IMUSA folding handles & “platypus” for alcohol fuel storage

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

Just completed three quickie myog items this weekend. All are focused on ultra-light ultra CHEAP, which I find way more fun :) Anyone can buy crazy light stuff, but more fun to get 80% of the way there for 10% the cost!

Item 1: folding handles for IMUSA mug
–everyone knows about the IMUSA mug but that huge, rigid handle just sucks. It finally dawned on me that I could remove it and install folding handles. Basic process was to carefully drill out the rivets then sand down inside and out of the holes to get a good seal. Got the smallest nylon washers and aluminum bolts I could at Ace. Measured and cut up thin aluminum flashing to make the bracket (cut out "excess areas" that didn't contribute to strength). The flashing folds over underneath so the bolt goes thru 3 layers of flashing actually making it far more stiff than I was expecting. Handles are just your basic shirt hanger, contoured to wrap the cup properly.

Made it a shade heavier but final product is a very functional 3oz metal mug for $5, vs 2.25 oz ti mug for $50+. Original 22.5oz IMUSA cup: 70g (~2.75 oz)… Modified w/ folding handles: 75g (~3oz)
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Item 2: lid for IMUSA mug
–again real basic, but dirt cheap and light. Just traced the top of the mug on the same aluminum flashing used for the handle bracket, cut it out and left 3 ~3/4" wide x 1/4" long tabs. Folded down the tabs at ~75-deg angle to keep the lid on. Foil tape handle.
Total weight: ~7g (.2 oz)

Item3: platypus for fuel!
–this one seemed like a no-brainer but I haven't come across anyone doing it so maybe there's an issue I'll discover (or someone will let me know about here). But until then, I've found a super cheap, super light and flexible container for alcohol… those little pouches that baby food and a lot of health shake things are coming in these days. The grocery store I was at had sizes from 3oz up to 8oz amongst the various products (so pick your size) and cost was ~$1.25 to $3.00. The caps have huge wings/doughnuts around them for easier handling, but no real need for them. Cut off all excess from the lid and nipped the excess on the package seams. Initial weight was ~8g but got it down to 5g by removing excess. Typical 3-4oz bottle is ~15g.
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[Delmar O’Donnell]

Cool mods.

I'd recommend you take your toothbrush to the inside hardware of the screw heads during clean-up time. You don't want chunks of food around the recesses of your modification. At some point you might want to explore putting rivets back in place, to cut down on bacteria growth opportunities.

[Glenn S]

I've learned to embrace the handle of my Imusa as yet another exercise in overcoming insurmountable odds of adversity.

Nice mod though, but yeh, might be careful with the bacteria thing.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

Like the toothbrush idea and will definitely make sure to keep it clean :) but i'm not too worried as there really aren't many "recesses" for actual food to get stuck in other than the flathead slot in the bolt (which is easily cleaned). No food will get between the mug and washer as it's very tight (watertight in fact). Plus, the entire thing will be sanitized every time I boil water so even if little chunks do get missed, they'll just hang out as clean little chunks.
I don't have a rivet gun so opted for the more simple bolts, but that would be an option for sure.

Anybody have feedback on the fuel pouch? Anyone done this and had it fail for some reason or be a success?

[todd]

Nice mods!

Several have tried the little bags for fuel or whiskey. I haven't heard of a failure, that I recall. Just put it in a snack size ziplock baggie until you've had some experience and let 'er rip!

[Marc Shea]

Olicamp makes essentially the same thing out of anodized aluminum at 3.2 oz and for under $15.00.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

So they do… hadn't come across that yet. Definitely a decent alternative to doing the work of modifying but still far lower cost than ti. Still like mine better though :) To each his own though.

[Dale Wambaugh]

You can get the Olicamp in clear and hard anodized versions.

See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/84693

Capacity is 24oz/750ml and the surprise is they weigh just scant fractions of an ounce more than a similar titanium version. From left to right below is the hard anodized version at 3.6oz, a Stoic titanium mug at 3.2 oz, and the clear anodized model of the Oilcamp at 3.4oz.

[Larry De La Briandais]

I recently got the Jacob Bromwell Classic Stainless Steel Cup – Large, 32 fl.oz and it weights in at 3 oz.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/jacob-bromwell-classic-stainless-steel-cup-large-32-floz~p~6701h/

I can't see why someone would want a titanium one that is smaller and heavier.

[Marc Shea]

Apologies, but your MYOG design immediately made me think of the Olicamp version. Some of us are just too lazy to make one ourselves. :)

Also, Four dog stoves makes a titanium lid for the Olicamp as well.

http://fourdog.com/olicamp-24-ounce-hard-anodized-aluminum-space-saver-mug/

I have also found that the lid on the Stanley Cookset also fits the Olicamp mug.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-Adventure-Series-Camp-Cook-Set/16784406

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

I'm right there w/ you Larry. When I first got bit by the UL bug, I kept stopping into REI and lusting over the ti mugs, almost bought one 3-4 times, until I actually checked the weights and realized they're an extra $40-50 to save maybe .5 oz, i.e. a $100/oz saving cost! I won't spend more than ~$20/oz saved right now, and have had many items that came in at only $2-5/oz saved as I've started building up my kit over the last 6 months.

I suppose titanium is more durable then the aluminum but past that, seems like one of those items thats much more fashionable to have than functional. And i suppose there is a bigger difference in the larger pots where you get a couple oz savings w/ ti over aluminum… but still, those bigger pots are close to $100. Not for me.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

No apologies necessary Marc. Glad that mine looked prefessional enough that it made you think of a real product and not a myog piece of junk :) I've just always been a very crafty, builder kind of person and my job doesn't facilitate that anymore so gotta get it out somehow. Tinkering w/ this silly stuff isn't for everyone.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

If I were to do a mod like Ryan's, I'd make the handle short, vertically. For me, the tall handles make havoc with my windscreen designs, requiring a deep cutout.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

Delmar – I was thinking about that as well. I'm likely going to do a Jon Fong style, straight sided myog windscreen/stand for the smaller mug which isn't as affected by the tall handles. But I've got the larger IMUSA mug so will give the shorter height, longer length handles a shot on that one. I'm a bit worried about structural stability of the bracket if I used the same aluminum flashing though… I don't think it will hold a full mug of liquid w/o deforming. Will either have to get a different material or maybe do a "double-wrapped" setup instead of the "single-wrap" I did here. The handles, if removed cleanly, could probably serve as addt'l support if used as a backer plate. I'll post results once completed for sure.

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