Tatonka 1.0 and 1.6 litre kettle / Billy

[jacko1066]

Hi guys,

I have been looking at the Tatonka 1 or 1.6 billys, does anyone on here have or use them regularly?

There seems to be a distinct lack of reviews and information on them really, even youtube and google!!

I no people love the Zebra billys but Im not a big fan, I like the flexibility of having a lid as a fry pan on the Tatonka.

The price and weight seems very appealing also.


All the best
Steve

[Shewie]

Same build quality as the Zebras but shorter and fatter, I had one for a while before I switched to titanium

[jacko1066]

Same build quality as the Zebras but shorter and fatter, I had one for a while before I switched to titanium

And how did you rate it Rich????
I think Im just gonna Pm every question I have about equipment to you!!! lol, you have defo been there and got the T shirt lol!!!
Mmmmmmm titanium.......
Cheers
Steve

[Shewie]

Not sure how to rate a pot mate

It held water, didn't leak, and boiled water over a fire, perfect

[widu13]

I've a 1.6l billy, rate it more than my 14cm zebra. Not a lot more to say!

[MikeLA]

Think about how you will carry it. Will it be better carrying one style or an other. Have one myself 1.6 size and got rid of my zebra 1.6 and 1.4 because I carry them in a daysac. Liked the shorter and fatter advantage. More often than not use a crusader for every solo trips.

[Ahjno]

How functional is the lid / frying pan? As you see this feature on numerous pots, but most of the time it's just that: a feature and not very functional - mostly due to its size.

[woof]

I have the 1ltr pot, & the lid works well as a frying pan. The short fat design packs well, but i prefer my 12cm zebra.

Rob

[Fin]

I have both as part of my extended trip cook kit. One nests inside the other, along with my condiments pack, brew kit and a few food items. I used to have a bush buddy nested in the 1 ltr, but now use an american flat pack wood/alcohol stove for when I can't light a fire.

The Tatonkas are slightly less sturdy than the Zebras (slightly thinner steel methinks) but are still "lifetime" items. I switched for a number of reasons:

1) Wider base to height ratio - better for suspending over a fire or sitting on top of a stove. I was forever burning food at the bottom of the taller, narrower Zebras before the top of the food had gotten warm.
2) Better bale arm arrangement both for storage and pouring liquids.
3) Frying pan lids - and to answer a specific question - these work brilliantly - bacon and egg sarnie with the morning brew - heaven!
4) Size - the 1.6 ltr is perfect for 1-2 people, the 1 ltr is perfect for 1 or for a solo day hike for example. I normally carry both - along with an Outwell SS kettle, as I'm normally with my girlfriend and we like real cooking (as opposed to rehydrating) in the forest.

In short, my Zebra pots have been gathering dust in the attic since I got the Tatonkas.

[Sappy]

Do they have a bale or a handle?

[Shewie]

Do they have a bale or a handle?

Yes ...

http://intranet.tatonka.com/infosys/...1_Kettle%201,0

[Fin]

Do they have a bale or a handle?

They have locking bales which work when lifted straight up and with some weight in the billy. They can interfere with the lid, making lid manipulation a bit tricky as the lid doesn't have a handle. The trick is to always fit the lid frying pan handle before you cook - even if you're just using it as a pot lid. It makes taking the lid on and off a breeze.

[tedw]

I agree with all Fin has said - I wasn't sure too sure I liked my 1l Tatonka billy at first as manipulating the locking bale arm can be tricky and it interferred with the handle of the frying pan/lid, but having got used to that, I'm very happy with it now.

[jacko1066]

I have both as part of my extended trip cook kit. One nests inside the other, along with my condiments pack, brew kit and a few food items. I used to have a bush buddy nested in the 1 ltr, but now use an american flat pack wood/alcohol stove for when I can't light a fire.

The Tatonkas are slightly less sturdy than the Zebras (slightly thinner steel methinks) but are still "lifetime" items. I switched for a number of reasons:

1) Wider base to height ratio - better for suspending over a fire or sitting on top of a stove. I was forever burning food at the bottom of the taller, narrower Zebras before the top of the food had gotten warm.
2) Better bale arm arrangement both for storage and pouring liquids.
3) Frying pan lids - and to answer a specific question - these work brilliantly - bacon and egg sarnie with the morning brew - heaven!
4) Size - the 1.6 ltr is perfect for 1-2 people, the 1 ltr is perfect for 1 or for a solo day hike for example. I normally carry both - along with an Outwell SS kettle, as I'm normally with my girlfriend and we like real cooking (as opposed to rehydrating) in the forest.

In short, my Zebra pots have been gathering dust in the attic since I got the Tatonkas.

Thanks for the reply Fin, you have answered just about every question I had lol!!
Just 1 more though, if you were going to buy just 1 of either 1 litre or 1.6 which 1 would you get?
I guess there isnt alot of difference of how much room they take up when packed?
Also are the fry pan/lids different sizes for the 1 and 1.6
Hmm I guess thats 3 questions lol
Cheers
Steve

[jacko1066]

Not sure how to rate a pot mate

It held water, didn't leak, and boiled water over a fire, perfect

That really did make me chuckle lol!!!!

[Fin]

Thanks for the reply Fin, you have answered just about every question I had lol!!
Just 1 more though, if you were going to buy just 1 of either 1 litre or 1.6 which 1 would you get?
I guess there isnt alot of difference of how much room they take up when packed?
Also are the fry pan/lids different sizes for the 1 and 1.6
Hmm I guess thats 3 questions lol
Cheers
Steve

Definitely the 1.6L if you're going for the one pot. The pack size difference isn't great (and you can pack more in the pot). The frying pan is bigger and more useful - the frying pan on my 1L rarely gets used as a frying pan it's a bit small, although it'll still do bacon and eggs for one, at a pinch. What I use it most for is baking bread (bread dough in the 1L frying pan/ lid which then goes in the 1.6L pot - which now becomes a mini dutch oven. I only bought the 1L as our cooking got more adventurous, for example cooking the sauce for pasta in the 1L whilst the pasta itself was cooking in the 1.6L.

If you're limiting yourself to one pot then I'd say that the 1L is fine for, say, rehydrating meals and as part of a brew kit, for a solo day hike, but the 1.6L will give you much more versatility.

[jacko1066]

Definitely the 1.6L if you're going for the one pot. The pack size difference isn't great (and you can pack more in the pot). The frying pan is bigger and more useful - the frying pan on my 1L rarely gets used as a frying pan it's a bit small, although it'll still do bacon and eggs for one, at a pinch. What I use it most for is baking bread (bread dough in the 1L frying pan/ lid which then goes in the 1.6L pot - which now becomes a mini dutch oven. I only bought the 1L as our cooking got more adventurous, for example cooking the sauce for pasta in the 1L whilst the pasta itself was cooking in the 1.6L.

If you're limiting yourself to one pot then I'd say that the 1L is fine for, say, rehydrating meals and as part of a brew kit, for a solo day hike, but the 1.6L will give you much more versatility.

Thats brilliant Fin cheers, you have given me exactly what I wanted to no!!
1.6 it is then!!
Im glad I asked now cause I was just gonna buy the 1 litre, I will prob end up with it anyway in time lol!!
I guess the only problem with stainless and cooking is food sticking!! Tatonka need to do a non stick version lol!!
Thanks
Steve

[Fin]

Thats brilliant Fin cheers, you have given me exactly what I wanted to no!!
1.6 it is then!!
Im glad I asked now cause I was just gonna buy the 1 litre, I will prob end up with it anyway in time lol!!
I guess the only problem with stainless and cooking is food sticking!! Tatonka need to do a non stick version lol!!
Thanks
Steve

Glad to be of help - and I'm sure you'll be happy with your purchase. If you want to expand your cooking options then you probably will end up getting both - but the 1.6L is definitely the starter pot for you.

On the subject of sticking/ burning food. I have found that these pots are a lot less susceptible to it than the Zebras, as I alluded to in an earlier post (wider base to height ratio). Campfire ash is a brilliant cleaner/ scourer. I spent some time last summer with a camping collective group, here in France. At the end of the season, their communal electric oven was rank with burnt on grease. I volunteered to get it like new with ash from the communal fire pit. It took me about an hour and towards the end I had an appreciative audience!

The point is, you can always get SS spotlessly clean (unlike aluminium or titanium) because you can scour the hell out of it! - something you can't do with non stick coating. Stay away from teflon (I won't even use it in the kitchen). After many (expensive) years experimenting with different materials, I have returned to SS - and here I'll stay!

[garethw]

Hi there
I have both a 12cm Zebra and a 1.6L Tatonka. I agree with most of the comments above. Quality slightly better on the Zebra, but not enough to worry about. I also prefer the bale onn Tatonka as it stands up on its own and lets you lift off without getting burned fingers.
I'd still recommend carrying an ally pot grabber, as the bale, while great over a fire is less useful over a stove.

I'm not a great fan of frying while out camping as its a really messy way of cooking. I have used my Tatonka lid/pan to this effect, but you have to be careful of stuff sticking and catching as it has no nonstick coating. I suppose this means you can scour it with a billo pad without worrying though!! I find I tend to use this a plate most of the time.

While I prefer the squat shape of the Tatonka for boil in the bag stuff etc.... It is harder to stow in a pack. Fortunaltey it just squeezes in sideways to the Lowe Alpine PLCE pockets.

Anyway I can get other stuff in side it to pack ie: Primus stove, pot grabber etc.

For the moment if weight is not an issue or I go camping with my son I carry both, plus a crusader cup and lid. But if I had to chose one I'd opt for the 1.6L Tatonka.

cheers
Gareth

[jacko1066]

Hi there
I have both a 12cm Zebra and a 1.6L Tatonka. I agree with most of the comments above. Quality slightly better on the Zebra, but not enough to worry about. I also prefer the bale onn Tatonka as it stands up on its own and lets you lift off without getting burned fingers.
I'd still recommend carrying an ally pot grabber, as the bale, while great over a fire is less useful over a stove.

I'm not a great fan of frying while out camping as its a really messy way of cooking. I have used my Tatonka lid/pan to this effect, but you have to be careful of stuff sticking and catching as it has no nonstick coating. I suppose this means you can scour it with a billo pad without worrying though!! I find I tend to use this a plate most of the time.

While I prefer the squat shape of the Tatonka for boil in the bag stuff etc.... It is harder to stow in a pack. Fortunaltey it just squeezes in sideways to the Lowe Alpine PLCE pockets.

Anyway I can get other stuff in side it to pack ie: Primus stove, pot grabber etc.

For the moment if weight is not an issue or I go camping with my son I carry both, plus a crusader cup and lid. But if I had to chose one I'd opt for the 1.6L Tatonka.

cheers
Gareth

Hi Gareth, thanks for the reply mate, between you and Fin you have convinced me that I NEED the 1.6 kettle lol!!!
Im gonna treat myself to that and a Honey stove I reckon, I have been a good boy recently lol!!
And as the weight difference between the 1litre and 1.6 is minimal it makes total sense to get the bigger pot!!
Cheers for your help
Steve

[Shewie]

What happened to the lightweight ethos mate?

Stainless = heavy

Ally/Ti = light

[jacko1066]

What happened to the lightweight ethos mate?

Stainless = heavy

Ally/Ti = light

Lol I no exactly what you mean!! Again I don't really no a lot about pots and pans but at 400grams for a fry pan and billy I thought was pretty good tbh!!
I do like nice shiny titanium though. And 1 day it will be mine, oh yes it will be mine!!

Sent from my SK17i using Tapatalk 2

[garethw]

Lol I no exactly what you mean!! Again I don't really no a lot about pots and pans but at 400grams for a fry pan and billy I thought was pretty good tbh!!
I do like nice shiny titanium though. And 1 day it will be mine, oh yes it will be mine!!

Yeah, but Titanium is cr@p for cooking... and if you actually use this gear, rather than polishing it, it will be all black & sooty soon anyway. As it should be.
cheers
Gareth

[Andy BB]

Hi Gareth, thanks for the reply mate, between you and Fin you have convinced me that I NEED the 1.6 kettle lol!!!
Im gonna treat myself to that and a Honey stove I reckon, I have been a good boy recently lol!!
And as the weight difference between the 1litre and 1.6 is minimal it makes total sense to get the bigger pot!!
Cheers for your help
Steve

Before you go for the Honey stove, have a look at the Emberlit stove http://www.emberlit.com/default.php . They're now doing one in titanium too, and I believe their shipping costs to the UK are reasonable.. I got a s/s version whilst in the US and love it - its rock-solid, lights easily and burns well, but the best bit is the ability to feed long pieces of stick into it from the bottom - a bit like a rocket stove. Saves having to keep lifting off the pot to re-feed the fire, or use really small twigs to fiddle into the stove underneath the cook-pot. And with the long pieces of thicker wood, you can control the temperature more easily too.

[jacko1066]

Before you go for the Honey stove, have a look at the Emberlit stove http://www.emberlit.com/default.php . They're now doing one in titanium too, and I believe their shipping costs to the UK are reasonable.. I got a s/s version whilst in the US and love it - its rock-solid, lights easily and burns well, but the best bit is the ability to feed long pieces of stick into it from the bottom - a bit like a rocket stove. Saves having to keep lifting off the pot to re-feed the fire, or use really small twigs to fiddle into the stove underneath the cook-pot. And with the long pieces of thicker wood, you can control the temperature more easily too.

Hi Andy, thanks for the link for the Emberlit stove!! it looks like a great little stove!!
For me though, its not quite as flexible as the Honey, I already have a Trangia burner and I really like the versatility of the Honey being able to use it in so many different ways.

I had heard that about titanium pots, something to do with uneven heat spots or something, but they would be great for boiling water in!! As much as I like it, they are very very expensive, but also very shiny lol!!! No doubt at some point I will end up buying them, in fact on backpackinglight they have some really nice little solo sets that keep catching my eye!!
Have you had much experience using a Honey? does it end up being a bit of a pain findind and/or processing wood small enough to be burnt?
Another feature I really like i being able to cook straight on the grill, like a nice burger or sausage bbq style!!

Thanks for your advise pal
Steve