Cooking with the MSR Quick Skillet
Cold-soak dinner of Idahoan potatoes, tuna, slices of cheddar cheese, Moon Cheese, and pre-cooked bacon.
Stoveless to Skillet
I had never seen a skillet used on a thru-hike until I met Brew Hiker last year on the Continental Divide Trail. We would later become hiking partners and partners in life, so you could say that the MSR skillet plays a fun part in our relationship.
Before I set foot on the Continental Divide Trail, I decided to hike without a stove and prepare my meals by cold-soaking, a term used for rehydrating foods such as instant potatoes. When I met Brew Hiker, I was still cold-soaking with a Talenti jar, and carrying a back-up Snow Peak cook pot for nights when I had a campfire to make hot meals. For me, food is fuel on the trail.
The least amount of time I spend cooking is more time for sleeping and hiking. Stoveless means quick and easy camp meals, and most importantly, fewer ounces. My go-to camp diner consisted of Idahoan instant potatoes, a package of tuna or salmon, add cheddar cheese, and topped with Fritos or Cheetos for extra calories and crunch.
A morning treat! Hash browns and a Mountain House ‘Breakfast Skillet’ cooked together.
(Left) Starting a beautiful New Mexico morning with cold-soak quick-oats, cacao powder, goat milk powder, and dehydrated berries in a Talenti jar. (Right) Stoveless dinner of instant potatoes, tuna, and Cheetos.
Creativity in a Skillet
Brew Hiker’s classic Ramen curry dish.
For Brew Hiker, however, camp food is a culinary event and that begins with the MSR 7-inch non-stick skillet.
The night we met, I witnessed him whip up a curry of Ramen noodles, dehydrated vegetables, coconut milk powder, peanut butter, curry powder, with red pepper flakes and garlic. I was impressed with the quick boil time and creativity within the skillet.
We started to camp together and cook shared meals together, enjoying sausages, macaroni and cheese, sautéed vegetables, enchiladas, hash browns, and my all-time favorite, trail quesadillas.
Skillet Gallery
Cheese and pepperoni quesadilla with a view.
Why the MSR skillet?
I’m convinced this is the way to cook food on the trail due to its’ size and versatility. If we had a campfire, Brew Hiker would begin boiling water while balancing the skillet over the edge of the rocks and continue to cook, adding instant rice and dehydrated beans.
The crisp cheesy quesadillas alone make the skillet worthwhile. Plus, a package of 8-10 fajita size or any medium-size tortillas nests perfectly within the skillet for added packing efficiency.
Brew Hiker cooking breakfast in the skillet.
Weighing in at 5.9 ounces, the skillet is a game-changer when it comes to camp cooking. The skillet material is aluminum with a hard-anodized cook surface, giving you a non-stick and easy to clean surface. As with any non-stick cooking surface, always use wood or silicone cooking utensils, like bamboo or Brew Hiker’s favorite silicone spoon. The skillet’s removable handle is a great feature for packability, just be sure to keep the plastic parts away from high heat.
From cold-soaker to skillet-believer, I can’t wait to use this skillet for my next camp meal. Let me know if you try a skillet on your next adventure and be sure to share your favorite recipes in a comment below.
Bon appetit!
Highlight @theconcretehiker
Don’t forget the pepper!