’t.
Greatest thing for baking; even better than a conventional oven. I have a Lodge combo I use expressly for sourdough bread. No need to humidify the oven; the dough creates its own steam. Cooking with cast iron rocks.
I love my cast iron cookwear for home cooking, but it’s too heavy to bring camping. I already have the canoe loaded to th gills so gotta cut weight somewhere and the portable gas grill wins out over the cast iron.