I'm looking at doing a ~10 day stint on the JMT/PCT next summer, and I'm looking for a pan that will fry fish (trout), and do it justice. I've read that some Titanium pans are terrible for frying because of the thin metal, but weight considerations are paramount so Titanium (or very light aluminum) is likely the best course.

Is there a pan one might recommend? I'm looking at the Evernew Titanium Non-Stick Frying Pan W/ Handle 16 (6.5" width/ 4.5 oz), but want some input before making any purchases.

I will likely use a White Box Stove as my stove to cook said fish.

I tried the evernew pan. My fish stuck horribly and it was impossible to clean. I ended up returning it to REI.

Have you thought about grilling your fish? I picked up a small piece stainless steel mesh which ways about 1/2 oz and used it over an alcohol stove when I walked the JMT last summer.

The trout cooked up nice and crisp with a sprinkle of old bay seasoning and true lemon. The trout released fairly easily from the grill and what stuck would burn of the next time.

Edit: I forgot to mention that clarified butter is a great addition to fresh fish and some extra calories.

Edited by nschmald on 08/29/2008 11:45:25 MDT.

I second that, mate. I use a small cooling rack made for baking sheets, etc.. and it is stainless, so no worries of zinc poisoning (galvanization)
I snagged them in a 2-pack from Dollar Tree.

I had the same problems with "non" stick skillets. However, if you do find a good skillet use instant potatoes as your batter. You wont be dissapointed!

According to http://zenstoves.net/Fuels.htm, HEET, my fuel of choice, is extremely poisonous, so using it as a flame for grilling isn't something that I'd feel safe trying. It might be okay, but it's not a route I'm comfortable with.

Thanks for the info on the Evernew Pan. I wonder if the non-stick REI pan (7.5"/ 4.9 oz) would be any better in the stickiness dept.

Is using a BushBuddy possible on the JMT? I know that there are some pretty strict fire restrictions in the Sierras, and that there are times when fires are completely prohibited, so planning on the BushBuddy as my sole stove/grill doesn't sound sound.

Use a hard anodized aluminum pan with non stick inside. It controls the heat better than Ti pans do.

I have an older GSI Bugaboo cook set that I had set aside as too heavy for UL. It turns out that the pan is aluminum, non-stick, and lighter than any of the Ti pans I was considering (7.5"/ 4.2 oz).

Thanks for the input. The answer was right under my nose the whole time.

Chris, of course you shouldn't do anything with which you are not comfortable.

That said I don't think there is much risk in using an open flame alcohol stove with a grill. When alcohol burns it becomes carbon dioxide and water. This is what reaches the grill. The unburned alcohol stays in the stove. You'll likely be exposed to more alcohol from vapors when you fill the stove before lighting the fire.

BTW I use denatured alcohol, which like HEET is also poisonous.

Also I think that the REI pan is just a rebranded evernew so its performance we be the same.

In my experience all backpacking pans are simply to thin to evenly distribute heat. So you will always get sticking unless you deep fry or boil the food.

As for the bushbuddy, yes you can. The restriction outside of yosemite valley is no fires above 10000 feet. So one can either camp low or cook food on the bushbuddy during the hike and then camp high. It is unlikely although possible that fires will be banned so you should have a backup.

One last point. The only place I could get denatured alcohol or any other decent fuel on the trail was at vermillion valley ranch. Every other place was out and all they had was 70% rubbing alcohol. Something to keep in mind when planning your resupply strategy.

by grilling, i meant over an open fire. I was unaware that open fires are banned or seasonally banned on JMT. sorry!

for those that dont know, Aluminum is far lighter than titanium. However, it is usually marketed as the lightest thing ever.

Edited by mikeinfhaz on 08/29/2008 13:29:35 MDT.

Chris, Grilling is messy. If you're willing to bake instead and have easier cooking and cleanup, go check out The Bakepacker. You don't even have to buy their snazzy contraption. You can do it with an aluminum pot and a handful of rocks. Keep all the mess in the roaster bag and disposal is a breeze. Think of it as FBC meets fresh fish! I've not tried the cake or biscuits yet, but it looks simple enough. If you do use the rock method, make sure to keep them wet. When they dry out, some rocks may have a tendancy to explode.
Good luck.
Chris

Cut and paste this link:
https://www.nols.edu/store/product.php?productid=16164&cat=253&page=1

Not the absolute lightest, but could also be used as a pot, maybe? It is hard anodized aluminum, so non stick.

I used a MSR 1.5L Ti pot this summer with success but had to use a lot of olive oil. I actually think boiling the fish may be the compromise in the lightweight world if you don't want to grill. You could switch fuels to something less toxic too.

Fish baked in aluminum foil is very good and the foil weighs very little.

Put a little olive oil or clarified butter in the pouch along with lemon pepper. I've put dried tomato and dried zucchini in there. Maybe some dried garlic or onion as well.

This would be baked on coals in a small fire built using low impact principles.

As Ryan said you can also poach the fish in your pot with a little water, olive oil, dried veggies & spices.

Edited by DBthal on 08/29/2008 13:19:17 MDT.

If I choose to grill, I will use the BB stove; there's something about the wood taste in food when grilling it. I was hoping to not have to take more than 1 stove, and relying on a wood stove in an area where there are fire restrictions is a bad idea. I don't really want to *have* to descend just to cook if I'm above 10,000', especially considering I'm a "set camp, then cook" kind of hiker.

That said, there are 2 of us, and perhaps he could carry one stove and pot, while I carry another. It's probably a good idea to have 2 stoves for 2 on an extended trip anyways, especially when stove/pot combinations are less than a pound for both.

BB Ultra: 5.1 oz
Makeshift grill: pretty light, I imagine.

MBD Blackfly #3 w/ windscreen and pot stand: 3.05 oz
Henine Can with wick: 2.4 oz

Total: 10.55 + light makeshift grill

I can also take 1 WBS and Bugaboo pan (5.2 oz) and my MBD and Heine can (5.45 oz) which will total at 10.65 oz, or 5.325 oz per person.

I'm starting to like the BB idea though; I love me some grilled fish.

:)

Ive grilled trout several times on the dollar store racks and it never leaves a residue , and if it does you can always burn it off. No mess. you can rub a thin coat of olive oil on the fish and then simply salt and pepper the inside, prepare to make some bear friends- hehe
my gram scale broke otherwise Id give you exact weight on the rack but I can tell you at 9x13" its about 2.8 ounce or just over. You can also cut it down to exactly half, 4.5 x 6.5 and it would still work. If grilled fish is your thing, I believe 1.4 ounces and $0.50 is worth it!
please let us know how it works out for ya, those Golden trout look fantastic.