Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Inverted canister setups are pretty good for cold weather use, depending on your definition of cold weather. Below 0 not so much, but 20+ degrees is A-OK.

 

The whole canister debate is the reason why I went with the Dragonfly to begin with. The future father-in-law got me the Jetboil for Christmas, so I'm not going to turn it down

It's nice to have both setups available, so I can plan accordingly for each backpacking/camping trip ahead of time. Either way, Café Bustelo Instant Espresso is my go-to caffeine source!

 

I'm not going to lie, anything below 40-45* is "cold weather camping" for me these days. Sure I'll do 30* if it sneaks up on me, but dangit I'm looking for lower ground the next night if I can haha. I'm a wuss lately.

 

Same here.

No shame.

 

Betch

 

Cold weather performance is part of why I haven't upgraded from my designed-in-the-stone-age Coleman single burner. Definitely not light to pack, but it doesn't matter how cold it is, I know it'll function. I've had it running in weather as cold as -30 before with zero issues (other than my hand going numb while I was pressurizing it, lol)

 

Love this thread. Only halfway though 80 pages, so forgive me if this is a repeat.

My favorite piece of gear is my Emberlit wood burning stove. For years I carried a pocket rocket gas stove, but now I prefer the simplicity of the Emberlit. It burns sticks which are readily available in this area, so I never carry fuel. It is light weight and packs flat. It is built and sold by the fellow who designed it.

It can hold a kitchen pot, but I use it with my camping cup. It boils water within about 5 minutes. I have the original stainless steel model in my BOB, like this:

(Too cold here to retrieve mine out of my truck.)

Cheers!

 

I've had my pair for over 8 years. After 7 years, the sole was worn down, so I had them re-soled and they're as good as new. Take care of the leather, and they'll last a long time.

 

ive never had anything resoled, but I was under the impression that only boots that had the sole threads showing could be resoled? I honestly have no idea haha. but if those can be resoled. they may perfectly fit my needs. im looking for a leather hiking boot that would last years regardless of sole condition.

 

Any one have any experience good or bad with the Kelly Kettle ?

 

My camping buddy has one that we use when we're winter camping. Works well, but it's not exactly fast unless you're using extremely dry, small tinder (the small dead limbs from the bottom side of a spruce tree work pretty well if you're looking for a fast boil). And if the tinder you're using is at all damp it's a smoke bomb, probably because the water keeps it from reaching optimal combustion temps.
I'd suggest a stainless unit over an aluminum one. The aluminum's impossible to get clean after you use it (on the parts exposed to smoke), so you've got to let it cool down completely and bag it before it goes back in the pack or else it'll get soot all over everything else in there. I'd think that the stainless would be a lot easier to wipe off before you put it away.

 

Hey ! Thanks for that.... something they don't tell you in their advertising nor have I read it in any review !

 

As disclaimer, I'm just guessing on the stainless being easier to clean; the one my buddy has is aluminum and getting the soot off is a pain, lol. I'm just assuming the stainless would wipe down easier, just like my stainless camping pot is easier to clean than the aluminum one I used to use.


Edit- I just did a little research online, and it looks like the new ones come with a carrying bag anyway, which would eliminate the soot problem that we have with his. I don't know if his was made before they started including a bag, or if he just lost it over the years.

 

I have the Stainless basecamp Kelly Kettle model and really like the design. It does take some getting used to with how you pick it up off the base since the handle if left above the chimney will burn your hand. IF you follow the directions and pick it up with the handle at a 45 degree angle then it is not a worry. Self contained with a small cookpot that nests inside when not in use. The cookpot rests on a stand over the chimney portion for cooking.

I don't use it for backpacking since the basecamp model is not small but for car camping and camping on the raft I really like that it takes no liquid fuel or canisters. If I am with a big group raft/camping I use it as an extra hot water source on the flat two burner stoves and cover the chimney with a rock for faster heating on a burner. On those bigger raft trips I have a 10# propane tank with a propane tree for a lantern and two, two burner stove lines coming off. Someone is always running the stoves on those trips and I have yet to run dry.

For backpacking I use a Trangia alcohol stove set up. No moving parts and nothing to go wrong. The burner is really plenty but the modulator lid can be difficult to adjust for a smaller flame without a pliers or gloves (which I always have camping). I often carry Everclear for the fuel since it has several purposes including antiseptic wash as well as spiking a drink or two... Otherwise denatured alcohol is available at every hardware and paint store for really cheap. Just fill up a dedicated fuel bottle of your choice and use as needed. The plastic bottles work best to see how much fuel you have left. Each fill of the stove burns for about 25 minutes and always boils a big pot of water for pasta in one fill. Very efficient and nothing to pump or guess about and yes it works just as well in sub freezing temps since there is no compressed fuel.

Its not that I dislike the Jetboil design, frankly it rocks for boiling water fast but canister stoves have a serious downside of not knowing how much gas is left so multiple canisters is a must and not a long term cooking solution

 

Am I the only one who finds JetBoils to be bulky, heavy and not versatile at all?

Maybe I just need more experience with them, but I like to cook, cook on a pan or in a pot some trips, not just heat water.

 

Not the only one. Adjustable flame height is another reason I haven't upgraded from my Coleman. I typically cook a variety while I'm camping, everything from Bacon and eggs for breakfast to a slow-cooked chili for supper, fish if I get lucky, etc. So I like the versatility of the Coleman.

 

I have the MSR Flex Skillet. I like it a lot. the walls are tall so I can boil water in it also.

http://www.rei.com/product/783955/msr-flex-skillet

 

I love wood burning stoves. My favorite is the Toaks gasifier stove, small model. It's made of titanium and nests together so it fits in many cook pots. It truly gasifies with its dual wall design, so you get a much cleaner burn than with these little fold-up kinds. Much less soot to clean off. I carry a scotch-brite and all it takes is a little water and some elbow grease to get it clean as new again. I also use titanium pots because they don't rust no matter how much you scrub them with abrasive pads.

Slightly modded Toaks small gasifier stove using a titanium cross stand (meant for alcohol stoves). Brings the pot closer to the heat. Allows me to remove the 3rd piece of the stove which was just too tall to be efficient. I can get 32oz of water to a rolling boil in just under 5 minutes once the gasification jets start (about 2 minute warm-up)


Everything in my kit fits in my Vargo BOT (titanium). I can run gas, alcohol, or wood/burnables and I have a pot with a threaded cap to keep it secure or to carry/store water in.

 

My Jetboil (Flash) has an adapter that comes with it that allows you to use a frying pan or wider pot on it. You're not obligated to only use the pot it comes with. Most backpackers prefer it because they don't want to carry various pots and pans. It's just easier to cook boil meals than it is to fry. Making big pot meals means you're feeding others, and that's a different story.

See above. You can still cook/fry with it, just use the stove adapter included with the JetBoil kit. It has an adjustable flame, too. If you're backpacking with a Coleman ANYTHING, you're picking probably the heaviest option.

 

I agree, my Coleman's definitely not a lightweight. But the combination of adjustable flame and reliability in sub-zero temps is worth the extra weight, to me. I'm not an obsessive lightweight camper; I use a full-size toothbrush and everything while I'm out bushwhacking, lol. Plus, a good bit of my camping is done in temps that are well below freezing, and I don't want to have to worry about my stove not working properly in extreme cold. The Jetboils are great little units for boiling water and limited pan-cooking, but my (admittedly limited) experience with them has been that they're just not as flexible as the Coleman. Which is why I've continued to carry it.
Different strokes for different folks, and all that.