Hi,
I've been using both an MSR Titan Kettle and an MSR Titan Cup, for years, and have been contemplating getting something midway between these two sizes (Titan Kettle = .85L, Titan Cup = .4L). The Snowpeak 600 mug looks like it falls squarely between these two and may be exactly what I'm looking for. My MSR pots have performed perfectly, so I'm wanting to know if the Snow Peaks are of the same quality. Also, I've seen another brand, "tibetan" (made in China). Are these pots the equal of my MSR pots, also ? If you know of any other brand of ti-pots that are good, can you share your personal experiences with these, please ?

I like the Ti Snow Peak gear too, I have three different sets (solo and two different 4-piece sets for backpacking with my kids). Plus, a double-walled mug and the kids have their own color-coded mugs too. And, some bowls and sporks...no I don't pack it all at once LOL.

But all top-notch quality.

Some people prefer annodized aluminum because it is a little more dent-resistant.

REI is selling some Ti kits that are non-stick:

http://www.rei.com/product/764178, for example.

But someone else will have to give some feedback on non-stick pots. It may depend upon what sort of stove you're using. You can still scorch a non-stick pan, if your stove is too hot.

Good luck,
Andy

In my experience, the Snow Peak titanium pots and mugs are as good as, if not better, than those sold by REI. I don't know anything about the Chinese stuff but personally, I would wait to see some reviews before buying.

I'd stick with name brand - but that is me. MSR's are usually stamped made in Thailand. Thailand and Japan are good sources....China I am just SO wary on!

I like the Firelite pots from Bozeman Mountain Works, aka BPL--they are really light and dent-resistant. I have a 550 ml. pot for solo backpacking and a 1300 ml. pot for going out with the grandkids. Since all I do is boil water, these really lightweight thin Ti pots work fine. However, if you want to do real cooking, anodized or coated aluminum distributes the heat far better than titanium.

I think Snow Peak and Evernew are the best quality. I've had issues with the BPL stuff and other brands.

Tibetan are the makers of the Firelight, MLD and the BPL pots. They are thinner and lighter than the SnowPeak and the MSR, therefore not as robust but OK if you are not too rough with them. They can and do lose their shape a bit so the lid will not fit as tightly as it does with the thicker type. Nothing to do with the country of origin, just with the thickness (or lack of) the walls.
Franco

Thanks for sharing all of that very useful info, with me ! I'm pretty certain now that I want the Snowpeak 600 mug, but I also stumbled upon the Vargo Ti-Lite Mug that comes with a nice looking lid,for nearly twice the price of Snowpeak 600. Any info on that pot/mug ?

I have three pots from three different brands. The two larger ones (900ml and 1L) are proportionally of the same weight and have kept their shape in spite of being compressed inside my pack and dropped a few times. The Tibetan (from Ti Goat...) is the thinner one and the one that has lost a bit of its shape. So I really don't think that there is much difference in quality for Ti , just wall thickness. If you compare size and weight you should get a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Franco

I've used MSR and Snow Peak, and found them to be of equally good quality. However, the Snow Peak sets have measuring marks on the pot, which is very helpful; MSR doesn't (though I've heard that the new Quick series has such marks.)

All Titanium potsmugs are about as likely to be equally good as are all aluminum pots/mugs.

Half of your questions are answered above.

Of course, I am interested in reading experience of folks with different equipment. You get a combination of good advice and personal preference, and still have to make a decision or two in the end.

In my experience, aluminum is easier to cook with (as compared to boiling water) because the heat spreads evenly across the pot bottom, minimizing hot spots and scorching. It's also a lot cheaper.

Ti pots are lighter (even though the metal is heavier they're made much thinner), less dent-prone and the cups won't blister your lips. I've pretty much completely switched over and only use aluminum for car camping.

Cheers,

Rick

I'm not so sure, at least for what I've seen for the same size pots.

My AGG 3 cup (anodized aluminum) pot weighs 141 grams, with the pot cozy made of reflectix. so call that about an 800 ml pot with lid and cozy for 141 grams.

All weenies, whip out the gram scales.

I'm not sure I agree. The aluminum cook pot I am presently using weighs 3 oz w/ lid for a 0.6 liter capacity. I have had a few Ti pots but never one that light if the lid is included.

The AG 3 cup pot listed now is an 850ml pot for 107 g. ($10 !!!)
Also there (at AG) the Evernew Ti 900ml is listed at 119g but it has handles ($39)
So the main difference is that aluminium will spread the heat better (less scorching) but Ti is more "drop" resistant if dents bother you.
On some of my tests, the thinner Ti pots also came to boil a bit faster but not by much, and I suspect that with the thinner AG pots the difference will be less still.
Franco

The 'Ti being lighter' is both myth and truth - depending on what one buys. Many HAA pots are beating it these days. As HAA gets better made, it is thinner and lighter than just a couple years ago.

Coming up in Feb 2010 GSI is going to be adding a couple new UL items of HAA out there. They look GOOD!

To expand on my earlier post, aluminum cookware can certainly be made as light or lighter than Ti but will not be as strong or resistant to dents and permanent deformation. Whether that's important is completely up to the individual, since we all have unique needs. Either will boil water in the same amount of time using the same amount of fuel, all other parameters (dimensions, lid) being equal.

There's some sneakly misleading marketing about so-called "hard" anodizing. Some marketers lead us to infer that it makes cookware stronger, which it does not. It is an effective corrosion inhibitor and surface scratch protector but it does nothing to strengthen the piece. That is a product of what alloy the piece is made of and how it's formed at the factory.

Cheers,

Interesting input on aluminum. I can no longer remember why I started using titanium in the first place, except that it's definitely lighter than the stainless pots that I was using. I ended up buying a Vargo Ti-Lite Mug, for it's 750 ml capacity (boil 24oz of water for 1 Ramen and a cocoa).