UPDATE: I went on my backpacking trip and just got home this evening. We hiked from Storm Lake just outside of Ananaconda, MT to Upper Twin Lake. You can drive to Storm Lake if you have enough clearance, its not car friendly. The hike was about 8 miles to get to the second lake so 16 total miles. I had a 40lb bag, the boyfriend had a 50lb bag. Which really wasn't that much stuff, we have older bags so they aren't super light, same with our tent. We have been slowly buying lighter gear. I just grabbed a new bag on Massdrop but it won't ship til August.

I almost forgot to take a picture of the cooking process I was so ready to eat by the time camp was set up. We made a noodle side with a can of tuna tossed in it, and some instant mashed potatoes. I took photos of breakfast, we made instant coffee and instant oatmeal. We have a water filter system so we packed mostly foods that were light and just needed water added, or energy bars.

All in all the cook set worked pretty well and cleaned up nice! I would recommend it to anyone looking for something decent and sturdy, and the igniter was a nice touch (though we had a lighter just in case) There are lighter sets on the market, but its not terribly heavy either.

So THANK YOU again Santa, I had a lot of fun with this set, and I'm sure I will put it to use again this year on a few more trips. As long as fire season doesn't get too crazy. I came home to a lot of smoke from a fire a few hundred miles away in Hamilton MT. I can't even see the mountains by my house it's so thick :( It might not be good hiking weather for a few weeks unless we get a rain spell or a cold front.

I got a really cool little cook set, it all collapses down so it fits into a pack. It even came with a stove which has a lighter. I live in the Rockies and I'm going to be climbing my first (small, no clip in required) mountain and backpacking for a few days. My boyfriend has already done it before since he grew up here, but I'm an East coast city kid and I'm excited to try something new. So thank you Santa for this thoughtful gift! It will be put to good use soon!