Using long Handle spoon as pot lifter?

Very interesting idea… but it sounds dangerous unless the spoon could be locked in place some how (I'm picturing a cup of boiling water sliding back and forth on your spoon handle). I make handles from BPL Ti Rod (which I guess they don't sell anymore?). They weigh 3 grams and work perfectly for the simple task of lifting 12 oz of water and pouring it into you your dehydrated food. You could also use mitts / gloves… but with the Caldera Cone… it would be hard to grab. And heck… for 3 grams… I'd rather use my little clip-on handle. I had to bend it a little to make it work nice with the Trappers mug… but it works perfect. I have pics on my stove page… just click on the "photo gallery" link… top right.

http://davidlewis.ca/stove/

Any tests yet? I'm interested to hear….

All my pots are without handles (now) except for the 550ml mug, I figured the the weight saving was not worth the bother.
With the others I use some modified pot lifters (about 20g) but I also have 3 Chux with me, a cut down version for the "kitchen" a full size that I use as a sponge and towel and a half size one to wipe the tent down. So if I had your mug I would use the kitchen one. You can hold the base of the cone without getting burnt…
Franco

hey Guys,
no tests yet. I am waiting till the Calderna Cone is avaliable to get both of these items. The only reason I was asking was to try and figure out if it is worth getting this setup if I need to use a pot lifter with it. Currently I have a Snow Peak 600 mug with handles thus the need for a pot lifter is not there. Still going back and forth on this one as I am in a new phase of trying to limit the excess gear my gear closet holds.

I've read some posts here that the heated cone can stick to your pot! Some people simply grab their pots by the handles and pour — with the caldera still attached like a skirt. Once things cool down, you can then pull the cone apart from the pot.

But with a pot that has no handles? Good luck and be careful.

Ben2 is right about the pot sticking in the CC's opening. Cruise your local bike shop and see if they have any used titanium spokes. I got a hand full for a buck each. I've made bail handles for several pots. Works great and weighs not much. The hardest part is getting the holes in the titanium pot. I invested in a hole punch from Harbor Freight Tools. It also comes in very handy for making tin can knock-offs of Bush Buddies, etc.

Here is a surgery free version of the bail, under 1/4 oz and removable . I used speaker wires for that but hanging wires could be better. In the picture is a 550ml pot with 500 ml of water, sits on the cone as usual .Holding the cone with one finger you can lift the pot easily with the other hand . Maybe a bit of gaffer tape in the middle of the bail will prevent burning one's fingers.
Franco

Franco,
Who'd ever thought that it would be a light weight backpacking website where I'd find a use for all of the old speaker wire I've been hauling around for years.

Recycle: It's as green as you can get.

Franco:

Clever, but methinks you run a risk of getting your hand scalded by steam! Pouring should be do-able with the cord, but again a bit awkward and not entirely risk free.

For me, I would either get a pot gripper (after tossing out the cone) — or get a pot with handles.

Ben
That is why I suggested the Chux first, of course some would use a bandanna. The purpose of my post was to save Jonathan from butchering his pot and to find out if it works for him or not. You could also wrap your bandanna/chux around your hand and still use this bail, or use a glove…
In the end those handles work for me, if you leave them opened during the boil they are cool enough to touch without gloves. I am explaining this,Ben, because since you are coneless it would not make sense to you.
Franco
This idea came from my half brother's other half . Is that a quarter ?

Dennis
That wire is at least 20 years old….

C'mon Ben,
Get a Caldera, you know you want one!!!! No one will hold it against you, Franco has shown you how you can pack one without any wasted space, you'll save a bit of fuel and you may even be able to pick your pot up without any help!
Ben's reply in 5…4…3…2………..

Ben,
There really isn't enough steam produced to do damage that high above the mug. I have a SnowPeak 900 and a Brasslite 600ml. The 600 is just a "50ml more" version of the 550 shown above. Same lid too. Heat is a bigger issue with the 900 since it's a bigger vessel, therefore more water/steam. I don't always use the handles. If I have a glove, sock, bandana or Packtowl, it's enough to pour the water from there into something else without using the handles. The sticking cone isn't that big of an issue as mine sticks pretty reliably until it cools and I can remove it. I can count on it hanging on, so it doesn't interfere with any cooking tasks.

No thanks, gentlemen.

My homemade stove, stand, wind screen, BIC lighter, spork, towel plus up to 4 oz. of fuel all fit nicely inside my Firelight 550.

Reading the pros and cons and comparing the caldera system to my own, the caldera boils water at much the same speed as my low-tech, non-pressurized stove and the fuel consumption is only minimally less.

But converting to the caldera for this woefully insignificant advantage, I will have to take on the additional weight of heavier stove and cone plus the fuss of either doubling or tripling storage size if I still want everything together — or else store the cone separately between my sleeping pad or something. The latter is no big deal, except I do like having the kitchen all in one place.

But back to topic… I really think that handling a handleless pot full of boiling water with a burning hot caldera cone stuck to it means a fair chance of getting burned or scalded — and this can make for a miserable night. As I wrote above, I would either get a pot gripper (and lose the cone) — or else get a pot with a handle to use with the cone — one or the other.

I think I've got some speaker wire that I've had since the '70's. George Carlin (RIP)was right; our houses are mostly used for storing our "stuff".

Ben2,
Have you allowed for the RandWayCool factor?

P.S. While burning, the base of the Cone remains cool to the touch. I just hook a fingernail in one of the intake slots and lift off the pot. Works every time.

Methinks the "cool factor" in this case is too weighty. :)

I've used a sock, unless its soaked, in which case I go to my pack towel. Not as glamorous as titanium bailing wire, etc but it works well.

This handle is made from 1/16" Ti wire. It weighs 3 grams and it's rock solid for a cup this small. For 3 grams… it's well worth it for me. More convenient than using clothing. I know it violates the "multi-use" philosophy… but it's worth it for me. I'm not sure where you can buy this stuff now that BPL doesn't sell it anymore. I just used a soup can (as a template), some pliers and a wire cutter to make it. Simple. Works. Almost weightless. And I can take it off for stowing.

David,
Wouldn't a spoke from a bike shop work the same? Maybe safety wire? Being a resident of TN, I should be able to perform magic with baling wire, bubble gum and duct tape.
I just got my SUL 1100 today, so I'm looking for options. I had something like this in mind, but with a hook bent at a 90 degree angle for hanging over a fire.

A Ti spoke might work if you can find one long enough. Spokes are pretty short. And none of my local bike shops stock them as a regular item.

As in Weigh-too-cool?

Christopher,
Are they selling the SUL-1100 again? Last time I looked they were out of stock, and have been for 6 months or so. I wanted to get one for my son's birthday, next Monday.

Here' my Evernew 0.9L pot with a titanium spoke bail. The spokes I got were about 14" long and worked with this 5-5/8" diameter pot. The bail folds down and packs very well.

Sorry Denis. I got mine via Gear Swap. I do recall a recent comment by Ryan in a forum post about BPL getting a restock of Ti cookware. Look for it in the coming weeks.