Titanium Mug or Teapot>?

[david hensley]

My father already showed which titanium pot he purchased as a X-mas gift for me.

He got an REI Titanium Teapot (link underneath)
http://www.rei.com/product/764184 <<

I was looking for a mug type more like this…
http://www.rei.com/product/708072

I will be using a Pepsi Stove on my PCT thru-hike, except for the Sierra's in which I'll be using an MSR Pocket Rocket.

I'm open to all other advice you guys and gals offer. I'm looking for lightweight and multiple uses as well.

Thanks in advance!

[Brad Rogers]

I prefer a size in between the two as the Mug is a little small for a lot of uses and the Teapot is a little heavy. What about the Evernew 0.6L Pot (3.4oz) or the BPL Firelite 550 (2.7oz) It really depends on what you are going to be cooking.

[Konrad .]

I agree with Bradford. A SP 450 is just too small to practically cook with. For solo use, I prefer an SP 600. It gives just the right amount for a solo freezer bag meal and a hot drink, or if cooking for 2, it boils the perfect amt of water for a 2 person meal. Also, Jason Klass and Minibulldesign make aluminum lids for SP 600 and higher.

I've handled the REI ti Kettle in person, and feel that there are better alternative for the money. Specifically, the kettle is too tall to serve as a proper kettle. Also, the weird bulge makes cleaning, eating awkward if you cook in the pot

You can either get this instead
http://www.rei.com/product/649902
Which is great for 2 people cooking, or pasta making. It has the tightest fitting lid out of all the pots on the market right now.

If you like the idea of a teapot, I think youll be better off with this
http://www.rei.com/product/768513
Cheaper, large capacity, conducts heat better. Strong, as its anodized aluminum. And its wide! conducts heat over a greater surface area….making it pair up with a pepsi can perfectly.

If you think youre gonna be using both a pocket rocket (very narrow focused flame) and a pepsi can stove (wider flame)..i think you best bet is to get a pot that can use both types of flames. I think a MSR titan kettle is more suitable. A wide pot like a kettle, wont be the best match for a pocket rocket, while SP 600 doesnt work that well with wide base flame stoves like pepsi can stoves. As reference, I currently own a pocket rocket, numerous pop-can stoves, and all the pots (except for the rei kettle which ive only handled) that ive mentioned. Hope this helps!

[Denis Hazlewood]

I've got the Evernew versions of that pot. It actually holds 0.9l. After my set of Firelite pots it's my favorite. Won't work with a Caldera though.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

In all honesty this is what I choose as a "tea kettle":
http://www.rei.com/product/768513

At $20 it is a fraction of the cost of Ti (that REI one runs over $54!) and weighs in at about the same (considering you can boil a full quart.
You can cook in it as well, it is HAA and cleanup is relatively easy.

[Roger Caffin]

> In all honesty this is what I choose as a "tea kettle":
> http://www.rei.com/product/768513

Any resemblance between that and the Trangia kettle is of course entirely coincidental….

I guess the Chinese factory which makes the Trangia thought it could sell to REI as well – with a small tweak to the lid knob to make it 'different'. Or did REI contact the Chinese factory?

Cheers

[Rod Lawlor]

Roger, I thought Trangia was still made in Europe?

I think you'll find that GSI copied that one all on their own.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Roger, GSI has been selling a tea kettle for many years now. This version is a little more updated (they did the update this past year). The updates included a thinner handle, dipped finally, a wider opening (it used to be narrow with an insert for brewing tea) and a bit lighter than the older version.

Primus has made a HAA tea kettle (similar style) for many years as well. I have had one of those as well for the past 8 or so years.

REI wasn't ripping anything off….GSI is its own company – though they have and do sell REI branded items in REI that are their products.

On tea kettles….there isn't a whole lot of them by any means out there, the differences are in the features and weight.

PS: GSI is going to be bringing out 2 newer versions of the tea kettle come spring.

[Mark Verber]

a 450ml mug is pretty small. Unless you are committed to freezer bag cooking, I would think you would want something larger.

The REI .8L Ti-Kettle is ok, but I think you can do better. The shape makes it a bit more challenging to cook/clean, and the lack of strait sides means that it doesn't work with the caldera cone. Finally, the bottom isn't as wide as some other <1L pots, which means that it wouldn't be the most fuel efficient, especially with a pepsi can stove.

My suggestion:

Pot: REI or Evernew .9L wide bottom pot. Best fuel efficiency of any pot I have used and great versatility.

Mug: MLD 850ml Pot. Yeah… it's pricy, but it's light, has a good lid, and just the right shape. It's diameter is small enough that it can be used as a mug. I found that wider mug were too hard to drink from without burning my mouth. Not as fuel efficient as the evernew pot, but good enough with the ul caldera.

Other thoughts on my recommended cook kits

–Mark

[Michael Crosby]

+1 on the MLD Mug.

[david hensley]

I was searching the MLD site after your post, and that set up looks extremely simple and lightweight. 4.7oz for pot and stove, and accessories, but no alcohol. Does anyone have experience with it? What's the boil time and burn time?

[BlackHatGuy]

I have experience with it, but can't give you numbers. I'm not a numbers guy, really. I don't weigh my stuff, I don't time my stuff. I know, heresy.

But I can tell you that this setup is dead simple to use, packs up small enough for me, and if you get the Ti-Tri you can burn wood for fuel. The 850ml is a great size for single freezer bag cooking with enough water left over for coffee/hot cocoa and washing up (including teeth brushing). AGG even sells a cozy for the pot so you can keep the water warm while you're eating.

It's a great system.

[Brad Fisher]

David,
I use the Caldera Keg with the caddy sack. It's around 8 ozs for the total setup. This includes:
– stove
– can for boiling water
– windscreen
– I use one end of the caddy for hot drink and the insulated sleeve keeps warm
– I use the other end of caddy with insulated sleeve for freezer bag cooking

It works great for me because I just boil water for hot drinks, oatmeal and freezer bag cooking. Never found the need for more elaborate cooking setup. Others do more extensive cooking, so my system wouldn't work for them.

[BlackHatGuy]

Hey Brad!

What do you cover the other end of the caddy with when you're using it for freezer bag cooking?

Take care,

Doug

[Larry De La Briandais]

I to use the Trangia. I've had it forever. However, I figured since it wasn't Ti it wouldn't be used by many…

And I don't know, the only difference between the trangia and the GSI is Hard-anodizing and the knob on the lid. ;^)

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Larry

> the only difference between the trangia and the GSI is Hard-anodizing and the knob on the lid.
AND the seam around the bottom on the GSI. The Trangia has a curved bottom corner – which is cleanable.

Cheers
A Trangia kettle fan

[Willem Jongman]

Personally I don't care for kettles. You can boil water in any pot, after all, as long as you use a lid. The 0.6 litre kettle weighs 140 grams, whereas their 1 litre UL/HA pot is only 80 grams.
Trangia's are still made in Sweden (I have recently seen a video of the small factory), but to be honest I would not know if this is true for all parts. A kettle is a pretty labour intensive thing to make, compared to the other pots and pans, or the windscreen and base.
Willem

[Brad Fisher]

Doug,
Sorry for the late response. The keg comes with an insulation sleeve that I usually just put over the half I'm using for the FBC. It helps to place something heavier on top of it (ie small stuff sack, rock, etc). I'm sure you could get creative.

Hope that helps.

[BlackHatGuy]

Thanks Brad!

[Scott Ireland]

I've looked at these at various stores and think they're a good idea, then question it? Can someone help me understand why a teapot, and not just a regular pot? Are there distinct advantages or not? I just picked up a Walmart grease pot – seems like it'd be a good alternative, and was pretty cheap too…any opinions on using one of those?

Thanks for helping me understand….

Scott
"Still converting to less weight"

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

It is more a personal liking than anything else. Having said that…if all a person does is boil water a kettle is easy to pour from – less spills :-)

[Scott Ireland]

Well I guess that makes sense – I thought there was some real advantage I wasn't aware of, but if it's just a personal thing, then I get it now. Thanks.

[Larry De La Briandais]

When boiling water having a well fitting lid will boil the water faster (and with less fuel burned). The pour spout is great, and the handles work well. The shorter and wider profile is more stable and should heat a little better. And, you can cook in it too.

So, why not a teapot? If you boil water more often, then doesn't it make sense to have something that is designed with that in mind?

[david hensley]

http://www.rei.com/product/768513

So I went with the kettle up above. It's about an ounce heavier than what I was looking for but the price is awesome. I do plan to buy a BPL 550 I believe it's called, but can't really now as I'm strapped for cash as of late.

The kettle just seems so easy to use when pouring water, and obviously, the balance is better than a tall pot. I like the heat transfer, and I'll need a wide bottom on my pots for my stove.

I'm satisfied!!

This is off-topic, but can anyone tell me where I can buy thin aluminum for a wind screen? I want to buy it in person, not online. Home Depot? Lowe's?

Thanks

[James Naphas]

I usually just buy a disposable aluminum roasting pan or similar from the grocery store and cut it up. That's a little heavier than tinfoil, and holds up OK.

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