Moulder Strip put to the test. Butane canister use at -21F/-29C

few more photos

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272121380239?rmvSB=true

It is all copper

I thought, cool, a $2.31 option instead of banging them out myself in the garage.  And it has a magnet?  Yeah.

Wow, $44.21!  Delivered in 3 to 8 weeks.  50 grams.

OTOH:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DETAILKOREA-Gas-Cylinder-Warmer-Isobutane-Canister-Protector-Backpacking-Gear/272140616819?rt=nc&_soffid=5023912608&_soffType=OrderSubTotalOffer&_trksid=p5731.m3795

it’s a zippered canister cozy.  Not sure if it’s neoprene or some stretch fabric.  $5.51 + $4.70 shipping.

I’ve debated about cutting the sleeves / legs of old wetsuits into canister cozies.  A band from nearer the wrist for a 110-gram canister and from closer to the shoulder for 220-gram canisters.  I’ve got new, better wetsuits, so I don’t think I’ll ever use them again for cold water.

It was not meant to be purchased, just a little incentive to inspire a DIY project. :-)

edit: Video has been deleted.

Or a soda/beer-can cozy from some race / convention 4 years ago at Goodwill for $0.50 – many of which are featured in that video.

David, old wetsuits make good cozies all right. My first (decent) ones were made that way. However, I’ve recently come across a much better item – fishermen’s “gravel gaiters.” Neoprene (3 mm thick, like a wetsuit), with a full Velcro closure that sticks to a special outer surface of the neoprene. The ones I like are 7.5″ tall. which is perfect for making two 2″ tall cozies for the 110 gm. canisters, and one 2.5″  for the 8 oz. canisters. Since they come as two gaiters for $10, you’ll have 6 of them for cheap. I can’t remember the brand, but once my Ace hardware store is back in stock I’ll try to remember to post it. Another local store has some made my Frogg Toggs – two 2″ tall gaiters for $6 (so minimal cutting), but the Velcro is pretty bad, and I don’t recommend that brand at all.

The best part is that they are the same thickness neoprene (and black, not blue), and they weigh 1/2 what my wetsuit versions do. Of course my wetsuit versions have cutsy additions, like a channel sewn into the top to run a cord through so that I could cinch it up tight. So the channel, cord, and mini cord lock add extra weight, and Sir Moulder politely assured me that those embellishments were completely unnecessary. Also, since you can make the cozy as snug as you want, it eliminates the need for a Velcro strap to keep the copper strip tight against the canister. I do believe it’s a ‘mo better’ and lighter canister cozy.

David, I just know that you have a few fishing stores near you, so check it out. And I also want to challenge you to come up with one of those Korean copper strip/magnet thingies to fit a 110 gm canister, and sell me one for $5! Actually, we don’t need no stinkin’ magnet, since the cozy keeps the strip in place. But I like the design of that copper element, which must be quite efficient (not that ours aren’t).

Rex,

I was thinking about “idiot-proofing” the “Moulder Strip”.  As Roger points out, it is very unlikely that just the heat transferred from the shunt would overheat a canister.  But if you want to be a bit safer, there is Velcro made from polyester instead of nylon, that has a slightly lower melting temperature.  Or you can buy waxes with different, specific melting temperatures.  If you adhered the strip to the canister with the right wax, it would melt off before things got too hot.  Just an idea – I haven’t tried it out.

How well does wax adhere to metals at 0°?

Ski wax sticks to skis OK.
But I would not bother. Wax could insulate more than air.

Cheers

I was thinking about “idiot-proofing” the “Moulder Strip”.

I already thought about that, with the knowledge that there is no limit to the creativity of morons.  :^)

I was thinking about “idiot-proofing” the “Moulder Strip”.
I wouldn’t bother trying. You wouldn’t succeed anyhow.

Cheers

Idiot proofing not needed.

Only use if it’s cold, like below 32 F or if your stove slows way down.  When it’s this cold it’s difficult to overheat canister.  But, you should touch side of canister if there’s any question.  It’s easy to tell if it’s too warm.

I find a new (and expensive too) comercial alternative

http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-WORKS-Hand-Made-Power-Charger-for-Canister-Stove-/282186570954?var=&hash=item41b3a15cca:g:aCAAAOSwYIxX4lr-

Awesome!  Larger, heavier, more cumbersome and 10x as expensive.  What’s not to love?

This is straying very far from lightweight and simple, lol.

However, for large mountaineering groups it might useful. The UL community is not the target market, certainly.

I would like to see some testing. My experience with this stuff makes me think a very good cozy would also be needed because the large increase in mass is harder to warm, and all that surface area gives up a huge amount of heat to the environment when the ambient temperature is very low.

US$52 + P&P
Awesome stuff!
How much do yours cost Bob? (Mine was scrap Al from the bin.)

Cheers

G-works heat shunt is claimed to be 4.5 oz when you read far enough down the terrible copy on the ebay page. Seems like REI customers could be a potential market.

Also the magnetic attachment seems like an adaptation that’s worthy of more discussion here. Neodidium used sparingly?

Finally, what is the range of weights for the various forms of Moulder strip plus attachment device that you guys (Bob, Gary, David, and Roger) are using?  Im sure its far less than 4.5 oz, but maybe Roger’s hose clamp/metal spring is getting up there.) Thx

Steel hose clamp: 53 g or 1.87 oz
Rather large Al strip: 16 g or 0.56 oz
Total: 69 g or 2.43 oz

The steel hose clamp is lighter than you might expect, but don’t forget it would need a screwdriver of some sort in the field. It was a nice idea, but the green tape version is under 1 g and works as well.

Seems like REI customers could be a potential market.
Seems a rather harsh judgement … :) (even if accurate).

Cheers

IIRC, for my basic short strip setup (SP Giga, BRS w/110g canister) and Velcro/silicone the weight is about 27g (.95 oz), and about 35g (1.24 oz) with the longer strip for 220g canisters. It’s mentioned somewhere in the threads, but that is pretty close.

Note that the G-Works version is designed only for 450g canisters.

My two setups complete with Cu strip, cozy, carbon felt, base (plastic lid with 1/8″ foam), and Ziploc bag (no Velcro needed with these custom cozies) weigh 1.43 oz for the 4 oz canister and 2.06 oz for the 8 oz one.

Work in progress…. version 1.0  ;-)

Looks nice, Carlos.  I like the rounded corners.