MSR Alpine Stowaway 1.1-Liter Cookpot Assessment

Backside Line

The MSR Alpine Stowaway 1.1L cookpot provides superior sturdiness and warmth dispersion at a hard-to-beat value. CleverHiker gear analysts and editors might feed a military with our assortment of Stowaways, however we’ll be sincere, they’re normally utilized in automobile tenting situations. Nonetheless, they work nice with quite a lot of range setups, can deal with extra concerned meal plans, and so they final perpetually.

The stainless-steel pot presents a stark distinction of strengths and weaknesses. It’s removed from ultralight and takes up a major quantity of pack house. Thus, it’s greatest used with a bunch that can divvy up shared gadgets.

On the upside, cooking on stainless-steel feels quite a bit like cooking in an actual kitchen. It heats up slowly and evenly, providing far more management than titanium or aluminum. Though it may be cussed to scrub relying on what was cooked in it, there is no such thing as a fragile non-stick coating to wreck. It’s additionally good that in your final backcountry meal, you possibly can simply lock the lid, stuff it within the pack, and convey it house to scrub within the kitchen sink.

Talking of sturdiness, the Stowaway can simply stand as much as years of cooking instantly on a hearth or abuse from clumsy backpackers. It’s even sturdy sufficient to make use of for self-defense in case you so select.

Though the Stowaway lacks some frequent cooking options, it’s by far essentially the most sturdy one in our information to the very best backpacking cookpots.

How We Examined

Our complete testing of the Alpine Stowaway pot spanned a number of real-world situations. We evaluated its non-stick properties by egg-cooking trials and measured boil effectivity with 500 mL of water. Discipline testing within the Rocky Mountains allowed us to judge efficiency throughout numerous situations and range setups. 

Cooking Efficiency

The MSR Alpine Stowaway is nice for minimalist base camp cooking. Stainless-steel heats up a lot slower than different cookset supplies reminiscent of titanium or aluminum. Though this ends in a slower boiling time, it considerably reduces the burn threat.

The stainless-steel can be comparatively thick and distributes warmth extra evenly. This even warmth distribution makes for evenly cooked meals, and the thickness of the metal retains warmth for longer. The big pot diameter additional distributes warmth evenly and makes cooking simpler. These attributes collectively imply that warmth is simpler to regulate total.

Since stainless-steel is broadly utilized in house and industrial kitchens, the Alpine Stowaway is pretty just like what most individuals are used to cooking on. This makes it very best for newbie backcountry cooks or those that like just a little extra management for in-depth base camp cooking.

The draw back of stainless-steel is that it’s not the simplest to scrub, so it’s a good suggestion to pair it with some metal wool.

Weight & Packability

Weight and packability usually are not the Alpine Stowaway’s robust fits. The tradeoff to stainless-steel’s comparatively superior cooking capacity is its added weight. 

The Alpine Stowaway 1.1L is among the heaviest pots that we examined, with an total packed weight of 14.7 ounces and a capacity-to-weight ratio of 107mL per ounce. At almost a pound, this pot will add a major quantity of weight to your pack, so it’s greatest used with a pair or a bunch that divvies up shared gadgets.

The 1.1 model of this pot will take up a major quantity of actual property in your pack as nicely. The general packed quantity of about 147 cubic inches is massive even for a one-liter pot, and the massive diameter eliminates the power to pack it in a facet pocket. The brief, squat form of the pot solely accommodates a 4-ounce gas canister, albeit with loads of additional house for a backpacking range. 

The folding deal with and latch maintain the lid securely in place, nevertheless it’s a good suggestion to deliver alongside a cleansing fabric to scale back rattling from the additional inside house.

Usability

The simplicity of the pot lacks fancy bells and whistles, nevertheless it cuts down on value and provides easy performance. The stainless-steel cooking floor, though semi-non-stick, lacks a non-stick coating and is usually a exercise to scrub.

The deal with is sturdy and capable of maintain a number of pot weight, and it stays cool when cooking. It additionally folds up and latches to carry the lid and the pot’s contents in place. Though the latch is safe, we discovered it may get caught and be just a little awkward to work with.

The minimal pot lid doesn’t have any drain holes, a pour spout, or a strain launch. Whereas the simplicity could be a downfall for individuals who get pleasure from extra concerned cooking, it makes for safe storage of leftovers. The lid additionally contains a small deal with, nevertheless it tends to get scorching.

As a result of the bottom of the pot is so massive, with a diameter of about 6 ¼ inches, it’s best used with bigger backpacking stoves. Ultralight stoves lack enough stability, which might result in spillage or worse.

Sturdiness

One other energy of stainless-steel, together with its wonderful warmth management, is its superior sturdiness. The thick stainless-steel is unlikely to warp or bend even after years of use over excessive warmth. You would even prepare dinner instantly on scorching coals with this pot, which isn’t one thing we’d advocate for skinny titanium or aluminium. 

The deal with and latch are essentially the most noticeable weak factors on the Alpine Stowaway just because they’re the one shifting components, however even these parts are very strong. 

The Alpine Stowaway is the right pot for anybody who’s tough on their gear or enjoys cooking over a hearth. It’s so heavy-duty that you might even use it for self-defense.

Ought to You Purchase the MSR Alpine Stowaway cookPot?

For anybody who appreciates purposeful simplicity, at-home cookability, cozy over-the-fire cooking, or a killer funds purchase, the Alpine Stowaway 1.1L is a no brainer that can final a lifetime of untamed meals. 

What it lacks in options, it makes up for with wonderful cooking efficiency. Though it takes some time to boil water, the thick stainless-steel heats up slowly and evenly, similar to your pans at house. It’s nice for newbie backcountry cooks or anybody who enjoys sautéing recent meals within the backcountry.

Though it’s positively not ultralight, the folding deal with and latch maintain every little thing securely, eliminating the necessity for a stuff sack. In a bunch setting the place gear weight will be distributed throughout a number of packs, the 14.7-ounce weight isn’t too heavy for a sturdy, home-style cooking floor.

The Alpine Stowaway could be the right pot in case you’re a bushcrafter who loves cooking instantly on the fireplace or somebody who normally automobile camps however sometimes desires to backpack shorter journeys.

What Different Backpacking Cookware Ought to You Contemplate?

In our full information to backpacking cookware, we’ve examined cooksets for each backpacking model.

MSR Fusion Ceramic 2-Pot Set Assessment: This cookset provides the very best cooking efficiency of any cookware on our listing with its use of light-weight, ceramic-coated aluminum pots. Though it’s just a little heavier than the Stowaway 1L, it consists of two massive pots. 

Stanley Journey Nesting Two Cup Cookset Assessment: That is one other ultra-durable stainless-steel cookset. It’s tall and slender versus brief and huge, which lends itself extra in the direction of soups and scorching drinks than cooking, nevertheless it’s lighter and comes with two cups.

Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot 1L Assessment: The Pasta Pot is the very best stability between an ultralight cookset and useful options. It doesn’t prepare dinner meals as evenly as stainless, nevertheless it has a large base and a sturdy deal with.