FireLite 475ml Ti Trapper’s Mug

I'm very excited about this new mug. At 37 grams… there seems little reason to continue using a 29 gram beer can!!!! Woo Hoo!!!

I'll repeat the pros / cons I mentioned in the "aluminum can warning" thread here… comparing my Heineken + mesh stand Esbit system (http://www.davidlewis.ca/stove/) with a Trappers Mug + BPL wing stove system. Would be nice to see a Ti Goat Caldera system for this mug too!!!

Pros (compared to my Heineken Esbit system):

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– Don't have to worry about accidently crushing it
– Works with BPL wing stove (LIGHTER than a stainless mesh stand + can bottom)
– Rolled lip means I can still use my BPL Ti rod handle
– Overall system weight is virtually identical
– No BPA lining

Cons (compared to my Heineken Esbit system):

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– No lid, and my 3 gram aluminum cat food can bottom trick won't work :-(
– Less volume

I also broke down the exact weight of each system. For the gram weenies… like myself :-P

Trappers Mug Esbit System: 55 grams

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Mug: 37 g
Wing stand: 11 g
Ti Windscreen: 3 g
Handle: 3 g
Lid: 1 g? (aluminum foil… 3 grams for something more solid?)

My Heineken Can Esbit System: 55 grams

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Can: 29 g
Stainless mesh stand: 14 g (7 g for galvanized)
Esbit holder (bottom of small energy drink can): 3 g
Ti foil windscreen: 3 g
BPL Ti Rod handle (handmade): 3 g
Lid: 3 g

Do you think you could boil 2 cups in this pot if you had to? That would be almost full to the brim. Also… will this be replacing the Firelite UL 550? I notice that that pot is only 40 grams without the lid… but with a little more breathing room at 19 fl oz.

Hey David,

Any chance you could post a photo of the ti-rod handle that you mentioned? It sounds really interesting!

Thanks!

Ryan

Yes David, I too want to see a pic and details on how to make one! It sounds awesome!

Also – so we do know that this cup fits the BPL Ti-wind stove right?

I calculate 475 ml to be exactly 2 cups, so I would not want to boil that much in it. I do feel it would be easy to do 1-1/2 cups though, which is my typical amount.

I'm curious to see that 3g windscreen. It seems like it would blow away instead of blocking wind. Mine with reflector is 20g and it's hard to keep from being carried away by the wind at times.

I agree, 2 cups would be too much. 1.5 cups should be enough tho' for most meals.

The 3 gram windscreen is a cut down small BPL Ti Foil windscreen. I hold it together (where it overlaps) with a bobby pin. Never had any problems with it. Sometimes it'll get blown up against the side of the can… but I give it a poke to re-center it around the can.

The beer can handle is a bent BPL Ti Rod. I've gotten grief about this design from people before… people who swear up and down that it's not safe… people who have never seen it in person… people who have never used it in person. I've been using it on trail for years and I've never had it fail. It works great. And remember… I'm only lifting 12 oz of water with it. Hopefully it would work with the trappers mug. One different with the bear can is that it had the lip above the handle… but there is also a ridge BELOW the handle… so the handle has almost a groove to fit into.

You can see pics of everything on my stove webpage…

http://www.davidlewis.ca/stove/

Thanks David! I can see how that handle would work. Too bad that there do not appear to be anymore ti-rods available for sale!

Ryan – According to the store, the Ti-wing's min pot diameter is 2.9" and the diameter of the Trapper Mug is 3.25". So, in theory, they should work together. I should receive both next week and will post my findings.

Ryan

> Too bad that there do not appear to be anymore ti-rods available for sale!

http://titaniumjoe.com/6al-4v%20round%20bars.htm
6AL-4V 0.0930" 18" weld wire $7 per 2 sticks or $50 for 20 sticks

Cheers

If you look at the wingstove page… one of the shots shows it in use with a Snow Peak 450. This cup has a diameter of 3 3/8. The Trappers Mug has a diameter of 3 1/4. So they are essentially the same diameter (Trappers is 1/8" smaller). Judging by that info and that pic, I'd say it should work.

Hey Ryan,

I went ahead and ordered one too. I figured if everything goes normally here, BPL will sell out of the Trappers mug and then never have it in stock again. So I figured – what the heck.

Roger – thanks for the link for the ti-rods. I was looking for some!

Does anyone else have any ideas for a handle for this mug?

You could also go to your local bike shop and buy some Ti spokes.

Tried that when I was designing my handle… but they were crazy expensive… and special order. At least at my local bike shops.

I have some BPL titanium rods that I could part with.

My Trapper arrived today. I found that cutting a portion of the bottom off a Monster BFC (32 ounce can) makes a perfect fitting lid!

The Trapper fits very well on my FireLite Ti Wing burner (esbit "stove").

Unfortunately it doesn't fit on a Bushbuddy Ultra. I'll have to come up with something.

Peace,

Richard.

Very cool Richard!!!! Do you have a scale? Wondering how much that lid weighs. I'm guessing 4-5 grams?

Christopher Holden

Yes, it does blow away. I went back to a heavy duty foil windscreen, the ti foil is just to light and flimsy. For me it wasn't worth the weight loss to be constantly screwing around trying to get it to stay up and in place.

I've never really had any problems with it… but to each his own. And we're all hiking in different locales too.

I have a thought. What about fashioning two little "finger covers" out of closed cell foam – just a little covering to go over your thumb and first finger – just long enough to get to the first knuckle. Slip those bad boys on and grip the mug, pour the contents into your bag meal, and voila!

I usually don't actually heat my water to a rolling boil – in fact it wouldn't be considered boiling at all. I don't think I would have a problem with melting the foam. Maybe those who get it all fired up would have the cup hot enough to burn the finger covers.

BTW – The Trappers Mug makes me want to go out with just a rucksack, a wool blanket, and a knife. And I don't even have it yet!

Ryan… other handing ideas…

1. I love my wire handle thing… works perfect… but we've already covered that

2. Drill two holes for a bail… but I find that bails are only good for lifting. They are awkward for pouring and, of course, useless for drinking

3. Go to Staples and buy a pack of rubber thimbles. They should be with the postal stuff.

4. Make a cozy from reflectix and aluminum tape!! Look for it in the insulation section of Home Depot (looks like silver bubble wrap). Great for not only handling the pot… but also keeps the contents hot.

5. Wear gloves!!! This is the best (and maybe only) option for drinking from the cup when hot.

Did I miss any options?

p.s… LOL re: the rucksack comment. I think I'll call mine my hobo cup :P

All this talk about what to do without a handle…

I just use a bandanna, extra sock, or similar.

Titanium cools very quickly once the heat source is removed. And the Trapper's Mug is thin, so all the quicker. If you are using a heat source that you can move/extinguish you should be able to handle the lip of the mug with your bare hands in pretty short order. May not work as easily with alcohol stoves.

Agreed Jason. All you really need is something to get it off the stove and it'll cool down quick. Gloves… bandana… socks… whatever. It all works :-) LOL. You're 100% right though. It also seems counter to the whole idea of a bare bones crazy light cup/pot to be so excited about a 37 gram cup (and I am pretty anxious to get mine)… but then add "accessories" to it that make it not much lighter than one of the other Firelite options. Still… it's fun to be inventive. My whole stove project was just as much about having fun and being creative as it was about making a practical water heating appliance.

The mug fit the my wing stove, but I made a bit of an adjustment by slightly bending each wing. Now it is a really much better fit.

I tested with 12 oz water brought to boil and blew out the Firelite solid fuel 14g tab. Later I boiled 8 oz using the remainder of the tab.

Using aluminum foil for lib until I find something better.

Will use it on an upcoming trip and give review afterwards.