Metallic container for boiling and cooking

A few thoughts:

1. I usually carry my Nalgene canteens in a belt-pouch; these vary from simple blue nylon ones available from www.campmor.com for about $4 U.S. to velcro-attaching mesh ones from REI for substantially more. It occurs to me that if I can find an ordinary food can with an inside diameter just a little over that of the Nalgene canteen, I could simply nest the canteen inside the can, and the can inside the belt-pouch. Voila--the poor man's cooking pot.

2. One problem with tall cooking pots: they will be likelier to tip over than short, squat ones--and your cooking surface in a survival situation is unlikely to be flat and stable; likelier to be an uneven bed of coals.

3. The aluminum mess tins look very interesting--I'd actually been trying to find out what they were called after seeing something very similar in John "Lofty" Wiseman's SAS Survival manual. I've been trying to assemble my own semi-minimalist kit based on a U.S. Army ammo pouch; I've got to check the dimensions, but one of those tins might just fit inside it.

Incidentally, I've noticed that some of the narrower Himalayan Imports khukuries will fit into the grenade loop on one of those ammo pouches--could make for a decent belt-carried medium-sized kit.
 
With a tall cooking pot you would either suspend it over a fire or just slide it into the coals. I often use a SS mucket which is the size of a large soup can and has a hinged lid. It is based on a civil war era corn boiler. That in turn was based on a 1700s copper pot. Sliding the mucket into the coals is very efficient and easy to do. We also use a tall soup can from Campbell's clam chowder with a wire coat hanger bail. In reality this is the only pot I need. But like knives, I own quite a few different cooking set-ups.
 
Just checked last night--a standard 1-liter Nalgene canteen nests, with not too much extra space, into either a 20-ounce sweet potato can, or an 11.5-ounce coffee can--either of which will just barely fit into a belt pouch designed to carry Nalgene 1-liter canteens. Not exactly slick titanium--but hard to beat the price.
 
Sounds good, we are talking survival here, so, a can is fine, as long as it's something that can stand enough fire to boil water.

I have all but given up on something compact.
The best thing I've found for a small PSK are the aluminum foil loaf pans, than can be folded down pretty flat, would probably handle several heatings, and several foldings before becoming too flimsy to deal with.

thanks for all the ideas.
 
This has become a question For me Since i switched to hydration bladders instead of canteens.

I am thinking of a tin like The SAS survival kit comes in, I would prefer one shapped like a bandaid box as i figure it would boil more efficiently,

www.Campmor.com has several titanium Mugs amd cook kits designed for backpacking that are compact and would make a good container for a kit.

What i would love to see is Nesting kidney shapped containers, kind of like the old boy scout pocket first aid kits except in metal.
 
I'm new to posting in here so I hope this posts properly.

For me it has come down to an adaptation of technique to overcome the shortcomings of limited PSK space and the need to boil water.
After many many repacks of my PSK and a bit field testing I have come to the conclusion that in the end if its not compact, I'm much more apt to leave it behind. I use a heavy duty SealLine plastic ziploc style bag to pack my PSK in (doubles as a water continer). So I'm stuck with the tin foil.
Heres my twist on a similar method I saw in an old survival manual.
I pack an 18" x 24" piece of Reynolds "heavy duty" aluminum foil. In the field, as part of my tinder gathering I also gather several medium palm sized stones. Next, with a stick I dig out a small bowl shaped depression 4-5" deep very near my fire and line it first with my wetted bandanna, then carefully with the 2/3 of unfolded foil, making sure that the corners of the bandanna are lying outside the "bowl" so you can lift the works out later if you need to pour the water you have boiled (but I generally make a ladle from the remaining 1/3 foil). Then I pour the water into the bowl followed by one of the rocks heated by the fire, using 2 sticks I then change out the the cool rock for another hot one and repeat until boiling. Since the foil never comes into direct contact with fire, it will last until it suffers mechanical failure.

Now for the drawbacks, this will of course only work if you can find stones.
It can be time consuming compared to traditional boiling methods.
There WILL be floaties in the resulting rock brew but they will be sterile as long as they have been in the fire long enough. Care must be taken when placing and removing the hot stones so that you don't puncture the foil although choosing smooth stones, pressing the foil into the earth bowl and backing it with cloth of some kind will minimize the risk of springing a leak.
Stones gathered from near riverbanks can explode when heated.
This system of course is not very portable.

I am still refining and testing this system and would welcome any feedback/improvement suggestions. I will try to get some photos and more information up the next time I try this out.
 
EmsRescueGuy,

You are on the same wavelength as I.

For a medium sized kit, it's no problem, any of the stainless steel containers, sierra cups, all are fine. But, for a small PSK , I'm settling now on a flattened aluminum foil, mini-loaf pan. better than regular aluminum foil, but able to fold flat.

6" x 3.75" x 2" deep. probably would hold 20 oz. maybe 16oz. if boiling.

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New thought to help preserve the flimsy container, place it on a few rocks, suspended above and to one side of the fire. Must be able to slide it away from fire easily, for cooling.
 
Though not metal, also consider an oven cooking bag. The type you place a roast, chicken or turkey in. Fill with water and hang in proximity of fire.
 
Thanks guys, the canteen cups and nalgene cups are the ticket for a "normal" pack, be it a buttpack, Ruck or similar.

This is a case of compactness for a small PSK.
I'm sticking with the aluminum loaf pan for now, since it can be folded.

Other thought is to find a small metal container, the size of the PSK, and palce all the goodies inside it.

Check this out:
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Survival Kit.htm

Compact.
I just can't find those little pans.
 
My first PSK and the one I still carry x-c skiing is straight out of Lofty Wiseman's book. It is based on a Brit mil mess kit pan and lid. I pack it full of goodies and slip it into its pouch along with a pen flare kit. GTG. Heavy also since I pack in lots of calories and an esbit stove.
 
aarya,
to be able to get ahold of one of the ones in the 6-in-one set-up would probably the best/most compact going.

Thanks for the links guys!

I may have to go to one of those 'high-end" gourmet-chef-type places to find one.


I think I'll wear a coonskin hat and my Ontario Machete into the store, with muddy boots, of course!
"Ya'll got summa them thar minni-aye-ture loaf pans??"

I'll be sportin my Billybob's, too!
shop-billy-bob-teeth.jpg
 
Skunk:
Minni-aye-ture!! LOL!!
I can just picture the horror on the salesclerk's face, when he/she watches you trampling in there with muddy boots, fur-hat, machete on hip, with those teeth.. Oh god! My stomach!
Please bring a camera-crew!!
Ooohh, you`re killing me!
 
I'm thinking about something small, like a retort pouch, but designed to be used over an open flame. One liter minimum, maybe reinforced grommets on top for wire or green saplings to suspend it over the fire.
 
Hey skunk that kit you linked to seemed like a good idea, and i think i may now have a project to do with my old kukri.

You might also try Smoke and Fire. i think its smokeandfire.com anyway they have some really cool tins i use a round one i bought from them, they sell them for fire starting kits but they might work for what you are looking for.

PS if you cant find the website go to ragweed forge. they have a link from there.
 
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