>>578068Cast iron is heavy. That is bad in your pack, but great on the fire. It means it provides slow and even heat, flattening out spikes and offering much more versatility than a steel pan.
It is seasoned which means that the layer the food touches is not actually iron but a hardened crust of burnt oils and starches that cover the iron working much like Teflon, only better. You don't use soap to clean it and you never touch it with anything hard like a metal utensil or a pan scrubber. If yomeone does that to your cast iron you will probably have to reseason it, a smoky and slow process.
But there is nothing better as a versatile cooking dish. It serves as a great casserole, pan, pot, oven, smoker, and keep-hot serving dish. If you have a camp that stays in one place or travels by canoe or bike, a decent dutch oven is definitely the one thing I'd bring if nothing else. Okay, I'd stuff it with starches and spices, maybe some dried meats, and my fire kit.
Things to look for are surface (some have enamel on the inside, no good) and a good lid with a rim to hold coals. Some have feet but I am not a fan. A handle is essential, but they all have it. You can get them pre seasoned. I don't see the point but I wouldn't mind it either.
