Backpacking weight saver: skip the bowl
Every now and then we like to share weight-saving tips for backpacking here on the blog and today’s tip is a pretty simple one: ditch your bowls and plates. You may be tempted to bring a lightweight plastic bowl and plate or even a fancy collapsable silicon bowl on your overnight backpacking trip but if you think about it you don’t really need a bowl or plate at all.
When you cook in a metal pot on the trail it’s a no-brainer to just eat your food right out of the pot (I usually can’t wait anyway!). Many backpacking meals are single serving anyway so I like to use the single pot rule for all my meals. It cuts down on gear but also means fewer things to clean up after I eat.
Some backpacking meals like MREs can be prepared in their own pouch by simply adding hot water. These meals are the best because you don’t even need a pot – a small water kettle will do just fine – and there’s nothing to clean up!
When you’re on the trail it’s important to cut out weight wherever you can and tossing the plates and bowls not only saves weight but also saves time. We don’t expect you to be fancy while backpacking anyway 
Related posts:
- X-Bowl Collapsable Camping Bowl Review
- Backpacking tip: Skip the water filter
- Toilet paper space saver
- Eating Utensils: Cut Out the Weight
- Syncpack improves the backpacking experience
Tags: cooking, ultralight
