BackCountry Boiler

I Love The Backcountry Boiler,

I was part of the Kickstarter group and while it was frustrating having things stretch out, it was defiantly worth the wait. I love the new design and the fact they are now made in the USA. I used my boiler all summer in the Pacific Northwest with no stability issues and yes it will burn wet wood. I have a couple other wood burning stoves that i use from time to time and even brought with me camping to test against the Backcountry Boiler in the field. In my opinion the Backcountry Boiler beats any bio powered pot/stove setup. Granted i cant do a lot of gourmet cooking with it but you just cant beat the simplicity, weight savings and cleanliness of this system. this is my go to system and I have plans to pickup a couple more of these in the future.

Keep up the good work Devin!

Peter,

The Backcountry Boiler has always been made in the US… Er', except when it was made in Canada!

Sorry for my geo-blunder!

Edit: Post corrected.

I thought Peter was referring to the fact that the BCB is the first volcano kettle made in the US. :)

Anyway, I also tried out the potstand last night, just for the sake of trying it out. I have a potstand for my Kelly Kettle, which when assembled is basically an aluminum cross with a taper that sits in the chimney. It's stable, and bigger than the BCB's potstand. It was nice, for a while… but even using an alcohol stove in the Kelly Kettle when I tried it out, the stand actually melted.

The one that Devin came up with for the BCB is a three-piece dealie that when assembled forms a platform with 3 points of contact. When it has nothing on top of it, I have to say it does feel pretty filmsy, but when I put a 750ml Sierra cup with water and rice noodles on top, it felt solid and stable. It allowed me to boil water in the BCB while also bringing the water in the Sierra Cup to a light boil. Since it doesn't have a piece stuck down in the chimney, I don't think that it will share the Kelly Kettle's potstand melting problem.

Naturally, Murphy's Law prevailed this summer regarding my using the BCB, so I haven't had a chance to try it in the field. :-/

Peter – thanks so much for the kind words! The Boiler was made with a precise goal: boil water for hiking meals with indigenous fuels and be the best at it. I think it does that, and I'm so glad that you've found the same.

Callahan – The second batch of Boilers was made in Canada. I went there in search of capability, as I approached nearly every shop in the US and all told me they weren't interested in the job, or that it was simply "unmanufacturable." Things didn't really work out with them, but I wouldn't hesitate to have something made in Canada in the future. The most important things to me in a manufacturer are, first and foremost, capability and reliability, but also responsible labor and environmental practices. Things that the US, Canada and other developed countries have to their advantage are reliable regulatory systems that, all things considered, do an amazing job of holding companies accountable for their actions. While these conditions can be found elsewhere, insuring that they are the case is a task beyond the capability of my small company. Rule of law FTW. :)

Rakesh – I'm glad the pot stand is working well for you. Why anyone would but it down through the chimney is a puzzle to me. Either it melts or requires exotic materials, and either way it obstructs air flow and the addition of more fuel.

Devin,

I'm with you. The pot stand for the Kelly Kettle seemed like a bit of an afterthought to me, particularly since it didn't even pack all that well. It didn't collapse small enough to fit into the chimney like yours does, partly because it was made for the largest kettle they make. It was stable… Until it melted. I suspect that it would have melted even more quickly had I been using wood rather than alcohol.

Anyone receive their anodized boiler yet? I think they were supposed to ship mid October but I haven't heard anything…

Can't wait to try it out!

Hi Mike – they're shipping as we speak! I tend to live update on Twitter and Facebook – both @boilerwerks.

Just received the shipping email…super excited about this, thanks Devin!

I just ordered one, and I look forward to seeing whether these stability concerns hold up in practice.

It wouldn't weigh more (a gram or 2 at most) to offer a base that doesn't taper, and I assume that it wouldn't cost any more. It would pack larger, but also somewhat cleaner, since the firebox would never be turned inside out. How much larger would it pack? 25 cubic inches (400 ml), as far as I can tell? From those who own one: would the additional space requirement and tiny weight penalty be a worthwhile trade-off for more stability? Are there other factors I'm not considering?

On another note, what do you guys carry for fire-building supplies? Lighter? Storm matches? Flint and steel and birchbark? Knife that's robust enough to hammer through small sticks? Probably not too many hatchets in these circles…

In any case, I'm looking forward to playing with it!

ive never had an issue with stability of the bcb, just make sure you are level before you krank it up, its pretty simple.

i like the way the base inverts for storage, i like some of my gear as compact as possible. i do carry a small fire kit in a tin packed with it. i carry a mini bic, sure fire, flint n steel, some char cloth, mini inferno and a mini dropper of the 'ol clear meths… just in case.

i try and find good tinder along the way, and i pack a svord peasant knife in case i need to do some fine processing. i quite enjoy trying to make a fire, and its this thats keeping my pack weight up. i only really use this when making hot drinks during the day, at night for my meals i use a canister stove… but dont really mind bringing both… at least the bcb doubles as a water bottle.

p.s and i aint ashamed to say i also pack a saw… silky 170 with the medium teeth, in a leather sheath.

and that reminds me, must i update my list on gear grams?