View Full Version : Kit review - Crusader Cooker and Mug
Well last week I took delivery of a Crusader cooker and mug from Bearclaw , I don't know how long it took to come as I got it delivered to work and it arrived between shifts.
Anyway I remember somone was'nt that impressed by it so I thought I'd do a review.
The mug is the same size as the issue army plastic mug and is well made of steel with .5 litre and 1 litre graduations on the side , both units are black , whether the mug is ptfe coated or not I'm not really sure ( or worried)
Anyway lighting the cooker was simplicity itself and simply squeezing out some greenheat gel and lighting it was much simpler that unwrapping a hexi burner and fuel then cursing the wind when it would'nt light
The gel only burned for 10 minutes and the water never really boiled but I was only interested in using it for heating up army compo boil in the bag meals anyway.
After 10 minutes the meal was more than warm enough to eat <burp> and the water made a cracking cuppa , without burning my lips I have to add - so no need for a plastic rim
In summary this will be an excellent addition to my kit , it means I can throw away my hexi burner - and my messtins and my mug wont split again
Thanks to Bearclaw for the prompt delivery and freebie gel
RAPPLEBY2000
26-10-2004, 13:20
thanks for your kit review, it's always interesting to hear peoples views. :biggthump
the cup you have sounds more like the 85" pattern mug, not the crusader cup. :shock:
the crusader cup is bigger than the plastic one and does not have a plastic rim!
as for boiling, i never found "greenheat" that great anyway, i always did prefer hexi.
you can boil water you just need one and a half or two hexi blocks as you would on the normal hexi cooker.
the main advantage of the cooker being, it's compactness, and weather resistance and multi fuel option. in comparisson to the issue hexi stove, used in conjunction with the crusader cup. :biggthump
Does the kit all fit together with water bottle and then in to the plce canteen pouch?
And is the cooker and cup combo heavy?
I am thinking about getting one to add to my extensive range of cooking equipment
Cheers
JFW
Does the kit all fit together with water bottle and then in to the plce canteen pouch?
And is the cooker and cup combo heavy?
I am thinking about getting one to add to my extensive range of cooking equipment
Cheers
JFW
The answer is yes. The crusader cooker fits on the bottom of the cup, which in turn fits on the bottom of the 58 pattern waterbottle. A very compact and useful unit. Take this and 1 medium sized billy and you'll not need anything else IMO
Better be a crusader , thats what I paid for :o):
Also found out the greenheat gel packets are flammable , the idea being you squeeze a bit out and litght the whole ish
weight wise its less than a hex burner , fuel and 2 mess tins that I carry now
SquirrelBoy
26-10-2004, 18:15
I have used greenheat sachets with a hexi stove and crusader cup. With this arrangement 1 sachet would boil 1/2pint of cold water, 2 sachets will boil 1pint with a bit of reserve.
What is it that would make the Crusader cooking unit any different to the above? Or are you guys trying to boil a pint with one sachet?
Im interested as Im thinking of buying one.
I've sent an email to the greenheat manufacturers website enquiring where I can but the greenheat gel in bottles. They do a .5 litre and 1 litre bottle which will of course give you whatever burn time you want
BTW green heat gel really is green , I think it should have been called "snot"
Try putting meths in the burner crucible of the cooker unit instead of greenheat. Worked quite well for me - dont spill it though ;)
Mercury it is a crusader dont worry, Rappleby was confused by your mention of the plastic rim, which the old 85 telfon coated mugs had (i dont know if they even produce these any more!!).
Thought so Gary , was wondering if my mug is teflon coated though?
Not that it really matters for boil in the bag
I've read in many places that the black coating on the Crusader mug is teflon but it doesn't look of feel like teflon to me. Looks and feels like black paint to me.
Anyone know for sure?
Not sure if its necessary but i got a tip from someone to put some duck tape on the lip where you drink from other wise your lips will stick to the bare metal :yikes:
Not sure if its necessary but i got a tip from someone to put some duck tape on the lip where you drink from other wise your lips will stick to the bare metal :yikes:
The Crusader is designed with a thin metal lip that cools down quickly. The reason for this is that the plastic rim trapped food debris which caused stomach upsets. I don't find that my Crusader mugs need anything in the way of a lip protector, even after taking the mug off a fire.
No need for tape , as adi007 says it is cool enough to drink from
Beer Monster
28-10-2004, 15:21
Did anyone discover if the crusader mug had a non stick (teflon/PTFE or similar) coating? :?:
I've got some bits (along with the Crusader cooker and some Greeheat) coming from Jasper of Strikeforce (http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/) so that i can have a play. I'll have a word with him see if he knows.
Beer Monster
28-10-2004, 15:38
............. just noticed this place (http://www.armyrations.co.uk/shop/item.asp?itemid=19&catid=16) that sells Teflon (PTFE) coated crusader cup, cooker and a 12 pack of gel for £21 (....... or £20.99 to be precise!) ...... not bad?
According to the catalogue it is a black PTFE finish - what PTFE means is anybodies guess - any boffin got a clue?
Well that answered that BEERMONSTER - YOU MUST HAVE TYPE THAT AS i DID!
polytetrafluoroethylene (AKA teflon)
tenbears10
28-10-2004, 16:36
I suppose that makes you an official Boffin then Stuart :naughty:
Bill
Beer Monster
28-10-2004, 16:41
Sorry Gary! I have far to much time on my hands at work at the moment! Really must do some work ...........! :wink:
no worries Beermonster - well done Stu (boffin!) :nana:
Hmmm, Teflon in it's pure form is a white, waxy solid. The get it to stick to a pan and so on by first sandblasting the surface and then applying a coat of Teflon primer, which is then baked. A Teflon coat is then applied (which will stick to the primer) and the whole thing baked again. The coating on a Crusader mug looks a lot like paint to me and very little like Teflon (take a look at a Teflon pan and the Crusader mug). The surface certainly doesn't feel waxy (like the base of a Teflon pan) and the whole mug, wire handles included, seem to have a uniform coating. Why coat the handle in Teflon?
I think I'm happier to think of it as not being Teflon anyway given the fact that it can decompose into some nasty corrosive chemicals in high heat. Not a problem with hexy but might be with a camp fire!!!!
As an aside, these nasty chemicals are present in many rubbers after fires which make digging under car bonnets after a fire dangerous - I know someone who had a finger amputated after being exposed to hydrogen fluoride.
ok Adi you can be a boffin too! :wink:
ptfe or not , still an excellent buy !
ptfe or not , still an excellent buy !
Indeed they are!
Adi's suspicions are right :wink:
Adi's suspicions are right :wink:
Thought so ... :wink:
heated above 600c teflon can be VERY dagerous stuff...at a certain temperature it will give of a gas that is a nerve agent.
Thats why genuine teflon coated cookware has warnings not to put in modern ovens that have a 'self clean' function.
Wouldnt worry too much 'tho....the teflon on cookware is mindboggling thin. hardly anything of it.
It's thin but I have heard a genuine story of a death from allowing PTFE coated product to overheat in an oven. You cannot underestimate the power of phosgene, hydrogen fluoride and other fluoro-compounds. And when they tell you to wash Teflon products before use, they aren't kidding either because the precursor chemicals aren't good for a body either ...
I think the danger first became apparent in the states when the early use of teflon was not so well applied. IIRC a doctor was painting his boat with teflon impregnated paint, and smoking at the same time. A flake of the paint hit the tip of his cigarrete, and when inhaled, he dropped dead on the spot!
I read this in a quality journal, possibly the new scientist, but I honestly cant remember the details.
Cookware is totally safe if used with sense.
Back to the crusader cook set....I've seen a few micro alcohol stoves made from the small tins used for some proccesed meats etc; do you think one of these could be made which would fit in the base?
Someones already done it , can't remember who , a quick search for crusader should bring it up
Just thought I would add that the patten time on Duponts Tefflon has ran out. So other companies are making their own. The Tefflon name is of course still a registered trademark of Dupont only. The tefflon type coating on saw blades such as Frued looks like paint, but is their own formula.
Someones already done it , can't remember who , a quick search for crusader should bring it up
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5723
:wave: :wink:
Got my Crusader cooker today and some Greenheat - time for a play!
First impressions of the cooker at that it's a well made bit of kit. The main problem with hexy is that the cooker allows the air to get at the flame too much and blows it everywhere and this should be more efficient with hexy. I do wonder how less efficient Greenheat fuel is and how much the increased efficiency of the cooker has to do with that but it's lightweight, should be easy to light and seems foolproof.
Great Pebble
30-10-2004, 11:53
If my house insurance bloke sees the amount of hexy and Greenheat lying about in here my premiums are going to triple.
Without going into the details too much, I can see a use for Greenheat but won't be converting to it on a full time basis.
If my house insurance bloke sees the amount of hexy and Greenheat lying about in here my premiums are going to triple.
Without going into the details too much, I can see a use for Greenheat but won't be converting to it on a full time basis.
:rolmao: :burnup:
One of the big gripes with hexi was that most of the heat / flame went up around the outside of your messtin, losing half the energy and making twice the mess
With the crusader there is no flame outside the unit
Great Pebble
01-11-2004, 08:49
There's not a great deal using the hexy burner with the mug holder on it either...
RAPPLEBY2000
03-11-2004, 00:49
my local surplus shop "Hoopers"(Norwich) sells,
what looks like the 85 pattern mug
(with the wiggly sides and plastic rim the same size as the 58 mug),
on the inside of the mug (every one i've looked at) is a sticky substance like a stcky grease! :yikes:
is there anyway of telling if they are the real deal?
if it's said they aren't made anymore :?:
talking about paints and teflons....for the outside of mugs and cookers is it worth using a fireplace paint?
they sell some paint in DIY stores that withstands the heat of a coal fire! which you will agree is a little hotter than the hexi cooker!
what do you think, for a quick black finish that will clean more easily?
(obviously not for inside the cup! :shock: )
by the way,
obvious but not sure if it's been mentioned"black"soaks up heat far quicker than shiny metal, so even if your shiny stainless steel pot is spotless a dirty one (on the outside!) will get hotter alot quicker! :wink:
my local surplus shop "Hoopers"(Norwich) sells,
what looks like the 85 pattern mug
(with the wiggly sides and plastic rim the same size as the 58 mug),
on the inside of the mug (every one i've looked at) is a sticky substance like a stcky grease! :yikes:
is there anyway of telling if they are the real deal?
if it's said they aren't made anymore :?:
talking about paints and teflons....for the outside of mugs and cookers is it worth using a fireplace paint?
they sell some paint in DIY stores that withstands the heat of a coal fire! which you will agree is a little hotter than the hexi cooker!
what do you think, for a quick black finish that will clean more easily?
(obviously not for inside the cup! :shock: )
by the way,
obvious but not sure if it's been mentioned"black"soaks up heat far quicker than shiny metal, so even if your shiny stainless steel pot is spotless a dirty one (on the outside!) will get hotter alot quicker! :wink:
Rich, I would steer clear of them if I was you, firstly the plastic rim has a tendency to melt, secondly the plastic rim tends to hold bits of foodstuff causing a bacteria hazard.
On my old 85 pattern, I ditched the plastic rim and taped it instead (if you don't you can end up with bits of your lips stuck to your mug), this also takes a lot of maintenance, but at least it does not weld to the mug leaving gaps.
The flared lip on the crusader is designed to dissipate heat so you can drink from it without melting your lips to the rim.
If you wish to make it black then use light coatings of vegetable oil on the outside of the mug and heat it, eventually it will leave a pretty good black coating on the cup, but it will smoke like hell whilst you are doing it :-)
come on leon admit it you just can't be bothered with cleaning your old oily smoke stained mug(admin!!) and wouldn't your brew taste pretty foul afterwards? :nono: :naughty:
my local surplus shop "Hoopers"(Norwich) sells,
! :wink:
Are they STILL trading ??
When I was in the TA in Norwich you could pick up radio kit there , bit over priced though
rapidboy
04-11-2004, 21:29
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/406_0699_1.jpg
Got mine and been playing with it today.
I always hated Hex and this is a vast improvement IMO.
I only made a few brew's with it and havn't had time to cook anything but it seems like good kit :o):
SquirrelBoy
12-12-2004, 12:56
Got mine and been playing with it today.
I always hated Hex and this is a vast improvement IMO.
I only made a few brew's with it and havn't had time to cook anything but it seems like good kit :o):
Have you had a bit more time to play with this set up RB ? Anyone else have any tips to add..?
I have one but yet to give it any real time outdoors.
Cheers :biggthump
rapidboy
12-12-2004, 16:36
I shoot at my FT club every Sunday and it all fit's into the side pocket of my gun case.
I brew up at least once ,mabe twice going around the coarse and it's great.
I have heated soup and beans on it at work a few times but nothing more extravagant yet.
It's good ,simple ,reliable kit.
rb
neo_wales2000
14-12-2004, 22:26
I use an american mug same shape and it fits into the swedish army trangia well. Pack a bit of tin foil (to use as a lid) and you have an extra pan for the swedish kit. On its own the crusader is only good for a boil of whatever takes your fancy, noodles etc. The crusader is not a realistic replacement for a stove.