I don't know if i just dreamed this up but i'm sure i remember reading somewhere that snow packed into a billy can cause damage to the pot when heated.
Is this correct?
Is this correct?
Melting snow
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I very much doubt it. I've broken a Thermos flask when I put too much ice in it and it froze the entire contents, but I think that's as far as it goes.
I suppose theoretically if the snow is incredibly cold and your flame was incredibly hot you could burn through the bottom of the billy before enough snow melted to cool it, but even that's a bit far fetched.
Yes it is mate. The thawed snow at the bottom of a packed billy soaks into the snow above, leaving a dry void-perfect for melting alu pans, not good for melting water with a big hole in the bottom!
Melt a bit in the bottom, then put more snow in.
Melt a bit in the bottom, then put more snow in.
It takes at least as much heat to make a pint of ice cold water from snow (or ice) as it does to heat half a pint of water from ice cold to boiling. So if you're carrying the fuel, bear in mind that melting snow and ice to boil water uses at least 50% more fuel. It's probably not a problem if you're foraging for fuel of course.
We regularly use an good thick aluminium pot filled with snow and sit it on the stove. Come the morning, the snow is melted and lukewarm water is available for ablutions and/or washing up. I think the level of heat applied and if not spread evenly then damage will ensue to the container (lightweight materials probably don't help much either).
I think that is often because it is so pure.
The Saami put a pinch of salt into their water to give it a bit of taste because the water from snow or many streams is a bit bland.
Yep, taste is kinda 'smoked' if you just melt water from snow at fire ... but hey you can be that 1% who likes it?
There is also other reason why salt, pine or spruce needles or birch branches were added by Saami people to snow while melting it on fire and it is related to dehydration. Snow itself is just very pure water (like Wayland said above), but like you know, we also need salts and minerals to our body to be saved from dehydration. Also reminding yourself to drink at winter is even more important than at summer, because you might not feel thirsty at all.
