What kind of tableware, or cookware, do you take on short-term mountain hikes? After many attempts, I've finally settled on Uniflame's "Mountain Cooker Square 3." Cookers are something everyone prepares, regardless of style or length of trip, making them one of the most basic pieces of outdoor gear. They come in a wide variety of materials, shapes, sizes, and prices, making it difficult to choose one on the spot. These square cookers are known to have a loyal following among some, and I'm one of them. There are three main reasons why I settled on a square cooker, but I don't think it's perfect for all occasions. There were some things I had to cut out as a result. I hope this article will be helpful for those reading this when choosing a cooker
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Reason 1: Packing is easy
The most annoying thing about packing is the dead space that forms around hard, round items (cookers, water bottles, gas cartridges, etc.). If it's just one or two, you can fill it with clothes or something, but since cookers tend to be carried relatively high up in the backpack, you'll inevitably run out of things to fill them with. However, a square cooker fits snugly into a nearly square backpack, whether you hold it horizontally or vertically
Reason 2: You can store your lunch set all in one place
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like quickly boiling water for a bowl of ramen or tea or coffee when I'm on a day hike and the summit is so refreshing, or when I drop into a cozy mountain hut. This square cooker is just the right size to fit instant noodles, so I can store the packets of instant noodles, a tea set, a gas burner, and a lighter all in one place, which is incredibly smart
Reason 3: Easy to pour
This is also a commonly mentioned benefit. With round cookware, depending on the cooker, liquid poured to the brim tends to run down the spout and spill, but with square cookware, pouring from the corner reduces surface tension and makes it less likely to spill
Areas for improvement
The biggest drawback is that there isn't much variety in size. I would like it to be deep enough to store instant noodles and gas cartridges. Other than that, the design is a bit cheap. The lid also rattles around, which is a bit noisy. As for the material, I personally don't use it to cook rice, so I think a thinner material like titanium would be better instead of aluminum
Square cookers are convenient and compact for short day trips, so I think they're a great choice, especially for people just starting out in the mountains
