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EricS96521
03-13-2010, 01:03
Ok...So I've been looking at a lot of different ways to cook. I've looked at buying a stove, making my own alcohol stove (which I have made 3 today, trying out different designs and finally got a sideburner to work without going out when I put my pot on it), and cooking over a campfire.

Today I bought the Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit: http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/products/810-760T_500.jpg

It was cheap and it looked like it would work.

Anyways, besides using an alcohol stove to boil water and cook meals, is it possible to get a campfire going, then grab some coals out of the fire and set the pot, pictured above, on the coals to boil water? I want to avoid setting the pot (or anything else pictured above) directly into the fire.

I have this entire trip planned out and it is coming down to being able to prepare meals and have water. I think I'm sort of getting too worked up about this entire thing. I want to be 100% prepared and know everything I will need to know but it is all so confusing.

My motto is if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, and that's what I'm attempting to do.

Pleas help me :(

jesse
03-13-2010, 01:23
Best way to cook on open fire is to place the pot on coals. Keep away from direct flames, it will burn your food fast. That means it takes some time for the fire to get ready. If its raining, or all the wood is wet you might not be able to get a fire going. And last, there are some areas, like the Blood Mountain Wilderness, in Georgia, where open fires are prohibited.
I'd play around with it in the backyard before heading out. The pot with the handle is unstable. I'd suggest taking a pot grabber to use with that pot.
good luck. Have fun.

envirodiver
03-13-2010, 01:28
IMO I'd get a dependable alcohol stove or a canister stove like the pocket rocket. When I get to camp at night I'm ready to set up camp and eat. The time and effort that it takes to get a fire going and burn it down to coals that are good to cook on is just not what I want to do.

However, it's your choice. My alcohol stove weighs about 2 oz. and the fuels is probably less than a 1/2 oz per meal. So I'll carry that weight for the time and effort savings.

EricS96521
03-13-2010, 01:41
Well I am looking at buying a White Box Stove for $20. The stove, windscreen, and primer plate for $20 looks like a pretty good deal, plus I have read great reviews on it.

But like you said, I don't want to have to wait for a fire to burn down to coals, I'd rather set up and have a meal within minutes.

And as for the small pot with the lid/black knob..I tested it out in my kitchen on my soda can alcohol stove, but the handle on it is very unstable and I dumped the water 2 times just setting it and removing it from the stove. I was very disappointed in this.

I plan on just eating a a bunch of ramen noodles (:p) for my meals and snacking on other stuff while hiking.

As far as water goes..I was at BassPro today and ran into a couple of guys that said they had hiked parts of the AT and he recommended the Katadyn Backcountry Series Hiker Microfilter for $60 http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_45421_325005003_325000000_325005000_325-5-3.

I plan on picking that up so that has my water situation taken care of.

I still have plenty of time to prepare and get my gear together.

ridgerunninrat81
03-13-2010, 02:11
Absolutely agree. A hungry hiker CANNOT wait for a fire to burn down to the coals. Save the fire for drying off. warming up and for camaraderie.

Mountain Wildman
03-13-2010, 02:58
Those little mess kits are just that, a mess.
I have one similar to yours and I keep it as a last resort backup.
The cookware available these days is so much better.
The GSI Solo is a nice kit and MSR makes excellent cookware and you can't go wrong with the Snow Peak or Evernew stuff. It may cost a little but you will have it forever practically.

jrwiesz
03-13-2010, 03:25
Today I bought the Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit: http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/products/810-760T_500.jpg

It was cheap and it looked like it would work.

Pleas help me :(


IMHO, take that stuff back to the store and get your money back.

Then, do some more research.

Nuf said. :sun

prain4u
03-13-2010, 05:43
Mess kits were only marginally "good" back in their day (40-60 years ago). They are pretty much just a pain in the rear in the "modern" hiking and camping world. Hiking foods, food preparation, and cooking methods have changed a lot in the past 40-60 years. Sure, you CAN certainly use the mess kit--it will get the job done--but I think you would regret using it. (Especially if you watch how other people are cooking).

Here is a WhiteBlaze thread on mess kits:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=43244&highlight=mess+kit

There is cooking stuff out there that is SO much better than the old-fashioned mess kit--stuff that weighs less and does more. Those mess kits can rarely hold enough water for most meals that you really want to cook. They are also hard to pour water out of. They dent and bend easily. For some people, there is also way too much unnecessary "stuff" in one of those mess kits.

I am down to using just a .8 liter pot (with cover) and a spork. That's it. Sometimes I don't even carry that much--I go with food that requires no heating or no cooking. I have not carried a fry pan or a plate/bowl since 1978. The last time that I carried a cup was 1995. I eat right out of the pot (or cooking bag). I drink out of my water bottle.

The only thing I would even remotely consider using from the mess kit is the frying pan--and only if I wanted to cook an egg, a pancake, or fry some bacon. However, that fry pan handle can get hot. The handle also makes the frying pan awkward and heavier on one side--so the frying pan falls off of most small cooking stoves (unless you hold it for the entire time that you are cooking). Again, there is much better stuff out there.

For IDEAS of the types of cooking stuff that is out there, go online and look at the cooking gear section of REI.
http://www.rei.com/search?search=Camp+Kitchen&cat=8000&cat=8000&cat=4500001&seq=41&hist=cat%2C4500001%3ACamping+%26+Hiking^search%2CC amp+Kitchen (http://www.rei.com/search?search=Camp+Kitchen&cat=8000&cat=8000&cat=4500001&seq=41&hist=cat%2C4500001%3ACamping+%26+Hiking%5Esearch%2 CCamp+Kitchen)

(You can then perhaps find similar stuff--and less expensive stuff--in your home area).

I have done tons of cooking over campfires/coals. I am good at it. However, cooking over a fire is a pain in the rear. You have to gather firewood. It takes forever to get good cooking coals. Then, you also have to put out the fire--and try to leave no trace. It is next to impossible to get good coals in really wet and windy weather. Finally, your cooking gear is often covered in soot from the fire/coals. In some parks and forests (and in overly dry areas)--fires are often prohibited.

I would encourage you to do more research on stoves and cooking gear. Mess kits and fires are a possibility--but generally just a "needless" pain.

fiddlehead
03-13-2010, 08:00
Go to the thrift store and get yourself a 1 1/2 litre cooking pot with lid (aluminum)

Use the one you bought in the picture for your dogs food or something. Don't bring it on your thru-hike unless you really have experience and know you want to fry up some eggs and bacon or something (the pot with lid is too small, the cup is the wrong material, the plate is not needed and the fryin pan is a luxury item that you don't need).

As for fires, either get lots of experience or at least have a backup. IT is not an easy trick in bad weather and the AT is full of bad weather. You will go hungry if you try IMO. But, practice makes perfect.

I would say go for it if you have successfully cooked in the rain on a fire at least 50 times without a tarp over your head.

This is all just my opinion. Do what your heart tells you. (that's what my wife would say anyway)

Surplusman
03-13-2010, 08:29
I have my old Boy Scout mess kit from the 50's that's similar to yours. I do remember that the old mess kit was a pain in the butt, whether carrying, cooking, or cleaning. I would advise what others in this thread have suggested: Take it back to the store and get your money back. It's an antique. There is so much better stuff out there you can use, and it doesn't have to be that over priced titanium crap either.

Deadeye
03-13-2010, 08:54
Sounds like you haven't had much experience in the woods. go get some! You'll learn quickly that fires are great for staring at, PITA to cook with. Any good alcohol or canister stove will do the job nicely.

You can search this site for a gazillion stove reviews and food ideas.

Rocket Jones
03-13-2010, 10:58
The White Box is a nice stove, but before you buy one try a SuperCat. Dead simple and cheap.

For a pot, I use the Grease Pot found at KMart. I drilled two small holes in the rim and made a detachable wire bale. Windscreen from heavy aluminum foil (look for drip trays). The windscreen, bale, stove (in baggie), lighter and more fit inside the pot and the entire kitchen setup weighs about 8 ounces.

Snowleopard
03-13-2010, 11:18
Decide how you want to cook. http://www.trailcooking.com/trail-cooking-101 (I think this is WB user Sarbar's site).

One possibility is just boiling water and using freeze dried food, instant stuff or freezer bag cooking. For FBC, check out http://www.trailcooking.com/trail-cooking-101/freezer-bag-cooking-101
For boiling water, look at the pictures of the grease pot and IMUSA mugs here: https://www.end2endtrailsupply.com/Aluminum_Cookware.html
Grease pot used to be at KMart, IMUSA mugs are at groceries that carry Hispanic food.

If you're doing any real cooking, get a thicker pot, either hard anodized aluminum or non-stick.

Wise Old Owl
03-13-2010, 11:28
Well that about covers it.


Don't forget to soap the pot before you put it on the coals.... or its another fine mess.

mudhead
03-13-2010, 12:25
Take a metal coffee can. 2 holes near the rim with a nail. Coat hanger crimped at the holes for a handle. Try that a few times over a fire.

Then you will want a stove.:)

weary
03-13-2010, 12:37
A mess kit pot is much too small for real cooking, which you need to be able to do if you are hiking under a tight budget. Real rice costs only about 20 percent of the cost of Knorr (Lipton) sides, for the same amount of nutrients, and pretty much the same pack weight..

The downside is that real rice takes 20 minutes, not seven minutes, to cook. Trying to juggle a tiny pot filled to the brim over hot coals for 20 minutes is not a viable option. I always carry a liter or a 1.5 liter pot, sometimes even larger if I'm also sterilizing suspect drinking water.

Weary

grayfox
03-13-2010, 13:16
Ditto on just about everything said above.

But, do not give up on campfire cooking. This is an acquired skill--acquired through a lot of trial and error-mostly error. The best thing to know is that very little heat is needed for cooking food.

Take along some foil. Some night, when someone else has gone to the trouble of building a campfire, wrap up a fresh potato and cover it up in coals. You should be able to hold your hand comfortably over the coals for about five to ten seconds. Turn the potato now and then and check after about a half hour or when you smell it. You can make biscuits this way too and don't forget about putting things like meat or bread dough on sticks and cooking it over coals as you share the campfire chat.

Knowing how to cook on a fire is important, but don't plan to do it all the time unless you are real good at it.

If I plan to be out for a week or so, I usually bring one or two things that are best made on a campfire. Otherwise, Pocket Rocket for no brainer easy, and alcohol for hot water type food.

I consider a campfire as a multi use tool. Just food or just dry socks-no, but both-OK.

The pyros among us should check out the new wood stove designs. Some pretty neat stuff there.

Oh yeah, and take that mess kit back where you got it. The only reason those things worked for us at all is that 'back in the days' they were made of real heavy aluminum material.

Rockhound
03-13-2010, 14:12
Ok...So I've been looking at a lot of different ways to cook. I've looked at buying a stove, making my own alcohol stove (which I have made 3 today, trying out different designs and finally got a sideburner to work without going out when I put my pot on it), and cooking over a campfire.

Today I bought the Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit: http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/products/810-760T_500.jpg

It was cheap and it looked like it would work.

Anyways, besides using an alcohol stove to boil water and cook meals, is it possible to get a campfire going, then grab some coals out of the fire and set the pot, pictured above, on the coals to boil water? I want to avoid setting the pot (or anything else pictured above) directly into the fire.

I have this entire trip planned out and it is coming down to being able to prepare meals and have water. I think I'm sort of getting too worked up about this entire thing. I want to be 100% prepared and know everything I will need to know but it is all so confusing.

My motto is if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, and that's what I'm attempting to do.

Pleas help me :(
Careful about over planning. I would suggest getting rid of that P.O.S. mess kit though. And I would not rely on cooking by fire. It can be done. I've done it. But it can be dirty and time consuming.

tuswm
03-13-2010, 14:19
Judging by your first post you are looking for something inexpensive, light, that will work well with alcohol stoves and campfires.
$14
11 Oz
pot grabber
.7L & 1.9L
non stick
http://www.amazon.com/Open-Country-5-Piece-Nonstick-Backpacker/dp/B00028XQOC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1268503505&sr=8-4

They are the right shape for caldera cones as well.

If you want to spend more but still not alot. I love my GSI dualist (always with the GF) but my other friend has the solo. both can fit a canister and small stove like gigpower in them. The pocket rockets fit but barley and are kinda a PITA to fit in. I wasn't that crazy about it at first but I love how its all in one package pot, lid, handle, spork, lighter, sippy mug, bowl(both are short so they don't tip over) fuel and stove. But the GSI soloist and dualist have the best non stick of any pots I have ever seen. You can burn pasta on it till its black and it just falls right off.

Appalachian Tater
03-13-2010, 14:19
If you want to cook over campfires understand that open fires are not permitted everywhere along the trail. You might want to look at making a stove that burns twigs.

The most comprehensive site on camping stoves is probably here: http://zenstoves.net/Wood.htm

tuswm
03-13-2010, 14:23
Careful about over planning. I would suggest getting rid of that P.O.S. mess kit though. And I would not rely on cooking by fire. It can be done. I've done it. But it can be dirty and time consuming.

But if you have get to a shelter with a capfire already going its a great way get dinner done Quickly and save some fuel for later. I also think its more fun. I love have hot food and drink in cooler weather. Saki always taste better when heated by a campfire.

Rockhound
03-13-2010, 14:28
Aint sayin' don't. Just sayin' don't rely on it.

EricS96521
03-13-2010, 16:10
Well, I would take it back, but I tested out the pot on my alcohol stove and burned the hell out of it. It now has some scorch marks on it. And I threw out the box and everything else that came with it already..lol

I may just try and sell it to a friend for $5 so I get at least half of my money back.

mweinstone
03-13-2010, 16:32
use what you got. its fine. build a twiggy fire on even a wet rock in a wet firering useing dry stuff you pick up later each day while walking into camp. become a master of setting a blaze on a rock and not spilling your small pot and all you have to do is enjoy and eat. i can cook on that set and with twigs in a firepit and be happy. its cheap, fun, hard, and once you master it you have gainned alot of broad skills . do it. you dont need no stinkin stove or new pots.

trailangelbronco
03-13-2010, 16:45
My routine after a zero day.

Night of zero day, take a few eggs, crack em, toss out the shells and put the eggs into a water bottle, screw on the top and put in freezer. Take frozen eggs, a paper bag, and some bacon in a ziplock, next to bottle of frozen eggs in your pack.

Next morning, take bacon and rub the inside of the paper bag until the bottom and sides of bag are greasy. Take thawed egg bottle, and pour into the bag. Now put bacon into the bag as well.

Roll up the top of the bacon bag, poke a stick through the bag under the roll up and hold bag over some hot coals for about six minutes. Bag will singe but not burn.

Remove bag and enjoy bacon and eggs on the first morning back on trail after a zero/town day.

fiddlehead
03-13-2010, 16:47
no, you certainly don't need new anything.
But you may get hungry for more than a 1/3 litre of food.
Get a bigger one.

prain4u
03-13-2010, 21:45
Take a metal coffee can. 2 holes near the rim with a nail. Coat hanger crimped at the holes for a handle. Try that a few times over a fire.

Then you will want a stove.:)


Great comment! I couldn't agree more--and this experiment costs next-to-nothing (if you are a coffee drinker).

shelterbuilder
03-13-2010, 22:24
A couple of years ago (in between surgeries), I spent the night with a group of local Boy Scouts. In the morning, they started cooking breakfast over the campfire - they should have used stoves! Typical mistake: lots of flames, not much steady, usable heat. After I showed them how to scrape some coals to the side and use those, it went better.

It's definitely an art - one that takes practice. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it for every meal, but if there's time and fuel, go for it!:sun

I like the ol' Zipstoves - all the fun of a campfire, but contained in a fireproof unit. A bit heavy for a thru-hike, but fun for shorter trips.

Tinker
03-13-2010, 22:46
use what you got. its fine. build a twiggy fire on even a wet rock in a wet firering useing dry stuff you pick up later each day while walking into camp. become a master of setting a blaze on a rock and not spilling your small pot and all you have to do is enjoy and eat. i can cook on that set and with twigs in a firepit and be happy. its cheap, fun, hard, and once you master it you have gainned alot of broad skills . do it. you dont need no stinkin stove or new pots.

He is wrong! I am older and wiser! :D:rolleyes:;)