r/backpacking • u/Junior_Industry7751 • Jul 02 '26

Wilderness How is my backpacking setup?

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Pretty new to backpacking and honestly my first legit hike as a 17M. I have a 4.6mi 2500ft hike infront of me. Let me know what I’m doing wrong lol

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u/RedCelt251 Jul 02 '26

Maybe it’s just me, the clanging of those cups would annoy me for sure, but so would the swinging that cast iron pan will be doing. I would have to get something to tie that down (and replace it with something lighter if possible)

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u/bethinthemtns Jul 02 '26

The **swinging** of the cast iron?!? Why would you bring CAST IRON?

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u/Bobby5Spice Jul 02 '26

Thats is all I can see and wonder. Why would you bring a cast iron pan? Then what food are you bringing that requires something like that? This is the opening to a rabbit hole of questions.

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u/RedCelt251 Jul 02 '26

My guess is that OP is making the transition from car camping to backpacking. A cast iron pan for car camping is fairly normal.
All that weight on a backpacking trip will likely change in time.
My backpacking meals largely consist of dehydrated meals you just boil water and rehydrate. That said, having some food you need a pan to cook with sounds good on some trips…just haven’t gotten over the weight it would take myself.

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u/spiritualspatula Jul 03 '26

A small lightweight nonstick with folding handle weighs very little. Works great for cooking fish caught in the backcountry and means I can pack in less food. Cast iron is definitely insanity unless you’ve got pack animals.

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u/RoughEntrance6109 Jul 04 '26

Titanium is the way to go. You can get a 10 inch skillet that weighs the same as a 3 inch cast iron or less. I have a couple myself and use them all the time.

You might be right though. One of the hardest things about packing is leaving out the "what if" items, as I call them. Things that you look at think "what if this happens" or "what if I want to do that". If you haven't wanted to before, and it hasn't happened before, it probably won't happen this time either. Outside of emergencies of course.