@@glenn2595 I watched a previous video of his again a couple of months ago and noted it had been a long time since he posted anything. It was good to see he's still out there in his Ohio headquarters.
I don’t understand this obsession with boiling water really fast. I’ve used Sterno fuel a lot, and I’ve never had any problems cooking. The whole point of being outdoors, is to chill and enjoy it.
My obsession is to spend less time doing chores like making a meal so I can get to sleep or start hiking. When these are done at high altitude, it takes a lot longer. But, what do I know.
Your advice over the years always brings me back to earth, it’s so easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest new items but when you just keep it simple life is good. Please keep up the great work and I am looking forward to your next video.
600ml snowpeak cup Titanium lid with wood handle Bottom 3/4in of red bull can holds fuel Rabbit wire pot holder Aluminum flashing windscreen I can boil water and cook well enough on it to get by for 3-4 days outdoors. Fantastic lightweight setup. Great video, I'm subscribed
Thanks for the video! I am guilty of boiling the water myself but will adjust this. My set up for 3 season long distance hiking is a BRS3000T off Amazon (>1oz, $20ish) and a Toaks 550ml titanium pot (2.6oz, $30ish). For such little weight it has worked more than good enough for an item I use twice a day max for 4 minutes. On weekend trips I bring a frying pan and large aluminum pot sometimes. Different tools for different objectives.
That's what I use as well. I haven't used a wind screen but I am planning to use one in 23. I also use Minute rice with packets of meat because my cardiologist said to cut out the dehydrated pre-packaged meals. That has REALLY cut down on the fuel AND the costs.
There are more alternatives for meals that don't require cooking then ones that are cold soaked -- Wraps, smoothies, mueseli (instead of oatmeal). One can even backpack Kale. In the summer cold meals are appealing. Using cookie sheet as a screen is a good idea! Thanks
Thank you - first-time watcher - you had me chuckling all through this. At 68 I got into backpacking and did all the things you talked about. Then it begins to dawn on me - WHAT? I don't need that, or to boil the water for that, or to bring that item, etc., etc., etc. Listening to you on this video tell the truth about what does or can work had me going back through those things/thoughts that had me purchase a lot of backpacking things that were really about 'status' or 'cool' to show off, or 'current' trend and should have been really about "what do you 'want' to do - not NEED to do when you are out there. Now a couple years later I am weeding through everything I too quickly accumulated "because" and finding that a lot of equipment, and items that were deemed "necessary" weren't really and now that age/injury has dictated what I can carry even on day trips let alone overnighter extended ones, I have a lot of gear to sell or just give away to someone who might wish to 'try' them. So thanks for the tips of truth and like you said - nothing wrong with it, just not really necessary a lot of the time or places one is at.
Do you do anything to filter or purify the water before using it for cooking? In my area, I would be slightly worried about using untreated surface water and NOT bringing it to a full boil. This may be unnecessary, but it feels like cheap insurance against tummy troubles on the trail. If the water is filtered before hand, your method sounds really reasonable.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
I was surprised and pleased to see you back, my friend! Good subject. I've been using alcohol stoves for almost 20 years, in temperatures down to +5 degrees Fahrenheit. It's quiet, and my homemade stove has no moving parts to malfunction and no canister with a valve to (potentially) leak (only happened once). I sleep with my fuel, and fix a hot water bottle before bed that heats me up and warms quickly on the stove on cold mornings. I have also made and bought many wood burning stoves for shorter hikes when I wish to barbecue meats. We hurry too much at home to worry about saving 5 minutes preparing meals in the backcountry. As always, I appreciate your commentary. 👍 Take care and God bless! 🙏✌
Good advice. I wish I had it before I did my thru. Reminds me of discussions I've had about driving speed. There is a large difference in fuel consumption with very little return (time to destination) by speeding.
I did a NOLS winter mountaineering course in Alaska. We lived on a glacier with about 12 feet of snow for an entire month. We melted snow everyday for water and never brought it to a boil. You just got to get it to the “fish egg” stage for it to be safe to drink. I too use a closed cell foam pad.
@@melindahall5062 -- Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not.
I have a jetboil and it's something I always use it on any trip. It takes 90 seconds to boil water and it doesnt affect the speed. I always use freeze dried food in a Tupperware container and it takes only 8 minutes. The catch with me is I own a freeze dryer so I make my own meals.
Great advice. I made a wrap to go around my Toaks 750ml pot. Holds the heat in very well. If you make one, just make sure to cut a circle for the lid. You can find lots of videos that instruct you on how to make one.
I make one for my 550 titanium with reflectix and duct tape for the circle bottom. It doesn't have a lid but I keep the titanium lid on the pot if I am waiting to eat it.
Nice to see you back , makes it feel like the old times. I heat water to the near boiling point , 190 to 200. It's all I need for freezer bag cooking. I use a cozy for the freezer bag to finish the cooking process. I like it for several reasons , it's simple. There is a monetary savings. I can make the meals I want and like. The best part is that I'm lazy and clean up is easy , lick the spoon and use the 1st freezer bag as the trash bag for the rest. I like to use either a alcohol stove or a wood ( twig ) burning one. They are paired up so I have a choice on which one at any given time.
You make some good points. Lessons learned from many, many trail miles. If noting else, the idea of not quite going to 212 F will safe on fuel. Cheers!
Great to hear your voice again! I've done a lot of home made meals for rehydrating. Full boil is not necessary, and it take increasing time and fuel to reach the full boil.
I have the old MSR Pocket Rocket and like it but find it gets little use on the trail anymore. The Esbit or "Tommy Cooker" style is always in the pack though just because 1 they work fine for most things, 2 weight of the fuel tabs is a lot less and can help start a fire too, 3 they can be used with even a wood fire in a pinch. Love this content and keep it up!
I used an alcohol stove and was happy with it. It took me about 10-15 ml of alcohol to heat up enough water to reconstitute my dinner. I always let it burn out and got really good at estimating how much it took to get the water hot. 🤷🏻♀️
Susan Kaempfer - I've seen more than one person on the AT let their alcohol stove burn all the fuel, because they knew exactly how much to put in to get the job done. Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
As an old milkman that lived near me used to say, “It doesn’t take near as much water to make coffee as most people think.” That was his way of saying you made it too weak boy!
It's worth noting there's a difference between merely rehydrating some dehydrated or freeze dried concoction and actually cooking something. Dehydrated and freeze dried meals have already been cooked. As far as killing any living critters in your water, they're not all equal. However, in general, the less heat that is added, the longer the exposure to that heat is required. That being said, I usually carry a combination fuel stove that will burn wood or alcohol or esbit. I reserve the alcohol or esbit for times that I'm feeling impatient or dead twigs are scarce. When using wood, I don't really meter my fuel. If I light that fire, I can boil a pot of water for at least 15 minutes or even cook a stew from fresh.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I wasn't making a pitch for using boiling to process water so much as noting it takes a longer exposure to 180 degree water than 200 degree water to kill pathogens. Mold spores are incredibly hearty in that regard. That being said, we tend to use "purifying" a bit loosely. Many contaminants are chemical, and many of those will pass right through most filters. Sort of like pitching a shelter, water source selection is akin to site selection, fail at that and the rest won't help.
Like the perspective you give. I’ve done both cold soaking (mostly rice and ramen with decent results) and an alcohol stove. I like the latter a little better. I’m trying to do pouch cooking to keep my pot on the clean side. Thanks again for the video!
Great to see and hear from you yet again. I ditched a stove a while ago and cold soaking takes at least two weeks on trail to become attractive to me. With age I also found that I don't crave the sugary stuff so much anymore, but fatty and salty treats with an occaisonal snickers here and there. But yeah, a nutritionist would disapprove it all together 😄
What do you soak? I tried soaking Knorr rice and noodle sides, which include powder to make sauce. No matter how long I waited, the powder would just clump together .... no sauce, just clumps. Thanks for sharing and thanks again for being a great viewer!!!
I also cook a lot by heat and wait. Especially with a gas stove you can easaly save gas by turning the stove off and throw a towal or something over the pot to keep the warmth longer. And sometimes I turn it on again for a very short time. So you can even cook stuff that needs longer with very little gas.
I use what I use in the Army 2 stainless steel dixies a stainless cups canteen. I use hexi esbit. I use this old stuff called twigs and I can make a nice steak mash( instant) peas corn and gravy. Take it frozen wrap it in clothing and you can have steak on day 3 in 40s 104°F . Costs less than dehydrated food and nicer. Bit if weight in cook wear means good food. Like hey, you ask every grunt forever to carry this cook gear. It's 8 ounce big deal.
I will. I got lazy and distracted by other stuff for quite a while, but I snapped out of it. :) Glad you liked the video and thanks a million for being a viewer!
The only reason to boil water while out backpacking is for sterilization. If I need more heat, I'll start a small fire. Other than that, I just need enough to cook food.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
@flatbrokeoutside I always keep a filter as well. When it comes to boiling water , I will do it in the evenings, usually on a small campfire when I'm out. I mostly hike around the CDT or the colorado trail when I get the time. I would never recommend drinking water without filtering or sterilization, though. I've dealt with dysentery in the past, and it almost killed me.
Great info. The fuel savings is a good point. I think boiling is used because it’s basically a constant and a thermometer is not needed. Scientifically, all things being equal and repeatable.
On point in my opinion I camp out at work for a week sometimes months and while weight isn’t an issue for me with the truck being right there it’s still a waste of resources that you don’t know when you’ll be resupplied with so when possible I build fires and cook on that but when I’m not able I use only the fuel I must for food while I don’t usually have freeze dried food I do make my own dehydrated meals and as soon as I see light bubbles coming up I shut off the stove and let the meal soak hasn’t failed me yet and like you said burnt food is a rare occasion
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
Even instant oatmeal says add hot or boiling water noting hot water mentioned first. You don’t need to boil stuff to death for hot water at the right temp sufficiently does the job. Good vid…..
Agreed that boiling isn't really necessary. BUT if you aren't treating your water obviously you need to boil for a minute or more to kill the bad bugs. I still just cook the dehydrated meals right inside their packaging and just heat the water to pour in so I dont have to clean pots. Ain't nobody got time for that!
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
I generally heat water and pour it into the Mountain House pouch, close it, shake it up. I use a measuring cup for the water, then put it into the container im using to heat it. And I've noticed the altitude info on some food.
If you just have to have hot water take a can of Sterno and a set of cross-stands from your alcohol stove and enjoy! Two cans might last an entire week with proper care.
Hope this means you are going to start posting some more, I've missed your videos. I use a twig stove but understand that some areas do not allow open flame.
You should give no cook food and cold soaking another try. If you find foods you like, you can reduce your pack weight and simplify your food preparation.
I am enjoying experimenting with cold soaking, especially for breakfast. Yesterday I made a concoction I really liked, so now I can do variations on a theme to keep it interesting. I use a peanut butter jar rather than the Talenti, which I find too small for my needs (and I don’t think their gelato is anything to write home about either!). Yeah, I’m a rebel. Ha!
Taz Mahal - My problem is I wanted to cold soak Knorr noodle and pasta sides. They include powder that turns into a sauce. Problem was I couldn't get that to happen. The powder just clumped up and stayed that way. Not appetizing. I even bought a 16 oz. Nalgene jar for this, so I was serious. I am getting the idea people succeed by soaking just ramen noodles, nothing else added, just rice with nothing else added, etc. Am I right about that? Is that what's required? I welcome any tips you have. And thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 It depends what you like to eat. I like couscous with sunflower seeds, and refried beans with frito chips. It is true that many foods don't cold soak well. Test them at home! Search cold soaking on youtube for ideas.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
I thought you were going to be one of those cold soaking guys. I was going to stress my opinion in the need to have some ability to boil water in the backcountry. But I like your system! This is pretty much what I do, I just didn’t really consider the fact that I usually don’t heat the water to a complete rolling boil. 🙏🏼
My problem is I wanted to cold soak Knorr noodle and pasta sides. They include powder that turns into a sauce. Problem was I couldn't get that to happen. The powder just clumped up and stayed that way. Not appetizing. I even bought a 16 oz. Nalgene jar for this, so I was serious. I am getting the idea people succeed by soaking just ramen noodles, nothing else added, just rice with nothing else added, etc. I probably prefer heated food anyway. :) Thanks for commenting and thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I tried cold soaking as well, and just didn’t like it. But I totally agree with you, I think it is important to bring food up to a very hot temperature to kill bacteria. I also believe that it is important to have so ability to boil water in case of a filter loss or damage.
The thing about alcohol stoves is they work fastest and most efficiently when you only fill them with the amout of fuel necessary to heat whatever item your heating. As mentioned, 15ml is good for a big mug of tea, or for a freeze dried meal. Any amout of fuel in excess of that actually slows the stove down, and needlessly burns extra fuel. And you absolutely right about not needing to overheat water.
It's about time someone else mentioned that about boiling water. I just found your Channel and it sounds to me like you do the same things that I do. There's all kind of ways to knock your weight down and all kind of things to be able to eat safe enough food and drink safe enough water it only has to be a slight little bubble in the bottom and your water is safe I said this I don't know how many times and really get jumped on about it so I quit saying it. Thank you for putting this back out and I hope many people read it because they sure are wasting a lot of fuel. Thanks for the video I think I'll subscribe for a little while. Stay vigilant!
👍👍👍 Truth! Coffee tastes better if brewed below 'boiling point'. Tea? The 'die-hards' (me included) will go down fighting to the last man believing that a decent cup of tea requires a rolling boil. Most else, agreed .. nope! The obsession with how quickly water can be brought to a boil .. same with survival is almost impossible without '550 paracord' .. 😏 jawelnofine. My Camping Gaz Bluet 206 Gas Burner (still going strong since the 70's) has never had to be opened full throttle. Surprising .. gas seems to last a lot longer that way and still getting the job done. Enclosing the Burner and Pot with a windscreen, irrespective of the outside temperature, adds more value to that. Cooler weather .. Alcohol, Wood and a White Gas Optimus 8R Hunter does the necessary. 72 Summers underfoot, 'kaput' knees and hip joints feeling their age now precludes 'back packing' per sé. A regular wander into my adjacent forest is still an ongoing. Wise words .. thanks for sharing.
Yes, tea water needs to be boiling, or within a degree or two. I saw my son making tea with water that wasn't boiling, and I said "I've failed as a father."
I’ve found that boiling tea water, then turning off the flame for two minutes before steeping produces a better cup of tea. Google it, this may surprise you - it did me after all these years!
(mentally lazy) since everyone can recognize a boil, they can just turn off mind and turn up the dial. so it's easy to direct unskilled hikers without explanation
It's true that many go out without testing much of anything in advance, but it's also true I've had to learn everything the hard way. :) And thanks for watching!
That's the original MSR Titan kettle, the very first design. I've owned it forever ... in fact they changed them about 20 years ago. They put some plastic on the loop on the lid, and increased the diameter slightly. That's what they still sell. Mine was pricey when I got it, but I figured it would last forever, and so far it has. I probably should add it has no measurements stamped into the side. If it did, I would not have purchased it. Because I don't need them, and they are an impediment to thorough cleaning. And thanks for being a great viewer!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I also have a MSR made of stainless steel that looks like the one you have but not really sure of the size , I bought it at goodwill for 2 bucks and it's built like a tank. Good luck in your future 🚶 hiking and be safe .
I don't care if you posted a twenty minute still shot of a litter box. It's just good to see you post another video.
Glad to see you still out there!
Agreed, I'm glad to see his post as well. I was going to write a similar comment, but you beat me to it.
@@glenn2595 I watched a previous video of his again a couple of months ago and noted it had been a long time since he posted anything. It was good to see he's still out there in his Ohio headquarters.
👍😎
wisenber - Hmmmmm. If I had a funny cat, that might work! :) Glad you liked the video and thanks for being a great viewer!
Cats would like that ..
I don’t understand this obsession with boiling water really fast. I’ve used Sterno fuel a lot, and I’ve never had any problems cooking. The whole point of being outdoors, is to chill and enjoy it.
I've used Sterno myself on hunting trips. Good choice! And thanks for watching.
My obsession is to spend less time doing chores like making a meal so I can get to sleep or start hiking. When these are done at high altitude, it takes a lot longer. But, what do I know.
@@travisgrimm My goals match yours!
I care more about how a stove will simmer.
@@aurtisanminer2827 MSR pocket rocket does a great simmer.
An intelligent man speaks, and speaks from experience and common sense. Glad to see you back.
Your advice over the years always brings me back to earth, it’s so easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest new items but when you just keep it simple life is good. Please keep up the great work and I am looking forward to your next video.
I'll be posting more stuff. And thanks a million for being a great viewer!
Glad to see you posting! Your videos led to my alcohol stove fixation when backpacking. Peaceful and lighter on the shorter trips.
I like your story! haha ... Yeah, alcohol is pretty straightforward and works great. And thanks again for being a viewer!
600ml snowpeak cup
Titanium lid with wood handle
Bottom 3/4in of red bull can holds fuel
Rabbit wire pot holder
Aluminum flashing windscreen
I can boil water and cook well enough on it to get by for 3-4 days outdoors. Fantastic lightweight setup. Great video, I'm subscribed
Thanks for sharing. Welcome aboard and thanks for watching!
Your voice and delivery is second to none. Glad to see you posting. BRS stove is all I have ever used.
Wow, thanks! Thanks for watching and thanks for being a great viewer!
Tried your no boil method and it worked out really well. Only used 85 grams of gas in seven days on the trail. Thanks for the tip.
Nice! Good job! And thanks a million for watching!
Thanks for the video! I am guilty of boiling the water myself but will adjust this. My set up for 3 season long distance hiking is a BRS3000T off Amazon (>1oz, $20ish) and a Toaks 550ml titanium pot (2.6oz, $30ish). For such little weight it has worked more than good enough for an item I use twice a day max for 4 minutes.
On weekend trips I bring a frying pan and large aluminum pot sometimes. Different tools for different objectives.
That's what I use as well. I haven't used a wind screen but I am planning to use one in 23. I also use Minute rice with packets of meat because my cardiologist said to cut out the dehydrated pre-packaged meals. That has REALLY cut down on the fuel AND the costs.
WIOD189 - Thanks for sharing and thanks a million for watching!
Another good video segment. The part about cold soaking was humorous.
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
There are more alternatives for meals that don't require cooking then ones that are cold soaked -- Wraps, smoothies, mueseli (instead of oatmeal). One can even backpack Kale. In the summer cold meals are appealing. Using cookie sheet as a screen is a good idea! Thanks
You make good suggestions! Thanks for sharing and thanks for being a great viewer!
Thank you - first-time watcher - you had me chuckling all through this. At 68 I got into backpacking and did all the things you talked about. Then it begins to dawn on me - WHAT? I don't need that, or to boil the water for that, or to bring that item, etc., etc., etc. Listening to you on this video tell the truth about what does or can work had me going back through those things/thoughts that had me purchase a lot of backpacking things that were really about 'status' or 'cool' to show off, or 'current' trend and should have been really about "what do you 'want' to do - not NEED to do when you are out there.
Now a couple years later I am weeding through everything I too quickly accumulated "because" and finding that a lot of equipment, and items that were deemed "necessary" weren't really and now that age/injury has dictated what I can carry even on day trips let alone overnighter extended ones, I have a lot of gear to sell or just give away to someone who might wish to 'try' them. So thanks for the tips of truth and like you said - nothing wrong with it, just not really necessary a lot of the time or places one is at.
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for commenting and thanks a million for watching!
Do you do anything to filter or purify the water before using it for cooking? In my area, I would be slightly worried about using untreated surface water and NOT bringing it to a full boil. This may be unnecessary, but it feels like cheap insurance against tummy troubles on the trail.
If the water is filtered before hand, your method sounds really reasonable.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
Agreed
Overconfidence is a weakness
I was surprised and pleased to see you back, my friend! Good subject. I've been using alcohol stoves for almost 20 years, in temperatures down to +5 degrees Fahrenheit. It's quiet, and my homemade stove has no moving parts to malfunction and no canister with a valve to (potentially) leak (only happened once).
I sleep with my fuel, and fix a hot water bottle before bed that heats me up and warms quickly on the stove on cold mornings. I have also made and bought many wood burning stoves for shorter hikes when I wish to barbecue meats. We hurry too much at home to worry about saving 5 minutes preparing meals in the backcountry.
As always, I appreciate your commentary. 👍
Take care and God bless! 🙏✌
You've got a good system, thanks for sharing! Glad you like the video and thanks a million for being a great viewer!
Again good to see you back. I have found the same thing scalding hot water will do the job just fine in most circumstances.
Thanks for sharing, and thanks a million for being a great viewer!
Good advice. I wish I had it before I did my thru. Reminds me of discussions I've had about driving speed. There is a large difference in fuel consumption with very little return (time to destination) by speeding.
Congratulations on the thru hike! Glad you liked the video and thanks a million for watching!
I did a NOLS winter mountaineering course in Alaska. We lived on a glacier with about 12 feet of snow for an entire month. We melted snow everyday for water and never brought it to a boil. You just got to get it to the “fish egg” stage for it to be safe to drink. I too use a closed cell foam pad.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
Boiling the water is the point. You got lucky.
@@melindahall5062 -- Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not.
I have a jetboil and it's something I always use it on any trip. It takes 90 seconds to boil water and it doesnt affect the speed.
I always use freeze dried food in a Tupperware container and it takes only 8 minutes.
The catch with me is I own a freeze dryer so I make my own meals.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
Excellent advice and good to see you again. Full boil ruins a cup of coffee too. Little bubbles is how I roll. Thanks for sharing !
Glad you liked the video and thanks for being a great viewer!
Great advice. I made a wrap to go around my Toaks 750ml pot. Holds the heat in very well. If you make one, just make sure to cut a circle for the lid. You can find lots of videos that instruct you on how to make one.
I make one for my 550 titanium with reflectix and duct tape for the circle bottom. It doesn't have a lid but I keep the titanium lid on the pot if I am waiting to eat it.
2laughandlaugh - Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
Great to hear from you!
Thanks, and thanks for being a great viewer!
Nice to see you back , makes it feel like the old times. I heat water to the near boiling point , 190 to 200. It's all I need for freezer bag cooking. I use a cozy for the freezer bag to finish the cooking process. I like it for several reasons , it's simple. There is a monetary savings. I can make the meals I want and like. The best part is that I'm lazy and clean up is easy , lick the spoon and use the 1st freezer bag as the trash bag for the rest. I like to use either a alcohol stove or a wood ( twig ) burning one. They are paired up so I have a choice on which one at any given time.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
Love it! More solid advice. Thanks.
Glad you liked it and thanks for being a great viewer!
Another great video! Your backpacking knowledge is priceless! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the endorsement and thanks again for being a great viewer!
You make some good points. Lessons learned from many, many trail miles. If noting else, the idea of not quite going to 212 F will safe on fuel. Cheers!
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching and keep posting those videos!
Great to hear your voice again! I've done a lot of home made meals for rehydrating. Full boil is not necessary, and it take increasing time and fuel to reach the full boil.
Good to see you again! Thanks for sharing and thanks for being a viewer!
This is tremendously helpful! Once again common sense wins the day.
Glad you liked it, sir, and thanks a million for watching!
I have the old MSR Pocket Rocket and like it but find it gets little use on the trail anymore. The Esbit or "Tommy Cooker" style is always in the pack though just because 1 they work fine for most things, 2 weight of the fuel tabs is a lot less and can help start a fire too, 3 they can be used with even a wood fire in a pinch. Love this content and keep it up!
Good tips, thanks for sharing and thanks a million for watching!
Just wish they didn't smell so bad, they stink up my pack. Love them otherwise, even though I tend towards alcohol stoves.
Great to see you back! Always love your videos
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching and thanks for being a viewer!
I used an alcohol stove and was happy with it. It took me about 10-15 ml of alcohol to heat up enough water to reconstitute my dinner. I always let it burn out and got really good at estimating how much it took to get the water hot. 🤷🏻♀️
15 ml of water ????? Very funny. Does it works in a car ? 🤣🤣🤣
@@vert2527 yeah, derrrr… 🤪 10-15 ml of alcohol, not water. I’ve edited it now 😆
Susan Kaempfer - I've seen more than one person on the AT let their alcohol stove burn all the fuel, because they knew exactly how much to put in to get the job done. Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
I use a BRS stove and carry a titanium firebox nano for a backup. It’s true you don’t have to boil water to make food or coffee.
As an old milkman that lived near me used to say, “It doesn’t take near as much water to make coffee as most people think.” That was his way of saying you made it too weak boy!
Same!
It's worth noting there's a difference between merely rehydrating some dehydrated or freeze dried concoction and actually cooking something. Dehydrated and freeze dried meals have already been cooked.
As far as killing any living critters in your water, they're not all equal. However, in general, the less heat that is added, the longer the exposure to that heat is required.
That being said, I usually carry a combination fuel stove that will burn wood or alcohol or esbit. I reserve the alcohol or esbit for times that I'm feeling impatient or dead twigs are scarce. When using wood, I don't really meter my fuel. If I light that fire, I can boil a pot of water for at least 15 minutes or even cook a stew from fresh.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I wasn't making a pitch for using boiling to process water so much as noting it takes a longer exposure to 180 degree water than 200 degree water to kill pathogens. Mold spores are incredibly hearty in that regard.
That being said, we tend to use "purifying" a bit loosely. Many contaminants are chemical, and many of those will pass right through most filters.
Sort of like pitching a shelter, water source selection is akin to site selection, fail at that and the rest won't help.
Like the perspective you give. I’ve done both cold soaking (mostly rice and ramen with decent results) and an alcohol stove. I like the latter a little better. I’m trying to do pouch cooking to keep my pot on the clean side. Thanks again for the video!
Glad you liked the video and thanks for watching!
Great to see and hear from you yet again. I ditched a stove a while ago and cold soaking takes at least two weeks on trail to become attractive to me. With age I also found that I don't crave the sugary stuff so much anymore, but fatty and salty treats with an occaisonal snickers here and there. But yeah, a nutritionist would disapprove it all together 😄
What do you soak? I tried soaking Knorr rice and noodle sides, which include powder to make sauce. No matter how long I waited, the powder would just clump together .... no sauce, just clumps. Thanks for sharing and thanks again for being a great viewer!!!
I also cook a lot by heat and wait. Especially with a gas stove you can easaly save gas by turning the stove off and throw a towal or something over the pot to keep the warmth longer. And sometimes I turn it on again for a very short time. So you can even cook stuff that needs longer with very little gas.
Good points! Thanks for commenting and thanks for watching!
I use what I use in the Army 2 stainless steel dixies a stainless cups canteen. I use hexi esbit. I use this old stuff called twigs and I can make a nice steak mash( instant) peas corn and gravy. Take it frozen wrap it in clothing and you can have steak on day 3 in 40s 104°F . Costs less than dehydrated food and nicer. Bit if weight in cook wear means good food. Like hey, you ask every grunt forever to carry this cook gear. It's 8 ounce big deal.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for watching!
great to hear your commentary again...hope you keep posting!!
I will. I got lazy and distracted by other stuff for quite a while, but I snapped out of it. :) Glad you liked the video and thanks a million for being a viewer!
Always glad to see something from you.
Thanks my friend! Great to see you again and thanks for watching!
The only reason to boil water while out backpacking is for sterilization. If I need more heat, I'll start a small fire. Other than that, I just need enough to cook food.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
@flatbrokeoutside I always keep a filter as well. When it comes to boiling water , I will do it in the evenings, usually on a small campfire when I'm out. I mostly hike around the CDT or the colorado trail when I get the time. I would never recommend drinking water without filtering or sterilization, though. I've dealt with dysentery in the past, and it almost killed me.
Great info. The fuel savings is a good point.
I think boiling is used because it’s basically a constant and a thermometer is not needed. Scientifically, all things being equal and repeatable.
I see your point, but watching for bubbles appearing also works. And thanks for watching!
Nice to see you back. Miss your videos. Hope all is well.
Doing fine. I've just been lazy for too long. And thanks for being a viewer!
On point in my opinion I camp out at work for a week sometimes months and while weight isn’t an issue for me with the truck being right there it’s still a waste of resources that you don’t know when you’ll be resupplied with so when possible I build fires and cook on that but when I’m not able I use only the fuel I must for food while I don’t usually have freeze dried food I do make my own dehydrated meals and as soon as I see light bubbles coming up I shut off the stove and let the meal soak hasn’t failed me yet and like you said burnt food is a rare occasion
Thanks for sharing your experience and thanks for being a viewer!
Great video. 190 degree water makes sense to me for cooing food. Maybe I’m brainwashed, but couldn’t peacefully drink water unless I boil it.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
hm
never thought of this stuff.
good to know
~ thanks, man
You're welcome! And thanks a million for watching!
GREAT INFORMATION!
Glad you like it and thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921
Even instant oatmeal says add hot or boiling water noting hot water mentioned first. You don’t need to boil stuff to death for hot water at the right temp sufficiently does the job. Good vid…..
Nice update. I’ve always made my coffee around 180, can’t enjoy it ant hotter than that.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
The boil water thing is CYA language. Just in case someone has dipped their water out of a mudhole.
Oh man, I never thought you'd make another video!
I just got lazy and distracted by other stuff. And thanks for being a viewer!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 Quite understood!
I think I will go boil some water...LOL Great vid!
Agreed that boiling isn't really necessary. BUT if you aren't treating your water obviously you need to boil for a minute or more to kill the bad bugs. I still just cook the dehydrated meals right inside their packaging and just heat the water to pour in so I dont have to clean pots. Ain't nobody got time for that!
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 Agreed, sawyer for me for life. As long as its not that mini. It's junk, flows slow and clogs.
I generally heat water and pour it into the Mountain House pouch, close it, shake it up. I use a measuring cup for the water, then put it into the container im using to heat it.
And I've noticed the altitude info on some food.
Good tip shaking the Mountain House. And thanks again for being a great viewer!
Escellent, thanks
Glad you liked it and thanks a million for watching!
If you just have to have hot water take a can of Sterno and a set of cross-stands from your alcohol stove and enjoy! Two cans might last an entire week with proper care.
Good point! And thanks a million for watching!
I have had a jetboil for a long time. I think I stopped full boiling long before that for all the same reasons.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
good stuff man!
Glad you liked it and thanks a million for watching!
As always great advice.
Glad you liked it and thanks a million for being a viewer!
Hope this means you are going to start posting some more, I've missed your videos. I use a twig stove but understand that some areas do not allow open flame.
I will be posting more, yes. I got lazy and distracted for a while. I'm ashamed of myself. And thanks for being a great viewer!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 don't be ashamed, all of us have life things that get in the way. I ordered some pot scrapers from amazon, great idea!
Great topic and well made points 👍!!
Glad you liked it and thanks again for being viewer!
You should give no cook food and cold soaking another try. If you find foods you like, you can reduce your pack weight and simplify your food preparation.
I am enjoying experimenting with cold soaking, especially for breakfast. Yesterday I made a concoction I really liked, so now I can do variations on a theme to keep it interesting. I use a peanut butter jar rather than the Talenti, which I find too small for my needs (and I don’t think their gelato is anything to write home about either!). Yeah, I’m a rebel. Ha!
Taz Mahal - My problem is I wanted to cold soak Knorr noodle and pasta sides. They include powder that turns into a sauce. Problem was I couldn't get that to happen. The powder just clumped up and stayed that way. Not appetizing. I even bought a 16 oz. Nalgene jar for this, so I was serious. I am getting the idea people succeed by soaking just ramen noodles, nothing else added, just rice with nothing else added, etc. Am I right about that? Is that what's required? I welcome any tips you have. And thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 It depends what you like to eat. I like couscous with sunflower seeds, and refried beans with frito chips. It is true that many foods don't cold soak well. Test them at home! Search cold soaking on youtube for ideas.
I guess it depends on how much you trust the source of your water.
Nobody should think even a minute about hiking multiple days on the AT without filtering or purifying water. To do otherwise is to invite giardia, which has happened to many. An AT hiker covering a modest 10 miles a day is pretty much guaranteed to need four liters of water a day, rock bottom minimum. Many will need much more. Anybody who does even a few days of that would reject the idea of boiling water to purify it. Their stove fuel consumption would increase 400%, at least. Unless they carry a four-liter pot, the process would consume a ridiculous amount of time during an activity in which every hour counts. I carry both a Sawyer and Aqua Mira. Sawyers are capable of clogging. Aqua Mira of course will not. And thanks for watching.
Trangia: am I a joke to you
Oh, I still have Trangias, home-made alcohol stoves and the alcohol to burn in them! And thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I only use a Trangia but I'm making a buddy burner later today to use in a video next weekend.
Always indispensable.
Thank you, and thanks a million for watching!
I thought you were going to be one of those cold soaking guys. I was going to stress my opinion in the need to have some ability to boil water in the backcountry. But I like your system! This is pretty much what I do, I just didn’t really consider the fact that I usually don’t heat the water to a complete rolling boil. 🙏🏼
My problem is I wanted to cold soak Knorr noodle and pasta sides. They include powder that turns into a sauce. Problem was I couldn't get that to happen. The powder just clumped up and stayed that way. Not appetizing. I even bought a 16 oz. Nalgene jar for this, so I was serious. I am getting the idea people succeed by soaking just ramen noodles, nothing else added, just rice with nothing else added, etc. I probably prefer heated food anyway. :) Thanks for commenting and thanks for watching!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I tried cold soaking as well, and just didn’t like it. But I totally agree with you, I think it is important to bring food up to a very hot temperature to kill bacteria. I also believe that it is important to have so ability to boil water in case of a filter loss or damage.
Yes it is important to try things at home first. I couldn't live on sugar.
Me neither. And thanks for watching!
Melting Snow.
Nice.
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
I am sure you know about tweeter's government censorship portal .good cooking !
The thing about alcohol stoves is they work fastest and most efficiently when you only fill them with the amout of fuel necessary to heat whatever item your heating. As mentioned, 15ml is good for a big mug of tea, or for a freeze dried meal. Any amout of fuel in excess of that actually slows the stove down, and needlessly burns extra fuel. And you absolutely right about not needing to overheat water.
good info
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
It's about time someone else mentioned that about boiling water. I just found your Channel and it sounds to me like you do the same things that I do. There's all kind of ways to knock your weight down and all kind of things to be able to eat safe enough food and drink safe enough water it only has to be a slight little bubble in the bottom and your water is safe I said this I don't know how many times and really get jumped on about it so I quit saying it. Thank you for putting this back out and I hope many people read it because they sure are wasting a lot of fuel. Thanks for the video I think I'll subscribe for a little while. Stay vigilant!
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for commenting and thanks for subscribing!
👍👍👍 Truth!
Coffee tastes better if brewed below 'boiling point'. Tea? The 'die-hards' (me included) will go down fighting to the last man believing that a decent cup of tea requires a rolling boil. Most else, agreed .. nope! The obsession with how quickly water can be brought to a boil .. same with survival is almost impossible without '550 paracord' .. 😏 jawelnofine.
My Camping Gaz Bluet 206 Gas Burner (still going strong since the 70's) has never had to be opened full throttle. Surprising .. gas seems to last a lot longer that way and still getting the job done. Enclosing the Burner and Pot with a windscreen, irrespective of the outside temperature, adds more value to that.
Cooler weather .. Alcohol, Wood and a White Gas Optimus 8R Hunter does the necessary. 72 Summers underfoot, 'kaput' knees and hip joints feeling their age now precludes 'back packing' per sé. A regular wander into my adjacent forest is still an ongoing.
Wise words .. thanks for sharing.
Yes, tea water needs to be boiling, or within a degree or two. I saw my son making tea with water that wasn't boiling, and I said "I've failed as a father."
I’ve found that boiling tea water, then turning off the flame for two minutes before steeping produces a better cup of tea. Google it, this may surprise you - it did me after all these years!
Thomas Musso - Since I don't drink tea, I yield to your experience! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
@@scottplumer3668 😁 .. Sackcloth and Ashes for Ye. Another young Soul unfortunately lost to the Philistines ..
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 👍 Hopefully, for your Salvation, you will .. eventually .. 😁.
You technical guys take the fun out of outdoors activities….
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
boiling is for the lazy
(mentally lazy)
since everyone can recognize a boil, they can just turn off mind and turn up the dial. so it's easy to direct unskilled hikers without explanation
It's true that many go out without testing much of anything in advance, but it's also true I've had to learn everything the hard way. :) And thanks for watching!
Great points. Good reminder to test it before field use
Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!
Wassup great to hear from you, you've always gave good advice. What size pot and make was you useing ?
That's the original MSR Titan kettle, the very first design. I've owned it forever ... in fact they changed them about 20 years ago. They put some plastic on the loop on the lid, and increased the diameter slightly. That's what they still sell. Mine was pricey when I got it, but I figured it would last forever, and so far it has. I probably should add it has no measurements stamped into the side. If it did, I would not have purchased it. Because I don't need them, and they are an impediment to thorough cleaning. And thanks for being a great viewer!
@@flatbrokeoutside6921 I also have a MSR made of stainless steel that looks like the one you have but not really sure of the size , I bought it at goodwill for 2 bucks and it's built like a tank. Good luck in your future 🚶 hiking and be safe .
Always looking to learn and your posts are the best, thank you very much 🏕️ ✌🏼
Glad you liked the video and thanks for being a great viewer!