Gillie kettle - any good?

[badgeringtim]

Hi all,
I have heard of kelly kettles but never gillie ketles - does anyone know if they are much cop.
I normally use a hobo stove but was given one of there (rather generously) and wondered what the general opinion was?

 

[sandbag47]

they are very good ......and they make kelly kettles aswell !!!!!

 

[drewdunnrespect]

yes but kellys are better but i would say that having two of them and wanting a third

 

[ged]

Hi all,
I have heard of kelly kettles but never gillie ketles - does anyone know if they are much cop.
I normally use a hobo stove but was given one of there (rather generously) and wondered what the general opinion was?

You're very lucky to be given one! I've had a 1.5 litre Ghillie for approaching a year. It's great, but the design could be much improved and each time I use it I'm thinking about that, and about ways of using it that probably weren't in the original requirements spec. You need to be careful with them or they can be dangerous, see this thread:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39722&pagenumber=

in particular post number 42 which has a link to this photo of my hand:

http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/hand.jpg

My advice is to use less wood than you think, and thinner bits. Have plenty of paper, cardboard (or even bits of wax from cheese ) in your pack. Have a lighter (or a candle) handy if you don't want to waste matches. Use something to block the bottom hole to stop it getting carried away.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Having never used either ,whats the difference between the two? just wondering.

 

[lab72]

Yea i agree with Drew Kelly Kettles rock !!!!

 

[helixpteron]

I like my little Ghillie Maverick, it works as advertised.

The manufacturer of the Ghillie Kettles also produces the Kelly Kettles and the Eydon Kettles.

 

[Mojoracinguk]

Ghillie has a Whistle
Kelly has a Cork.

I use a Ghillie but am keeping an eye out for a large cork so i can travel with the Ghillie full (short hops of course)

I have not compared both but would find it hard to believe there would be much difference in the way water is heated to boiling....starts off cold...ends up hot....slowly goes cold agian...

I have been given a little cook set for the ghillie as well but not tried it yet.....looking forwad to it though ; )

 

[Shewie]

Another big KK fan here, my little 1 pinter is usually in my pack for day walks and definitely in for camping trips.

I carry a small bag of split pine with a mixture of pencil thick to lollipop size pieces, a couple of Zip natural firelighters which I pull into about four pieces and then pick up any dry stuff that's laying around come boil time.

They're not the best things to pack because of the size and shape but they do what it says on the tin, usually as quick as any stove too.

Watch out for the fire pan/base as they get really soft when hot and can take on all sorts of crazy bends and warps if you happen to knock it.

 

[ged]

Watch out for the fire pan/base as they get really soft when hot and can take on all sorts of crazy bends and warps if you happen to knock it.

Good point. Also you MUST fill the aluminium kettles as directed in the instructions or you'll quickly burn through the aluminium chimney. There's a stainless Ghillie which I've considered, a lot harder to damage with heat, but they're big (3 litres I think) and a bit pricey. Would probably be good for camping in a group. With any of these kettles you'll never want for boiling water unless you're in the desert.

I have been given a little cook set for the ghillie as well but not tried it yet...

You could cook over the Ghillie's base, but I've seen things that fit on the top of the kettle's chimney and I don't know how you'd cook like that without continually topping it up with cold water. These kettles boil VERY vigorously with a small fire, most of the time I spend with mine I'm trying to calm it down.

 

[Green Arrow]

Another vote for the Gillie kettle, had mine about a year and love it , boils quick and no problems with it. I also have the cookset that goes on top and as Ged says, I have never got anything in it more than tepid before the water boils! Little grills good thoug,h so I use the pot on that after I take the kettle off - still saves cooking time and fuel (a tiny bit)
;-)

 

[Whittler Kev]

Got a small Kelly for my birthday. best thing since, yada, yada,. seems to boil in seconds and uses very little wood. Does however put the fire out when it boils over so if someone else needs a brew you have to relight the fire. Uses 5mm to 10mm square bits of wood to work well. Could not get twigs to go, only split heart wood and split pallet blocks (about 6-8 brews from 1 small block)

 

[ged]

Got a small Kelly ... Does however put the fire out when it boils over ... Could not get twigs to go, only split heart wood and split pallet blocks

That's interesting. Mine has a habit spitting out boiling water too, and some of it inevitably goes into the fire pan because of the idiotic way that the kettle sits inside it instead of over it, but it doesn't put the fire out it only damps it down a bit and it's soon going again. Maybe I'm still making the fires too big.

But apart from when I've experimented with doing things it wasn't designed for I've never had any trouble burning anything at all in it. Once it's going it will even burn soggy wood - which is one of the methods I use to try to calm it down if I need to. I just put longer bits in than normal and let the heat dry them out, and eventually they catch and fall to pieces. The draught that's caused by the chimney effect is surprisingly good, I wonder if it might be worth adding a little more chimney on a smaller kettle. I considered it for mine but in the end decided it doesn't need it. I'm definitely going to make a different fire bowl for it though, the one it came with works OK but it's begging for all kinds of improvements. Then I'll make a MkII kettle incorporating some of the planned improvements and probably patent it.

 

[Leupsak]

Love them, I have a number of sizes and makes.

Photo is a small one in use with the top ring, best £5 you can spend and much cleaner than the grill.

If a rolling boil is putting your fire out the fire is too big, its amazing how a few leaves can boil a can of water!

 

[Whittler Kev]

Never seen a "top ring" even listed. It looks like a pot holder. Where are they from?

 

[Leupsak]

It is a pot holder, a 12 cm pot is about right, see DD hammocks web site under cooking sub heading

http://www.ddhammocks.com/products/cooking/ghillie-kettle-pot-support

 

[badgeringtim]

Wow glad i asked now - it does look a bit bulky and its worth knowing that the fire pan gets soft and easily 'dinged'.
im not sure about balancing much ontop to cook, was wondering about some stabalisers.
Also given the comments on the fast boiling time not allowing for much cooking uptop i have to ask - would using it without water be a bad idea - im tempted to say yes but its just a thought...?
Shame the bag it comes in is like a swimming bag from school - and not fitted or with pockets or anything i suppose it would stop ur other things getting dirty but not fitted at all.
Still have not had chance to play - no garden sucks bigtime!

 

[ged]

im not sure about balancing much ontop to cook

Agreed, especially out in the woods where horizontal flat surfaces are at a premium.

Also given the comments on the fast boiling time not allowing for much cooking uptop i have to ask - would using it without water be a bad idea...?

YES. And if it's aluminium, a very bad idea.

Shame the bag it comes in is like a swimming bag from school - and not fitted or with pockets or anything

I take a few polythene bags for it. You can use them as fuel when they get too dirty.

Still have not had chance to play - no garden sucks bigtime!

Get thee out into the woods!

 

[para106]

Love my KK - got 2, the little un for solos & the big un for camping with SWMBO. The small one works brilliantly with a Tatonka or Trangia burner too. The cook set on the big one is OK but only with the fire pan - you can get a decent fry up. I carry a square of aluminium or half a roofing slate to keep the KK level & to avoid scorching.

 

[mitch66]

hi, i also have two kk's (1 & 2.5 pint) and think there grate. i use a soldering mate to sit my stove/kk on this stops the ground getting marked. i find it's best not to over fill them, once you have seen one in use, you will want one ;-) i also store mine without the cork fitted this allows the unit to dryout. you dont want a smelly kettle do you. when you are using it put the filler neck into the wind this stop's ash geting into your water. have fun. carl