From conversations I've had with Steve. There woylwbe two issues cost and how they would hold up to the heat
Ghillie kettle is going to get on the telly.
- Thread starter sandbag47
- Start date
I would be interested if I am the only person who doesn't really 'get' the hype of this type of kettle. I've never owned one, but used them at various occasions over the years, and frankly they always seem to be a little bit of a one trick pony. Very large and bulky for the amount of liquid that you actually get out of them, and if there is a camp fire and a pot around, then it always seems to accomplish the task of boiling quantities of water with less faff than the Kelly/Ghilly kettle whose owner is invariably desperate to finally use their birthday/christmas present from a few years back!
We used to have one in a conservation group I volunteered for. Someone was always sent out to get the sticks for it 20 minutes before break to make sure it was fully brewed on time.
Bit of a pain compared to my old group in the same organization who had a larger gas can strapped to the minibus step and an old cast iron gas ring with a huge kettle (second handle just behind the spout to n help pouring). I always found myself stuck into something so it was never me.
However it's a shiny toy so I wish I could justify getting one. I do try but it seems shiny and neat aren't a good enough reason when our car brew kit consists of ready made tea in a thermos or a fast burning gas fueled stove and kettle that's faster and easier to use.
Bit of a pain compared to my old group in the same organization who had a larger gas can strapped to the minibus step and an old cast iron gas ring with a huge kettle (second handle just behind the spout to n help pouring). I always found myself stuck into something so it was never me.
However it's a shiny toy so I wish I could justify getting one. I do try but it seems shiny and neat aren't a good enough reason when our car brew kit consists of ready made tea in a thermos or a fast burning gas fueled stove and kettle that's faster and easier to use.
I feel the need to reply to your comments
One trick pony… On this I have to agree, it job is to boil water and that is all it does, very fast and with little fuel mind but yes it boils water.
Large and bulky… I have the 1.9litre model so yes it is large. It will fit into a 10 lire rocket pack and so goes on the side of the rucksack nicely. Where I would stick a big kettle is a different question.
Desperate to use …. Guilty as charged. I take great delight in using it. I do drink a good deal of tea in the field and the act of lighting it and waiting for the whistle is one of the joys.
If there is a camp fire and a pot around…. By all means, if and only if, some one else has brought the hardware to brew on and made a lovely big fire and the pot handle has not got too hot to hold, then I will gladly nick some one else’s hot water.
Present from a few years back… again that's me. One of the first things I bought when my small retirement fund came up was a Ghillie. A great present from me to me
Yes the fire bowl can be used to cook dinner on after the tea is sorted, there is water for washing up afterwards et al but this just making good use of what you have.
So in truth I do understand your thoughts and I wonder if in fact it was me they where aimed at me as I seem to fit the bill so closely. If you are going to have a bit of kit that gives you some more fun then just it's basic function….. Ghillie is your man.
One trick pony… On this I have to agree, it job is to boil water and that is all it does, very fast and with little fuel mind but yes it boils water.
Large and bulky… I have the 1.9litre model so yes it is large. It will fit into a 10 lire rocket pack and so goes on the side of the rucksack nicely. Where I would stick a big kettle is a different question.
Desperate to use …. Guilty as charged. I take great delight in using it. I do drink a good deal of tea in the field and the act of lighting it and waiting for the whistle is one of the joys.
If there is a camp fire and a pot around…. By all means, if and only if, some one else has brought the hardware to brew on and made a lovely big fire and the pot handle has not got too hot to hold, then I will gladly nick some one else’s hot water.
Present from a few years back… again that's me. One of the first things I bought when my small retirement fund came up was a Ghillie. A great present from me to me
Yes the fire bowl can be used to cook dinner on after the tea is sorted, there is water for washing up afterwards et al but this just making good use of what you have.
So in truth I do understand your thoughts and I wonder if in fact it was me they where aimed at me as I seem to fit the bill so closely. If you are going to have a bit of kit that gives you some more fun then just it's basic function….. Ghillie is your man.
True, I feel where you are coming from and wood gas stoves come in for similar gripes. However it's a trick they do really well
for certain niche environments where fuel is scarce or strangely too plentiful the efficient nature of the burn and the fact it is enclosed makes it a sensible choice. After all, middle of a Scottish moor knee deep in heather or hidden away inside a spruce plantation is not the best place to be building an open fire on the ground.
I've never taken a storm kettle camping with me (when I camp I either use meths or a forge) but I do use them every day at work. Since I'm off grid, having an electric kettle is an extravagance that is just silly. I could use gas, even an lpg ring, but they are problematic with wind and I can't leave them unattended (also my stove top kettles tend not to last long as I stick them on the forge when it's lit)
For me the storm kettle is the perfect option. I have a Kelly (1.5l or whatever with a cork) but I rarely use it since I got a Ghillie about 6 years ago, mostly coz the ghillie has a whistle. I don't have to go far for something to burn, partly because I'm organised and have a box of kettle-sized twigs/kindling but even when it's run out I can normally gather enough twigs and leaves from a 5m radius of the kettle in my woods (baring in mind that the kettle hasn't changed location in over a decade, so it's just fresh windfall). I light it with a handful of shavings/wood turning waste, a handful of sticks (the amount that I have learned will bring the whole 1.5L ish to a boil) are shoved in the hole and I go and get on with some work. A few minutes later the thing whistles, erupts and puts itself out. Perfect
I've also got a 5l storm kettle that takes about 10 minutes to boil and that is great if I'm needing to make lots of tea!
For me the storm kettle is the perfect option. I have a Kelly (1.5l or whatever with a cork) but I rarely use it since I got a Ghillie about 6 years ago, mostly coz the ghillie has a whistle. I don't have to go far for something to burn, partly because I'm organised and have a box of kettle-sized twigs/kindling but even when it's run out I can normally gather enough twigs and leaves from a 5m radius of the kettle in my woods (baring in mind that the kettle hasn't changed location in over a decade, so it's just fresh windfall). I light it with a handful of shavings/wood turning waste, a handful of sticks (the amount that I have learned will bring the whole 1.5L ish to a boil) are shoved in the hole and I go and get on with some work. A few minutes later the thing whistles, erupts and puts itself out. Perfect
I've also got a 5l storm kettle that takes about 10 minutes to boil and that is great if I'm needing to make lots of tea!
Yes, they would be more expensive, but as a once in a life treat should not be a big deal? Polished of course.
Such an implement is what the future grandchildren fight over once your funeral is over....
Hold up or heat? Well, humans have used Copper and associated alloys for Millennia.
Aluminium is easy to burn, Copper/Cu alloys not.
You can burn it only if it boils dry.
Yes I can see from the current web site that it might have the same name, but is definately not the same company as the one I got mine from. I have an aluminium one, much battered now.
There are a few types of kettles out there. All different shapes and sizes but if they were made in Britain they would have been made by Spinform
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Yes, they would be more expensive, but as a once in a life treat should not be a big deal? Polished of course.
Such an implement is what the future grandchildren fight over once your funeral is over....
Hold up or heat? Well, humans have used Copper and associated alloys for Millennia.
Aluminium is easy to burn, Copper/Cu alloys not.
You can burn it only if it boils dry.
I can ask and see what he says. If he says yes it will be a possible pay upfront.
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Blimey a lot of opions.
Yes each to their own. Yes these kettles are bulky I know that from taking one to a beach on holiday. Life is much easier now that I take my Mkettle instead.
But camping with one is fantastic. I've done weekends away with my daughter and only using my 1.5lt Ghillie. We had a great time. Hot drinks and food cooked in and over the kettle. And the base used for just a small fire when not cooking.
I also have see a lot of all types of these kettles at the moot. Everything from Kelly's to storms and all those Inbetween. They are sort of popular. So much so I had to stop doing group buys as most people already have one.
Gas is easier but useless when you run out. You can nearly always find something to burn in a Ghillie kettle
Yes each to their own. Yes these kettles are bulky I know that from taking one to a beach on holiday. Life is much easier now that I take my Mkettle instead.
But camping with one is fantastic. I've done weekends away with my daughter and only using my 1.5lt Ghillie. We had a great time. Hot drinks and food cooked in and over the kettle. And the base used for just a small fire when not cooking.
I also have see a lot of all types of these kettles at the moot. Everything from Kelly's to storms and all those Inbetween. They are sort of popular. So much so I had to stop doing group buys as most people already have one.
Gas is easier but useless when you run out. You can nearly always find something to burn in a Ghillie kettle
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If you run out of anything on a trip it's probably poor planning. I guess wood burners are better than gas for longer trips or trips away from civilisation. I don't generally do many long trips these days and mostly in the UK so no problems managing gas.
However the two examples I gave of gas and ghillie kettle use were both from the back of a works van. It was just so much less hassle getting a powerful gas burner and big kettle to the boil than the kettle.
The kettle was more satisfying though. Therapeutic keeping it fed. Fire is good for the soul in a way a gas burner isn't I guess. Fire from nature (collected wood) is a primal pleasure even when it's well contained in a kettle like these.
It's why it's a choice. Everything has pros and cons which differ between people.
However the two examples I gave of gas and ghillie kettle use were both from the back of a works van. It was just so much less hassle getting a powerful gas burner and big kettle to the boil than the kettle.
The kettle was more satisfying though. Therapeutic keeping it fed. Fire is good for the soul in a way a gas burner isn't I guess. Fire from nature (collected wood) is a primal pleasure even when it's well contained in a kettle like these.
It's why it's a choice. Everything has pros and cons which differ between people.
I've only ever used one in the back garden, fuelled with bits broken off the neigbours fence and shavings from whatever project was on the go at the time.
It's always 20mins of enjoyment.
Not sure if I'd want to carry one in a pack. Or have to use it when cold and tired and just need the water boiled.
It's always 20mins of enjoyment.
Not sure if I'd want to carry one in a pack. Or have to use it when cold and tired and just need the water boiled.
Yes, they would be more expensive, but as a once in a life treat should not be a big deal? Polished of course.
Such an implement is what the future grandchildren fight over once your funeral is over....
Hold up or heat? Well, humans have used Copper and associated alloys for Millennia.
Aluminium is easy to burn, Copper/Cu alloys not.
You can burn it only if it boils dry.
Hi Janne,
I've spoken with Sreve and he said it is possible to make them out of copper, but he would not entertain the idea of making one. The reason is time and cost. The process to make one is longer and more work just to make one. And the cost of copper fluctuates on a daily basis, so the cost could change from me sending you a price to getting back to me saying yes or no
Tell him I am OK with fluctuation, I do not expect an exact quote, and that I have an FedEx account for shipping.. Can pay what he thinks is reasonable upfront, then if the end product is more expensive than e thought, send the final (additional) payment before he ships.
Highly polished of course.
I really, really would love one. Would be my Birthday present..
Highly polished of course.
I really, really would love one. Would be my Birthday present..
I am of course happy to take some 'action photos' with my phone and email them to him, so he can use them in his promotion.
Just curious. If the interest is strong then it he over charges up front, receives payment then refunds if raw material costs work out cheaper. Less cost to handle refund.
I doubt it's worth his time and effort. But if enough people with effectively a blank cheque for it then it's less of a risk.
I'm not interested personally but at our work there's an attitude that we'll do any business at a price that guarantees the margin or better that we need. Usually pocketing the extra if we've over estimated the cost.
I doubt it's worth his time and effort. But if enough people with effectively a blank cheque for it then it's less of a risk.
I'm not interested personally but at our work there's an attitude that we'll do any business at a price that guarantees the margin or better that we need. Usually pocketing the extra if we've over estimated the cost.
I am happy to let him keep the' overcharge'.....
This could be an opportunity for him to introduce a 'retro' line of his product. Maybe call it 'Ghillie Classic'?
I was involved in two watch manufacturers design ( retro designing) of WW2 era pilots watches.
It is great fun.
One made a crap job of it due to unwillingness to stick to originality, the other one took our advices and created a great product they have now evolved into several lines. Their business is booming.
This could be an opportunity for him to introduce a 'retro' line of his product. Maybe call it 'Ghillie Classic'?
I was involved in two watch manufacturers design ( retro designing) of WW2 era pilots watches.
It is great fun.
One made a crap job of it due to unwillingness to stick to originality, the other one took our advices and created a great product they have now evolved into several lines. Their business is booming.
