Kitchen

[Tommy Clapp]

I was talking with my brother about UL kitchens and I was wondering what do people carry here for their kitchen setup. what stove and pot combo…etc.

Tommy

[Vick Hines]

All cooking done in Ziploc freezer bags.

The kit is 5.5 oz, total: a 600ml titanium mug, oven liner lid, either stainless hardware cloth pot-stand ring for Esbit or V-8 sized Fuzzy stove for alcohol, wind screen, oven liner stove/pot-stand base, long handled spoon, lighter, cozy/kitchen bag (Tyvek lined with aluminized foam. The alcohol rig is a little lighter but the alcohol container (Little Nipper) adds 0.6. Ziploc bag holding Esbit adds 0.15, but the pot support is a little heaver than the alcohol stove – which is its own pot support. So 5.5 is about right for both. I switch back and forth between Esbit and alcohol, depending on intangible subjective whims.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Currently I am carrying a Halulite kettle by GSI and a Primus canister stove. At other times I carry a White Box Stove.
I also carry a GSI Hydrate long handled spoon, MSR ti cup, freezer bag cozy, a couple paper towels in a bag, lighter and that is about it.:-)

[EndoftheTrail]

If your "cooking" is limited to boiling 1-2 cups of water at a time to rehydrate breakfast oatmeal and Mountain House dinners — and if you are interested in the most compact and lightweight setup:

1. For alcohol stove – a Firelite 550 pot/mug provides a tad over two-cup capacity — and the right size to house your alcohol stove, wind screen, 1 or 2 BIC lighters, a small towel and three or four 1-oz. size fuel bottles.

2. For canister stove — a Snow Peak 600 pot/mug also satisfies your 2-cup water boiling requirement — and is the smallest container that is still big enough to house a Snow Peak Gigapower stove, a 110g fuel canister, BIC lighter and towel.

[Matthew L.]

If I am going SUL, I carry a MiniBull Designs Elite alcohol stove and a Fosters beer can pot. For a trip that is longer than 3-4 days where I want a little more size and power, I carry a Coleman F1 Ultralite and a MSR Ti mug with a foil lid. For winter trips where the temperature is below 20 degrees F., I carry a Coleman Xtreme Powermax stove and the MSR mug (when I don't have to melt snow) or an Antigravity Gear 2L pot when I do. I also carry a mini-Bic for starting the stove and a homemade heavy-duty foil windscreen. This works well for me.

[Richard Scruggs]

Sarah —

In researching the GSI Halulite 1 liter kettle that you mentioned, I find GSI's kettle described at some sites as "hard anodized" without mentioning "Halulite" as the metal, but other sites use the term "Halulite" in the kettle's description as well as stating that it is hard anodized.

Do you know if GSI has made two different versions of its 1L kettle, with one being "hard anodized" only and the other made of hard anodized "Halulite"? That seems to be a possibility since prices of the version that I find to be described as "hard anodized" without also mentioning the term "Halulite" are pretty much always marked down 20% or so, while sites that include the term "Halulite" have the kettle priced at full retail.

Also, one site that I found described the kettle as being discontinued in 2008, and it's price was therefore being marked down 20%. The site did not use the term "Halulite" to describe the kettle that it had on sale.

Appreciate any info you might have about whether there are perhaps different versions of the GSI 1L kettle out there.

Richard

[Mike W]

…

[Adam Rothermich]

I have a couple of different kitchens to choose from depending on the trip. Sorry I can't provide exact weights, I'm currently in North Carolina and my computer is back in Missouri :). For SUL trips I have a tealight, stand, oven liner windscreen, and Fosters can pot. The weight is a shade over 3 oz I believe.
If I'm not as concerned about the weight I take a Supercat, oven liner windscreen, and SP 700 titanium mug. Weight is around 5 oz or so.
I also built a wood stove (Jim Falk design) a while back that has only received testing so far. I'll use the SP 700 with it as well. Weight: 8-9 oz.
All of my meals are boil-in-a-bag type and only for one person.

Adam

[george carr]

For most of my UL trips I carry a greasepot cookpot, 4 ounce fuel bottle, .006" aluminum windscreen, one of my Thru Hiker stoves, Firesteel Scout, and a Snowpeak ti spork. The whole kit comes in at about 7.4 ounces.

If I'm going SUL I use one of 2 setups: either 1)a firelite 500 pot, Gram Weenie stove,either a 2 or 4 ounce fuel bottle, firesteel scout, .006" windscreen, snowpeak ti spork (about 6.2 ounce) OR 2)Heiney Keg pot, a new, as yet to be named stove I've been testing, .006" windscreen,firesteel scout, 4 ounce fuel bottle, litemyfire spork (4.9 ounces). I've been leaning toward #2 so far because the new stove will boil 16 ounces in a keg pot in under 9 minutes consistantly, burning out in about 11 flat. Testing continues……..

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

All the same ;-) It is GSI's blend of hard anodized aluminum. My feeling is that some retailers don't have a clue what Halulite is and that they should promote it! Also, many retailers haven't a clue that backpackers would even take a "tea kettle" for water boiling. (Btw, weight wise if you are buying a GSI kettle? Lop off 1 ounce after you toss the tea making insert.)

Now, there is a change coming soon – the current model is being closed out and there is a new 2008 model. All they have really done is change the handles to a dipped version and made that bright red. I will eventually get the new ones this coming month for my site.

GSI is overhauling a number of items in the '08 catalog :-)Nothing like shiny new stuff, eh? They are also going more after the somewhat lightweight backpacker this year with new solo and 2 person sets.

[Tommy Clapp]

The type of cooking will mainly be boiling water for dehydrated food.

rightnow I am looking at different kitchens and so is he(my brother)

he uses a mini bull designs trek 2 with a pretty big hard anodized pot. I don't know it's weight total but it is pretty heavy compaired to mine.

I carry a:
MBD iso fly
Windscreen and stand for stove
2 empty fuel bottles
Heny pot with lid
Light my fire spork
Glad tupperware bowl/cup
bic lighter
GSI Salt/pepper shaker(I like seasoning)

This total weight is 9.7oz

I also now have a woodstove that also can be used as a esbit and a windscreen for a alc stove.

With the setup above adding the woodstove and replacing the alc stove with a MBD elite and one fuel bottles it comes in a 10.5

I was thinking about going to the wood setup now for good. it allows the most versital stove usage. What are your guys thoughts?

Tommy

[george carr]

The only fly in the ointment would be if you went on a trip and found out at the trailhead that fires were banned due to threat of forest fire/dry conditions. Of course, you could always bring along your alky stove in the car as a backup. Or are woodburning camping stoves allowed during a fire ban?

[Tommy Clapp]

Not sure. Right now I am avoiding the GSM nation park due to a fire ban. I usually check about a ban before I go. and I always have the elite with one bottle of alc for a backup in those conditions. As for woodstoves and fire bans…I don't know. I would guess they are banned as well, but maybe not.

Tommy

[D G]

This is what I was using this past year:

Option 1

Evernew 900 titanium pot with lid (modified)
home made cat can alcohol stove
windscreen made from disposable aluminum baking pan
Backpackinglight mini titanium spoon
8 oz arrowhead water bottle (for fuel)
1 oz measuring cup (taken from couph syrup/cold medicine, etc)
small plastic measuring/drinking cup
2 oz nalgene container (for olive oil)
small box of matches

Total weight is 5.95 oz

Option 2

Firelite SUL 1100 pot
Bushbuddy Ultra Stove
Backpackinglight mini titanium spoon
small plastic measuring/drinking cup
2 oz nalgene container for olive oil
small micro baggy for tinder tabs
Firelite mini firesteel and striker

Total weight is 9.8 oz

I used to eat out of plastic bags but these days much prefer to eat out of the pot and use a separate cup for drinking.

[David Lewis]

I use a custom designed beer can + esbit setup. 1.7 oz total (about 50 grams). This includes…

24 oz. pot
Lid with handle (fitted lid, not aluminum foil)
Pot handle
Pot stand
Esbit burner cup
Windscreen

You can see the setup here (along with construction info)…

http://davidlewis.ca/stove/

Cooking is all "simmer in bag" style… and I usually take a Reflectix cozy for the simmering process. Water is carried in two 500mL bottled water water bottles and one 1L bladder. I've also taken to carrying a windproof lighter. The lighter weighs as much as my entire stove setup… but I've grown tired of not being able to get things lit in the often windy coastal areas that I hike in Nova Scotia, Canada. I also carry emergency matches in my first aid / survival kit.

[Richard Scruggs]

Sarah,

Thanks for the explanation about GSI's kettle. I ordered one at Amazon for $14.99 — the one that doesn't mention the "Halulite" word! It's listed elsewhere on Amazon (thru Backcountry, I believe) with tha "Halulite" word, and for $3 more.

If I keep saving money like this, I'll be rich one day.

Richard

[Joshua Mitchell]

Yeah… Halulite is just a name brand for Hard Anodized Aluminum Lite-Weight. (H Alu Lite) (FYI EVERY aluminum in common use is an alloy… no one uses pure aluminum just like no on uses pure Ti)

I suspect GSI has reduced the pot thickness as far as reasonable while increasing the amount of anodization to improve durability.

As far as retailer promoting it… GSI needs to do a better job putting together materials / blurbs for the retailers to use. Frankly, GSI makes darn good products but has a inept marketing department. Even trying to get decent info from their website (gsioutdoors.com) is an exercise in frustration.

Also, I wish they'd stop making their pots (a far more efficient boiling setup than mugs) with f'ing non-stick coating… take a tip from evernew… many people don't need the non-stick… especially if their careful.

[dingle berrry]

I have a few different setups,

For solo-
Alpkit mighty mug 0.75ml ti mug with foil lid
Foil heat reflector
Currently useing a caldera stove! Just brill! works great at all temps and very sturdy and lightweight!

For me and my girl-
As abouve for short trips
or use a home made red bull stove with antigravity gear 2ltr pot, custom wind screen and heat reflector

Both with 250ml/500ml fuel bottles

If going for over nighters i take my esbit wing stove and custom wind shield with the ti mug!

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