How much water from a billy can of snow - picture heavy

[forestwalker]

When I was in the far north we always carried a water bottle and put a bit of water into the bottom first before trying to add any snow.

This also utilizes the fact that heat transfer from the pot to the water is much, much more efficient than from pot to snow.

The old timers said that if the billy was real hot and snow as add to it, that it would impart a scorched taste to the water. I always added some water first so I can't say if this is a fact or just some old campers tale.

Another hint is using a lid whenever possible. Saves on smoke, ash, etc getting into your water and mucking it up.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Be carefull packing billies full of snow then heating them up.

The snow at the bottom can melt, leaving the top layers un heated. Left un attended this could ruin your billy.

The technique I was shown was to add a little snow, melt it, then ad more snow and so on until you gve enough water for your needs.

Simon

Seen them burnt through and still full of snow

 

[Bushwhacker]

Another method is to put the snow in something like a mozzy net or cloth and suspend that near a heat source and catch the drips in a billy.

 

[forestwalker]

Another method is to put the snow in something like a mozzy net or cloth and suspend that near a heat source and catch the drips in a billy.

That is generally seen as a technique for when you have no billy.

 

[Bushwhacker]

That is generally seen as a technique for when you have no billy.

I should've said cup/kuksa!

 

[some like it cold]

found this when doing survival training in sweden they always advised to get ice rather than snow as there is so little return because of how much air there is in the snow

although id imagine it takes more energy to melt the ice??

 

[FerlasDave]

Make several tightly packed snowballs, then add them to the pot one by one.

 

[durulz]

The theory goes that if you leave it over the heat you could melt the billy...

Never tested it, it was just the way i was shown a good few years ago.

simon

Can't believe that. So, in theory, the STAINLESS STEEL will melt before the SNOW? Never. Don't care how clever anybody is, no one can talk me in to believing that.

 

[durulz]

Probably more relevant to aluminium pots - like the mess tins that used to be issued to the military types

Oh, OK fair enough. Well, yes, that would have a lower melting temperature. But I still refuse to believe that aluminium will melt before snow.

 

[durulz]

The snow above this boiled volume (having being packed in and being mostly air (17% water remember)) then forms an insulative layer for the snow above and in effect prevents it from heating up. So all the heat goes into the billy material and for aluminium billys/mess tins, etc this then leads to a hole in the billy with a snow plug an inch or so above it.

Chris

I don't believe it. Sounds like a myth. So, are you suggesting that the heat being transferred to the pot wouldn't conduct up the sides of the pot to where the snow is and then melt the snow plug? Nonsense.

 

[Cyclingrelf]

when doing survival training in sweden

Wow - I bet that was fun!

are you suggesting that the heat being transferred to the pot wouldn't conduct up the sides of the pot to where the snow is and then melt the snow plug?

I was wondering about that. I guess if it's extremely cold then maybe the heat would radiate away before it got as high as the snow plug. Certainly, some of the guys say they have seen aluminium pans melt with snow plugs still in them, so I guess something like that must happen. I didn't have any trouble with my billy can experiment - the snow water tasted quite sweet and not at all burnt, the billy didn't warp and all was well. Snow water tasted better with coffee in it, though

 

[Chris G]

I don't believe it. Sounds like a myth. So, are you suggesting that the heat being transferred to the pot wouldn't conduct up the sides of the pot to where the snow is and then melt the snow plug? Nonsense.

No need to be agressive; it's just what the books, TV shows and "the people who train the celebs to do silly things" all say (eg Top Gear to the north pole, Ben Fogal et al to the south pole).

 

[durulz]

No need to be agressive; it's just what the books, TV shows and "the people who train the celebs to do silly things" all say (eg Top Gear to the north pole, Ben Fogal et al to the south pole).

I wasn't being aggressive!
When I am coming at someone with blood running down my chin, wild-eyed, with a big axe in my hands, and swearing them up...that's aggressive.

 

[Ratbag]

I've done a fair bit of winter camping. The best and fastest method I've found (and what I was always taught) is to save your last bit of water in your water bottle and heat that in the billy before adding snow to melt.

Maybe that way you're using water to conduct the heat to the snow instead of using convection.... or that might be a load of loblocks

Rat

 

[320]

we were talking about this the other day.

the weather service says one foot of snow is equal to one inch of rain by volume.

all i know for sure is, it takes a lot of snow to make quart of water.

when melting snow priming the pot with a bit of water seems to help.

using a low temp heat source seems to work better than putting your container in a roaring fire.

i have no idea why. similar to cooking over coals versus an open flame?

 

[woodlanduk]

http://www.youtube.com/user/outithewoods#p/a/f/0/JudyM9kk2CM
Love the snow
I have found a drop of water in the bottom of the mess tin/pot the compressed golff ball sized snow balls yeald best results be it on an omnifuel stove or fire but keep an eye on it and cover the container as much as possible to reduce vapour loss..

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Thanks for the vid - I thoroughly enjoyed the snow as well.