Some bush-kettle reviews along with a canteen stove...

[ROCK6]

Well, my last day of “freedom”; tomorrow, I’m back to work.

Well, we didn’t do as much as I had planned over the holidays and a few unplanned events superseded my own plans. I did some wood cutting and squirrel hunting with my son (no luck on the squirrels, but plenty of deer…go figure!).

Anyways, a few of my “Christmas” presents arrived…all after Christmas, but since my B-Day was the first of January, these covered both. I just went out to the wood shed as I have plenty of small chips from splitting. I also picked up a large chunk of fat wood from the place I was cutting firewood from an area that was recently cleared; it was a large chunk, some of it not so good…but plenty still loaded.

I used my Trailhawk that was in my Christmas stocking…it’s a nice, new virgin with the coating stripped away and the handle sanded and some linseed oil rubbed in.

I carried the gear in a couple of Maxpedition pouches:

Here’s the lineup:

I had a few new bush-pots and stoves to try. The only one I didn’t take out was Mors Kochanski’s “Bush Pot” which is really just a Teflon-coated (old stock) Open Country 2 quart kettle that has the bail, folding handle, pour spout and removable lid with handle. Sorry, no pictures and there is a very small stock of old pots sold by Four Dog.com; these are aluminum and coated, but the size and design are perfect for solo or two-person use…

MTF…ROCK6

 

[ROCK6]

I wanted to try out Snow Peak’s new, little “Kettle No. 1” which is stainless. It has a pour spout, nice bail, folding handles and even a slightly sunken lid if you wanted to put coals on top as a pseudo Dutch oven. It’s smaller than it looks on-line, but is about perfect as solo bush pot. The only thing I wish these type of pots had are the tabbed slots that the Open Country pots have that allow the bail handle to remain fixed at the up position. Other than that, it’s a decent little pot at a good price.

I scored a couple of coffee pot lids that perfectly fit the GSI/Olicamp Nalgene nesting mugs. Lids just help to get a boil faster from these small cups and pots. This is a small aftermarket Bunn lid…http://www.cw-usa.com/parts-bunn-commercial-lid-assembly.html
I was a little worried about the handle melting, but it did okay. I don’t think I’d use this lid over coals in a larger open fire, but for these smaller stoves, it worked just fine.

I also used my Vargo titanium, folding hex stove…still works like a charm!

MTF…ROCK6

 

[ROCK6]

Lastly, I used an Echo canteen and my standard USGI canteen cup with a very rough, homemade lid and a neat new stove from CanteenShop.com; the stove is very heavy duty and well made. It was a tight fit in the Maxpedition pouch, but I still was able to get it in and out with a little finagling.

As a small side review from a pair of Duluth Trading gloves, they are quite handy. Not really cold weather gloves, just decent working gloves that allow your most used fingers to access items. I think they were framing gloves so you could manipulate small items like nails much easier. I like them and have had them for a while…mostly used as my mountain biking gloves. One small issue, don’t use them while trying to start a fire! My fire steel sprayed a shower of sparks and some landed on the thumb material of my off hand and it literally caught fire. You can see in the second photo that it didn’t do much damage, but melted some of the smaller synthetic fibers from the material shown on the upper glove. Another reason that although synthetic materials are lighter, dry faster and more convenient at times…open fires and flames can ruin your day if you’re not careful!

Oh, my son enjoyed using the fire steel on fatwood shavings and had a bunch of success…most of his time was shooting his PSE Recurve bow which he received at Christmas and absolutely loves…

Cheers and Happy New Year to all!

ROCK6

 

[mtnfolk mike]

right on Rock... nice looking kit(s)..:thumbup: sounds like you folks had a good Christmas and New Years... nice job on scoring the recurve for the little dude..

 

[Stickman]

Very nice review Rock, I like that little kettle design. I guess the glove flare up gets your attention pretty quick, eh? I will use that image to remind me "no synthetics" while tending the fire.

 

[ROCK6]

nice job on scoring the recurve for the little dude..

Thanks Mike...a decent bow (and yes, he needs a little more instruction) is excellent for a 11 (almost 12) year old boy. He'll spend hours shooting at his target. It's a nice little bow that still requires attention, so it's good to get him in the habit of stringing/unstringing it properly and keeping his arrows clean after use.

Very nice review Rock, I like that little kettle design. I guess the glove flare up gets your attention pretty quick, eh? I will use that image to remind me "no synthetics" while tending the fire.

That little kettle is a sleeper. A great design, well built and very functional for around $20.00.

I really like these gloves and some of the other lightweight synthtics such as Ironclad or Mechanix, but you do have to be careful around open fires...I was just surprised it was sparks from a firesteel!

ROCK6

 

[arijer]

Some nice gear. Good to know about this kettle.

BTW what is the knife in pic #4 down with the fatwood? Is that a bayley??? drooolll

 

[ROCK6]

Some nice gear. Good to know about this kettle.

BTW what is the knife in pic #4 down with the fatwood? Is that a bayley??? drooolll

After choking on the price and wait of a Bayley, I found a good maker in the US that puts a similar blade out with a very functional horizontal sheath option. It's the Bushcraft-Tactical (BT for short) from Martin Knives

I had a few addtions:

I met both brothers at the Blade Show last year...great guys and quality blades.

ROCK6

 

[Bushman5]

really cool pictures....and man that is a nice pipe, who is the maker?

 

[brians]

I like that Vargo.

 

[mtwarden]

quick question if I could- does the canteen pot nest into the canteen stove (and then assuming canteen nests in the pot)? does it all fit in the maxped canteen holder?

danke

 

[ratamahatta]

great pics, I really like the snow peak kettle!!!!

 

[ROCK6]

really cool pictures....and man that is a nice pipe, who is the maker?

Hey Bushman, it's a Stanwell Christian Hans Andersen pipe...I think it's the rustic version as show here:

http://www.milantobacco.com/stanwell_pipes.htm

It came with both the long stem and short stem but my short stem broke during out last move. I need to get a replacement as the long stem looks cool but is a PITA if you're doing anything more than lounging. I haven't "smoked a bowl" in a while, but it was good to pull it out for a nice afternoon.

quick question if I could- does the canteen pot nest into the canteen stove (and then assuming canteen nests in the pot)? does it all fit in the maxped canteen holder?

danke

Yeap! Canteen nests into the cup and the cup nests in the stove and the whole package fits into the Maxpedition canteen holder/pouch. Like I said, it was a tight fit and I had to put the stove in first, followed by the cup and than the canteen. If you really wanted to make it easier, you could cut out the storm collar, inside sleeve pouch and even the roll top cover (which needs to be folded inside the caneen to fit the head of the canteen.

ROCK6

 

[sicily02]

Rock6, happy B-day, Great pics and commentary on your cooking pots and that
little stove. I was looking at them the other day on the web thought they looked kind of cool.

Bryan

 

[ROCK6]

Rock6, happy B-day, Great pics and commentary on your cooking pots and that
little stove. I was looking at them the other day on the web thought they looked kind of cool.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan! The CanteenShop.com stove is built like a tank and I must admit that if the smaller size works for you, that Snow Peak Kettle No. 1, which is also stainless is a well made little kettle. I like the lid design allowing you to add coals on top if needed; plus the pour spout is always handly. Like I side, the only issue (the same I have with most bails) is that you need to flatten the holder a little so it will stay up when you put it up otherwise it flops to the side and heats up like the devil!

I do have to say that I handle the boiling water from the kettle by my bare hands...the handle (folded out when on the stove) and bail were warm the handle a little warmer, but I was able to remove and pour with no issues.

ROCK6

 

[sicily02]

Rocks6 you are welcome lol. I tell ya the reason I looked up and happened to see the them little stoves like that is I was looking for a real wood burning stove like one to heat a shelter I have in mind.
I think I am going to get one of the ti stoves.
I am wanting to have a take down wood burner stove and a stove pipe.


Anyways that is a neat little stove you got.

Bryan

 

[ROCK6]

Rocks6 you are welcome lol. I tell ya the reason I looked up and happened to see the them little stoves like that is I was looking for a real wood burning stove like one to heat a shelter I have in mind.
I think I am going to get one of the ti stoves.
I am wanting to have a take down wood burner stove and a stove pipe.

Anyways that is a neat little stove you got.

Bryan

The Vargo stove folds down real flat and is a pretty robust stove. One thing to watch our for is to make sure it has a decent base. There is a about a 1/2" clearance for the base of the stove allowing some air flow, but mostly for the small coals and ashes to fall out. If you don't have a decent base (rock or something to catch the ashes, it will definitely burn the ground or anything under it. A very good little stove...

ROCK6

 

[sicily02]

Rocks6 I have the pocket cooker and it like that way too,
But I am talking a real wood burning stove like the one
kairfu I think I spelled that wrong lol. They have stoves
you put in your tent to heat it. They can be taken apart and
put in your back pack. That is what I ment by Ti stoves lol

I should have explained it better lol.

Anyways, Chat with you later,

Bryan

 

[KuRUpTD]

But I am talking a real wood burning stove like the one kairfu I think I spelled that wrong lol. They have stoves
you put in your tent to heat it. They can be taken apart and
put in your back pack.

Those Kifaru stoves are impressive Bryan ... make sure you post pics when you get it.

 

[sicily02]

KuRupTD, Yep them are the ones. I have not got the one picked out yet they have several. But when I do I will post pics. I would have order one this week but I order another custom pack design that I want with Frost river today.

Do you have one of them stoves? if so which one? Any thoughts to share would be great.
I ment to say that the small or the med is the one I am really looking at that para one looks ok but might be just to small for what I am wanting.
wieght wise they are not that much more.

Bryan