1 oz, Durable* Cook kit

[Dan Yeruski]

Aaron,

Peanut containers are usually made of a paper product with metal top and bottom.

Which ones are made of aluminum?

[D S]

>Just need to figure out what to do with that inner ring on the top of the inside of the can (probably nothing as it helps the rigidity).<

If you cut the top off, just as you would a regular can, with a safety cutter, it will come right off.

The thing about the BDA cans is that they are aluminum with no bottom or side seam. The Planters cans are steel, IIRC, with a side and bottom seam which is subject to leak. I'd rather use a Progresso soup can or something similar. Lots of steel options out there.

[Nick Gatel]

A while back I saw a 16 ounce Coors aluminum bottle. Kind of narrow, but I bet is only weighs 1 ounce or less. Plus it has a screw on cap and it could do double duty as a water bottle… so, you don't have to consider it weight of the stove system, you can add it to your water container weight. So now you don't need that plastic cap, or the aluminum foil lid… the narrow mouth doesn't need a lid. Now your stove kit weight is down to what… less than 10 grams? It'll look great on your gear list :)

I'll stick to what has worked, for me, for several years though.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Matt Kirk has a stove set-up kind of like that. It makes a lot of sense for fast and light purposes. He carries it in a should bottle pocket so that would make it pretty easy to look after…its always in site and he's always using it to drink from.

Bit heavier than 1oz but has other functions of course, and the speed/ease of use (when tired from a crazy 50+ mile day…) aspect is there for him.

http://matthewkirk.blogspot.jp/2012/11/tinkering.html

[Bob Gross]

"Which ones are made of aluminum?"

Every one of the Blue Diamond Almonds cans that I looked at today at the store.

–B.G.–

[Glenn S]

I tried a Monster energy drink can with the screw on lid. I think it was 24oz, can't remember. Water bottle and boiler all in one, like nick said. Actually worked well for me, but I gave up on it after over a dozen boils, my coffee would still taste like Monster!

[Adam Kilpatrick]

This one?

http://www.ifood.tv/blog/how-much-is-a-monster-energy-drink

Looks good. Bigger water bottle is more realistic.

[Glenn S]

Adam, yes, that's the one. Functionally it worked pretty well. I cut the bottom 2 inches off a Barbasol trial size shaving cream can and hole-punched it catfood can style. Boiled 2 cups with 20ml alc. and no potstand. Just never got the taste of monster from leaching into the water. Fine if rehydrating is all you do, but it was ruining my coffee! Lol

[Marko Botsaris]

Its sometimes amazing the stuff we can taste in just trace amounts. I'm also very sensitive to this. Since I'm into my coffee I either have a separate thing to drink the coffee out of, or use the pot I do the boil (and nothing but the boil) in, depending on the system I'm using. I can use any water for my re-hydration meals, but for some reason the coffee can never be in something that gets used for anything else. Definitely loose my BAMF/SUL cred there, but coffee trumps all.

Have to admit that this foible of mine is actually one of the annoying "needs" that has effected all my designs for cook systems.

[Bob Gross]

"Definitely loose my BAMF/SUL cred there, but coffee trumps all."

A friend of mine absolutely must have her coffee first thing in the morning, but she has learned to mix up instant coffee with cold water in a plastic bowl. Yuck.

–B.G.–

[Bob Gross]

"I cut the bottom 2 inches off a Barbasol trial size shaving cream can and hole-punched it catfood can style."

Those simple alcohol burners are hard to beat. Plus, get an empty plastic 35mm film can, and that is your alcohol transport container. It fits within the aluminum burner, and you can cram a book of paper matches in there as well.

–B.G.–

[Glenn S]

A little thread drift here, but it is coffee we're talking about…

I bought a GSI Coffee filter this winter to try out this season. I'm not above cowboy coffee, but for 12 grams, this will really step up my game.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

This does sound good.

I doubt I'd find those monster cans in Australia, pity. Maybe with a few hours of patience, some good music playing and SOME GOOD COFFEE, you could ever so carefully scrub out any lining that the can has. By the time that's done, you won't have to worry about any BPA nonsense, and the taste will be well and truly gone. As well as a few milligrams.

I totally understand the trace amounts of anything in coffee. I (shame on me) have been known to splash on bottled spring water at home just for brewing coffee with…

I just realised today at the local drinks machine (there is a drinks machine like every 100m in Japan, heck, I've actually seen them in random farmers fields out in the middle…), that I've been drinking occasionally this shocking Japanese Monster/redbull/grape type crap. Anyway, it comes in a 300ml alloy screw capped bottle. I'll get a couple and have a look at them, could be useful, might take some home to Aus with me soon to have a tinker in the shed. Will look out for other Japanese oddities too.

[Ian]

"Have to admit that this foible of mine is actually one of the annoying "needs" that has effected all my designs for cook systems."

Same here which is why I prefer mugs over more efficient pots. I really like my TD sidewinder paired up with an Evernew 600ml pot but my Lite Trail kit gets the most trail time as I prefer to drink my coffee out of a mug.

[Andy Stow]

"Which ones are made of aluminum?"

"Every one of the Blue Diamond Almonds cans that I looked at today at the store.

–B.G.–"

This must vary by region, then. I buy lots of these cans to snack on at work.

http://www.bluediamond.com/index.cfm?navId=31

The can is thin-walled, a gold-ish color on the outside and grey on the inside, and a magnet sticks to it great.

Andy

[todd]

Thanks for the tip, D S, on the ring removal – worked like a charm and I don't know why I didn't think of it. It has been the reason I haven't taken the BD can on a trip! Duh.

I had to try my version of this kit (SORRY – I haven't weighed it!!!!) :(
I use the BD can w/ 10oz 62deg water, Ti-wing Esbit stove, tealight (standard) w/denatured alc., roasting pan windscreen w/holes punched along the bottom, foil lid.

This thing can boil (full rolling boil) 9-10oz every time (yes, controlled environment, but I wouldn't hesitate to do this in the field since I don't need rolling boils to rehydrate my meals – HOT water will do) on just over 1/2 (1/4 ounce-ish) of a tealight of alcohol.

What will make me try this in the field is that after using the ring removal tip from D S, the plastic lid still fits :)

[D S]

On the BDA can – if you want a metal lid, the safety cut lid off a fruit can will fit like a glove. My BDA can uses the fruit can lid with a spectra loop and vent hole, together with the plastic lid that has the center cut out for holding it all together.

[todd]

Cool. What kind of fruit can?

[D S]

I used a generic store brand pineapple chunks can. Just take your BDA can to the store and size it up. I'm pretty sure the fruit cocktail can was the same size.

Added bonus – you can get one lid off the top and another off the bottom.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

I just picked up a couple of Aluminium (I think) screw capped bottles from a nearby convenience store. Both are around the 400gram mark. One of them, a black coffee, has a plastic/paper label which I've taken off, so its already nice and shiny. I finished the other, a fizzy fruit juice and it definitely seems pretty light. I'll weight them both soon and figure out the volume. I think the gauge of the metal in them is a little stronger than normal Australian soft drink (eg coke) cans, but not overly so, plus the cone head does seem to make them quite rigid and of course I'm not cutting that off, so the integrity is quite good. They would definitely last a long time kept in a shoulder bottle pocket.

I'll have to pick up some Esbit too from the local outdoor store to try, only brought a gas stove with me to Japan.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Just weighed these, details in this thread (Matt's original thread with the concept) so that I don't cause too much thread drift, sorry!

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/process#forumtop

[Dan Yeruski]

"Which ones are made of aluminum?"

"Every one of the Blue Diamond Almonds cans that I looked at today at the store.

–B.G.–"

This must vary by region, then. I buy lots of these cans to snack on at work.

http://www.bluediamond.com/index.cfm?navId=31

The can is thin-walled, a gold-ish color on the outside and grey on the inside, and a magnet sticks to it great.

Andy

---

Hey Andy, that's interesting. Didn't think they would have 2 packaging companies using different cans. Wonder where Bob lives that he found the aluminum cans. I'll check the local stores to see what I find. Thanks for posting your findings.

[Bob Gross]

"Didn't think they would have 2 packaging companies using different cans."

Not only that, but there were no 10-ounce cans. All I found were 9 ounces. Blue Diamond does not want to make it seem like they are jacking their prices up. Instead, they keep the price the same and reduce the can size.

–B.G.–

[Andy Stow]

"Not only that, but there were no 10-ounce cans. All I found were 9 ounces."

I can only find the ones I want (salt 'n vinegar) in 6 oz cans. I don't think I've seen even the more common smokehouse flavor in bigger cans. The next size up is a 1 lb bag.

[Dan Yeruski]

Jeremy, I put this one together for you :-)

The pot, stainless steel foil lid(more durable than aluminum), stainless steel wire pot supprt, aluminum pot support stabilizer, carbon felt ground protector and stainless steel Esbit tray combined total weight is 27 grams.

Foster pot has 2 cup+ capacity. The ridgeline in the center of the "F" is the 2 cup mark. The pot has an aluminum bottom and top rim.

The stove has integrated parts, nothing loose that can get lost.

[Author]

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