When I was very much younger than I am I did carry a cast-iron skillet. Everyone said I was crazy. But they sure enjoyed what got cooked in it.
Those were the days when sophisticated backpacking gear consisted of Army surplus from WW II. If you've never struggled buttoning together the two halves of a pup tent you have no idea who much modern gear has spoiled you.
Even when more modern gear started appearing it was nothing like today's strong, lightweight, ergo-engineered equipment. Even in the '60s, 45-50 pounds was considered a fair load for a big man. Nowadays we don't think anything of walking off with 65 pounds or more. What's more, when you carried 50 pounds in the old days you were constantly aware of it. With today's gear, you hardly notice the 65.
What I carry depends a lot on the kind of trek. Mostly, nowadays, when I'm out it's with other reenactors, and we carry what woods runners of the 18th and early 19th centuries did. And it has to fit in a haversack and possibles bag. At those times, my "kitchen" is a fire-starting kit (flint, steel, charcloth, tinder) and a small tin skillet with a folding handle.
That's one of the reasons I seem to be knocking the wood-burning stove. Personally, after having played with them in one form or another through the years, I think they're totally unnecessary pieces of equipment. If open fires are permitted, then just build a small fire and be done. If necessary, a small 4- or 5-wire grate is both lighter and less bulky than one of those stoves.
On a normal hike, with modern gear, I'll most likely be carrying my old Whisper-Lite stove a couple of small nesting pots, and, it goes without saying, a Sierra cup. The larger the group, of course, the greater amount of community gear we can carry, and that certainly affects cookware. In most respects, bicycling has the same restrictions as backpacking, except that bulk is more important than weight.
Canoeing, as you know, doesn't have many limitations, and that's when the cast-iron cookware comes out. I don't do backcountry ATVing, like Phil. But if I did I wouldn't hesitate to go whole hog, as he does. I've read most of the literature about backcountry travel, and nowhere does it say you have to be uncomfortable to enjoy the trip.
A lot also depends on the purpose of the trip. If our intention is backcountry fishing, for instance, we might carry different stuff than if we were out in a large group whose purpose is socialization.
The determining factors, always, are weight and bulk. Which is more important, and to what degree, depends on the mode of travel and the number of people available to carry it.