Hints from Here

[jlb2012]

A thread for small ideas associated with saving weight. For example:

How to pick up a hot handleless pot (ex the grease pot) with a bandana:

1.) fold the bandana several times length wise (not diagonally) until you have a strap approx 1-2 inches wide.

2.) Hold the strap with your index and middle fingers of both hands so that if the palms are facing down the strap goes over the index finger and under the middle finger of each hand.

3.) Continuing to hold the strap, point your fingers down and bring the strap up to and around the pot until you index fingers are pressing the strap agains the pot.

4.) Put your thumbs on the strap roughly in the middle then lift the pot using the index fingers and thumbs pressing on the strap

This idea saves weight by removing the need for a handle or other pot holder device and allows a safe way to pick up a hot pot using the most multipurpose of all gear, the bandana.

Note this technique can also be used even if the alcohol stove is still burning since with practice it is fast enough so that you don't burn your fingers or the bandana.

[Kerosene]

I bring a 2'x2' square of aluminum foil for use as:

a potholder (similar to the bandana method)
a combination pot lid/windscreen (part serves as the pot lid and hangs down to form a rudimentary 1/2 windscreen
insulation/lid for your pot or cup
a trivet for a hot pot if needed
an emergency reflector (although not as good as a mirror)
The foil should last 3-4 weeks if you're reasonably careful and is easy to replace from a bounce box.

[jlb2012]

a small hint for those who like the idea of a combined windscreen and pot holder as seen on http://home.adelphia.net/~dstier/stove/stove2.html and similarly on http://www.datasync.com/~wksmith/stove.html

If you make one of these for a grease pot don't make it symmetric - pick one end or the other to always go toward the inside when storing the windscreen in the pot and make that end closer to the first pot support than the other end. In other words have a short end and a long end. I have found about 2 inches to be good for the short end and then I adjust the long end to give me approx 1/4 inch gap around the pot (ends up approx 4 or 5 inches on long end). This permits the short end to fit neatly inside the pot without hitting the first pot support on the long end. By fitting neatly in the pot the widnscreen/pot support is much less likely to be damaged in the pack.

In addition if using the folded over ends as a clip to hold the ends together when in use - put the bend on the long end toward the inside and the bend on the short end toward the outside - this reduces the interference of the lip on the grease pot with the windscreen making it easier to remove the windscreen from the pot with one hand. If the long side hook is bent to the outside of the curve it tends to catch on the lip of the grease pot.

With respect to airflow punch more holes in the bottom of the windscreen than are shown in the diagrams - the fuel will burn better with more air.

[The Hog]

Good idea to use a bandana as a pot grabber. I don't carry a bandana, but I do wear a baseball type hat, and I use that as a hot pan holder. Since I cook over wood fires, the hat gets black marks all over it, and ends up looking pretty grubby. No big deal, though.

[Perkolady]

This may be going too far ....
(Confessing...*blush*....)

I had my hubby cut the handles shorter on my lexan flatwear
sets.
(I have several for when we all hit the trail)

He used a hose cutter- worked great !

One advantage of this -besides the weight savings- is that now,
when I go out solo, my spoon (Only utencil i bring) now fits nicely
inside my little pot !

Just my 2 ounces,,,
Perkolady :)