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Thanks for the follow-ups and additional contributions everyone. Still not quite sure how my 'new' solo kitchen will look as I seem to be somewhere in the mostly rehydrating with simple cooking here and there category. We'll see how it shapes up over the next month or so.
On solo trips I use Jetboil Flash to boil water (under 2lbs with gas for a week-long trip). Jetboil has a press for this system as well, but I foundMSR coffee filter to make no worse coffee than any press.
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For coffee, I use the GSI Ultralight Java Drip with a paper filter in it and it's just about perfect for only around 15g worth of weight. The additional filter slows down the drip and makes clean-up really easy compared to a press.
In a pinch, I've also used filters and grounds with an elastic band around the top and simply dipped it in hot water like a tea bag. You don't want to steep long or it gets bitter.
I have a 286g 1.5L pot and lid that I use for just about everything. I like a lot of variety when I'm eating so will cook in the pot and also rehydrate. Generally, Day 1/2 even has fresh stuff in it, stuff that packs light but has a lot of flavour - cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, parm, fresh herbs, onion, peppers, tuna in foil bags, olive oil. Any combo of that mixed with couscous, angel hair or rice on the trail is a delight. Rehydrating stuff is saved for later in the trip.
I never bring a second pot. If I want a second cooking method for variety, I'll use a campfire. You can do a lot in a foil package with minimal weight or roasting on sticks.
For my backpacking trip in a few weeks though, I'm thinking about using a $3 stainless cylindrical pot I saw in Dollarama and trying hydrate only - I just have to figure out a better lid and handle system than what it comes with. I'm still toying with how I want to prioritize a lighter pack and some luxuries.
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Kurt wrote:
....An empty tomato can to boil water
This is tougher to find than people might think - so many cans now have a plastic lining.