long term beer keg vs Ti pots

[John Jensen]

The ($60) Caldera Kegs look good to me, but maybe just a little lighter than a (presumably more robust) ($120) small Ti pot and Caldera Sidewinder Ti.

I'm just curious if users of keg pots stick with them, or tend to move on, or back, to Ti.

[John West]

I use my heiney pot for anything relatively short (less than 4-5 days) just because it is the lightest pot I have. If I am doing a trip that is going to last more than a week, which isnt very often, I bring along a light aluminum pot that weighs about 3.5oz.

The reason why I do this is because I know there is a debate of the BPA content in the lining in the keg cans, so I would stay away from that if you are planning a long hike, where you will be cooking in it daily for long amounts of time. I am not worried about the whole BPA thing if the trip is under a week.

Eventually I'd want to get a light Ti mug though, like one of the smaller single wall snowpeaks.

[Brendan Swihart]

I like using the kegs for woodburning or esbit because when they get all sooty they're easy to replace. I don't mind replacing 'em ;)

[Konrad .]

Like John mentions, a lot of it depends on the length of the trip. I do the same, but for different reasons. For 3-season weekend trips where im just boiling water for freezer bag cooking, It's always been the caldera keg for me (with esbit). The whole system weighs 3oz for me, which is lighter than any decent sized titanium mug alone. With enough care in packing, there's no reason why it won't survive for the long run. I only limit it to weekend trips on the off chance that I somehow crush/destroy the keg can (highly unlikely IMO). With a 3 day trip, the consequences aren't that dire…but on anything longer, It may be a major set back. So for longer trips, or winter trips, I find myself using aluminum/Ti.

If you aren't thinking long duration trips, than go for the keg. I was able to talk to Rand directly and order the cone itself, since I already had the keg pot, and had no need for the plastic container or alcohol stove. He sold it to me for a very very reasonable price.

If you are worried about BPA, you can always sand the liner out of the keg. And while some may argue that replacing the keg if it ever breaks is a reward, I would venture to say that that's actually debatable given that it is heineken :/

[te – wa]

Konrad, et al: Have you fellas any Keg cans in your local markets? Mine was damaged in a campfire, and to replace it I'd have to use the new can, shaped more like a Foster's, and I cannot source any of the old style any longer. Seems they are a dinosaur.

:(

[Konrad .]

Mike, Yeah I think they made the change about a year ago. You're talking about the newer shape where the top looks exactly like the bottom right? The older ones had rings that progressively tapered as it go closer to the lid. I haven't seen any of the old school ones around my part either. Maybe shoot tinny at minibulldesigns an email? He might still have a bunch laying around since that was his bread and butter for a long time. That said, I've read that you can still use the newer shaped ones. Read this thread:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=34502

Goodluck! If I happen to see the old school ones, I'll pick some up and i'll be sure to grab one for you as well.

[John Jensen]

I just went looking for the keg-style H-can and it looks like they've changed over to a tall, thin, generic shape in my area. The Fosters cans are still around, and squatter, …

[Konrad .]

wow, so I didn't realize that they did a complete change over to Foster's style plain can. I went over to the largest liquor store in my area and asked if they had any of the "keg" style cans in stock and the guy mentioned that they were just phased out. That said, I did manage to grab some at another smaller liquor store nearby. So they are definitely out there, but are more or less on the brink of extinction. While I don't usually encourage hording…now would be the appropriate time to do so.

[John Jensen]

I couldn't find any, so I went with a Evernew 600ml Pot (ECA251) and a basic Caldera Cone as a starter kit. I might upgrade to a Ti Sidewinder at some point, for the wood burning.

Thanks for the comments.

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