You "need" two standard tin mugs, water and a fire, and you can boild corn/oats/hominy, and make a cup of coffee or tea. That's really the minimum.
I would suggest you look for a covered pot that will hold 6 or more cups. This assumes a good single serving would be a two cup portion of whateveryoustewedup, and allows you to "host" one other person. Plus a standard sized soldier's tin cup, which is a little more than a pint in size. You may want an S hook if you think you might use the pot with somebody else's fire irons. I have modified my cup with a wire bale so that I can hang it over a fire too.
NOTE don't buy a "mucket" which is a lidded, handled cup (sorta like a "tankard"), with a bale. ALSO Don't buy any cup with a bale that is off set from the handle at 90 degrees - as most of the makers, even the really good makers, sell. The dang bale gets in the way of drinking from the cup, so defeats the purpose. The best idea is to get a soldier's tin mug (sometimes called a "can") and install your own bale by putting a hole about 1/2" from the mug handle just below the rim, and another directly opposite, and use some steel wire from the hardware store to make a bale. That way you can hang it like a pot and boil water..., but if you want to brew tea or coffee and want to drink right from the mug, the bale doesn't hit you in the lips. Back to your question...,
To be a bit more fancy, get a second covered pot to "nest" inside the first. That allows you to cook a meal, and boil water for a beverage or cleaning.
You put your "rations" in cloth sacks, and this go inside the pot (s), so when all nested and closed you have one unit for cooking needs.
You will possibly want:
A knife (you probably have one on your belt)
A wooden spoon to stir and to eat with (one for each if you have company)
Soap for hands and cleaning (food poisoning is authentic but not recommended)
Salt, red pepper, and maybe sugar
Minimum rations for me:
Cloth bag with jerked venison
Cloth bag with oat groats (unrolled or uncut oats)
Cloth bag with parched corn
Small container of "gunpowder" (green) tea
Salt horn. Red pepper container.
I like the cooking pots, but these are copper so not as cheap (generally) as tin:
http://westminsterforge.com/cookingpots.htmlCarl Giordano lists these, and the bigger one is 8 cups (plenty) for less than the above in copper:
http://www.cg-tinsmith.com/images/Photos/boilers.jpgTwo of the soldier's cups from this fellow work fine for a lone person:
http://www.avalonforge.com/MainCookEat.htmYou can have fun going to yard sales, and look for a solid bottom copper mug or two, or a copper/Tin pot, and some are fine and some need just a tad of modification..., and are a lot cheaper when the folks are selling off old "knick-nacks" from the old kitchen. Don't forget to go to events and see what's on the trade blankets.
LD