The absolutely lightest kitchen?

Search McMaster-Carr for something like “stainless steel cloth”; it’ll get you there. McMaster-Carr may have the most amazingly simple and well-designed webpage I’ve ever used in my life.

POSTED BY
Bill Fornshell
(bfornshell – M)
BPLRank: 4.23

LOCALE:
Southern Texas

SUBJECT wire mesh pot stand ON 06/14/2006 11:08:14 MDT POST REPLY
I guess I should be dissapointed that my wood stove thread isn't being read by many here.

I made a point twice to list where I get my Stainless Steel Wire Mesh but I guess no one read it.

I have used a lot of Galvanized wire mesh and it just doesn't last long enough.

So where do you get it Bill?

Also… the issue with galvinized steel is more about toxic off-gassing… although I could see where it also would not last as long as stainless.

I can't seem to fine welded wire Ti mesh… but McMaster does have expanded Ti mesh… $100 for one square foot!!!!!!!!! Ouch.

I have a local home depot that I could get the galvinized stuff pretty cheap. So what's the problem when using this set-up in a well ventilated area?

I am guilty of using it on my 1-2 night trips… but this is what zenstoves.net has to say"

"Galvanized steel should never be used for cookware or food storage since this may lead to zinc poisoning (aka heavy metal poisoning). Exposure to high levels of zinc can cause lethargy, dizziness, nausea, fever, diarrhea, irritability, muscular stiffness and pain, loss of appetite, and reversible pancreatic and neurological damage.

Pot stands and stoves constructed from galvanized steel can cause metal fume fever when heated. This is caused by the inhalation of zinc oxide fumes or dust produced when galvanized steel is welded or burned. The signs and symptoms can be vague (shaking chills, fever, body aches, headache, and fatigue) and are similar to those of the flu or a viral illness. Onset of symptoms often occur after well after exposure (3-10 hours) and makes the connection between using your stove and sickness less obvious than one would think. Symptoms usually resolve after 48 hours if you quit cooking with galvanized steel.

Metal Fume Fever has been linked with occupational asthma and is a pretty noxious illness."

thanks david, that's a good enough reason for me to saty away from it. I am looking at 1 to 2 week-long trips. what's wrong with the ultralight outfitters beer can stove? How much would it weigh if you ditched the lip guard and spoon? I assume that it is less durable than the heineken can merely from shape.

The Ultralight outfitters beer can stove is a really clever design. Very nice. I own one and it's pretty cool. But I find I get just as much (if not more) functionality out of my design… and mine is lighter. The whole idea with my stove was to get something that was as light as humanly possible while still being very functional (no tin foil lids or having to dig out your gloves to grab the pot… etc.). The windscreen with the Ultralight outfitters stove is very heavy BTW… and it's an integral part of the design (doubles as double walled mug). Also, the UO stove has no handle and no lid. And you have to use a Fosters can with it… which is very weak compared to a keg shaped can. That's another reason for the heavy windscreen… it protects the fragile Fosters can.

thanks, again that all makes a lot of sense, my problem is that your design is relatively expensive (titanium rods 20, titanium windscreen 15, stainless wire 15, cat food 5, a small can 1, plus 5-10 for shipping- we're looking at around $65 for a few pieces of metal. I have several friends that are interested in making one though, that would cut costs as there is plenty of Ti. Yours also seems like more of a hastle to use, but I really like the weight. nicely done.

Hey Stephen,

I don't find it a hassle. I find it's great on the trail. My first version was a pain to use… with the windscreen doubling as a stand.

You're right tho' that it's not cheap to make! I guess I never really noticed since I bought all the bits and pieces separately over time. The stove evolved over time and went though a lot of different variations before I came up with the exact combination that I have now. I was buying bits here and there over the course of a year or so… trying different things. But to just say "this is the design" and buy all the bits at once… yup… it's pricey! I never really stopped to add it all up. The Titanimum is what makes it pricey.

You could make it with an aluminum windscreen from a cheap disposable oven liner, the cut off beer can top as the lid, and coat hanger wire for the handle (or rubber thimbles)… and it would be just as functional… but a little heavier. If you visit my page again actually and look at version 1… that's exactly what I was using .Once I had that worked out… I started trying to shave off more weight by sourcing Titanimum materials. Again… the point was to make my stove as light as humanly possible. It was a personal project and not something I ever intended to manufacture or market… so cost issues never came into it. Anytime I thought of something or found something that would make it lighter… I bought it :)

Oh… and I have a cat anyway… so lots of cans kicking around :) If it wasn't for that actually… I would never have discovered what an amazing fit that is!!! I was blown away the day I noticed how well the bottom of a cat food can fit on top of my beer can! I had been using the cut off beer can top as the lid before (see version 1)… but that was almost 6 grams!

….. my problem is that your design is relatively expensive…

The Jason Klass version, using a kevlar wick instead of a pot holder looks to less expensive.

Ya… I liked the rubber thimble idea too. 4 grams. Dirt cheap. Easy to find. I just like my handle because of the way it integrated with all the parts inside the pot for stowing. That's really key for me. I love being able to have one unit to remove from the pot (instead of a bunch of loose parts) when I use my pot to get water. The stove is very much designed for me and my own particular style of backpacking. And of course… none of it is really anything new… aside from the handle idea and the cat food can discovery… and the way all the bits clip together for stowing. It's just a creative process really. I took a lot of idea from other designs and came up with my own unique combination which I really love… of course :)

A question for David, Jason, and others who are using this pot.

I’ve used an UL Heineken pot and alcohol stove set up in the past(see my “Breakfast of Champions” pose below) and discovered a few things. 1) I really like the light weight and and compactness of this system. 2) I don’t really like eating out of a plastic bag. 3)I found it difficult to clean all the food scraps out of the nooks and crannies of the Heineken pot.

Can anyone help me with #3? Thanks.

Sorry… I eat out of the bag. I do eat my morning cereal out of the can tho'. Sometimes I little bit of cereal or some dried milk gets stuck in the bottom… but I good swish and / or a stick usually does the trick. My hands are small (and flexible) enough that I can get one inside the can too. That said… cereal doesn't make nearly as much mess as a hot dinner I would think. I eat my dinners out of the bag.

>>Can anyone help me with #3?<<

Orikaso?

Eins

All the supplies arrived and everything is looking great. I've found that I can fit my AquaMira with mixing cap, a contact lens case (each side mixed for treating the bottles of water I keep on my pack straps), and the lighter in the middle of the titanium foil tube. The only issue I've faced is that my esbit holder is perhaps too big. I bought a Tab as that was all that my local convenience store had. It fits very tightly in the bottom of my wire mesh pot stand, but the top of the mesh doesn't quite lock into the bottom rim of the Heine. Are Red Bull cans slightly smaller in diameter?

Regarding #3, Part of the convenience of an alcohol stove is relegating it to boiling water, and serving drinks and food out of disposable or reusable cups/bags. And I suggest make a cozy from reflectix for quicker rehydration and keeping stuff warm longer.

Hey Miles,

Cool :)

The drink cans you’re looking for are slightly bigger than 2″ in diameter (2 1/8 ?). Many energy drinks use these cans… as well as V8. I bought a 6 pack of V8 in the tiny cans for my purposes. I figured at least that was something I might drink.

The welded wire cloth I’m using has 1/2″ spacing… 3 spaces high and 14 spaces long. Cut out 15 spaces tho’ so you have some tangs to wrap around at the end to close the hoop.

If you haven’t been to my stove page recently… I posted a new photo (below) that show how I stow all the bits. Notice the bobby pin on the left… and the end of the hoop on the right… where the tangs wrap around to form a solid hoop. Also… I don’t know if it would make a different for the fit… but I have the vertical wires facing in. I only did that so they would be less likely to catch on things… but it might affect the fit to the bottom of the beer can.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. If I can't resolve my Heineken pot washing problem, I'll probably go with Einstein X's Orikaso idea. In the past, I've used an Orikaso bowl when traveling with a partner; one person ate out of the pot, the other out of the bowl. It worked pretty well. My not liking to eat out of plastic bags is totally irrational, more of an aesthetic thing. But then again, so is wanting to go into the mountains.

Is the problem a big bag and a small spoon? I have the long handled BPL Ti spoon and it makes eating from a bag a MUCH more plesant experience. Plus… I always cut the bag down with the scissors of my handy Swiss Army Classic.

For what it's worth, I'm with you and for the same reason. I just use a light food storage container (Ziploc brand) that holds the pot and sundries. FYIW I cut the top off a pint nalgene and use that as a mug – fits into the Heinikin can just slick! Not the lightest set up but a nice blend of function and pandering to my aesthetic. Ask any food critic – presentation IS important. I just can't get into eating my instant grits out of a baggie :)

No, I have the long-handled ti spoon from REI, modeled on the one Bill Fornshell developed. I think it's more that I like to eat slowly, taking in the view, with my bowl or pot sitting in front of me on the ground. That's hard to do with a plastic bag.

Not so hard. I use a cozie hat to put my bag in which keeps it hot while cooking. It then goes on my lap which also keeps it warm while I enjoy a long slow meal.

Michael, I made my post before I read jack's reply. His reason is a lot closer to what I meant than what I typed.

>>Ask any food critic – presentation IS important. I just can't get into eating my instant grits out of a baggie :)

For some reason eating out of the Heineken can is more appealing to me than eating out of a plastic bag, despite the practical advantages of the bag.

Come to think of it, eating out of an Orikaso bowl has much more appeal than either the bag or the can. I think I just talked myself into it. :-)

Thanks to everyone for helping me sort out my thoughts on this.

Dondo,
don't apologize for your sense of aesthetics! those bowls are great and really a cool idea, and hell I don't like to eat out of the bag either, and they only weigh a couple ounces(if that.)

Hey,

So I've been searching in vain for stainless or plain steel mesh (1/2" openings) to replace the Home Depot galvanized hardware cloth I used for my stove. No luck whatsoever. I've searched Google and called dozens of local companies… nada. One place could get it… but in the quantities I'd have to buy… it would be hundreds of dollars.

I know that McMaster Carr sells just about everything… including exactly what I'm looking for… but when I contacted them… they told me that "Due to increasingly complex export regulations, we no longer ship to Canada". I'm trying REALLY hard not to start cursing right now on the BPL forums!!!! Suffice it to say… thank god GWB is keeping the world safe from Esbit and Hardware Cloth wielding backpackers from Canada.

So… any ideas?! Any place other than McMaster Carr that I might try online? Please help :-(