My Customised Trade Kettle.

For originality, I have a three-legged cast iron 1.5-quart pot. It hangs beside one just like it that my GreatGreatGreat carried throughout the civil war. for my use, I carry a 1.75-quart aluminum coffee pot or a two-quart copper bottomed stainless steel pot with a bail. It is big enough to cook in for one and big enough to boil water in a decent quantity.

 

It is hard to find just the right pot for your carry kit. for bugging in I prefer cast iron and have a full set of that. Unfortunately, it is too heavy to carry now. In the recent past tin alternatives were often not good for longterm use because they rusted. You had to try and find the OLD school tin to have that sort of quality and lasting power like your little kettle.

I have tried a lot of different pots and kettles. The thing is that a bail is a must and the only small pots that have them are designed for camping purposes. Aluminum is light and will work but honestly, for cooking on a wood campfire I'm not sure how long they will last. They are OK for a short term but for the long haul, I want better. I like my copper bottom stainless steel pot but it is a little smaller than I would prefer at about 1.5 liters. I would prefer one in the 2-liter area. I like that size because I can boil water to fill two canteens or fill one and drink the rest. Also, a larger pot allows me to cook larger things.