Crusader Cooker

[resnikov]

Back in Oz an ex soldier showed me a trick - a tray with dry sand, pour some petrol in it (not enough to be visible above the sand) then light it. Sometimes a bit of paper on top of the sand is needed to get it going. The petrol burns without a visible flame. He said that was their standard emergency cooker.

That is a benghazi burner, as seen in "Ice Cold in Alex" its one of the things that helped them unmask the german spy. My granddad told me about using them when he was in North Africa in WWII.

 

[John Fenna]

Standard desert cooker in WW2 - I have used meths the same way in Africa...

 

[FGYT]

did they not use that to heat a metal plate up to hot and drip oil and water on ( 3 to 1 ) and ignite for a real hot fire ???

 

[GordonM]

Here is a blast from my past when I was an anti-armor platoon leader...

This is one of my section sergeants, SSG Garrett, showing his lowly LT (me) how to make a sand stove. Not exactly like described above, but the same concept.

Gordy

 

[JDO330]

I belive that the US Army now uses something like a greenheat gel but I have never seen or used any of it, but would be interested to hear of anyone else has.

HTH

Sean

This must be the stuff then?
http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/all-new-us-military-issue-gel-fuel-105-p.asp

 

[slasha9]

That looks like the stuff! I didn't know that you could get it in the UK, I was about to order some, then I saw the price!!!

That's very nearly a pound a packet! (for some reason I keep hearing 'A pint? that's very nearly an armful')

hmmm, I LOVE trioxane, I suspect that this new gel is just as good but it's just not as cheap as meths or hexi

GRRRRRRRR!

Anyway, thanks for the heads up anyway, good to know that I hadn't imagined it all!

 

[Martyn]

Remember that doesn't even include a water bottle, so if you include that, it's almost twice the size of the whole Crusader system...

Ahhh, mate the crusader cooking system is a big overweight lump. What's the advantage of a heavy, rigid bottle? Water is water and it takes up the space it needs. A litre of it weighs a kilogram and it fills a litre in volume. All you need is a container to hold it, which is why god invented the platy bottle. Wont leak, moulds to whatever you are carrying it in, weighs an ounce and a half and folds down to nothing when it's empty. What more could you ask from a water container?

 

[JonathanD]

What more could you ask from a water container?

To be black and well 'ard. Platy bottles don't fit well in my shoulder bag either. I use them in my rucky though when round billycans fit.

 

[Martyn]

Wont fit? They'll fit anywhere ...tip a bit of water out and they'll even fit round corners.

Brilliant things.

 

[JonathanD]

But then I've got to fit a stove, meths and mug or billy in there with it, so it still works out bigger. That is what I used to carry in my bag, but the mug is nowhere near big enough for cooking, so the crusader still wins for me size wise.....

 

[JDO330]

JonathanD, is this the "new" gel that your using or is the packaging the same as the old stuff? Reading the description it sounds like its the new formula.

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/ethanol-eco-gel-fuel-sachets---12-per-box-2364-p.asp

Regards, Jon.

 

[JonathanD]

It's difficult to tell because the new packaging is exactly the same. I was given a batch of the old stuff last week and the burn time is halved at least, but the packaging is the same.

 

[ashes1627]

On the box of the new stuff there is an orange sticker that says NEW on it. Hope this helps!

 

[JonathanD]

On the box of the new stuff there is an orange sticker that says NEW on it. Hope this helps!

Brilliant

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

*must print out some orange stickers for my old packs of fire snot........*

 

[hiho]

now where did i put that box mine came in.....

oh yeah its still got the green snot in it....

 

[Dave]

Does anyone use a pouch for the Crusader Cooker/Cup/SS Lid Combo?
If so, which pouch will take them all?

I was looking at these:

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s...g/new-and-used-genuine-58-pattern-232862.html

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s...g/brand-new-58-style-water-bottle-300571.html

Also, anyone know a place that sells the pouch and the Crusader cooker together? [Save me some postage]

 

[resnikov]

I got my Crusader Cooker set up from Lakeland Bushcraft. Top item on this page page It has every thing in it.

No relation to Lakeland Bushcraft just a happy customer.

 

[JonathanD]

I got my Crusader Cooker set up from Lakeland Bushcraft. Top item on this page page It has every thing in it.

No relation to Lakeland Bushcraft just a happy customer.

Ditto what he done gone went and said. Well, typed.

 

[Mesquite]

I got my Crusader Cooker set up from Lakeland Bushcraft. Top item on this page page It has every thing in it.

No relation to Lakeland Bushcraft just a happy customer.

Just make sure you ditch the plastic crusader lid before it melts and get an ali one from Launditch