I finally found the infamous "grease pot" at Walmart just to give it a try. It's a joke. The aluminum is so soft that my pot gripper dented it every time I picked it up even though I sanded the jaws down! Yes, it's only $4.84 but it's so delicate, I can't see why anyone would use it now; especially since AGG makes one better. I feel like I'd have to "baby" it in the field. Not a good quality for any piece of gear. Am I crazy? What do those of you who like this pot use to grab it? Have you had the same experience?

I finally found the infamous "grease pot" at Walmart just to give it a try. It's a joke. The aluminum is so soft that my pot gripper dented it every time I picked it up even though I sanded the jaws down! Yes, it's only $4.84 but it's so delicate, I can't see why anyone would use it now; especially since AGG makes one better. I feel like I'd have to "baby" it in the field. Not a good quality for any piece of gear. Am I crazy? What do those of you who like this pot use to grab it? Have you had the same experience?

Hard to clean too. Teflon rules.

I finally found the infamous "grease pot" at Walmart just to give it a try. It's a joke. The aluminum is so soft that my pot gripper dented it every time I picked it up even though I sanded the jaws down! Yes, it's only $4.84 but it's so delicate, I can't see why anyone would use it now; especially since AGG makes one better. I feel like I'd have to "baby" it in the field. Not a good quality for any piece of gear. Am I crazy? What do those of you who like this pot use to grab it? Have you had the same experience?

Have I had the same experience ? - yes I dented mine up with a pot lifter when I first got it

What I used finally to pick up the grease pot was a bandana - see link (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=120) for details but basically make a strap, wrap it around the pot and pick it up by pressing the strap against the sides of the pot and lifting holding it with your two index fingers and thumbs. The main reason I used the bandana was to save the weight of the pot lifter.

Note I no longer use the grease pot - I've moved on the 24 ounce Heineken keg can (weighs less than an ounce after chopping the top off) and I don't worry about it getting bent - if it does I just straighten (round ?) it out by hand.

Austexs wrote in part:
Hard to clean too. Teflon rules.

Not trying to cause any ***** but heard on the news just this week where there is a definite link between the use of teflon products and some types of cancer. Everything we cook on at home is teflon so I know what you mean.

Anyway, I just bought the Jetboil system and absolutely love it! The insulutation, handle, cap. I know everyone can't the money but it's like the $300 down bags, you get what you pay for.

I'm guessng the grease pot got popular because it was so damn cheap, not because it was any good.

I finally found the infamous "grease pot" at Walmart just to give it a try. It's a joke. The aluminum is so soft that my pot gripper dented it every time I picked it up even though I sanded the jaws down! Yes, it's only $4.84 but it's so delicate, I can't see why anyone would use it now; especially since AGG makes one better. I feel like I'd have to "baby" it in the field. Not a good quality for any piece of gear. Am I crazy? What do those of you who like this pot use to grab it? Have you had the same experience?


this is much better,from antigravity gear,plus its non stick wt.3.8 oz
3 cup capcity,great buy for 8.00:cool: neo



http://www.antigravitygear.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=149

Everything causes cancer, and it changes every year. They also said that they found traces of teflon in everyone's blood. If you really want to look for a relationship between any factor and cancer, look at this. As medical science got better with such things as death in childbirth, heart attack, strokes, high blood pressure, malnutrition, childhood illnesses such as polio and measles, influenza and the black plague, the cancer rate went up. Moral of the story, something is going to get ya. Over all, i would rather get hit by a beer truck. For the number of meals you cook in your camping cookware in your life, i dont think i would worry about it.

I have been using that lite weight titanium one from Evernew. Its non stick but not teflon, Being a cook/chef for 20 years I learned a long time ago to stay away from teflon. Just remeber to stir your meal often while its cooking, control your heat source and nothing should stick . On my 2000 hike I was still using a heavier MSR steel pot and had no sticking problems.

For most of us, including me, lack of teflon should be no problem. I boil water, pour it in the bag. Water don't stick anyway. At home I use Ironstone, non-stick and supposedly safer than teflon. Also can anyone answer a question? If nothing sticks to teflon how do they keep it in the pot?

Everything causes cancer, and it changes every year. They also said that they found traces of teflon in everyone's blood. If you really want to look for a relationship between any factor and cancer, look at this. As medical science got better with such things as death in childbirth, heart attack, strokes, high blood pressure, malnutrition, childhood illnesses such as polio and measles, influenza and the black plague, the cancer rate went up. Moral of the story, something is going to get ya. Over all, i would rather get hit by a beer truck. For the number of meals you cook in your camping cookware in your life, i dont think i would worry about it.

My understanding is that we all are carrying some cancer. Like e Coli, it exists within our bodies and the sickness comes from our bodies' inability to keep it in check.

I finally found the infamous "grease pot" at Walmart just to give it a try. It's a joke.

You're 100% correct.

Someone on an AT mailing list tried it, liked it, and reported on it. The legend of the grease pot then began.

The legend of the grease pot is "exhibit a" of don't believe everything you read on the internet.

i don't use the Walmart Grease pot, but do you a similar, lightweight aluminum pot. If my pot is dented, who cares? :) I'm just boiling water.

I also use a bandanna as a pot grip.

This post has been making the rounds and explains a lot about my attitude towards cooking pots. ;)

http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=33

Mags, that is a great picture of your cook kit. i guess you really dont care if it is dented or not

I picked up a nice heavy screwdriver at WalMart and tried to pound some nails with it. Damn cheap thing didn't work worth a crap. I'm really losing my patience with things that don't work for uses they weren't intended for.:rolleyes:

Well, that doesn't exactly follow. Plenty of things work well for uses they weren't intended for. The reason I brought it up is just because I can't understand how this pot got all the press it did. Proabably thousands of people have used it and I can't believe I never heard anything but praise for it. I think in general, backpackers have a keen eye for pointing out the flaws in things so it just surprised me no one mentioned it before. I never intended on using it. I just bought it to see what all the "hype" was about. It turned out it was just that. I carry a Tiatn Kettle and have no reason to replace it.

We saw a movie in Shop class back in Middle school about Charlie caveman using tools in ways they werent intended. pretty funny stuff, screwdriver for hammer, bandsaw for toothpick, pretty bloody movie...but entertaining

Mags, that is a great picture of your cook kit. i guess you really dont care if it is dented or not


Nope I am just boiling water. I paid $4 for it and is just over 4 oz. Why buy something more expensive that may actually be heavier? :)

Nope I am just boiling water. I paid $4 for it and is just over 4 oz. Why buy something more expensive that may actually be heavier? :)

I was noticing, when I was reading your site earlier, that one of those dents would be great for drinking soup from. I often squeeze or crease the side of a container to drink the contents but I am a Barbaric. (so I have been told.) :-?

Arrrrrrrgh!

It's not very hard to figure out why the grease pot is popular. It costs less than $5, and weighs a couple of ounces. I don't know anyone who thinks it's a quality piece of equipment, nor do I understand why people complain about it. What do we expect? Its only virtues are being cheap and light.

PS - Jason, I think most people who use it don't use it with a pot gripper. I know I don't - the first thing I did with mine was cut off the inner lip/bacteria paradise. Just use a wire bail! Lighter and simpler than a pot gripper anyways.

Ben

I was noticing, when I was reading your site earlier, that one of those dents would be great for drinking soup from. I often squeeze or crease the side of a container to drink the contents but I am a Barbaric. (so I have been told.) :-?

Arrrrrrrgh!

I've actually done this! If there is extra broth from whatever I've cooked, down the gullet it goes. :)

I'm with Mags - what the hell does it matter if your pot is dented? It's not like dents become holes with wear.

I've heard several people complain about the rolled under lip trapping bacteria. Also, I had some condensation on the lid run down the outside of the pot into the flame once. Wasn't really a big deal, though - I took off the lid, shook it off, and replaced it. Food was done before it happened again.

But you get what you pay for. I thought it was a good pot for $4. Now I have a JetBoil that boils over much easier than the GP ever did.

Hey man! I love my grease pot :sun ky

Hey man! I love my grease pot :sun ky
Me too!!!! Used a MSR 1 ltr SS pot until I found this one. Who cares if it gets dented or scratched up? You should see my rusted out alcohol stove, my delaminating Mtn. Hardwear tent, my scratched up Nalgene bottles, my Capilene shirts with holes in them, my coffee stained Therm a Rest, my banged up Leki poles, my Marmot Precip that gets wet inside from sweat as well as outside from rain, and my ULA pack which has a couple of holes in the hip pockets from being carried thru heavy brush. Point is, nothing lasts forever, but everything listed above still works. While the new Jetboil, or some other new lightweight pot may on be Backpackers "Have-to-carry-this" list, I have found what works for me. Durability is definitely an issue as well as weight. For the weight and cost, nothing beats the grease pot. I just wish someone other than Walmart sold it.

OK, so how will the lid fit on the pot after it gest so dented that it's not even a circle anymore?

OK, so how will the lid fit on the pot after it gest so dented that it's not even a circle anymore?

You can bend it back into a circle with your fingers, Jason. At least well enough for the lid to fit again. It's a matter of aesthetics. Some folks don't give a fig how their gear looks; Some do.


...Or do what Hog on Ice advises in the next post.:D

OK, so how will the lid fit on the pot after it gest so dented that it's not even a circle anymore?

leave the lid at home and use a piece of foil instead to cover the pot

leave the lid at home and use a piece of foil instead to cover the pot


Yep, if you looked at my pics, it used a piece of foil. Remember the KISS principle. If you want to get fancy, use a pie plate. :)

If you want to get fancy, use a pie plate. :)

I've done it! Works great and has other uses besides.:)

Wow...Skidsteer's reply #24 is the best use of the edit feature that I have seen in a while.

Wow...Skidsteer's reply #24 is the best use of the edit feature that I have seen in a while.

Sneaky, ain't I? Couldn't resist, but I promise I won't abuse it Attroll!

it's like any other piece of eqp't... there's a plus for every minus... in the greasepot's case, it's a light, cheap, but flimsy pot. it performs the function of having something to boil water in very well. it doesn't break the bank. you can buy 6 of them for the cost of an MSR Titan Kettle. you can modify it with a wire bail and cut off the lip. but you can't drop your pack on it. it's good enough for what it's for. i own one, and still use if when going out with my daughter. holds a little more than my titan kettle, and weighs the same. i used it while saving up money for the titan kettle...

btw, somewhere on another thread, someone mentioned you can get a similar pot (without the lip-yeehaa!) at kmart now.

btw, somewhere on another thread, someone mentioned you can get a similar pot (without the lip-yeehaa!) at kmart now.

It's actually a rolled-out lip( double yeehaa! ). otherwise indistinguishable from the Wal-mart pot.:)

Yeah, saw those. Again, my goal was not to replace my AAG 3 cup pot (which is far superior for only 3 dollars more and will last forever) or my Titan Kettle (which is a jag but much more expensive) but rather to see what all the hype was about. I just can't believe no one mentioned how delicate it was before. I'm frankly more disappointed in that than the actual pot itself.

Note I no longer use the grease pot - I've moved on the 24 ounce Heineken keg can (weighs less than an ounce after chopping the top off) and I don't worry about it getting bent - if it does I just straighten (round ?) it out by hand.

Great advice Hog plus you get the recreational experience of emptying it. I know there are some non-drinkers on Whiteblaze so if anyone would like me to environmentally proccess the contents of of one of these 24ozers for you, just send it to me along with return postage and I'll get it back to you after the next Saturday.

"Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."

Just please don't deposit the byproducts in a shelter. Or at least don't tell anyone if you do... :)

I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in Australia there's a fair bit of snobbery attached to the ownership of 'heavily used' equipment. People with new, logo-infested equipment are openly ridiculed :)

I was once waiting out a blizzard in a Tasmanian hut when a remarkably threadbare fellow wandered in. His pack had as many holes and patches as his clothes. I had a new pack and some new fleece, since I don't like snow much and hadn't previously had much need of heavy gear. He more or less ignored me until I got out my cooking kit that looked like it had been recovered from a burnt-out building. He was quite friendly after that.

It's funny really. I feel bad walking down the street if there's a stain on my clothes, and I feel bad walking in the bush if there isn't :p

I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in Australia there's a fair bit of snobbery attached to the ownership of 'heavily used' equipment. People with new, logo-infested equipment are openly ridiculed :)


Somewhat different here in the US - here its people with _certain_ logos that are openly ridiculed - for example Patagonia brand clothing.

I finally found the infamous "grease pot" at Walmart just to give it a try. It's a joke. The aluminum is so soft that my pot gripper dented it every time I picked it up even though I sanded the jaws down! Yes, it's only $4.84 but it's so delicate, I can't see why anyone would use it now; especially since AGG makes one better. I feel like I'd have to "baby" it in the field. Not a good quality for any piece of gear. Am I crazy? What do those of you who like this pot use to grab it? Have you had the same experience?

:D that's another good reason to get a jetboil:cool: neo

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=10085&catid=member&imageuser=3462

I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in Australia there's a fair bit of snobbery attached to the ownership of 'heavily used' equipment. People with new, logo-infested equipment are openly ridiculed :) . . .Ya know, I think I like that Australian attitude. Some of my gear is pretty new, but I've got some banged up stuff, too. If it works, but is a little scuffed up, that just means that item has seen trail time. I think there's something extra cool about gear that has served well.

Jason, if you don't like the Wal-Mart grease pot, don't use it. Feel free to express what you see as shortcomings but don't expect everyone to agree because they ain't gonna do it. Personally I don't get the hype about trekking poles*, but that may give us something to chat about if we meet each other on the trail.

*I'm a member of the "Hickory Walking Stick Clan" and view those who carry trekking poles as backslidden believers who I must gently and tactfully point to the way of truth and light.:)

*I'm a member of the "Hickory Walking Stick Clan" and view those who carry trekking poles as backslidden believers who I must gently and tactfully point to the way of truth and light.:)

Sounds like those goofy hammock evangelists trying to show the light to the other hikers. :D

I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in Australia there's a fair bit of snobbery attached to the ownership of 'heavily used' equipment.

Heh. Depends where you are...

I've noticed there's a curve with many outdoor pursuits. It can apply to others, but I'll make it backpacking specific.

1) Newbie has thrift store gear, clearence sale stuff, whatever he can scrounge up. Lots of gear that has seen better days.

2) After gaining expeience, wants the newest latest and greatest stuff. Usually heavy.

3) Want to lighten up with the newest and greastest stuff

4) The experienced person has thrift store gear, clearence sale stuff, whatever he can scrounge up. Lots of gear that has seen better days.
Some new gear hidden less they get embarassed. :-)

Seriously. I've seen this "curve" with backcountry skiiers, canyoneers, backpackers, etc. Kinda funny... Reminds me of the Zen proverb:

Before enlightenment: chop wood, get water.
After enlightenment: chop wood, get water.

Must confess. I love the fact my day pack is all beat up. Is repaired with dental floss. Has ground in dirt and sweat stains. People look at the pack and know I use my gear (or that I am homeless).

(Please don't take the post too seriously..just having alittle fun!)

Sounds like those goofy hammock evangelists trying to show the light to the other hikers. :DAs a member of the "Six Moon" family of the Hickory Walking Stick Clan I must point out that what makes the goofy hammock evangelists (GHE) goofy in the first place is that they don't seek the truth AND light. If the GHE's would seek truth AND light they would of course arrive at the same conclusions as I do.

:sun

(Someone got an emoticon for truth? I feel myself slipping towards becoming a GHE!: :eek: )

That's because we sleep in our hammocks - nighttime is just better without light, IMO. And that's the truth.

MALL-WART...Home of all your useless plastic krap!!!

nighttime is just better without light, IMO. And that's the truth.


Hey Jeff, never been to Alaska in the summertime, have ya?
;)

Haha...not yet. But as I understand, it drives people nuts until they get used to it. Hopefully someday I'll see that the nighttime is the lighttime!

Haha...not yet. But as I understand, it drives people nuts until they get used to it. Hopefully someday I'll see that the nighttime is the lighttime!Ha Hah! Then you shall see the truth AND the light!:banana

Not trying to cause any ***** but heard on the news just this week where there is a definite link between the use of teflon products and some types of cancer.


Check this link out for more good news about teflon:

http://www.tuberose.com/Teflon.html

Before you put any stock into what tuberose has to say about anything else, check out their ideas on germs. Like this little gem ,"Bacteria do not have any action on live cells; only dead cells." Heck, a print copy might even come in handy should you ever pick up a few extra friends along a hike...

An open mind is great, so long as it's not so open that ones brain falls out. (Mis-quote, but close enough for now)

"An open mind has but one problem - it collects dirt."



A quote from a campus humor magazine from late 60's