Pathfinder Stainless Steel Bottle Cooking Kit
I go on a lot of trips throughout the year that I am only responsible for myself when it comes to cooking. Whether it’s a solo trip or I’m out with buddies. So a dependable and minimal cook system is the most important thing that I can put in my bag a lot of the time. Which brings me to my long overdue Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit Review.
Pathfinder Bottle Cook Set sold by Self Reliance Outfitters
This Pathfinder Cookset is as minimal as it gets when it comes to backcountry cooking. It features the following:
- 1x Wide Mouth 32-ounce Klean Kanteen style of cup, with a fantastic lid which is O-Ring sealed.
- 1x 25-ounce Stainless Steel Cup with batwing handles.
- 1x Stainless Steel Cup Lid with straining holes.
Pathfinder Stainless Steel Cup Lid
One of my favorite features of this Pathfinder Cook Set is the stainless steel lid.
- The lid seals up extremely tight on the Pathfinder Nesting Cup so your contents won’t spill
- The metal ring does a great job of staying in a set position for when you need to remove the lid from the cup
- It has 2 slots on either side to accommodate an optional bottle hanger (more on that later)
- And lastly, it has drain holes on each side
The best thing about using a lid on your nesting cup is that you will not get ash in your food or drink. The lid also improves boil times drastically, from my experiences.
Pathfinder Nesting Cup Lid
As you can see above, the ring/tab provided on top of the nesting cup lid comes in especially handy when working around a fire. You don’t have to mess with it or fuss to get the ring into place. Simply set it before you lay it down and it’ll stay.
Pathfinder Nesting Cup
I really love the Pathfinder Nesting Cup for day hikes and minimal solo camping. Not only does it nest with the provided 32-ounce bottle, but it also works flawlessly with my well-loved Stanley Adventure Cookset (the lid works with the Stanley as well).
Read Later: Stanley Adventure Cookset
I most often find myself making tea in my Pathfinder Nesting Cup, boiling water for Mountain House Meals or making a simple soup. It boils very quickly and has 16, 20 and 25-ounce graduation marks inside of the cup. These do a great job when it comes to in-field measurements.
The Batwing Handles on the Pathfinder Nesting Cup are good for minimalism, but they do take some getting used to. Since they only fold out 1.25″ from the cup itself it can be a delicate balance retrieving it from a fire at times. I always recommend having a good pair of leather gloves around for this task.
One last word of caution if you’re drinking from the Pathfinder Nesting Cup: Do you see the hole at the top of the cup, above the charred-up Pathfinder logo?
Always make sure those are pointing directly left & right (west & east) of your mouth…Otherwise, you’re going to spill your drink. User-Error? Probably, lol. But I wanted to mention it…Because no one likes sugary tea beard when it’s 95° outside.
Pathfinder 32 Ounce Bottle
I have primarily utilized my Pathfinder Bottle as…Well, a normal bottle. I have used Klean Kanteen style bottles since I got into hiking and I love them. They’re familiar to me, they’re reliable and they just work.
However, it’s worth saying that this bottle heats up extremely quickly if you choose to boil liquids in it. It’s my experience that bottles heat up quite a bit quicker than nesting cups. (just be sure to remove the lid from your bottle)
Pathfinder Bottle Hanger
This is an optional accessory, that does not come with the cheapest Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit. However, they’re only about $3. I personally picked my bottle hanger up at a local sporting goods store, but they’re available here if you want one.
The bottle hanger opens a lot of possibilities for this kit. You can hang it over a fire since it acts as a bail that grips into the holes of the cup that I mentioned earlier (again, look above the Pathfinder logo in the image above). I personally haven’t used this method a whole lot, as I just shove my cookware directly into the coals. But I do always bring the hanger, just in case.
Shown above: Pathfinder Nest Cup and Stanley Adventure Cookset
Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit Overall Value
Value is where I think Pathfinder hit a home run with this cook kit. The 32oz. bottle, 25oz. nesting cup and lid come in at $39.95. And from what I can remember, I got mine even cheaper because they were running a holiday sale.
This kit is literally fireproof, as you can see above. I’ve never once babied it and it has performed very well for everything I’ve needed. So, in my opinion, $40 give or take is a fantastic price for a kit that works very well together and can even expand to accept the Stanley Adventure Cookset as you see in the image above.
Shown Above: Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit, LightMyFire Spork Titanium & FireSteel, Mora Garberg
Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit (9.5 out of 10)
I have been using the Pathfinder Bottle Cooking Kit for around a year or so now. It has been extremely reliable and I’m positive that it will continue to be as the years go on. It is a near-perfect solo cook system, in my opinion. And I would recommend it without a doubt.
Pros:
- Excellent Value and Price
- Solid Build Quality
- Graduated Marks in the Nesting Cup
- Strong Stainless Steel for use in and around fires
- Great Lid
- You can use the nesting cup with other products to expand your backcountry cooking capabilities
- Made by a fantastic company that loves the outdoors
Cons:
- The batwing handles require a bit more finesse around a fire. At the same time, this is not a deal-breaker and anything larger would’ve made the kit bulkier.
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* Ethics Statement: I personally purchased the Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit last year and have no obligations to Self Reliance Outfitters for this Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit Review. All opinions, statements, and content are my own.
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Q&A: If you have any questions about the Pathfinder Bottle Cook Kit or anything else please drop me a comment below – I’d be more than happy to help!
Comments: What’s your favorite camp cook kit? Or do you already own the Pathfinder Cook Set? Let me know in the comments below!
Read Next: Pathfinder Knife Shop Kephart XL | Stanley Adventure Cookset Review
