Dessert

[Scott Peterson]

I am considering taking Milk Chocolate bars along for the next trek. Temps could be in the 90's during the day. Someone suggested that this will ruin the taste of my desert. Has anyone experienced this? I could see it getting mishapen from melting…but does it alter the taste too? Milk Chocolate with Almonds is my favorite…Dark Chocolate is just not the same!

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Well, it doesn't wreck it per say, but you do set yourself up for liquid chocolate ;-) And for gray color chocolate.

Do yourself a favor: if you carry milk chocolate, carry it insulated. That needn't be heavy nor hard. :-) I use my cozy to carry meltables.

[Scott Peterson]

Sounds like a good idea. What kind of cozy do you use?

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I use my fabric freezer bag cozy :-)

Originally I started making small insulated pockets for my son, since he likes to carry candy bars-and doesn't like dark chocolate!

[Scott Peterson]

Cool. Thanks for sharing. I like the camo fashion!

I am thinking I need to figure out if there is a multi-use fabric that will allow me to grab/insulate my beer can pot while hot, and then go into the pack and hold my cheese and chocolate in a slightly cooler state during the day. Just when I thought I had everything covered!

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I happen to love the Insul Bright fabric. It isn't always easy to find (I order it directly in massive bolts from the company, it is made here in Washington State). Some fabric stores carry it with the insulation and or the stabilizers.

You might try it out, it can be shaped. While I wouldn't trust it as a hot pad for say an oven, for grabbing pot handles while backpacking I would.

If you want to try Insul Bright, and you can't find any locally, let me know…I have maybe 80 yards of it on hand right now (the cozies have taken off very nicely!)

[Scott Peterson]

Sarah,

Thanks for the feedback and the offer. If I can ask one more question? Do you think that IB fabric is heat resistant enought to wrap a Foster's beer can stove while being heated to boiling by an esbit stove? I am thinking if I could find something that possibly decreases boiling time by insulating…and then can be used as a "cooler" while in the pack…that would be the miracle fabric. Of course, it would have to be light too like the one you are using.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I definitely would NOT use it near flame. As a cozy for once it came off the stove? Sure!

[Simon Harding]

a cozy is a neat idea, but wouldn't wrapping the bars (in a ziplock bag of course) in a pullover or some other article of clothing (I have used a pair of clean socks with success) stuffed deep into the nether regions of the pack work as well, at less weight?

I use clothing to insulate pots as well…. Even though reflectix is light, it is still another "thing" to ahve to deal with.

I've used the sock or pullover (Mt Hardwear lightweight windshirt) technique with success with Smoked salmon, cream cheese, cheddar and chocolate bars on trips into several days. This summer will be the first time I use it on a weeklong, but by the last couple days all the "cool" stuff will be gone or ensconced in a cold stream anyway.

I know this is probably not news to you folks, so Sarah, what are the benefits of the cozy I've overlooked, as far as keeping stuff cool is concerned?

Simon

[Anonymous]

Hi Simon,
If you travel in bear country, you might consider substituting an Aloksak OP sack for the baggie, which is not odor proof. Otherwise you could end up with bear attracting odors on your clothing, which could in turn lead to an unpleasant encounter with Brer' Bear.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Simon, for me, I am carrying the cozy for dinner already so dual purpose ;-) The insulating material I use in the cozies is Insul Bright. Unlike Reflectix, it is flexible and very thin (not much thicker than normal material), so it doesn't take up much pack space (it is flexible, rolls and crushes up.)

Insul Bright is used in many products, it is mylar punched with a fabric coating, so it both insulates from heat and cold.

It shows how well it works when you have food that isn't buried deep or it is very hot outside :-)

[Simon Harding]

By the second or third day my clothes smell bad enough to scare off most bears…

It is the cougars, no longer hunted by dogs and breeding well, like cats here in oregon, that I worry about. They appear to have taken to hunting in pairs (at least the juveniles) and cougar encounters are multiplying.

I appreciate the point, but simply by being around cooking food, we all get plenty of food smell in our clothes and hair.

I've never had any fear of bears. Cougars scare me. Hence, the Glock.

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