Foster Pot durability

[Namtrag]

I am just starting down the path of making my own Foster's pot. I plan on cutting it so that it holds 20 oz or so.

I had a few things to ask about regarding keeping them from flexing too much and causing a pinhole leak that I have seen some people say has happened to them.

First, cutting the can down a little shorter, and adding the top from a tuna can to it, ala Sintax77's youtube video...would that add some rigidity?

Second, how about the wrapping of kevlar cord or fiberglass string around the middle of the can for picking it up when hot...if the cord wrap was 2+" in vertical height along the can, would that maybe help too?

And third, has anyone tried to mush (scientific term) one Foster's can into another one that is cut in half? You could wrap the kevlar cord around at the seam. That seems like it would add rigidity as well.

Thanks for the help!

[mtnkngxt]

I've found that in anything but a SUL pack with a day or two worth of food there is no way to protect it even with a caldera cone stuffed inside and giving it some rigidity. I've given up on them for the most part and moved to Evernew 600 and 900 pots. I can use the CC and those pots with wood, alcohol, or esbit which made it worth the weight increase.

[Rmcpeak]

I bought fosters keg from trail designs and it comes with a plastic case that doubles as a cup and bowl.... Maybe you can buy just the case from them....


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[Kenai]

Sounds like you watched the same you tube videos that I did.
I was concerned about the plastic lining of the can leeching into the water when bringing it to a boil.
zelph sent me some data on that. I guess the best thing to do is just boil water in the can a few times to get the plastic out.
I attached 2 links that I thought were pretty interesting on making Foster's pots. I also will attach the link to a thread I started a few weeks ago on this topic. Zelph has some plastic containers on his batchstovez site that hold and protect the whole kitchen. HTH.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU77XQpjrdI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV4tQYxBy3c

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthre...ter-s-can-pots

[Namtrag]

Thanks, guys!

I actually got interested in this by watching Shug's videos, and how he uses an alcohol stove. My wife and I freezer bag cook two meals a day, plus 2 cups of coffee, and I know our Jetboil is probably the best bet, but I just want to try the alcohol stove way as well...this meant buying a kit from Zelph (GoTo stove, windscreen, simmering sleeve, and alcohol bottle)...but I couldn't see paying $18 for a Foster's pot until I try and make one myself!

My wife and I want to make about a 20 oz cook pot, then each make a 12 oz or so cup to drink our coffee out of. I am thinking we use a thinner bottle to do the cups so that I can nest my stove and the cup inside the fosters can.

Anyway, I will take a look at those vids and the other thread.

If nothing else, it will be a learning experience!

[Dochartaigh]

It's for reasons like this that I buy my Foster's cans pre-made. I don't know what machine or technique they use, but companies like Trail Designs put all these ridges along the can (including a folded in area to hold it at the proper height in their caldera cone windscreen/pot stand). Those additions makes them a lot more robust IMO.

That being said, it's still pretty darn fragile. To protect Fosters pot, I also use the caddy that Trail Designs sells/uses. Mine weighs .88 pot, .22 lid, 1.81 caddy (I only use the bottom half to save weight) = 2.91 ounces (I've tried other cut-up plastic bottles as a caddy...and nothing worked nearly as well).

The sad part is my Toaks light titanium 650ml pot with lid is only 2.77 ounces so that's actually lighter than the Fosters pot once you include the weight of the caddy (which IMO is 100% needed)...so if you're looking to save weight this might not be the best option. I'm sure people tell you they don't need a caddy, but one slight fall (or heck, even leaning against a tree with your pack on) and that fosters can/pot can be smashed and useless.

[Namtrag]

Dochartaigh...I went to the Trail Designs site, and I don't see a Foster's Pot.

Zelph sells them with the ridges, but I want to screw around and make some for fun just to say I made something!

Plus my wife will be making us take the jetboil anyway because she doesn't trust the alcohol stoves yet, so even if my homemade foster pot craps out, we will have a backup! lol

My next question is where do you get that stuff that Minibull wraps around the middle of his so you can pick them up when they have boiling water in them? It almost looks like kite twine.

[Rmcpeak]

http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/keg-cans $9.95


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[RangerZ]

I had a Fosters can pot and it was just too fragile. It got all kinked up, especially after I fell on my pack. I now use a SnowPeak Trek700. Everything fits inside it - windscreen, cat food can stove, lighter, bandanna – and its far more durable, titanium works.

[Namtrag]

Thanks rmcpeak...I didn't think to look under the stove tab


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[Namtrag]

Ranger, we may end up doing that, it's a little pricey but might be worth it!

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[Dochartaigh]

Still a little bit of cash, but the Toaks light titanium 650ml is $37 (at Toaks) and 2.77 ounces (holds 3 cups of water to the utter top). SnowPeak Trek700 is $45 (REI) and 4.8 ounces. It's a no brainer IMO. Even Toaks 750mm in a thicker walled-titanium version (thicker than their "light" version) is $35 and 3.9 ounces (still almost an ounce lighter than the SnowPeak and $10 cheaper).

[MuddyWaters]

Not sure why you want to make own.
Get a zelph flat bottom fosters. The bottom is steel, you can put it on a cannister stove. The ridges add a lot of stiffness to walls. Use a rubber band to hold lid on and support top opening and its durable enough. Ive used them for about 700 miles.

Had an accident with one, crushed it when pack fell on it when slammed on brakes. Popping it out cracked it. Put duct tape on it and used it that way for a week . no biggie. Lesson...put pack on floor, not back seat.

I have a little stainless cup with lid that weighs 2.1 oz. Id take that before hauling around a heavy plastic protector, in addition to 1 oz pot, but to each their own.

[Namtrag]

Still a little bit of cash, but the Toaks light titanium 650ml is $37 (at Toaks) and 2.77 ounces (holds 3 cups of water to the utter top). SnowPeak Trek700 is $45 (REI) and 4.8 ounces. It's a no brainer IMO. Even Toaks 750mm in a thicker walled-titanium version (thicker than their "light" version) is $35 and 3.9 ounces (still almost an ounce lighter than the SnowPeak and $10 cheaper).

We may end up going this route, but the only way I talked my wife into trying an alcohol stove (we use a jetboil and do freezer bag cooking) was for me to make it a project we could work on and be cheap about it! lol

Not sure why you want to make own.
Get a zelph flat bottom fosters. The bottom is steel, you can put it on a cannister stove. The ridges add a lot of stiffness to walls. Use a rubber band to hold lid on and support top opening and its durable enough. Ive used them for about 700 miles.

Had an accident with one, crushed it when pack fell on it when slammed on brakes. Popping it out cracked it. Put duct tape on it and used it that way for a week . no biggie. Lesson...put pack on floor, not back seat.

I have a little stainless cup with lid that weighs 2.1 oz. Id take that before hauling around a heavy plastic protector, in addition to 1 oz pot, but to each their own.

We want to see if we can make one on our own first...plus I showed my wife the Zelph flat bottom pot, and she said if we were going to spend $18 on that, we might as well go ahead and spend $34 on a Toaks instead! lol

Who knows, we may end up not liking it, and just go back to the jetboil, but I did want to try the alcohol route just for something different, and to make some of our own cups and pots to relieve the boredom on weekends when we could not go backpacking.

[George]

I use it as a second vessel stored inside a titanium cup - I throw my pack around, sit on it etc - that can would never survive on it's own

[Namtrag]

coconutwater_blindtastetest.jpgHas anyone ever tried using a coconut water can to make a pot? Lots of coconut water cans have ridges, but they are all right at 17.5 oz, which I think is a little too small. We need to boil 2 cups at a time, and that doesn't leave much room at the top for boiling/spillage. Might work great for a solo hiker.

Heck, I may cut one down to the top of the ridges, put in a top from a tomato paste or tuna can, and use it as a drinking cup!

[Namtrag]

I use it as a second vessel stored inside a titanium cup - I throw my pack around, sit on it etc - that can would never survive on it's own

Great idea!

[George]

best thing is Fosters is commonly sold as a onesy at gas stations etc, so it is easy to change out to a fresh one

[Namtrag]

Tuna can rings no longer fit, at least not in the Foster's can we tried. We spent hours trying

[Maui Rhino]

I was able to fit a tuna can ring to my fosters pot, after stretching it slightly using an unopened tuna can. I store it in a Glad Twist-Loc container for crush protection. It's nice when I'm going really light for an overnighter. However, my go-to pots are a SP 900 and 1300, paired with a GSI Minimalist.