Pot or mug for Packafeather XL alc. stove?

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Question first:

If you were packing this Packafeather XL adjustable alcohol stove, what would be a good pot or mug to carry with it?

Backstory:

I'm upgrading from a self-made super cat stove and a K-mart aluminum grease pot. The previous combo works well, but I'd like to experiment with an adjustable stove and a smaller pot. And I'd like to get rid of the potlifter. The grease pot is large, 4.5 cups (1L). See, I've never needed to boil more than 2.5 cups (600 ml) of water…that's enough for a hot drink and rehydration of a meal. So I'm eyeballing smaller pots/mugs. What would be a good match, given the flame pattern of the stove?

The Evernew 600 pot would be at the minimum volume needed. The Mountain Laurel 850 seems kinda tall and skinny. The Snow Peak Trek 700 looks promising. Others in the 600-800 ml range?

Strong preference for a pot/mug with a light lid (not steel, not foil) and foldaway handles. I would be as happy with aluminum as I would be with Ti.

[Hikin’ Jim]

A pot is almost always going to be more efficient. Wider is better. :) (A wider pot catches the heat better).

I like the Evernew series pots. I think the Evernew 600 is a great choice, although it's a little small for me. I prefer about 750ml working capacity per person.

The grease pot isn't bad though. If you wanted to lighten it up, use a bandanna instead of a pot gripper.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

[Dan Yeruski]

A good aluminum pot with bail handle and 5-1/2" diameter bottom is a boyscout type that are available on ebay.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-40-Yr-Old-Boy-Scouts-Of-America-Cooking-Mess-Kit-Pot-w-Lid-Pans-/390683201421 they hold 2-1/2 cups. Depth of pot is about 2-1/2"

DY
Adventures In DIY Stove Making

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Thanks for the great suggestions, guys, but in the month between question and answers, I broke down and purchased an MSR Titan Kettle at 850 ml. It has a pretty square form, viewed from the side, should be efficient.

Although the Evernew 600 was tempting, I was afraid of boil-over, as I sometimes need 2.5 cups (590 ml) of hot water for a breakfast.

I'm getting used to the Titan Kettle — you'd think it would be an automatic upgrade over the Grease Pot, but it has a learning curve of its own. The deep (vertical) handles make it tricky to design windscreens and cozys. And the lid, as has been mentioned many times, is tight, meaning you have to risk your hands on the hot handles to get the leverage to pry the lid open. And there are no graduations inside, a major drawback.

It is however the perfect size for my solo use, and it has a reasonably wide bottom, useable for either sideburner or center.

This is my first Ti utensil, and although it's nice, I'm not certain it's an upgrade over aluminum. I think my 4.5 cup grease pot with lifter weighed the same as the 3.6 cup Titan Kettle.

Evernew needs to fill the space between 600 and 900 with a square-form 750 pot. There is the 750 pasta pot but it is tall and thin.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Handles on pots play hob with windscreens. Here's where I actually prefer a pot grabber (or a bandanna).

The Titan kettle is a good pick. If you push the lid's handle forward into the slot, the handle will stay upright. If you grab the pot handles and pull on the lid's handle, it'll pop off without your having to touch the pot. The pot handles though are the real problem. You have to grab them with a bandanna or something or you'll burn the heck out of your hands. They need some silicon tubing slid over them. Alternatively, you could just leave the handles at home and use a bandanna.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[Delmar O’Donnell]

I think, if you slide silicone tubing over the handles, they'll no longer collapse compactly against the walls of the pot?

Stick-out-itis.

[Hikin’ Jim]

I haven't had a problem with other pots like my Evernew 1.3 L with the handles sticking out. I think the key issue is to get something that fits snugly. If you get something that is 5x the diameter of the handles, then yes it would stick out. And you'll want to cut it a little shorter than the handles themselves so as to leave the "hinge" area free of obstruction.

Again, though, handles don't work well with windscreens. It's almost better to leave the handles at home and just use a bandanna. With my Caldera Cone set up for the MSR Titan Kettle, I have to use a bandanna anyway because the handles get so hot.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

[Delmar O’Donnell]

I hear you. I need to "man up" and use a bandana. I've avoided it because I don't want a backcountry burn, but it's time to acquire this skill! I'm carrying the bandana anyway.

Nice Caldera setup. I assume that is the aluminum cone.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Yes, this one is an aluminum one. Everything, including the pot, packs up really small and fits in this old stuff sack:

I put the pot on the bottom of everything and the lid on the top and then slide on the stuff sack.

I can fit the rolled up cone, a bottle of fuel (4 oz), a measuring cup, the stove, and a lighter inside.

It makes for a nice set up.

I've got a Zip Loc container that I use as a caddy — and as a place to let things "steep" after heating. The Zip Loc has a reflectix cozy on it.

The one bad thing about the Zip Loc is that it's about 1/8" (3mm) short of fully containing the rolled cone. I just put the edge of the rolled cone into the threads of the Zip Loc's lid. The stuff sack holds the Zip Loc's lid in place protecting the edge of the rolled cone. It's getting a little dented, but it's holding up well.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

[Delmar O’Donnell]

OK, that is a sweet setup, envious. Longer than mine, but undoubtedly way more efficient.

To dial it in with a slightly shorter cone that will fit your ziplock, you'll have to make your own!

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/gear/the-caldera-clone/22357.html

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