Here's a cheap wilderness pot option (Pic Heavy)

Tilley Knife

Tilley Knife

I'm Daniel, I make stuff
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
2,264
I’ve been using one of these for over a year now, with great success. I bought three more today and I decided to post it, in case you folks might be interested. I spend at least ten days a month in the wilderness, with work. I carry some essential components in my kit with me when I go. These components consist of a fixed blade knife, a chopper or folding saw, a fire kit, cordage, and a pot/mug. Some might say that a pot is not a necessity, but with it and fire, you can assure that your water and food is safe to consume. I also keep these same components in my vehicle bug-out-bag.

The trick is to find a light weight, durable pot that is large enough to be useful, but small enough to be packable. Now you can spend some fairly decent sums of money for the latest and greatest titanium, super steel thingamajig from REI, Cabela’s, or wherever, but this is what I have found to work. It is a “Basting Set” from the outdoor grilling section (or barbeque section for you northerners) at your local Wal-Mart. It is stainless steel and it’s very light. It will hold approximately 17.5 oz of liquid and it can double as a small pot or a large mug. It comes with a basting brush that I immediately discard and it costs a whole whopping $4.54. It cleans up well and holds up fine to direct flame. The thing that I love about this pot is that the measurements are engraved into the inside of it!

They work fine as is but I usually modify them a bit. I've tried a few configurations and this mod works best me….

•Bend the handle about 1.5” from the pot, down at a 90 degree angle. This allows you to easily drink from it and it also packs better this way.
•Cut the handle off flush with the bottom of the pot and drill 2 -3 holes in the handle to disperse heat. Be sure to round off your edges.
•Drill two holes in the wall of the pot, just below the upper lip and across from one another. This will allow you to hang the pot over a fire using a stick and some cordage or you can fashion a wire handle from an old shirt hanger.

That’s it! You're ready to go. With the “grilling” season winding down soon, you may want to stock up on these for your BOB’s and backpacks. I don’t think they carry them during the winter months, but I could be mistaken. The lid in the picture is from the cheap mess kits that you find at Wal-Mart or any other big box store. My alcohol stove and wind screen fit inside the pot, with the lid on, and I use an elastic strap to hold it all together in the pack. Stay safe out there. – Wooly

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I like it. I'll have to check it out. It may just fit in my Aussie billy can. I'm always looking to improve my cook kit. I've never found a facory set that suited my needs and preferences. It looks like it would fit the burner/supports on my Peak 1 mini stove.

Have you tried teh Walmart "One-Egg-Wonder" skillet yet? Lightweight, nonstick and works great. It will actually cook more than one egg at a time. My favorite recipe is browning some chopped bacon, onion and bell pepper, then cooking three eggs on top of that, flip when set and eat on bread with cheese. A quickie omelet sandwich!
 
I like it - what did the lid come from, or were you able to find it all alone, too?
 
1066vik said:
I like it - what did the lid come from, or were you able to find it all alone, too?
Click to expand...

It came in a cheap $5.00 mess kit from Wal-Mart. The lid is not an exact fit but it's very very close and it works great. I buy the kits, take the lid out and give the aluminum stuff to friends that backpack maybe once a year. I end up with $10 in a very reliable pot and lid. Here is a link to the mess kit. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Products-5-Piece-Mess-Kit/17017899
 
Wooly Bugger,

What kind of alcohol stove is that? I've been experimenting with various "penny" stoves and find the throw of the flames goes too wide for most of my pots. It would be nice to find a stove that has a narrower burn area.
 
And while you're at Walmart anyway swing thru the cooking aisle and pick up a grease pot to. Then your baster cup can nest in it. A couple quick mods and you'll have a great set. The grease pot sells for $6.95.


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and compared side by side with my 12cm Zebra. The insert and lid from the zebra will fit on the grease pot as well! If only the grease pot was stainless it would be darn near perfect, but its aluminum.

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Thanks for the heads up, I will have to pick one up next time i go to wally-world. I already have the same mess kit that your lid came off:)
 
Codger_64 said:
Have you tried teh Walmart "One-Egg-Wonder" skillet yet?
Click to expand...

I picked up the Imusa version on Sunday, and I used this during a patrol. I carried one egg and three linked sausages with me out into the field. It worked great! Thanks for the pointer.
 
I'm buying one to keep in my trunk... Maybe I'll get "lucky" and have the chance to use it next time my wife and I go to her folks place for Christmas. A snowstorm always seems to be in the forecast when we are supposed to go, and the possibility of freezing to death on the side of the road is not a very persuasive argument when I think we should stay home.

For anyone looking for an interesting cooking challenge, try making boiled eggs in a dixie cup (waxed paper) over your campfire. It's not really a survival skill, but if you are easily amused like me, it's good for a laugh.
 
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I picked up the basting cup at Walmart a few weeks ago but haven't had a chance to use it yet. The mess kit lid I use on my OEW skillet does fit it well enough and the cup does fit inside my stainless Aussie billy. Or it would if I removed the handle. I could do that if I could dig through my storage room and find my old spondonicle (pot gripper). But I think I'll just leave the handle as is for now until I can use it and decide whether to bend, shorten or remove it. By the way, the stainless basteing cup weighs just 4 ounces on my digital scales.
 
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