Sometimes, you get what you pay for. Sometimes, you get a lot more than you paid for. The latter is certainly the case with the Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set. I’ve owned this cook set for years and I’ve been using it a lot lately with my new Simple Theory Gear Pack Stove which has reminded me of how much I like it.
This cook set has so many thoughtful features that this review could end up being entirely too long so I will try to hit the highlights in outline form.
Price and Availability – The price is impressive at a glance and it only gets more impressive as you read on. This cook set costs $15 and includes the pot with locking handle (locks open and closed to retain the lid), a lid, and two insulated plastic cups that nest inside the pot. Not only that, but you can get it locally at Wal-Mart or online on Amazon (Prime). It doesn’t get much more affordable or available than that.
Form – Initially, I thought I might dislike the tall, narrow shape of the Adventure Camp Cook Set. Wider pots are usually going to perform better than narrower pots for tasks like melting snow for water. However, I’ve come to appreciate the shape and size over time. It is easy to pack. It is the right diameter for use with most nesting cups (the type that will nest on a 32 ounce Nalgene or similar bottle) and its lid can be shared with said nesting cups. It is still wide enough to fit small canister stove fuel canisters inside yet narrow enough to fit in your pack’s water bottle pockets. Basically, the size and shape are just right.
Details – This cook set is packed with thoughtful details. The handle is long enough that it stays well away from the flame which keeps it cool. The handle also locks over the lid which keeps anything you carry in the pot from spilling out which is handy because this will fit in exterior water bottle pockets of many packs.
The pot has useful graduation markings. Even the included 10 ounce cups have an 8 ounce/1 cup marking which any camp cook will find useful!
The lid can be used with any common 95mm/3.75 inch diameter nesting cup or small pot. If you want to save some weight, the lid can be swapped with lighter weight titanium or aluminum lids available for this common size. Heck, you might even have one already. The bottom of the pot tapers so you can nest a cup on it which can make for a great and compact two pot set up.
Stainless Steel and Weight – The pot is made from stainless steel so it isn’t as light as aluminum or titanium. However, it is still relatively lightweight at just under 14 ounces for the whole set. The pot alone weighs just under 8 ounces. Each cup weighs about 3 ounces so removing one or both of those saves significant weight but they are actually really nice cups/bowls. The cups are actually nice enough that I use them at home sometimes and have a hard time not bringing at least one.
8-14 ounces depending on configuration isn’t that heavy especially when you consider how well a steel pot transfers heat and how easy it is to care for in the field compared to other metals. This is the kind of pot that you can put directly on a campfire or twig stove without concern. Just scour it quickly with a Scotch-Brite pad or a wad of dried ferns and move on.
Wrap Up
This pot has the kind of details that you really want in a cook set but, surprisingly, many of these details are lacking in much more expensive pots. It even has some details that are just really unexpected but cool. This would be a great deal at twice the price.
As I mentioned above, you can find these in just about any Wal-Mart outdoor section for $15. If you need an even easier way to add one to your kit, Amazon has them for the same price with Prime shipping (affiliate link): Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set on Amazon
