Welcome back to another gear review! Today I’m bringing you all a product that I have used and loved for a couple of years now. It is the budget-friendly Adventure Cook Set by Stanley.
These can easily be found at Walmart, Cabelas, and most other big-box retail stores. For $15 I can’t think of a better option for my fellow outdoorsman(and woman) looking for a nice cook set.
Stanley Adventure Cook Set Review
As I have already mentioned, the Stanley Adventure Cook Set comes in at a modest price of $15. Which makes it the best-priced cook set on the market. In fact, it outperforms several cook sets that boast a higher price tag. And it is readily available in many big-box stores, which makes it a great option that you could likely go out and purchase today if you wish.
The Adventure Cook Set comes with a large 24 Oz Single-Walled stainless steel cup/pot, with a large grab folding handle, a nice lid with drain holes, and 2 10 ounce insulated nesting cups.
I hope you’re beginning to see how much of a value this cook set is. But if you have not priced similar cook sets before, I can tell you that this is a very well priced set. From other brands, you would likely only receive the cup itself for this price range and be forced to add the other items on separately for an additional fee.
How have I used the Stanley Adventure Cookset?
As I mentioned, I have used this cook set a lot over the past couple of years. It was my first proper backpacking cook set, so I’ve used it a ton on my outdoor ventures. I have used it over a canister stove such as the Optimus Crux (previously reviewed here) and I’ve used it over an open fire by sitting it either above the flames or into the hot coals.
Is it safe to use the Stanley Adventure Cookset over the fire?
While Stanley may not condone using their Adventure Cookset over a campfire, I have had no problems doing so. I use my Stanley Adventure Cookset in/around our camp fires every weekend or so. Due to the toughness of stainless steel, and the fact that it’s single walled you don’t have to worry about messing the cook set up, or having harmful debris of metal melting into your food/drink.
I have found that the Stanley Adventure Cookset heats up fairly quickly over a fire when boiling water or cooking food, such as rice or Ramen Noodles. And it heats up even quicker over a canister stove.
Stanley Adventure Cook Set Mods?
I see a lot of people talking about modifying the Stanley Adventure Cook Set. I would honestly recommend taking it into the field before you decide to mess around with it. Because in my humble opinion it’s perfect straight from the shelf.
I have also had no melting issues with the hard plastic tab on the lid of the adventure cook set. I know a lot of people are replacing them with metal split rings, but I personally have no reason to replace it based on my extensive experience.
Stanley Adventure Cook Set Performance
As I mentioned above, I find that the Stanley Adventure Cookset performs fantastic! I’m not in a race while I’m out in nature (quite the opposite actually, I go out there to slow down)….So I’m not sitting by the campfire with a stopwatch waiting for my water to boil. But I can say that I’ve never been dissatisfied with its speed. It heats up rather quickly and evenly over the fire. And again, even quicker over a canister stove.
I also love the length of the handle on this Stanley cook set. If you’ve spent much time cooking over a campfire you know how important handle length can be. And with the Adventure Cook Set, it allows you to get a full 4 finger wrap-around grip. Which is great when you need a sturdy hand-hold to remove your contents from the fire.
Pro-Tip: I do recommend getting a pair of nice leather gloves to use beside the fire. They’ve saved my butt many times!
Stanley Adventure Cook Set Nesting Cup Options
Something I really love about the Stanley Adventure Cook Set is how easy it is to find nesting cup options. For instance, above is my Pathfinder Nesting Cup sold by Self Reliance Outfitters. There are of course plenty of other options though. Such as the $5 Ozark Trail cups from Walmart (which I love), GSI Glacier Cups, etc. Another cool thing is, the Stanley Adventure Cook Set lid will almost always be a perfect mate to your chosen nesting cup (it fits all of the options I mentioned above).
I love utilizing a nesting cup with the Stanley Adventure Cookset because it gives me a second container when I’m in the field. Which is a great option to have when I’m needing to boil water and cook at the same time. Plus it adds very little weight to my kit.
Assembling your camp cook kit
Above is my most used and loved bushcraft, camping, hiking, etc cook kit. A similar kit can be assembled for well under $100…That’s a steal, in my opinion, considering the capabilities it gives you.
Here is a quick list of what I’d recommend if you’re looking to put together a similar kit, again, for under $100:
- Stanley Adventure Cookset: $15 (at the time of this article)
- LightMyFire Titanium Spork: $14 (at the time of this article)
- Coghlans Folding Grill (optional): Can be found for $5 or $6
- Ozark Trail Nesting Cup: $5 at Walmart
Or you could alternatively buy the Pathfinder Nesting Cup I listed above with a bottle/stove for a higher price. - Buck Skin Gloves: Can be found for $15 or so
- Pathfinder Wide Mouth 32oz Bottle: $20+
Sure, there are more expensive options out there. And there are more lightweight ones as well. But this kit is compact, extremely durable, high value and performs phenomenally for me. As a field tester for outdoors brands, I will, of course, try new things. But the kit above is what I would walk out with tomorrow if I decided to spend some time in the backcountry…In fact, it’s what’s sitting in my bag right now. And the Stanley Adventure Cookset is at the center of this cooking kit.
Stanley Adventure Cook Set (10 out of a 10)
The Adventure Cookset by Stanley is hands down my favorite backpacking cook set that I own. If I were to lose all of my gear tomorrow and have to start from scratch, I would order this cook set first. That is how much of a staple it is within my outdoors kit.
I have recommended this kit to family and close friends for a couple of years. Now I am recommending it to you all. The Stanley Adventure Cook Set is a winner and I give it a solid 10 out of a 10! Get yours today!
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