A cook pot stuff sack has several uses. It keeps the lid on your cook pot, keeps the contents from spilling out, and helps keep the exterior clean, so you can pack it in your backpack next to your other gear or clothing. This is especially important if you cook with alternative fuels like wood or esbit, which make the outside of your cook pot sooty and gross.

• Pot Sack: Hilltop Pot Sack #3
• Weight: 0.21 oz (6g)
• Material: Dyneema DCF

As a longtime Esbit user, and before that a wood stove user, my cook pot is coated with a thick layer of burned grime and soot, which has kept me from packing it in my backpack near my clothing and other items I want to keep clean. I always packed it in a mesh stuff sack to keep the lid on, but that sack picked up a lot of dirt too, so I relegated it to the front mesh pocket of my backpack, where it got the occasional dent when I dropped my pack.

This year I switched to a Dyneema Pot Sack from Hilltop Packs, which lets me pack my cookpot with my other gear without worrying about dirt or grime transferring to it. I didn’t expect that, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised, and it’s changed how I pack my backpack. The pot sack also has a round bottom, so it fits closely and looks clean, with no excess material. Hilltop makes this pot sack in many sizes for over 30 different pots ranging from 550 ml to 2000 ml, so check to see if they have one for yours.

I have avoided accessorizing my gear with the plethora of tiny stuff sacks made by cottage companies because I believe less is more, and because I’m an ultralight backpacking curmudgeon who resists change, but I must say this cook pot stuff sack is a delightful addition to my gear list.

Disclosure: Hilltop Pack donated a stuff sack for review.

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