Absolute Lightest Instant Trail Coffee (kit & fuel) XUL

[Monte Masterson]

Correction. The 400 ml Evernew EBY 265 is 3 7/8″ wide not 4 7/8″. Fantastic Cup.

[Matthew / BPL]

What kind of can opener leaves that smooth edge?

This seems like a fun project. I may have to try making one of these myself. I’ve lost interest in cooking while backpacking but I do enjoy coffee and tea.

Tangential: I have an MLD 475 cup with a TD cone. I should probably experiment more with that… I haven’t been impressed with the efficiency of the setup but I’m guessing I just don’t haven’t nailed the distance above Esbit tab yet.

[Monte Masterson]

Just a basic manual can opener that’s available about anywhere. I can go no cook for food, but I’m not going backpacking without my coffee. I also use the setup for 4 ounces of oatmeal, only requires about 5 oz of hot water.

[David Gardner]

“safe”/side-cut can openers

1″ – 1.25″ above the Esbit

[DAN-Y]

0.9 oz. kit 12oz capacity pot. Lid snaps on tight to provide sipping of coffee through elongated slot, no more burned lips. Stainless steel pot support. 5 or 7 gram esbits can be used to heat water to pasturization.

Heat redbull to replace coffee caffeine. One redbull will replace 2 instant coffe ;)

 

[DAN-Y]

Consider RedBull as an erbal tea when heated. At this time of year we usually have hot apple cider as a warming drink. RedBull just might be that quicker pickerupper needed on cold mornings, easy to heat on my worlds lightest RedBull Kit with sipper lid. :-)

[Monte Masterson]

That looks great Dan. I assume the windscreen is stainless? I like the larger 12 oz volume because that also allows for more cooking options such as freeze dried meals, instant potatoes, etc. You could also use 2 packets of instant coffee instead of one making a large 12 oz serving. And the sipper lid is genius. Only thing is that you’d have to make sure you had a very level surface to set up with the pot’s small diameter to height ratio. Can you give a weight breakdown of each component? Thanks. Great work.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

@ Monte – if your goal is XUL, why do you need a windscreen?  For the time it takes to heat the water, why wouldn’t you use your body, a rock or your backpack?  Just curious.

[Monte Masterson]

For only 0.3 oz  a windscreen gives me much more efficient heating (less heat loss) and therefore I consume less fuel. Using a backpack or other objects can be problematic, and in stronger winds it just doesn’t do the job. I can easily justify the windscreen weight with Esbit savings. And besides, at the end of the day when I’m tired I want things to go easy and simple.

I have also tried the heavier grade aluminum foil, but it won’t stand up to the paper clips without tearing the foil, and isn’t very stable in strong winds. Weighs only about 0.15 oz for same size windscreen though.

[DAN-Y]

I assume the windscreen is stainless?

Windscreen is aluminum, weighs 7gr

Pot support is stainless steel weighs 4gr

Sipping lid, lip protector weighs 3gr

12 fluid oz. Red Bull Pot weighs 12gr

Total weight 26gr/0.917123

Gloves will be worn in colder weather, no pot grabber needed ;)

No matter what others may say…..always use a windscreen.

12oz cap. pot is nice to have head room for a full size cup of whatever your pleasure.

[DAN-Y]

Monte, give me your address in a pm and I’ll send you the kit. I’m not into XUL  You can check the weights and report back.

[Monte Masterson]

PM incoming.

[David Gardner]

2nd shot (with thanks to Monte):

8 oz soda can with lid .33
.005” Ti stand .11
Aluminum windscreen .19
Rubber band lip guard .04
Aluminum Esbit tray .01

Total .76

Burned 3.5 g Esbit for 6:29 minutes to bring 8 oz water to 62°C/165°F.

I was pleased that the “LNT” aluminum Esbit tray worked fine. Was worried it might melt.

3rd shot:

12 oz soda can with lid .38
.095” Ti stand .11
Aluminum windscreen .19
Rubber band lip guard .04
Aluminum tray .01
Reflectix .08

Total .81

Burned 7 g Esbit for 9:10 minutes to bring 12 oz water to 78°C/173°F

[David Gardner]

Add to 2nd shot (typo too late to edit):

“Reflectix .08”

[Monte Masterson]

Excellent. I like your stand infinitely better than the barbaric fencing stand I made. Half the weight. I’m a total novice so it doesn’t hurt my ego one bit to adopt something I see that’s better.

So as far as efficiency, looks like the 8 oz can wins.

8 oz / 3,5 gm = 2,28 oz per gram

12 oz / 7 gm = 1.71 oz per gm

And then adjusted for temps 165*/ 173* = .954 X 2.28 = 2.17 oz per gm for 8 oz can and 1.71 oz per gm for the 12 oz can.

I don’t know if 165 degrees is warm enough for instant coffee because I only used 6 oz of water with 3.5 gm Esbit and I didn’t do a temperature measurement.

Dan is sending me the kit he made and I’ll do a test with it using 8 oz and 12 oz. I’ll also do a temp measurement. Of course Dan’s also has the plastic sipping lid and that has to be added as a big plus to his setup.

I’m wondering how your wider Fosters can would do with Esbit and 10 oz water?

[Kevin Babione]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this thread – thank you all.

@David – I love the concept of using a rubber band as the lip protection.  I have some “Hot Lips” from Snow Peak for when I use my Ti mug, but I didn’t love using them.  I actually reverted back to a dedicated GSI insulated mug (with a sippy lid) for trips where I might have a hot beverage (unlike Monte I don’t need coffee every morning).  I’d worry about a traditional rubber band deteriorating pretty quickly…I know it would add a couple of grams, but would one of those silicone wrist bands work?

[David Gardner]

Kevin, I was thinking similar thoughts. I’m confident a traditional rubber band will last for a week or two at least. For through hikers silicone would be far superior. I have a bunch of those silicone writs bands sitting around, which I use as lip guards for Foster’s can-based cook kits. They’re much wider and heavier, so I cut one in half length-wise. Weight: .07 oz

[Kevin Babione]

Nice!  That seems much more appealing (and, although I can’t explain why) sanitary to me than a rubber band.

Put it on your wrist between meals and it won’t even count as part of your pack weight…

[Tuukka U]

Don’t these aluminum cans have an inner plastic lining or do people not care?

[DAN-Y]

Don’t these aluminum cans have an inner plastic lining or do people not care?

 

Yes, they do. It doesn’t bother most folks, especially me.

Cheers

Dan

[David Gardner]

BPA – bisphenal A

FDA says not a problem but I don’t trust them like I used to, and it’s banned in Europe. Mimics female hormones in some respects. Here’s a Mayo Clinic report.

My research indicates 95-98% of it goes into the original product. Ironically, consuming what originally came in the can gives you far more exposure. It’s ubiquitous now. In the blood of every American.

I always boil at least one pot of water with a new can and dump it before boiling one that I consume, to try and  get out that last 2-5%.

[DAN-Y]

My research indicates 95-98% of it goes into the original product.

I think that’s for food processed in the can under heat, not cans of carbonated drinks. Whaddaya tink?

[obx hiker]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this thread – thank you all.

Second

[Monte Masterson]

Got the package today Dan and I’m stoked. Thanks for sending the larger stainless windscreen along with the aluminum one because I can use that with my alcohol stove. I’ve been using a 21 gram titanium windscreen with the alky because unlike the thin aluminum windscreen, it will stand up to the higher burning heat of the alcohol .The stainless screen is only 14 grams, so that’s a 7 gram weight savings over the titanium.

I tore the house apart today trying to find my thermometer, but to no avail, so I just did some basic tests by looking for shrimp eyes and bubbles coming to the surface for a comparison. With 3.5 grams Esbit and 6 oz of water the Sam’s can got a little bit closer to boil than the Red Bull can, but the Red Bull still was able to activate the instant coffee crystals well enough. Then I tried 7 grams Esbit with 12 oz water in the Red Bull can and couldn’t tell how hot the water got of course without a thermometer, but it probably got hot enough for instant coffee or 3.2 oz of instant potatoes. I noticed your stand is 1 ” high whereas mine is 1 1/2″ high so I tried my Sam’s cup with your shorter stand the second time using 6 oz water and 3.5 grams Esbit and I saw no difference. I’m thinking of making a 1 1/2 high stand to fit the Red Bull to see if it gets any hotter. I might try just a tad larger circumference windscreen with the Red Bull can as well.

Thanks again Dan, I can envision myself using the Red Bull can where 12 oz water is needed and the Sam’s can for when I only want 6 oz servings of coffee. I’ll see how the heating goes with the Red Bull can using a 1 1/2″ high stand and report back. Probably won’t do any better, but I’ll find out.

Sincerely, Monte

EDIT TO ADD: Actually I’ll try a 1.25″ high stand with the Red Bull can because I forgot the Sam’s can sits down inside my 1 1/2″ high stand about 2/10″.

[DAN-Y]

 I noticed your stand is 1 ” high whereas mine is 1 1/2″ high

 

That’s all I had on hand.  1 1/2 is the ideal height, keep it at that height.

Have fun, stay safe.

Dan

[Author]

Posts