titanium cookware

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Doctorbowie

Joined
Sep 29, 2005
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I am looking for some lightweight cookware for my daypack. Anyone here using titanium instead of stainless steel or aluminum? Are there any issues I should be aware of? Any suggestions for brand names?
Doctorbowie
 
Snowpeak makes some great stuff. I like the ones that will nest around a 1L nalgene bottle. Titanium is much lighter than aluminum, but it does dent alot easier. You have to be careful how you pack it.
 
I like Ti when I am carrying a stove but not when I use a fire. The Ti stuff has minimal handles, so not good when I am using a campfire. Check ebay and REI. I have Vargo, MSR, and SnowPeak. I think SnowPeak is the best quality. If you don't own a stove then consider a complete package like Primus, MSR, or Jetboil.
 
i have the snowpeak SOLO cookset.... i love it... perfect little set up...:thumbup:
 
I have Evernew and Snow Peak. Both are great. I've been using the Evernew a lot for ~12 years, and the Snow Peak a lot for a couple years, and I haven't had any issues, yet.
 
I have an evernew pot with nonstick coating. I was a bit skeptical about the coating, but it has held up pretty well, and greatly simplifies clean-up. I usually just swish some water around to get it mostly clean. Boiling water for the next meal sterillizes things. It's about .7 or .8 liters, perfect for a meal for one, and can be stretched to cook for 2 if you're careful how you stir.

Two minor complaints - first, the flame of my alcohol stove sometimes creeps up the edges of the pot, and singes the plastic heat-cover on the handle. This is more a problem with my stove than the pot. The plastic coating on the handle is good, because you don't need gloves to pick up the pot - a plus in warm weather.

Second complaint is that the lid sometimes gets pushed into the pot in my pack. This is only a problem if I cinch down the pack, or put the pot somewhere that other gear is pushed against it with a good bit of force.

If I somehow lost or destroyed this pot, I'd replace it with the same model, so it works well for me.
 
Recently, I backpacked with a friend. We used his Ti pot 'cause it was 4 oz lighter than my aluminum.

I did notice that the Ti pot passes heat through well but does not distribute it well. There was a distinct hot spot where food tended to stick/burn. That was not a problem with soups.

Does anyone know of a Ti pot with non-stick coating? Is this "evernew" Ti, for example?
 
Doctorbowie, check out Campsaver.com. Last week they had a site-wide sale, and had 15% off most of their ti cookware. Their sale prompted me to take the plunge on some ti stuff. The sale was supposed to have ended on Friday, but as of now they haven't changed their website. The sale is still advertised, but it does say it ended Nov 9. You could add things to a cart and see what prices come up. I've ordered from CampSaver.com before, and have been very happy with their prices and service.
 
I like Ti, but my Evernew pot is sorta thin, I have bent it a bit so the top doesnt quite stay in... They are more fragile than I would have thought, so just be careful. It is light and i havent had any problems with heat distribution, I like it, just dont think its a tank!
 
Titanium is a much poorer heat conducter than aluminum. For short trips, the low weight of the pot makes your total weight lower. But for longer trips, because heat transfer is not as efficient, you will need more fuel than you would with aluminum. You eventually get to the point where the extra fuel weighs more than the difference between titanium and aluminum pots.

And with the poor heat transfer and thin pots, you get hot spots.

And dark pots are more efficient than light pots.
 
I know the ti has hot spots, but I think it actually transfers heat too well. I can not seem to drink anything hot out of it because it will burn my lips before I can take a drink. This was never an issue with the stainless. That is the reason I carry a plastic cup for hot drinks. Guess you're not saving as much weight that way.
My pot is an MSR Titan. The lid fits inside slightly, so it seems very strong as long as the lid is on. W/ the lid off, I worry about it more. I think the ti pots are the least expensive way to shave ounces from your pack. Much cheaper than trying to buy a sleeping bag that weighs 6 oz less.
 
Just back from Googling, and it seems the science is that Ti conducts heat half as well as SS and 8-9% as well as Al.

Ti is actually touted for some applications because it is a relatively poor conductor of heat.
 
Hmm, so does that mean that it will take more fuel to heat water to a boiling point? And if it does require more fuel, does that take away the plus of titaniums lower weight on a trip?
 
Yeah, since I use an esbit stove with esbit fuel, carrying more fuel to meet the longer cook times do make SS look better to me too. Lots less money and faster coffee in the morning. :D
 
Doctorbowie said:
Stainless steel is starting to sound better, especially since I will be using it over open flame.
Click to expand...

Boy Scout cook kits of aluminum have a nearly 100 year record of good utility - most of it over open fires with kids as the operators (as in the best fire is a roaring fire :eek:). Aluminum conducts heat far better than SS and is significantly lighter.
 
But, the titanium cooking pots are probably not pure titanium. So how does that affect your heat transfer theory?

In actual practice, the boil times are effectively identical between aluminum and "titanium" pots. The only reason to use an aluminum pot, is if it is a heat-exchanger pot stolen from a JetBoil set or Primus EtaPower stove.

These heat-exchanger pots boil water blindingly fast.

I like Snow Peak's titanium Trek700 pot. It fits loosly around the 1L Nalgene bottle, and neatly around the 1qt. Gatorade bottle. The Gatorade bottle is cheaper, lighter and a neater fit than the Nalgene.

Try sipping boiling hot tea/coffee/cocoa/soup from you aluminum cup. I still vividly remember trying this. Got a nice burn on my lip from it.

My EverNew and SnowPeak titanium pots work great over wood burning fires. They are all blackened by campfires from my various fishing and hunting trips in the Sierra Nevadas. Just don't put your handles near the flames?

CHEERS
 
You raise some good issues.

How much of the heavier Al do you have to add until the Ti/Al alloy conducts heat as well as Al?

Do the manufacturers disclose the formulas that they use?

To what extent is the advertised weight advantage (I see many ads cited a 45% weight advantage over Al) due to thinner pot walls?

(Is the alloy easier to machine? Pure Ti is famously difficult.)

I solve the burned lips issue with a plastic cup. Guess I'm not a purist.
 
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