Light weight brew kit

[Quixoticgeek]

Coupling nicely with the threads on lightweight kit came the arrival of my new mug.

It's an Evernew Titanium 400ml mug from http://backpackinglight.co.uk/.

This I have paired with a simple cat can stove. Adding a snapwire spoon from alpkit, gives me enough kit to make a brew for just 74.3gm. Which is pretty damn light weight.

Paired with the above setup (and this ties in nicely with what has previously been discussed as "post lightweight"), I also have the two sizes of foldacup from militarymart.co.uk. These come in at 24.1gm and 45.9gm. The snapwire knife and fork expand this at 13.6gm each. Giving me a total all up weight to be able to make a cup of tea, and cook up a basic meal of 171.5gm. The added bonus is the mug nests nicely on the bottom of my nalgene drinks bottle.

Thanks

Julia

 

[ADz-1983]

Nice kit, Got a couple of the Evernew pots on order myself.

Only thing I would improve upon is not taking a full 500ml bottle of Meths and instead taking a smaller lighter travel bottle. You would only need upto 20ml (less if you use screen and lid) to boil the water so no real need to carry 500ml for a bimble or weekend etc

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Nice kit, Got a couple of the Evernew pots on order myself.

Only thing I would improve upon is not taking a full 500ml bottle of Meths and instead taking a smaller lighter travel bottle. You would only need upto 20ml (less if you use screen and lid) to boil the water so no real need to carry 500ml for a bimble or weekend etc

Oh entirely agreed. I am still searching for the perfect meths bottle. I had the 500ml meths bottle as this was a test boil out in the garden. Currently I have one of the Swedish army meths bottles, but am not entirely happy with it.

Julia

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Good find on that mug. I've been searching for something that a) works with my whitebox stove b) is light & c) nests with a nalgene or similar sized flask. That looks like it meets all those criteria nicely!

Sent from my phone, please excuse typos!

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Nice Julia and certainly light enough too. I used to use something similar, the only pain i found was the windscreen. Handles are in the way when out and got torched and mangled when folded in.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Good find on that mug. I'be been searching for something that a) works with my whitebox stove b) is light & c) nests with a nalgene or similar sized flask. That looks like it meets all those criteria nicely!

You may find that the 640ml evernew pot will do what you ask, but with a slightly more snug fit on the Nalgene bottle. Note, the 640ml evernew pot will fit inside the 400ml mug quite nicely too. So you could have bottle inside 640 inside 400...

Thanks

Julia

 

[Teepee]

Nice setup J.

I do love my Cat can stoves.

If you swap the Cat stove for a burner that doesn't shield as much of the pot from the flame, you'll get much better efficiency on the fuel and save even more-potentially 25% of the fuel.

Cat stove's are just about the best in terms of efficiency with a big, wide pot IME, but fall way behind with small pots as the flame is big and directed out and up the sides where it doesn't transfer heat very efficiently.(Burns the handles too)
I team my small pots with a Zelph fancee feast stove, or a DIY vented chimney burner using 3 ti pegs as the pot stand. The chimney burner has a central flame, and all the bottom of the pot is exposed to flame.

A Titanium foil windshield has also made a big difference-it doesn't conduct heat away like aluminium and clings to the pot under it's own lovely titanium springiness.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Nice Julia and certainly light enough too. I used to use something similar, the only pain i found was the windscreen. Handles are in the way when out and got torched and mangled when folded in.

I found that if I had the pot central over the burner the handles got a bit scorched. Moving it slightly off centre didn't seem to do anything obvious to performance, but did cut the scorching of the handles. I avoid the issue of the handles hitting the windscreen by not having one... yet.

Nice setup J.

I do love my Cat can stoves.

If you swap the Cat stove for a burner that doesn't shield as much of the pot from the flame, you'll get much better efficiency on the fuel and save even more-potentially 25% of the fuel.

Cat stove's are just about the best in terms of efficiency with a big, wide pot IME, but fall way behind with small pots as the flame is big and directed out and up the sides where it doesn't transfer heat very efficiently.(Burns the handles too)
I team my small pots with a Zelph fancee feast stove, or a DIY vented chimney burner using 3 ti pegs as the pot stand. The chimney burner has a central flame, and all the bottom of the pot is exposed to flame.

A Titanium foil windshield has also made a big difference-it doesn't conduct heat away like aluminium and clings to the pot under it's own lovely titanium springiness.

My actual plan is to move over to the evernew DX set. Giving me meths, hexy and wood burning capability. I know it's heavier than the cat can stove at 86gm, the flexibility of fuel choice it gives me becomes worth it's weight. If I can use biomass I collect while hiking instead of 3oz of fuel, it will have paid for itself weight wise. I got the cat can stove as a entry level solution to allow me to get out there and enjoy at least a basic level of usage while I saved up the money for the Evernew Appalachian set, it cost me just 65p.

Julia

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I avoid the issue of the handles hitting the windscreen by not having one... yet.



My actual plan is to move over to the evernew DX set.

Julia

haha thats a good solution

I have the DX burner and stand, its a proper roarer. Very thirsty on meths though. Its actually very poor on wood. The chamber is just so small you struggle to get it up to a critical mass. I got the ti honey stove which is much better on wood and pretty good on meths (you do need a secondary windscreen though with meths)

Anyway there is no such thing as the perfect setup, there is always a compromise in one way or another. My current fave is the caldera cone f-keg. Best ive used yet for efficiency, weight and wind blocking

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

Can I ask what a cat can stove is are they the same as a pop can stove

 

[Quixoticgeek]

A cat can stove is exactly what it sounds like. A stove made from a cat food tin. Goto your supermarket of choice, take a magnet with you (don't put it in the same pocket as all your debit/credit cards). Then goto the cat food section, you are looking for a can about 2" across, made from ali, use magnet to determine this.

Bring home, feed cat food to local cat, or in my case, the fox in the garden. Wash can, punch holes. Done.

More info: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/

J

 

[Teepee]

Good plan.

I really like the DX system, I do similar with a massively drilled out hobo stove using ti pegs as the pot supports through the holes. The flexibilty of it makes it a winner for me.

I find that the most efficient way of using a small wood burner is to fill the thing with wood and light a little bit of hexy on top. By the time the hexy has gone, the wood will have lit.

 

[Teepee]

Can I ask what a cat can stove is are they the same as a pop can stove

I use the tins of Pate from Aldi.

 

[peaks]

Nice set up! Could be tempted by that mug.......is there a lid available or any thoughts about what could be used as a lid?

I tend to use either a stainless steel hip flask from a charity shop (and suitably marked to avoid accidents) as a meths bottle or for something really small an old cosmetics/moisturiser bottle.

Been using the Evernew burner clone as a stove http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281315808806?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649. It works just as well as the real thing IF you use a priming pan or wrap a piece of fibre glass rope around it + dribble with meths to get the bloom going. Very fast delivery too from HK- 10 days from ordering

 

[PDA1]

Can I ask what a cat can stove is are they the same as a pop can stove

http://zenstoves.net/

This site will tell you all you need to know, and much that you probably don't

A super cat stove is made from a cat food can (Fancy Feast is the "standard" here in the US, while a pop can stove is made from a 7.5 or 12 fluid ounce coke./Pepsi or other soda can

I have used many o the different types and find the most useful, easy to use, and efficient is the capillary action stove as in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3De0uChTdNA

The burner (which is also the stand) weighs 8 grams. I have the same pot as in the video whichweighs 110 grams, but only cost 99 cents in a goodwill store. The windscreen (absolutely essential) is a piece of Al foil scavenged from a one use roasting pan rescued after Thanksgiving dinner. For cups, I use recycled 8 ozsingle serving yoghurt pots
For a denatured alcohol bottle I use a 6 or 12 oz mineral water bottle, rescued from the recycling bin (heavily marked "Poison, do NOT drink").

So my brew kit is maybe 20 grams more, but only cost 99 cents. Makes one feel quite smug actually

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Nice set up! Could be tempted by that mug.......is there a lid available or any thoughts about what could be used as a lid?

I am led to believe that you can use one of these lids with this cup. But I have no further data to offer, usual disclaimers apply.

The cup is designed to fit outside the Evernew 640ml and 750ml pots, and inside the 600ml pan, It is a companion mug, and so doesn't come with a lid. Because it's on the bottom of the 640ml or 750ml pot, there is nowhere for the lid to go when packed, other than loose next to it.

Julia.

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

So my brew kit is maybe 20 grams more, but only cost 99 cents. Makes one feel quite smug actually
Perfecto!!!!

 

[ADz-1983]

So my brew kit is maybe 20 grams more, but only cost 99 cents. Makes one feel quite smug actually
Perfecto!!!!

Names/Pictures/proof or never happened hehe

 

[PDA1]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124693832@N02/14190593316/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124693832@N02/14190600986/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124693832@N02/14027169477/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124693832@N02/14211331932/in/photostream/

I don't usually take the kitchen scales on a ride or hike, but this time , just to show total weight of 136 grams for the brew ki, I didt. Second picture is the boy scout pot from the thrift store at 99 cents. 3 shows the kit set up on an IMUSA 10cm pot which cost USD 2.35 plus sales tax. This weighs 98 grams. Finally, three stoves. left, the capillary action based on a 7.5 oz soda can 10 grams, right based on a 12 ox soda can 9 grams. The centre is a modified super cat stove, using a wick of carbon felt, to make it much easier to use in cold weather (no need to wait for it to bloom before putting the pot on, plus placing a cold pot on it will not cause it to extinguish. Being from the Boston area, I call it a wicked super cat stove -7gramswith dry wick. It is very fast and reliable,but uses more fuel per boil than the CAS type. Weight of components: 8oz yoghurt pot 6 g, pot 98/100, stove 9/10, lid and floor protection 7 each, windscreen 12, fuel bottle 10g, water bottle 37g. The 20 litre day backpack is 235 grams (REI Flash 20)

I had hoped that the photos would appear in the post, but you have to follow the links