For me, if hiking or day camping, I carry a 32 oz. wide-mouth stainless steel water bottle from Guyot Designs and a Light my Fire spork. The water bottle can be used for cooking and eating out of, is easy to clean, and carries water too. I sit it on the ground right by the fire, or in it. I have a piece of wire that I use as a handle for the bottle; it is removable and wrapped in tape so I can hold it when the bottle is hot. I can dump my meal into the bottle (rice, meat, veggies, or a freeze-dried meal, or an MRE pouch folded and placed inside the water in the bottle), let it simmer for a while as I set up camp, and when I come back in a few minutes, the dish is cooked and I can eat it with the spork. No mess, no sweat. Works great in a dakota fire hole. If I am camping where you can't build a fire, I use a homemade alcohol stove with a little pot stand made from wire. Works great.
For longer duration or family camping, I have a Scout-sized Kelly Kettle and a wide-mouth 48 oz. steel Thermos. You can boil water quickly with the kettle, and then place the hot water in the thermos with your food. Wrap it in a towel and a little later you have a hot meal. I also have the cooking rack for the kettle, so I can fry an egg or bacon while boiling water. Very light and convenient setup. And the kettle only needs a few handfuls of sticks and leaves to boil water.
For longer duration or family camping, I have a Scout-sized Kelly Kettle and a wide-mouth 48 oz. steel Thermos. You can boil water quickly with the kettle, and then place the hot water in the thermos with your food. Wrap it in a towel and a little later you have a hot meal. I also have the cooking rack for the kettle, so I can fry an egg or bacon while boiling water. Very light and convenient setup. And the kettle only needs a few handfuls of sticks and leaves to boil water.
