My new 51g (1.8 oz) cooking/ water carrying system

[Jeremy Platt]

On a recent night out I came across this .7L screwable aluminium can and immediately saw the potential for a cooker (I have heineken can envy so am always looking round for suitable pots).

I then nocked up a cooker out of tuna can which fits PERFECTLY with the pot.

In my last cooking test in stable conditions (no wind) I boiled 2 cups of water in 7 mins using 20g of 95% ethanol. This isn't amazing (much worse than the CC it may replace) however as it only weighs 50g a couple of extra grams of fuel doesn't hurt.

The best thing about it is that it can also be used to carry water so is going to replace my two PET bottles (31 g each). This way I am going to save a whole 100 gram from my pack weight (Ti evernew pot and gram cracker). As the aluminium is thin, I am going to place it inside my my cut down 1L PET bottle which I use as a bowl and for treating water with the steripen. I will also be taking two of these bottles/pots on trips (one for water, one for port), so I should have a back up in case one busts. I will still probably only take it out for 2-4 day trips both for safety + the eficiency of the CC will probably start to win back its weight in fuel after this.

can stove – 19g
pot/water bottle – 27g
lid – 5 g
TOTAL – 51g

Cost:
Tuna can – $1 (but comes with tuna!)
Rockstar can – $6 (comes with horrendous energy drink)
TOTAL – $7

Anyway, I hope you all like it and I would love to hear your feedback

[Rog Tallbloke]

Interesting size can you have. What is the outside diameter and neck diameter (where the lid section joins the main body, not the screw top)? Looks like a good diameter to height ratio for an efficient 1.5 cup kelly kettle design.

[Jeremy Platt]

Hey Rog,

Unfortunately I don't have a ruler handy, but based on my hiking pole 5cm measurements, I would say it is about 7.5cm /4 cm.

By Kelly Kettle, were you thinking about putting it in a fire? That was my original thought, I would just be worried about it tipping over.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[Rog Tallbloke]

Jeremy, no, I make 4g alcohol stoves to run my beer can kettles.

Found a ruler yet? ;-)

[Kevin Beeden]

I spotted the 'Rexam' label on the can, so had a look at their website. They've added a lot more product data since the last time I looked at it, and see the can in question:

Rexam 'New Beverage Categories'. Sadly no solid information on the thing, but I think I can just make out a '1l' marking on the base of the orange juice can, vs 750ml on the 'milk chocolate' can. It's worth having a look around some of the other product areas… ooooh! just found Super cans. Which do give the dimensions:

Monster 750
Pack Type Can
Height 190 mm [Metric]
Volume 710 ml [Metric]
Metal type Metal – Aluminium

King 1000
Height 204.8 mm [Metric]
End Diameter 62.6 mm [Metric]
Volume 1000 ml [Metric]
Body Diameter 84.4 mm [Metric]
Metal type Metal – Aluminium

Oh, those are beautiful. Now if only we could find someone who used them for product… I wonder if BPL could buy some unformed cans (i.e. without lids fitted) to put in the store? Probably not, as I guess Rexam deal in orders of 100k+ units…

I'm thinking of a kelly kettle using two cap can uppers and a cylindrical chimney…

(It's funny, but I dug out and played with the vaned kelly kettle the other day, trying a very simple, open-cup burner; it still wastes a fair bit of heat, and I was thinking of adding some of the 0.002" Ti foil I have as a radiant element sat in the chimney.)

[Kevin Beeden]

Rexam King Cap Can

[Jeremy Platt]

Hi Ken and Rog,

Indeed it is the monster 710 can. I also whipped up 4g coke can stove for it which works pretty well and it works nicely on the fire.

Rog: I am pretty sure that you guys have rockstar energy drinks in the states, which is where this can came from, and for about $5 (with included horrendous drink) it is pretty good value.

[. .]

Nice. I bought one of these also, just for the can to use as an alpine tea thermos (using a closed cell foam and aluminized mylar cozy). My only concern is the BPA, etc. chemicals on the inside plastic lining that is not meant for heated beverages. Any thoughts or beta?

[Kevin Beeden]

Jeremy,

Roger and I are in the UK, not the US… But I'm hearing reports of 'Monster energy drinks' being available in 710ml cans (just like the 'Rockstar') in the UK. Not seen any myself, but I shall keep looking.

(I'm Kevin, BTW, like Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson. Only not quite as rude…)

Interestingly, the 710ml (24oz) can is to be found on the North American version of Rexam's website, but not the European; an issue of US measures (oz) vs European measures (ml), I guess.

It does make you wonder where the cans are made and filled. Surely, they're not filling these things in the US and shipping filled cans to Europe? Since they're both Rexam cans, you might expect that European and US branches of Rexam would be able to supply and can design to customers in their regions, not just the 'local version', and use local filling plants. On the other hand, I recall that 'premium' bottled water, such as Perrier, _is_ shipped to the US. Transporting bottled water across the world? We've gone mad…

> My only concern is the BPA, etc. chemicals on the inside plastic lining that is not meant for heated beverages. Any thoughts or beta?

Well, that's a possible issue, of course, if you can get information on exactly what polymer is used to line the cans; 'epoxy-phenolic' is a term I've seen used. I'd hope that the exact composition must have been declared to the FDA (or similar bodies), and some consideration of these issues must have been made. Whether they considered the use at temperature, I'm not sure, but, as with all chemical reactions, it's a matter of time and temperature; see Arrhenius equation. Any leeching of BPA (or similar) is also likely to follow this relationship. A long shelf life at room temperature or a sun-baked warehouse, or a short cooking time at high temperature? Do we know the activation energy? Does the coating break down at around 100C? Who knows?

Plenty of people seem to use drinks cans as water-heating pots; that doesn't make it safe, of course. We're surrounded by chemicals we ingest knowingly or otherwise. In the end, it's a personal decision; how many people are killed in car crashes every year, and how many die from the effects of BPA? Do you want to stop using your car? Do you want to stop ingesting BPA? Which risks do you consider unacceptable? We're all going to die of something. Even if that something is stress brought on by worrying about what may be miniscule risks… ;-)

[Stuart R]

"My only concern is the BPA, etc. chemicals on the inside plastic lining that is not meant for heated beverages. Any thoughts or beta?"

From http://www.bisphenol-a.org/human/epoxycan.html

Storage conditions for sample cans containing the food simulating solvents were those prescribed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 1995, revised 2002) to exaggerate the normal canning processes used. For “hot-filled” products such as fruit juice, cans were filled with hot solvent (10% ethyl alcohol), held at 212°F for 30 minutes and stored for 10 days at 120°F. For “retorted” products (all other samples), cans were filled with the appropriate solvent (10% or 95% ethyl alcohol), heated under pressure at 250°F for two hours and then stored for 10 days at 120°F.

Using appropriate analytical methods, no BPA was detected from beverage/beer cans with a limit of detection of 5 parts per billion. Bisphenol A migration levels from food cans averages 37 parts per billion.

[Kevin Beeden]

Nicely found Stuart; that's very helpful. I had wondered whether product would be hot-filled for sterilisation purposes, but also considered that an adequately clean filling environment might suffice.

[Jeremy Platt]

Kevin: Sorry about the name and location mistake. I somehow saw and regurgitated Ken and assumed you are from the US as most folks on here are. Any luck getting hold of one of these?

Cheers,

J.

[Kevin Beeden]

No worries, Jeremy; I only posted FYI. Rog gives his location somewhat obliquely…

I've been told that the 750ml cans are available in the UK, in petrol/gas stations, but, not being a driver, I never visit them. Next time I'm in someone else's car, maybe.

[Author]

Posts