Fuel bottle cosy

[tartanferret]

Last week whilst struggling to light my pop-can stove whilst out for a walk in freezing temperatures I thought I might have a go at making a cosy to keep the meths a little warmer and easier to light.


I had a Poundland neoprene laptop / ipad cover set aside for a pot cosy project.


The bottle I use is similar to a contact lens fluid bottle; I reckon I may make some for my SA Trangia fuel bottle and full size 1ltr fuel bottle.


I haven’t been out this week to test it but I see no reason why it wouldn’t keep the meths warmer. I do keep a supply in the house. I imagine the supply I keep in the shed would just be kept cold.


Anyway, it’s only a simple little project, though I am considering making a lid for it to hold a pop can stove.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Good idea, neat and simple.

 

[Hog On Ice]

I sort of understand keeping meths warm to make lighting it in the cold easier but I have found that if the burner one uses is relatively open where one can get to the reservoir with a twig or some long pine needles it is easy to light the meths in the cold. The technique I use is to dip the twig in the meths, light the twig, then touch the flame from the twig to the _surface_ of the meths for a second or two - this causes the meths locally to vaporize and begin to burn and the flame rapidly covers the surface of the meths thus warming up the burner. Note touching the flame to the surface is the key to this technique - just tossing a match or burning twig into the reservoir will not work and the flame will go out. For those burners that one can not get to the reservoir another approach is to pick up the burner after putting in the meths and hold a flame under the burner for about 15 seconds or so will warm up the burner enough to enable it to be lit.

 

[theoctagon]

Good stuff!

I made something similar a while ago out of Reflectix

I'm yet to be convinced it has any real benefit, but after buying a full roll of the Reflectix stuff I went a little cozy crazy!


Matt

 

[Shewie]

Doesn't the fuel need to be warm in the first place though, I would have thought it wouldn't be any warmer than the ambient temperature around it?

I use a small 2oz flat bottle which I put in a pocket until I need it, handy for breakfast from the hammock in the morning.

 

[Hog On Ice]

no - the fuel can be very cold and still it is possible to light it if one takes care to touch the flame to the surface of the fuel for a couple seconds - this is enough to locally get it going and self sustaining

 

[theoctagon]

Doesn't the fuel need to be warm in the first place though, I would have thought it wouldn't be any warmer than the ambient temperature around it

This was pretty much my conclusion once I thought about it a little more, I guess the cozy may stop it cooling a little bit if the ambient temperature was to drop?

Plus I kind of figured once the fuel does get cold, say overnight, the cozy would then be doing a cracking job of keeping the meths cold!


Matt

 

[tartanferret]

Ah well.. back to the other projects. I won't be chucking it away though

It shall from this moment forward be known as a rattle reducing thingamibobby

Now get off my case !

 

[adestu]

I made a gas cannister cosy out of an old wetsuit arm and glued it together with black witch neoprene glue then sealed it with seam sealer.works well.

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2

 

[Shewie]

Ah well.. back to the other projects. I won't be chucking it away though

It shall from this moment forward be known as a rattle reducing thingamibobby

Now get off my case !

I still curious if it works though, keep us posted

The little flat bottles are good for that morning brew and they can be kept in a clothing pocket or in the sleeping bag while you sleep.

 

[Harvestman]

Easy enough to warm the meths in a pocket or your hand, and then slip it into the cosy to stay warm.

 

[Hog On Ice]

I made a gas cannister cosy out of an old wetsuit arm and glued it together with black witch neoprene glue then sealed it with seam sealer.works well.

well I can see it working well to reduce rattles but doesn't the canister get cold from the inside just due to the boiling/expansion of the compressed gas?

 

[tartanferret]

I still curious if it works though, keep us posted

The little flat bottles are good for that morning brew and they can be kept in a clothing pocket or in the sleeping bag while you sleep.

What are the little flat bottles mate? the Swedish issue ones? mine seems to be watertight but I've read a few things about them leaking. Also after a recent camping trip, I wouldn't have fancied sharing my sleeping bag with the one litre bottle i have. Chilly to say the least (But with a cosy, Yeah) The Trangia ones with the fancy valve tops

cheers

 

[tartanferret]

Easy enough to warm the meths in a pocket or your hand, and then slip it into the cosy to stay warm.

How big are your hands ? haha sorry mate but i used an over-jetted penny stove in a crusader set-up to simmer a Poundland "Vesta paella" for nearly 20 mins.

I could have heated a tent with the waisted heat, think i filled it 4 times, 'tis quite thin though ! Need to make a more fuel efficient one. Or drop the paella

cheers

 

[Shewie]

I'm not too sure where mine came from, I know I ordered a load of bits from Arrowhead in the US a few years ago, I think they might have come from there.

Right hand side of this page, near the bottom ..
http://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/cooking-gear.html

I've got loads of spare round ones but no flat sorry. The Capri-Sun squeeze bottles with the screw caps are good, a bit bigger at 330ml though

 

[Elen Sentier]

I sort of understand keeping meths warm to make lighting it in the cold easier but I have found that if the burner one uses is relatively open where one can get to the reservoir with a twig or some long pine needles it is easy to light the meths in the cold. The technique I use is to dip the twig in the meths, light the twig, then touch the flame from the twig to the _surface_ of the meths for a second or two - this causes the meths locally to vaporize and begin to burn and the flame rapidly covers the surface of the meths thus warming up the burner. Note touching the flame to the surface is the key to this technique - just tossing a match or burning twig into the reservoir will not work and the flame will go out. For those burners that one can not get to the reservoir another approach is to pick up the burner after putting in the meths and hold a flame under the burner for about 15 seconds or so will warm up the burner enough to enable it to be lit.

Thanks for the tip, I often have trouble on the odd occasions I use meths, has always seemed so fiddly! Don't start, everyone! I know you're gonna tell me I'll love it