Learn how to use a small outdoor cook pot for boiling water, cooking, cleaning, and survival tasks. Full beginner to expert guide.

How to Use a Cook Pot for Outdoor Survival and EDC Cooking

A small cook pot is one of the most useful pieces of outdoor gear you can own. It boils water, cooks food, melts snow, sanitizes tools, and gives you access to hot water for everything from tea to first-aid cleaning. Even a tiny cook pot can do far more than most beginners expect.

This guide teaches how to cook with a pot over coals, stoves, flames, improvised burners, and survival fires, plus how to clean, maintain, and improvise a cook pot in the field.

→ All Items with a Cook Pot

What a Cook Pot Is

A cook pot for outdoor or survival use is typically:

Stainless steel, titanium, or aluminum
Small enough to fit in a pack or tin
Equipped with wire or fold-out handles
Designed to withstand direct flame or coals
Durable enough for long-term use

Compact cook pots let you:

Boil drinking water
Cook simple meals
Make broths
Melt snow
Sterilize tools like needles → All Items with Suture Needles
Prepare hot drinks
Render fat
Create pitch or glue

Boiling Water for Safety

This is the number-one use of a cook pot in survival.

Simple Boil Method

Fill pot with clear filtered water
Bring to a rolling boil
Keep boiling for 3 minutes (5 minutes above 6,500 ft)
Cool and drink

Use for:

River water
Pond water
Snow melt
Collected rainwater

Pairs with:
→ Fire Starting Tinder For Beginners
→ How to use an outdoor Pocket stove
→ How to make a soda can alcohol stove

→ How to make a soup can twig stove

Cooking Food in the Field

Boiling Meals

Perfect for:

Rice
Pasta
Ramen
Oatmeal
Beans (pre-soaked)
Foraged greens

Simmering

Control heat by:

Moving pot to coal edge
Raising pot with rocks
Using a stick tripod

Great for:

Stews
Soups
Broth
Fish

Steaming

Add a small amount of water
Insert leaves or a small platform
Add food
Cover

Useful for:

Fish
Greens
Root vegetables

Melting Snow for Water

Snow contains a lot of air — melt small amounts first, then fill the pot.

Steps:

Add a small amount of water first (prevents scorching the pot)
Add handfuls of snow
Stir until fully melted
Boil before drinking

Snow melt is lifesaving in winter environments.

Sterilizing Tools

A cook pot doubles as a medical sterilizer in emergencies.

You can sterilize:

Tweezers
Needles
Suture needles
Razor blades
Scalpels
Scissors
Awls (tip only)

Methods:

Boiling (best) – 10 minutes full boil
Steam sterilizing – pot lid on, tools suspended above water
Flame sterilizing – heat tool over flame after boiling

→ How to use Tweezers
→ How to Use Suture Needles

Making Hot Drinks

Hot drinks are a morale booster and help with:

Warmth
Hydration
Digestion
Energy

Use your cook pot for:

Tea
Coffee
Cocoa
Birch bark tea
Pine needle tea
Broth

Rendering Fat and Making Grease

Animal fat can be melted down in a cook pot:

For cooking
For waterproofing gear
For making candles or lamps
For preserving lean meat

Low heat prevents burning.

Making Pitch, Glue, or Resin

Heat plant resins in the pot to:

Waterproof items
Seal tool handles
Patch gear
Make primitive adhesive

Clean immediately afterward — resin hardens fast, do this with caution you don't want to damage your cook pot.

Field Bathing and First-Aid Use

A pot provides hot water for:

Cleaning wounds
Washing hands
Cleaning gear
Soaking cloth for compresses
Mixing herbal washes

How to Use a Cook Pot Over Different Heat Sources

Using a Cook Pot Over a Campfire

On Coals (Best Method)

Coals give stable, even heat.

Place the pot:

Directly on coals
On two rocks
On a small stick tripod

On Flames (Fast but Risky)

Flames cause:

Soot buildup
Uneven heating
Boil overs

Use flames only when time is short.

On a Rock Trivet

Place flat stones around the fire, then set pot on them.
This reduces scorching.

Using a Cook Pot on a Small Stove

Pairs with:
→ How to use an outdoor Pocket stove

Great for:

Consistent heat
Wind protection
Fuel efficiency
Controlled simmering

Works excellent with:

Solid fuel tabs
Alcohol burners
Wood gas stoves
Tiny twig stoves

Using a Cook Pot With Improvised Stoves

Can Stove

→ How to make a soda can alcohol stove

Rock Pocket Stove

Stack three rocks and place pot in the gap.

Stick Tripod

Tie three sticks and hang pot by wire bail.

Hobo Stove

→ How to make a soup can twig stove

How to Clean a Cook Pot in the Field

Boil-Clean Method

Fill pot with water, heat until oils release.
Scrape clean using a small scraper or stick.

Sand Scrub Method

Use wet sand as a natural abrasive.

Ash Scrub Method

Fire ash cleans soot and burned food.

Grass Scrub Method

Fresh green grass works surprisingly well.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Heating an empty pot (warps metal)
Leaving pot unattended (boil-over risk)
Using flames instead of coals for delicate foods
Putting cold water into a red-hot pot
Dropping snow directly into a dry pot
Not cleaning soot before packing
Grabbing metal handles bare-handed
Putting lids on tight while boiling
Heating sealed or capped containers (dangerous)

FAQ

Q: Will soot ruin the pot?
A: No — it’s normal. Ash or sand will clean it quickly.

Q: Can a pot go on coals?
A: Yes — coals are preferred over flames for most cooking.

Q: What if my pot warps?
A: It’s still usable. Slight warping is common with thin metal.

Q: Is boiling water safe to drink?
A: Yes — boiling is one of the most reliable purification methods (just pre filter it).

How to Use a Cook Pot