Many cook outfits offered by sporting goods houses are too complete for a place in the hiker’s kit, in fact their very completeness renders them impractical because of weight, bulk and the number of utensils to be kept track of. They are made more in answer to the call of city sportsmen with fastidious trend of mind who as a rule favor more elaborate equipage throughout. In choosing a cooking outfit weight is the first consideration. One does not wish to carry heavy stove utensils nor are such needed. They must be strong enough, however, for hard service. In the second place compactness is a desideratum, for here we must reduce bulk. The common utensils of the shop will not nest well for they are all spouts, bail ears, handles and cover knobs. One can reduce the bulk by getting such articles as nest into one another. In making up the light weight mess kit the nesting idea should certainly be carried out but never at the cost of utility. Of materials tin and iron are the cheapest and they may be light enough. Here their merits end. Iron will rust and neither iron nor tin will stand rough handling. Utensils of such material are hard to clean when greasy and if the joints be soldered one is kept in mortal fear of their early destruction. The so-called armorsteel which is strong stamped steel with heavy tinning is quite good if one can get nothing better. Enamel ware is the easiest to keep clean and its poor heat conducting properties makes it for some things preferable. It has a tendency to chip and flake under rough handling or in cold weather. This latter fault can be remedied to some extent by gradual warming of the article before exposing to fierce heat. Enamel ware is not much heavier than other ware that is sufficiently strong for outdoor service. Aluminum alloy is a boon to the camper, it being the ideal material for certain outdoor utensils. It stands up in all climates--tropical, frigid north, in use on horseback trips, in canoe work, sledging or on the hike. It is much the lightest material we have. Any sporting goods dealer can supply you. The unalloyed aluminum is too soft and easily bends out of shape with hard usage and dry heat, hence a stiffener is added yet without appreciable change of weight. Aluminum alloy has few merits beyond lightness: it is a quick heat conductor, hence the cup had better be of some other material such as enamel ware so as to save the lips from blistering. Also under the application of dry heat to an aluminum fry pan the food sticks and burns so the fry pan is preferably of light stamped steel. However, where lightness is the great desideratum all parts of the cooking kit should be made of aluminum alloy.