Caldera Keg for 2 people?

I have a Foster's Keg. Holds about 24 oz of water. Weighs about 3.8 oz. You will need to double the amount of fuel, if two people use it. Will you just boil water, or eat out of the Keg? You could carry an extra Keg. To me it would be more efficient for each person to carry their own set-up, at little weight penalty. For other weight saving items, I would look at sharing shelter options.

We will be sharing a tent, so that does save a little weight.

We will probably just be boiling water for the most part. I was thinking that the first eater could use the caddy to eat from and while he's dining the second round of water could be boiled in the "keg". Does that sound workable? I'm trying to save both weight and money by not having to use/buy another kit.

im also conisidering this, 1 keg for two people, would shave a few oz off my kitchen.

i also use the keg and would have to agree with nick. it could be done and wouldn't be that big of a deal as far as the 2 of you eating at slightly different times. for money savings, it works. for weight savings its a pretty small difference.

if you are going to buy a new setup, and think you might be using it for 2 often, i would go with a 1L size pot or maybe 1200-1300.

My son and I use the Caldera Keg F for the two of us. The can holds 24 oz. We freezer bag cook only. We just pick and practice recipes at home that only require 12 oz. or less to add to the freezer bag.

1 Esbit will get 24 oz. boiling or very close if it's pretty cold. We've also used alcohol but prefer Esbit.

The only containers we carry are the beer can (boil water), wide mouth nalgene (my son likes to make kool-aid type drinks) and our water platys. That's it.

In the morning I usually boil a full can. Some for my son's oatmeal and the rest for my instant coffee which I drink right out of the beer can and I eat a cold dry breakfast. Occasionally I reboil some more if I want a hot breakfast (usually when we're in no hurry to break camp) or I just skip the coffee and split the water between us from the first boil.

Like all our decisions it's just convenience. My cook system weighs 5.3 oz. (after I removed the stuff I don't use). So it only gains us a lousy 3 oz. each.

However, on a good weather 3-4 day trip, I shoot for a 7# base weight (not including water and food) and that includes a GPS and camera. So savings oz to me usually wins over convenience.

David, what do you pack into the beer can for transport so that it doesn't get crushed or bent?

–B.G.–

When ever my girlfriend comes with me I just use a kaldera keg. We will normally split what ever we eat first and make more if needed and I most of the second amount. I works great and keeps here pack a lighter by the time we share a bunch of stuff.

B. G.

Nothing really. The Caldera Keg F came with a wind screen / can support that I roll up and insert in the can upside down (small end first). This gives some pretty good support but by no means makes it crush proof. I also use the open ended can cozy it came with. Then a gram cracker stove, light my fire spork, mini bic and any esbit tablets that might fit. I reweighed this and it's about 3.5 oz not 5.3 oz. (not including esbit tablets).

Sometimes I put all that plus any esbits that won't fit and the beer can top (I like the top) in a small stuff sack. Sometimes I don't even use the stuff sack.

I either pack it at the very top of my pack last thing (because I'm usually packing while waiting for water to boil) or it all goes in one of my side pockets.

In both places the only way it's going to get crushed is if I take a fall (highly unlikely when riding up top). Hasn't happened yet. If it does, that means I will only have 193 empty cans of Fosters left in my garage. :)

Kidding about the cans, but if I did destroy it I'd just order another one.

I should also note that I don't do any hard core hiking. All the trails we / I cover are easy to moderate with the very rare rough spot.

David, I tend to pack a backpack pretty tightly, so I would probably end up crushing a beer can unless I had it packed very solidly with something.

–B.G.–

I have a homemade foster's/ caldera setup and I use it for two with no problems. Granted, I use it primarily as a woodburner and do the "freezer bag cooking" thing, but I have had no issue with there not being enough water produced for my needs.

Logan

I usually pack the Caldera set-up towards the top of my pack, or in a pocket. But have carried it a lot lower, in the pack, with no damage. The Keg is pretty tough.

My wife and I use a caldera cone with an Evernew 1.3 liter titanium pot
and a gram cracker stove. In Minnesota we usually use 1 1/2 tablets to boil a full pot of water. I pack it on top near my back and so far have had no trouble.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm pretty confident now that we (this is a friend of mine not a significant other) can get by sharing one Caldera Keg, especially if we do the freezer bag cooking thing (which will be a new adventure for me).

Ideally, I would get a larger pot as suggested, but what concerns me is the space that this would take up in my pack since I don't believe the standard Cone will fit inside the pot (the Ti options that do are out of my price range). When I am going solo this seems like a lot of real estate to sacrifice. And the Keg is so darn light. It's seducing me.

Just wanted to jump in with a few more insights….

1) The distinction should be made between the 3 different Keg systems (F, H, and GVP)

2) The cone DOES fit entirely inside the can in both the Keg-H and the Keg-GVP

3) The Keg-H can is going to survive being packed "loose" better than the Keg-F or Keg-GVP. The structural ridges inherent in the can are a real "strength" :-)

4) We form a ridge in the body of the Fosters (F & GVP) cans to support it on the cone. This allows the can to be lighter than the Heineken that requires the "beer bands" to support it on the cone. However, this also introduces a strong "ring" in the center of what is normally a very weak can….and without getting into a lot of Strength of Materials or Stress Concentration Riser calculations or the concept of Low Cycle Fatigue, if you repeatedly flex this Fosters can unprotected in your pack, you can introduce pinholes along that ring. Now I wouldn't worry about that too much because one way to look at this is to consider the Fosters can as an expendable item, use it a few trips, drink a beer some night, new pot! You will need to get a sidecut can-opener but that would be it because the beer band that comes with the kit can be used as the pot support for your new can!

That's my $.02…..love reading the real life field experiences….thanks!

Rand :-)

Hi Rand. Thanks for jumping in. It's always a treat to hear from the source.

One thing I've been wondering about is if it is possible to fill the keg beyond that 24 oz mark and boil a slightly larger volume of water. I recognize that any water above that mark will be above the cone and exposed to lower ambient temperatures. Does this provide so much heat loss that the stove can't overcome it and the water is prevented from boiling? If it IS possible to boil more water then the Keg would be even more attractive as a two-person set up.

-Chris

I use the same caldera cone and pot, but use the alky stove. If you freezer bag it, this will easily work for 2 people, I've also done 3 though wouldn't recommend that.

I use the same system solo only I eat/drink from the pot and use about 1/2 the fuel.

Chris:

Probably best to hear actual field feedback on your question…..but yes….it is absolutely possible to put water in there above the 2-cup line/crip/ridge and work just fine. The issue if there is one won't be the water above the cone (but that is a consideration in colder/windier conditions) but more the fact that you are asking alcohol/esbit to boil more and more water. Nevertheless, you won't be boiling that much more so you should be fine.

Rand :-)

Yes, you can boil water almost to the top (at the top and it will boil over. You need to use a little more fuel in the stove, which seems to generate a little higher flame. I do this sometimes when I need 16 oz for a MH meal, and then make hot chocolate or coffee with the remaining 8oz or so remaining in the Keg.

So while I am waiting for the 8 minutes or so for my MH meal to be ready, I can sip on a hot drink.

The Keg works well for freezer bag cooking for us because we eat at different times. I like to eat a little later than my partner. YMMV. If you want to cook IN the Keg, you have to be a bit careful that you don't burn the bottom, as it can be hard to clean.

I tried to ask this question earlier in the week and did a poor job! Glad you posed more succinctly for some good responses. I usually do freezer-bag cooking, I like the idea of looking for recipes that take less water. Has anyone incorporated the use of a second cozy?