Sooty Billies
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I don't like putting a blackened pot back in my rucksack, so when packing up after a last meal I will clean the outside. Not to a perfect finish, but I'll certainly take most of it off. I think it harps back to being in the Army, when your kit was inspected a couple of days after an exercise. It had to be cleaned to a high shine. At least I don't go that far any more.
I know, and I'm so envious when I see your kit wrapped in skins. 
I'm still waiting for my mother to get a new sofa so I can get the old leather from the current one.
I'm still waiting for my mother to get a new sofa so I can get the old leather from the current one.
Tomatoes, carrots, egg and a burnt black iron pan. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmeuoJ0jvUI
And how do you guys put pics here???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmeuoJ0jvUI
And how do you guys put pics here???
i let mine go black. i stick them in a carrier bag when it goes in my pack so i don't worry about it.
no point cleaning it as far as i can see, clean the inside, wipe any muck from the outside that it gets from being put on the ground - that's it! the colour gives it character as far as i'm concerned
no point cleaning it as far as i can see, clean the inside, wipe any muck from the outside that it gets from being put on the ground - that's it! the colour gives it character as far as i'm concerned
I try and keep my pots shiny. I have to say though cooking over a good pile of embers is a lot more efficient than putting a pot on the fire too early and pretty much avoids blackening.
I would wonder about the insulating effect of a layer of soot and its bound to be a bad conductor of heat. Black is also a better radiator of heat so black pot sides will be loosing you heat.
But then witches are always standing around a black cauldron!??
The black coating is carbon which is the best conductor known, so it wont insulate the pots quite the opposite im sure.
lol PJMCBear - looking at that pic I understand completely. Wouldn't mind some covers like that myself!
Personally I'm not too fussed about the state of my pots but I don't like having soot all over my rucksack. Therefore before packing them away I normally give them a scrub with a plastic brillo pad, or failing that some river sand. Then everything gets cleaned and dried properly ASAP on getting home. That goes for tarp, bivvy bag etc as well.
Find it's a lot easier to just get it all done in 20 minutes immediately on getting back, than to motivate yourself to do it in a day or two's time when you're back in the 'real world' mindset.
Personally I'm not too fussed about the state of my pots but I don't like having soot all over my rucksack. Therefore before packing them away I normally give them a scrub with a plastic brillo pad, or failing that some river sand. Then everything gets cleaned and dried properly ASAP on getting home. That goes for tarp, bivvy bag etc as well.
Find it's a lot easier to just get it all done in 20 minutes immediately on getting back, than to motivate yourself to do it in a day or two's time when you're back in the 'real world' mindset.
And by the way - the whole 'black coating helps the pans conduct better' is an interesting idea - I wonder if someone's actually measured the effect. Will google it in a minute.
Vague recollections of physics lessons tell me that a dull black surface absorbs radiation more efficiently than a white or shiny one, but also that it radiates energy more efficiently as well. Also that aluminium or steel is a damn good conductor in it's own right...
Will post the results if I find (pretty much guaranteed) someone's had enough time on their hands to test it!
Vague recollections of physics lessons tell me that a dull black surface absorbs radiation more efficiently than a white or shiny one, but also that it radiates energy more efficiently as well. Also that aluminium or steel is a damn good conductor in it's own right...
Will post the results if I find (pretty much guaranteed) someone's had enough time on their hands to test it!
Being lazy (energy efficient) the only reason to get some of the black off is indeed trying to keep the rest of your gear/person cleanish. ;-)
And the black does reminds you a bit of what that pot/pan/billy went through. Good one mate!
About the black and heating argument...mmm not sure either but why would solar bag/box cooking require a black pot otherwise?
Some sites claim the black color makes a difference, some sites claim the opposite. Since I didn't really care I never took the time to study the subject.
Grtz Johan
ps, OT but recently came upon a book that claimed a lid didn't do much in fuel preservation, my own experiences "prove" otherwise though ;-)
And the black does reminds you a bit of what that pot/pan/billy went through. Good one mate!
About the black and heating argument...mmm not sure either but why would solar bag/box cooking require a black pot otherwise?
Some sites claim the black color makes a difference, some sites claim the opposite. Since I didn't really care I never took the time to study the subject.
Grtz Johan
ps, OT but recently came upon a book that claimed a lid didn't do much in fuel preservation, my own experiences "prove" otherwise though ;-)
Well the consensus from a bunch of physicists is that clean pans are going to be the most energy efficient. The logic is that on a camping stove or fire most of the heat transfer is through convection rather than radiation - easily demonstrated since holding your hand a couple inches above a stove will probably get you burnt, whereas a couple inches to one side and you won't. Since aluminium, stainless steel, cast iron and titanium will all conduct heat more efficiently than either a carbon (soot) or tar coating, clean is better. Of course the other side of the argument is the amount of energy you'll expend in the cleaning process...
A solar cooker is 100% radiation based, so black pans will rule there no question.
Whether anyone cares is a different issue entirely. Ah well... at least we have an answer
A solar cooker is 100% radiation based, so black pans will rule there no question.
Whether anyone cares is a different issue entirely. Ah well... at least we have an answer
Well, nice scientific aswer, but i just don't care. 
And i am interesteed in science. But in this case, black is cool!
And i am interesteed in science. But in this case, black is cool! Crazy climber, thanks for that.
To chime in, I don't care what the outside looks like, as long as the inside is clean. When packing though, I like to take a little pine branch or something similar and whap the heck out of my stove and pots to knock loose the stuff that would otherwise blacken my pack. Yes, I am blackpacker, but when the soot shakes down to your sleeping bag it's annoying. Though I must admit, one of my "stainless" steel pots is still black on the inside from when my fiance decided to cook our dehydrated chili without water. Don't ask me, it is beyond my comprehension.... Guess it's true love though; the more often I tell the story the more it seems. . . somehow. . . cute?
Seriously though, until I read your post, I considered black pots to be more efficient for energy absorption. But honestly, when you are 15 miles from water, WHY WASTE IT WASHING? beat the flakes off, and roll on!
-BP
To chime in, I don't care what the outside looks like, as long as the inside is clean. When packing though, I like to take a little pine branch or something similar and whap the heck out of my stove and pots to knock loose the stuff that would otherwise blacken my pack. Yes, I am blackpacker, but when the soot shakes down to your sleeping bag it's annoying. Though I must admit, one of my "stainless" steel pots is still black on the inside from when my fiance decided to cook our dehydrated chili without water.
Don't ask me, it is beyond my comprehension.... Guess it's true love though; the more often I tell the story the more it seems. . . somehow. . . cute?Seriously though, until I read your post, I considered black pots to be more efficient for energy absorption. But honestly, when you are 15 miles from water, WHY WASTE IT WASHING?
beat the flakes off, and roll on!-BP
Just to add some strength to the heat absorption theory - I can't speak for blackened pots but a Kelly Kettle definitely boils quicker after it has burnt black on the inside. I am all for leaving pots black on the outside so long as they are not greasy and can be secondary contained.
lol Blackpacker - like the name and that story made me laugh
Silverback, I found that interesting. Who knows! I'm tempted to go ask some people again. Last time though I got waylayed explaining the principles of a turbofan engine, while getting engaged in a discussion as to whether it's better to pee immediately when you can, or hold it in as long as possible (both from an energy conservation point of view). Think I'll just accept it with an "Ours is not to reason why"
Silverback, I found that interesting. Who knows! I'm tempted to go ask some people again. Last time though I got waylayed explaining the principles of a turbofan engine, while getting engaged in a discussion as to whether it's better to pee immediately when you can, or hold it in as long as possible (both from an energy conservation point of view). Think I'll just accept it with an "Ours is not to reason why"
this thread brings to mind one of my favourite Queen tunes - 'Black Bottomed Bilies' . I think that was the title.....
I like to keep my mess tins/billy cans clean and shiny (Its an army thing!
) so after using them and they are all black I give them a good scrub using grass which works wonders for getting most of the soot off and then I wipe them over with a babywipe, this cleans them well enough so as not to dirty any of my gear, although they go in their own pouch anyway, and then I clean them properly when I get home.
) so after using them and they are all black I give them a good scrub using grass which works wonders for getting most of the soot off and then I wipe them over with a babywipe, this cleans them well enough so as not to dirty any of my gear, although they go in their own pouch anyway, and then I clean them properly when I get home.Army thing??!??! We had a nice RSM who told us to invest in a spray can of black exhaust high temp paint and then spray the outside of our mess tins.......lots less cleaning.
Nowadays though I tend to keep things clean and shiny.........its a husband thing.
Wayland, what did you use as the donor for your hobo stove?
Nowadays though I tend to keep things clean and shiny.........its a husband thing.
Wayland, what did you use as the donor for your hobo stove?
I give mine a little clean after use... because I do that after every use that's all it takes to stay fairly gleaming... it's got a lot of discolouration and black bits from use over time that won't come out after cleaning though but I call those character.
Using a billy can once and leaving it covered in s**t is not character - it's dirt.
Using a billy can once and leaving it covered in s**t is not character - it's dirt.
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