Best Backpacking Frying Pan for Tasty Campsite Eats

We rarely come across a piece of outdoor kit that’s absolutely perfect for the job it’s designed to do, but in the Sea to Summit Alpha, we think we finally succeeded!

This aluminum pan ticks all the boxes. It weighs a tiny 8.6 oz. (8” size), has a large enough cooking surface for slap-up meals for two, boasts a user-friendly handle, and has a fancy, high-tech surface that transfers heat from your camping stove up to 62% faster than traditional non-stick coatings.

The Alpha is also available in a 10-inch size which will set you back a little more but weighs just 10 ounces and is a better option for large groups or couples with large appetites!

The Primus Campfire Frying Pan is a great choice for campers who are happy to carry a little extra weight in return for last-a-lifetime durability.

The 18/8 stainless steel construction makes this pan one of the toughest on our list, while the aluminum base ensures even heat distribution. The 8.25″ cook surface is perfect for cooking smaller meals, and the 16.6 oz. weight is about par for the course for stainless steel models.

While a little too heavy for thru-hiking, it’s a good option for car camping or shorter backpacking trips.

The Primus Campfire also features a collapsible handle that folds under the base, making it easy to store, and comes with a great storage sack that helps to keep the rest of the gear in your pack clean.

For the camper who wants the convenience of non-stick without the high price tag, the GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Frypan is a great option.

The Teflon coating ensures that foods won’t stick to the surface, and at 12.8 oz., it’s lightweight and easy to pack. The 9.2″ surface area is just right for one or two people, and the SureLock folding handle makes it easy to store. Its weight and size also make the Bugaboo a good pick for both front country and backcountry camping.

The only downside to this pan is that you’ll have to take a little extra care when cleaning and cooking to avoid damaging the Teflon lining (silicone utensils and soft sponges recommended!).

Looking for a versatile and compact skillet that can handle all your cooking needs on the trail? Look no further than the MSR Quick Skillet.

This 7.75″ skillet is made from hard-anodized aluminum, making it lightweight (5.9 oz) yet durable. The removable handle makes it easy to pack away, and the non-stick surface ensures that your food will always come out perfectly cooked.

While the Quick Skillet’s size and trifling weight make it ideal for thru-hiking or longer backpacking trips, it is a little on the small side for groups or even camping couples with larger appetites.

The MSR Alpine is made of high-quality stainless steel designed for expeditions in rugged and extreme environments.

This pan performs just like the ones we have at home thanks to its tough stainless steel build and a heat-spreading aluminum disc welded to the bottom, which ensures your food is cooked evenly and more efficiently.

The Alpine’s 7.7″ diameter is a fraction on the small side for big appetites, but we did like that it’s deep enough for the odd risotto or fried rice. It also weighs just 11.4 oz. and has a removable handle, so it’s portable enough for forays deep into the backcountry.

The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Frypan is the ideal choice for anyone looking for a large, durable frypan at a friendlier price point.

This 10″ frypan is made of high-quality stainless steel and is the heaviest we reviewed, weighing in at 22.2 oz. It is also, however, the largest frypan on our list, making it perfect for large families or groups.

The aluminum base ensures even heat distribution, and the pan is also oven-safe, making it a versatile cooking tool.

While not the most portable option available, the GSI Glacier is a good option if you tend to do shorter backpacking trips and just want an affordable workhorse for your morning and dinnertime fry-ups.

The Jetboil Summit Skillet is a solid choice for anyone looking for a compact and lightweight skillet that can still handle all of their cooking needs.

The Summit Skillet measures 8.5″ in diameter and weighs 10.6 oz., making it one of the most portable options on our list. It also has a folding handle to reduce bulk and comes with a handy Triton spatula that fits inside the pan, so you won’t have to buy one separately.

Varied wall thickness provides even heat distribution, and there’s also a PFOA-free, ceramic, nonstick coating that is durable, easy to clean, and eco-conscious.

All of the above means the Summit Skillet ticks just about every box. Sure, it’ll be a little too small for some and others may want the lifelong durability of steel, but if compact, lightweight, and user-friendly is your bag, this one’s hard to beat!

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool ounce counter and happy to forego a few inches of frying space to save yourself a little weight, the Boundless Voyage Titanium should be somewhere near the top of your shortlist.

Like all titanium cookware, the BVT’s main selling point is its ultralight weight. Tipping the scales at just 4.3 ounces, this is the lightest pan on our list. Titanium is also highly durable, so those weight savings don’t entail compromising on toughness and durability.

There is, however, a compromise. With a surface area of just 7.1 inches, this is the smallest model on our list, so it’s only really suitable for solo backpackers or groups with the patience of a saint. Titanium also won’t distribute heat as well as a steel, aluminum, or cast iron pan, so your grub won’t be cooked quite so evenly.

The S2S X-Pan is a frypan that has split opinion among our testers. For some, its lightweight, compact design, durable materials, and duo of heat-resistant handles made it a keeper. For others, the lack of a nonstick surface and its poor heat distribution were a dealbreaker.

This split in opinion makes it fairly clear who this pan is for. If portability, robust construction, and fancy handles are high on your priority list, it’s well worth considering. It weighs just 10 ounces, is made with hard-anodized aluminum (tougher than other varieties), and its handles do, indeed, make handling far easier, especially when frying heavier fare.

If you prefer the user-friendliness of a non-stick coating and the performance of a heat-distributing cooking surface, a similar-sized model like the Jetboil Summit Skillet is a better option.