Cooking equipment is essential for the young scouter, right? Without it, he goes hungry on outings that require him to bring his own food. It’s also somewhat difficult to earn the Cooking merit badge if the only thing you bring on backpacking trips is pop tarts, pringles, beef jerky and, oh yeah, bags of candy.
But what kind of cooking equipment might a young scouter need? Consider a backpacking stove by MSR called the “Pocket Rocket”. It is lightweight and compact, which every scout likes when he thinks about how heavy his pack weighs. This stove is also very easy to operate, fully adjustable and folds up to fit in a protective, custom-fit travel case that is included. At $40, it might be a little pricey for a boy scout… but then again, how much was the last video game he got for XBOX or Wii?!
This is the kind of equipment that can pay for itself (and then some) well into his adult life. The Pocket Rocket and a solo stainless steel cook pot by Stansport is what I carry on many outings.
