When I’m out for a day-long hunt, I usually carry a small pot, stove and insulated mug that all nest together. I found this tip in The Complete Walker IV by Colin Fletcher and Chip Rawlins. This is my light and fast backpacking set up. With this set I always have a way to heat water for a cup of tea or soup, and it has been a welcome addition on those cold, wet days. There’s nothing like a hot drink to keep you going and wash down the jerky and trail mix.

The stove fits inside the mug, which fits into the pot, and the 110g fuel canister (not shown) nests on top of the pot. If I choose to leave the insulated mug at home, the fuel canister fits inside the pot with the stove, making an even smaller package. It takes up the same amount of space as a 1 quart water bottle, so one side of my pack has the stove kit and the other side has a quart of water. Before I went fancy with titanium (thank you, Santa!) I used a tall baked bean can that was a similar size and shape.

My setup (as shown) is a SnowPeak Gigapower stove, a SnowPeak Summit cookset, and an Aladdin mug with the handle cut off. I also carry a 110g fuel canister, which would go on top of the pot in the stuff sack. I don’t use the silicone bowl as a bowl; I use it as an insulated cozy to hold on to the pot after the cooking is done. The silicone lid also doubles as a potholder to grab the pot handles.

I carry a zip-top bag in my fanny pack with a few tea bags, some coffee bags or pre-packaged instant coffee, a few bouillon cubes, and a small soup packet. I tend to take more than I need, but I know that they are in there, just in case things don’t go as planned.