Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 6.5inch Review

 

The Lodge 6.5inch Skillet Wildlife Series 

Cooking in the wild is an amazing experience. It connects us to our ancestors, who more than likely had vast experience in cooking outdoors in the wilderness. You simply cannot beat connecting with nature and cooking some fantastic food. There are many cooking utensils that we have become accustomed to over the centuries; one of these tools being the skillet or frying pan.

When I was looking for a skillet to add to my cooking kit, I was looking for a couple of things. Firstly, it had to be from a reputable brand that produced high-quality products. Secondly, it needed to be made of cast iron. Thirdly, it needed to be small enough to pack away nicely and to cut down on the weight of larger cast iron skillets.

I spent some time looking at the offerings from several brands; There are several American made brands that produce fantastic cast iron cookware (Petromax in Germany also make good cast iron). Ideally, we want a nice smooth surface inside the skillet as this will help the cast iron to take a smooth, glass-like seasoning over time.

I opted to purchase a Lodge 6.5inch skillet from the wildlife series, featuring a wolf on the rear. This is the perfect size for one person, possibly even two at a push. Lodge are also one of the oldest manufacturers of cast iron cookware, which provide top quality for a rather reasonable price; all made in the USA.

Frying some sausages up! 

At the time of writing this review, I have spent over one year using this skillet in my bushcraft pack. I have used it on wood stoves, paraffin stoves and alcohol stoves. When I first started using it, there was a little sticking to the pan, but that is expected whilst building a seasoning from the start and has now achieved a nice seasoning.

I have cooked various foods in it (red meats, white meats, eggs etc.) and it has performed well and each time it has cooked rather nicely.  It is the perfect addition to a traditional styled bushcraft cooking kit. Cast iron holds heat so well, which is what makes it so fantastic to cook with. In my opinion, there is no better material for cooking with. This skillet pairs up nicely with a bushpot such as, the Zebra range of billycans, a staple for the majority of bushcrafters.

The skillet is a perfect match for alcohol stoves

There are, however, some negatives to carrying a cast iron skillet. The most obvious being weight; with a skillet as small as this cast iron weighs a lot, even though it is not as bad with this size of skillet. If you are traveling long distances and need to save on weight, you may want to look for a stainless steel or even titanium frying pan instead. I have also occasionally seen online that in some rare cases that some Lodge cast iron can occasionally have a rough casting edge. This can be fixed by using a metal file and carefully taking away the rough burs. Once this is done the cast iron will need a coat of cooking oil and seasoning again.
Overall, I cannot recommend this Lodge cast iron skillet enough. It is perfect if you are cooking for one, perhaps even two (at a push) and would like a traditional cast iron in your cooking kit. With the size as well, you also manage to lose a lot of weight from the larger cast iron pans that the majority of bushcrafters appear to be using in the field.