One of the things when we go out hiking or camping is that we tend to burn some good energy and as a consequence – we get hungry. Anyone can live off cold tins of food or quick rehydration meals, but just because you don’t have a kitchen doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat well.
What is undoubtedly a great addition to your camping stove has to be a hiking pan. Backpacking cookware has come a long way these days too with specific designs and lighter and durable materials to keep your load light and small.
So instead of cracking open a tin of baked beans and eating it cold, throw it in your pan, add some more ingredients and you will have a far more satisfying meal on the trail.
Keep reading and check out some of the best hiking pans on sale right now in Australia.
| JetBoil Summit Skillet | Sea to Summit Alpha Pans | MSR WindBurner Ceramic Skillet | GSI Outdoors Bugaboo 10" Square Frypan | Primus Campfire Frying Pan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Best Value  | Lightest  |  |  | |
21.6L x 21.6W x 4.8H cm | 16cm Handle | 20.3W x 20.3D (+Handle) x 3.8H cm | 37L (inc. handle) x 21W x 7H cm | 42.5L x 27W x 12H cm | 50H x 21 cm | |
Aluminium Base, Ceramic Non-Stick Surface | Hard Anodised Alloy Base, Stainless Steel Handle with Silicone Grip | Various | Aluminium Base, Teflon Non-Stick Coating | Aluminium Base, Stainless steel | |
1.5 L | 1.5 L | ||||
300 g | 245 g | 220 g | 700 g | 400 g | |
1 Year | Lifetime | 3 Years | Lifetime | ?? |
Best Hiking Pans Australia
JetBoil Summit Skillet
Best For Use With Jetboil Stoves
The Jetboil Summit Skillet is a compact and handy hiking pan to take with you on a long trek. It’s fairly light coming in at 300g and has a handle that folds in on itself to save space, a spatula that tucks in into the handle and is also bright orange so you won’t lose it.
While not included, the pot support, which costs another $18, is pretty much essential for use with Jetboil’s range of canisters and integrated stoves like the Flash or Genesis.
You can use it on other canister style stoves without this extra support no worries, but if you have bought into the Jetboil brand then you will need it and it lifts the overall price a little higher than advertised.
Customer reviews are solid and people love actually cooking in the pan as it doesn’t stick and cooks evenly. One big issue is that many of Jetboil's integrated canister stoves are designed to boil water super-fast, while this skillet is better used at a simmer.
So while is a great pan, it's better used with a simpler canister style stove you can control the heat on than an actual Jetboil one, and you will save $18 on the extra support.
Sea to Summit Alpha Pans
Best Budget Option
When it comes to hiking cookware, it’s hard to go past this well priced, lightweight and versatile cooking pan. The Sea to Summit folds in on itself and has a locking mechanism to keep it safe while cooking, has nice high sides so you can reduce down liquids and can be used on any canister or liquid fuel stove, or even a campfire.
It was hard to find negative reviews about this as it is pretty much universally loved, however, there were some reports of the handle not locking properly while cooking creating an issue and some uneven cooking (which can be mitigated by stirring more frequently).
This is a no-nonsense, light and capable piece of camping cookware that is great on the trail and perfect for a couple’s dinner cooking or making nice reduced stews.
MSR WindBurner Ceramic Skillet
Lightest Option
In every category of camping or hiking equipment, there is usually one that is more expensive and capable than the rest. The MSR Ceramic skillet is the one, in this case, it's super lightweight, comes with a reliable non-stick surface and has a folding handle.
But, given this piece of backpacking cooking ware is almost three times the price of other pans here, it's hard to see what the extra money you spend actually does. It is only compatible with MSR WindBurner stoves, making it less versatile than others.
It also has an uneven bottom, meaning when cooking small amounts of food, they tend to move out to the sides away from the heat.
Most reviews are quite positive, particularly for people with the MSR WindBurner stove already. It has its issues with heating up and uneven heating so at its price point, unless you are a big fan of the brand, you just wouldn’t buy it.
If you are an owner of a WindBurner however, you may find this suitable as it locks in nicely when cooking.
GSI Outdoors Bugaboo 10" Square Frypan
Best For Frying
If you like to camp or hike in a group of people or you just love to fry all your foods, then this square frypan is what you are looking for. The GSI Outdoors Bugaboo is a solid pan with a folding handle, non-stick Teflon surface and large cooking area.
It’s heavy though, twice as heavy as anything else on this list and the customer reviews reflect this. If you are static camping then this is not so much of a problem, nor if you are in a group of people with a range of stoves and pans that can share the load and vary the cooking methods.
But if it's just you and this is all you have, then it's most likely a good thing it's heavy as you can work off the extra calories all that fried food can give you!
It's a great pan and it's versatile and can be used on most burners, fires or stoves, however, the low side's means stews and a liquid reduction style of cooking isn't that great, but for frying a steak and eggs – it's bang on.
Primus Campfire Frying Pan
Best For All-round Cooking
Here is a pan that is designed for use at home or in the bush and comes with a foldaway handle and is available in two sizes. We are reviewing the 21cm size as it’s consistent with the other pans on this list for a better comparison.
Most customer reviews are very positive as this pan heats up evenly and can be used for soups, stews and also frying of foods. The biggest issue as it’s a stainless steel pan, you need to heat some oil first to ensure nothing sticks to it and all negative comments are based around this.
It's also on the heavy side and like the other heavy pan, the GSI Outdoors Bugaboo, its best uses are going to come in a camping setting or with a larger group of hikers that can cross load pots and pans.
Having to add oil is an issue for some, but the benefit of stainless steel is its even and quick heating. If you don't mind a little extra weight and like to be able to cook anything you want on a burner or fire – then this is the backpacking pan for you.
What To Look For When Buying Hiking Pans
With so many options out there when it comes to hiking pans or backpacking cookware, it’s important you are armed with the right knowledge to ensure you buy a pan that is suitable for your cooking needs on the trail or at the campsite.
Your Uses
Everyone likes to eat different things in different ways and you must have a pan that can cook food the way you want to eat it. If you love simmered stews, then a pan with high sides will be important.
Like to fry food? Then a pan with good heat distribution would be more suitable.
Value
Like most things in life, we want value for money and what's the point of spending your hard-earned money on a pan when you can just take an old one from the kitchen?
Pans designed for hiking and camping use will be more suitable, but you need to ensure you are happy with the money you will spend versus the use and style of the pan.
Cooking Performance
This is a big one as pans like the Primus that is stainless steel can cook food the most evenly, but pans like the Sea to Summit Alpha can hold more volume.
This is also important for pans like the Summit Skillet or MSR Windburner skillet that are only designed for use on their stoves only as you will be locked into not only your pan but the performance of your stove too.
MSR has a good guide on how different materials impact weight, heat distribution and overall cooking performance.
Weight
Everything is a trade-off with weight and pans are no exception, generally the heavier the pan – the better for frying and heat distribution it will be. But as long as you monitor your cooking, you can achieve the same results with a lighter pan and some good cooking skills.
Your pan will be fighting for space in your backpack along with your hiking stove, poles and your tent.
Final Thoughts
Some of us love to cook and eat, others can go a week eating nothing but cold cans or dehydrated food and as such a hiking pan could be considered a luxury.
Good food provides us with not only sustenance but a well-timed hot and tasty meal that can improve your morale significantly.
So whether you are on the trail and pull out a lightweight and versatile pan like the Sea to Summit, or you are cooking for the kids with a Primus Stainless around the campfire – a decent camp pan will ensure you're hiking diet will be well rounded and as tasty as home.
This article may contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission if you choose to purchase a product or service after clicking on my link. This helps pay for the cost of running the website. You will not be disadvantaged in any way by using my links.
Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.
