Used my REI dividend to pick up the 8" non-stick backpacking frying pan two days ago. Two days worth of experimental cooking on the gas stove and I have to say I'm impressed!

The first experiment was some sausage patties and to keep things consistent I used my cast-iron skillet on the burner next to it as a reference. The REI one heated up faster and stayed even with no hot-spots. The cast iron, as seasoned as it is, still tended to snag the sausages a little when it was time to flip them where the REI pan didn't. Frankly, if there is any downside it's that the non-stick works a little too well. Simply trying to tilt them to let a little grease drain was an unusual challenge. <grin>

I waited until they were cooled down (grease solidified) to see how hard it would be to clean. A light rinse in hot water (and by rinse I mean two passes under the water totalling about 5 seconds) and frankly there wasn't a trace they had been used! A single wipe of a paper towel and the whole pan was dry and ready to go again.

Repeated with a hamburger patty, a piece of chicken breast, etc. All of them so far just as easy. I ran out of things to cook on it but plan to try my MSR Micro Rocket rig (I have the little metal 3-way support that locks on the bottom of the fuel canister so that shouldn't be an issue) this evening. Maybe the'll have a nice special on fish? smile

Verdict: Not the lightest but not heavy. A lot of the titanium and ultra-light aluminum cookware users frequently gripe about hot spots, cold spots, burned spots, hard to clean, etc. If it's a few ounces or even a pound I'd rather have consistently edible food than toss out what didn't cook well. You can also slip packets of things like the Korr rice and pasta under the handle when you stuff it in your backpack to make the most of the space.

A lot of reviews had people mentioning they ended up going back and buying the larger pans to use at home and that even years later the finish is as good as new. If that's the case, you can count my number among them if she's still this smooth at the end of summer. smile

http://www.rei.com/product/765753/rei-campware-nonstick-frypan-8