best pot size for snow melting for 2 people

[Joshua Gilbert]

Putting together my winter kit, and I am trying to decide what size pot to use.

I am considering an AGG 2 quart aluminum pot (don't have the cash for titanium) and I am wondering if this will be big enough to melt snow for 2 people. I'll be using a Coleman xtreme in typical PNW conditions (overcast, temps low 30's down to high teens). I tend to drink a lot of water, about 4 liters a day, and I like coffee in the morning and soup and hot chocolate at night.

Thanks in advance.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Joshua

We (my wife and I) use our MSR Titan 1.5 L pot on an Xtreme, and it is adequate. The 2 qt AGG Al pot would be more than enough.

We go for the hot soup bit too!

Cheers

[Tony Beasley]

Hi Joshua,

I use a slightly modified (pot supports) Xtreme and the 1.5l JetBoil GCS pot to melt snow, not the lightest but the most efficient and fastest.

Tony

[Brad Groves]

Hi-
I use a MSR 2 liter Ti pot; it weighs 10 grams more than the 1.5L. Works great! Sorta/kinda reduces a little fiddling, IMHO. Cheers-

[Joshua Gilbert]

Thanks guys, turns out the AGG can be bought as a slightly dinged second from the AGG garage sale for 6$! sounds like that's the ticket.

[Ethan A.]

I'm looking for a lightweight Ti snow melting pot large enough to nest our Trek 1400 Ti cookset, which measures stowed, including folded handles and full rim, 5-7/8 in. high by 5-3/4 in. diameter. Any suggestions? Will be used most of the time for 2 people (with a larger group we'd nest a Trek 900 inside the Trek 1400 and have another 1-2 stoves).

I should also be asking – do you think we even need a separate snow melting pot on top of our Trek 1400 cookset which can hold, with lid on top, 1400 L of snow? If we could do without a separate snow melting pot, it would be great to save the weight.

If we could use a separate snowmelting pot, I know a lot of people who have used the MSR Titan 2L for snow melting, but it's not tall enough, with a 3.9" height by 6.75" diameter – although I guess could have the Trek 1400 stick out and just enclose all in a stuff sack, and use a foil lid packed against the outside bottom of the Titan 2L.

[Roger Caffin]

> the MSR Titan 2L for snow melting, but it's not tall enough, with a 3.9" height by 6.75" diameter

On the contrary: that large diameter makes it an excellent snow-melting pot.

Cheers

[Ethan A.]

Do you think we need/could use a snow melting pot in addition to the Trek 1400 cookset?

[Ethan A.]

Correction – our Trek 1400 pot holds 1.4 liters and the lid holds another .5 liters, so with lid on we could cram at least 1.9 liters tightly packed snow in there after getting some water melted in the bottom of the pot.

Would you get another snow melting pot such as the MSR Titan 2L to use with the Trek 1400 cookset given the above?

[Ethan A.]

If we could use the extra snow melting pot, than the Titan 2L looks like the best option now. I'd probably leave the Titan 2L lid home and use a foil lid. Pack the Trek 1400 inside the Titan and put all in a stuff sack. Titan is about 1 in. larger in diameter than the 1400 pot.

[Roger Caffin]

> Would you get another snow melting pot such as the MSR Titan 2L to use with the Trek 1400 cookset given the above?

I can only tell you what Sue and I would do. I would scrap the Trek 1400 entirely as the pot is a bit too tall and narrow for my liking. Instead I would take a wider flatter Ti pot in the 1.3 – 1.5 L range.

Something like an MST Titan 1.5 L pot from the Mini Cookset, with lid (I use this), an REI TIware non-stick 1.3 L pot (with handles removed maybe), a Vargo 1.3 L Ti pot, an Evernew 1.3 L Ti pot, or a ….

Actually, most if not all of these Ti pots come from a single source (KingSound in Asia), and are just house-branded variants.

But I am sure others will have their own different preferences. The reality is that most Ti pots work, although the wider ones do work better. Also, experience tells me that 1.3 – 1.5 L is quite big enough even for melting snow.

Cheers

[Ethan A.]

Thanks Roger. Would you take a separate snow melting pot in addition to your main pot, or do you think we could get by with just the 1400 + 1400 pan lid for melting + cooking? Think you meant you take both cookpot and snowmelting pot, just making certain.

I agree that in theory and practice a wider pot should work better than a narrower one, but the MSR Titan 2L is only 1 in. wider than the Snowpeak 1400 pot, so I wouldn't consider the 1400 narrow (narrow = DIY beer can cookpot).

I got the 1400 + 900 together at a steal last year and I'm happy with them for now. I just wish the Titan 2L wasn't $71 (and that's the sale price).

We also have an alcohol stove with built in windscreen which adjusts to fit the 1400 and 900 perfectly.

I use the 900 solo and for soups/quick warm food on day trips.

[Roger Caffin]

> Think you meant you take both cookpot and snowmelting pot, just making certain.

No, just one pot total.
After all, I carry only one stove!

Cheers

[Dave .]

But you do carry those plastic bowls you like so much, right Roger? Sounds like EJ could do the same…or carry another pot.

[Roger Caffin]

> But you do carry those plastic bowls you like so much, right Roger?
Works for me.
I boil some water, make some 2-minute noodle soup for the two of us, and while we are drinking that out of our bowls I am cooking the main course in the pot. The main course gets eaten out of the bowls while I warm up a small bit of water in the pot for washing up.
Works for me.

Cheers

[Dave .]

>>Works for me.

Yep, sounds like a good system. One I might have to rip off as a matter of fact… ;)

[Ethan A.]

We've been going Medieval (and light) on our "bowls", cooking in the larger 1.4 L pot, then I put my wife's portion in the pan lid (.5 liter) and she eats out of that and then takes more when she's ready, while I eat out of the cookpot. Not elegant, but it's light and it works. And less to wash up.

Which plastic bowls do you use – what size, volume and weight are they?

[Dave .]

Review of Roger's bowls:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/gsi_nform_ul_bowl_mug.html

[Joshua Gilbert]

For another option, my wife and I use orikaso folding bowls.

They work well, and are easy to clean via the unfold and lick method- pretty sturdy and recyclable when their alloted time on this earth is up

If you haven't bought your 2 liter ti pot, may I suggest the AGG alminum 2 quart, which may be available from their garage sale for 6$, with slight dings. (mine was almost imperceptible) 4 oz w/out lid

combine with orikaso bowls and 500 ml nalgenes in homeade foam cozies for hot drinks and coffee, and you have a pretty light and versatile winter kitchen set up (and a pot lifter, save your expensive winter gloves from melting)

edit: Oh that's funny, I didn't realize this was my thread. Guess what pot I bought?

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