Folding cooker

[Celtic Dragon]

Hi all,

I've just had a look at http://www.countrytrader.co.uk/main.htm If you go to the section of outdoor cooking, theres a section which looks like we could use. Watch this space for a review on that folding cooker looks like it could be the ideal comprimise on my shoot where I can't have a true open fire.

ATB
Simon

[gurushaun]

Hi Simon

I've just bought one of those stoves from Trek Direct (operating from the same address). Folds to not much bigger than a Hexi stove, well made, works well with squaw wood, and pine cones. Keeps the sheeple happy, and allows you to have a brew :-D .

Cheers

Shaun

[Celtic Dragon]

Cheers for that Shaun, I've now ordered 1 so I'm waiting now. Hopefully I can get over to my shoot next week to do a bit of hide building and get the chance to try it out.

ATB
Simon

[Rob]

I ordered one the other day too :-D

Looks like a nice bit of kit. I will make an effort to go out and abuse it the first chance I get

Hope it does not take 21 days to arrive, like the site says it might :-(

[Celtic Dragon]

Rob,

I've just had anonther look at countrytraders web and they say that most orders should be receieved within 10 days.

HTH
Simon

[Rob]

Excellent - trust me to only see the bad side.

Must be the H&S training. lol

[Celtic Dragon]

Rob,

Look on your doormat when you get home. MIne turned up this morning. Ordered it sunday night and turns up tuesday morning. Wow.

ATB
Simon

[Rob]

Mine was here when I got home - excellent :-D

Mel got into the package first, but then i was alowed a go.

Looking forward to getting some flames out of it at the weekend.

Was your pouch purple too?

[Celtic Dragon]

It was, I don't think that the pouch will stand up to alot, I think getting a webbing pouch to keep it in and a bit of fuel.

Simon

[Martyn]

got one a while ago, weighs a ton!

[boaty]

got one a while ago, weighs a ton!

Does it work well though? I don't mind an extra kilo or so if it's gonna boil up water for coffee in a finite (and preferably short!) time

[Martyn]

havent tried it to be honest, I lost interest when I discovered the weight of it. I spose I should get round to testing it.

[Hoodoo]

I took this little puppy out the other day in the snow and cold and was very impressed with it. As long as you use dry wood, it cooks lke a house afire. :super: Use green twigs and it will smoke and sputter.


For snowshoe hiking and camping, I always take a cookie sheet or something similar along as well which I use to build an open fire on. Usually a few logs, then the cookie sheet, then the fire. But the cookie sheet also provided great stability for the little cooker. I don't mind the weight at all during the winter because my gear usually rides on a toboggan that I pull. I think if you plan to use this in the winter by placing it on a bed of logs, you will need to spend some time with an axe to plane the logs to get a nice stable platform. The cookie sheet is worth the weight, imo, because it will save you some hassle, especially for quick lunches on the trail.

[Stew]

...I always take a cookie sheet or something similar along...

I assume this is what we would call a baking tray! :-D

[Martyn]

...I always take a cookie sheet or something similar along...

I assume this is what we would call a baking tray! :-D

Ahhhh, thanks Stew. :-D

[Hoodoo]

Don't worry. Some day you'll learn the language. :wink:

So what do you call a broiler pan (found in your oven)? I like to use those as they are usually more heavy duty than a "baking tray" and you can build a pretty substantial fire on one. But they are a bit heavy to lug around.

[Adi007]

A broiler pan is called a roasting tin this side of the pond! :-D

If I keep watching the Simpsons I think that one day I'll be good at english!

Me fail english - that's unpossible!

[Stew]

I would guess a grill pan, as we call broiling grilling.

[Martyn]

ahhh, is that what broiling is? Thanks again Stew - wow, I'm realling picking this English up.

(did I just end that sentence with a preposition?)

When Winston Churchill was once criticized for ending a sentence in a preposition, he responded, "That is the kind of thing up with which I will not put."
:-D

[Celtic Dragon]

My cooker going full tilt.



Its been said before and I will stress it again, the wood must be dry. I had to feed it on that wood you can get from tesco's. All the wood on my shoot would not keep a flame but would when the cooker was fed a mixed diet.

Simon

[Martyn]

Hmmm, I'm thinking for cold weather it might be a good tepee stove.

[sargey]

Its been said before and I will stress it again, the wood must be dry. I had to feed it on that wood you can get from tesco's. All the wood on my shoot would not keep a flame but would when the cooker was fed a mixed diet.

then you definately need to make a stick stove, hobo style. it's amazing the rubbish they'll burn.

cheers, and.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

:idea: i just had a thought :-?

could you not get the same effect by useing a folding hexi cooker, set at 45 degrees?
as if you were cooking on a small pot rather than a mess tin?
sort of like this:

" /-\ "

i know its smaller but surely you would get the same effect! :?:

[Hoodoo]

The problem with that is that you would be feeding the fire constantly with tiny twigs. Blink or get distracted, and your fire will be gone. You need to be able to contain a certain amount of volume to keep the fire burning and I don't think the hex burner is big enough.

[sargey]

ye olde brit mil spec hexy stove is substantially bigger than an esbit stove, but i don't think it's work due to the open sides and the lack of chimney effect. the dog food stick stoves and similar hobo stoves have a much bigger height to width ratio, providing greater draft, and greater efficiency on biomass principles.

cheers, and.

[Hoodoo]

That makes sense sargey. I've not had much luck with the smaller coffee tins (yes, I said tins :-D ) but the largers ones are great. An advantage of this little stove is that it folds up and packs away nicely.

[gurushaun]

Tip...I use a 4" piece of copper brake pipe on the end of a 1m piece of clear plastic tube poked in the corner to help with the draft by blowing. Works for me with iffy fuel. I also find that crumbled duraflame log works well (sawdust in a wax base).

Cheers

Shaun

[Hoodoo]

That sounds like a great idea! I'm definitely going to give that a try. Beats getting smoke in the eyes any day.

When I tried mine out in the snow, I took along a big handfull of lighter pine which helped to get things going again when I wasn't paying attention and the fuel got low.

[bigjackbrass]

Tip...I use a 4" piece of copper brake pipe on the end of a 1m piece of clear plastic tube poked in the corner to help with the draft by blowing. Works for me with iffy fuel.

An excellent updating of a bit of kit with quite a pedigree. In his book "Camp and Trail" (1907 The Outing Publishing Company) Stewart Edward White refers to the following:

"I have had presented me by Mr. Robert Logan of New York, so simple, transportable and efficient a device for kindling fires that I have included it in my regular outfit. It consists of a piece of small rubber tube two feet or so in length, into one end of which is forced a brass cylinder three or four inches long. The extremity of this cylinder is then beaten out so that its opening is flattened. Logan calls this instrument an 'Inspirator.'"

It certainly beats my old plate-waving method of fanning a flame.

My own experiences with the folding stove, bought two or three years ago from Cabela's, are similar to others mentioned. It helps to get the flame started outside of the unit to avoid smouldering, and good ventilation is a must.

[Jaymondo]

Best hobo stove I've used is a converted cutlery drainer from Ikea. Good old Ikea! Cost 3 or 4 quid and is stainless steel. Because they are full of
holes you get a good through draft. Its about the same dimensions as the smallest Billy can on the Woodlore website. Two tips to make it even more effective ; cut a small 'door' on the side to feed twigs in because you don't want to be disturbing your billy once on the go and secondly raise it off the ground to get an under draft. Main alive is this set up great. It weighs very little and although does'nt fold up you can use it as a container for easily damaged food, like cheese or vegetables, or foraged goods. Very eco friendly and quiet. You can also use it to contain a small fire if camping in a fire sensitive area.

Regards

Jay