Anybody have an ideal snow melting pot and stove? Looking for something that fits in a large daypack. So far I am thinking of commandeering the ancient 3L Farberware stainless pot from the kitchen, and maybe figuring out a folding handle somehow; and, using the whisperlite or the coleman 533. My cartridge stove and Ti pot seem functional, but I kind of think I need a lot more BTU's out of the stove and a much more rugged pot that can handle that heat better.

Cheap, durable, (sort of) lightweight. Open Country 4L aluminum pot with bail

I like using my REI 3 quart pot with foldout side grips and a GSI 1 quart tea kettle. We use both on a wood stove and a liquid fuel stove in winter. The tea pot goes on every trip canoeing, backpacking, winter camping. My favorite item to boil water in.

Most recommend a large pot with a large bail to it. I've got one that the bail is like a inch wide.

quote OldFingers57: "Most recommend a large pot with a large bail to it. I've got one that the bail is like a inch wide."

I don't get it...what's the bail got to do with it, do with it?

quote Doughboy12: "

quote OldFingers57: "Most recommend a large pot with a large bail to it. I've got one that the bail is like a inch wide."

I don't get it...what's the bail got to do with it, do with it?"

Bail handles are versatile. Most nesting pots don't have handles of any sort and so must be used with a pot gripper. Bail's are easier to deal with wearing gloves and can be hung over a wood fire. Lots of winter campers install bails on their pots, there's even an outfit that sells bail handles for after market installation.



Bail Kit's

Also, take a look thru Ben's Backwoods web site. There are a lot of good pots and billy's.

I had a 3L pot and a fry pan on my first trip. The fry pan was able to melt more snow faster due to the larger surface area on the stove.

If you are looking for a large pot this isn't it, but google "mors pot". Its about 2 quarts, anodized Al, tight fitting lid and has a handle and bail. We always take it with us on day trips whether skiing or snowshoeing.

quote awbrown: "

quote Doughboy12: "

quote OldFingers57: "Most recommend a large pot with a large bail to it. I've got one that the bail is like a inch wide."

I don't get it...what's the bail got to do with it, do with it?"

Bail handles are versatile. Most nesting pots don't have handles of any sort and so must be used with a pot gripper. Bail's are easier to deal with wearing gloves and can be hung over a wood fire. Lots of winter campers install bails on their pots, there's even an outfit that sells bail handles for after market installation.



Bail Kit's

Also, take a look thru Ben's Backwoods web site. There are a lot of good pots and billy's."

Thanks aw i got it... Still don't get the part about 1" wide...?

quote Doughboy12: "

quote awbrown: "

quote Doughboy12: "

quote OldFingers57: "Most recommend a large pot with a large bail to it. I've got one that the bail is like a inch wide."

I don't get it...what's the bail got to do with it, do with it?"

Bail handles are versatile. Most nesting pots don't have handles of any sort and so must be used with a pot gripper. Bail's are easier to deal with wearing gloves and can be hung over a wood fire. Lots of winter campers install bails on their pots, there's even an outfit that sells bail handles for after market installation.





Bail Kit's


Also, take a look thru Ben's Backwoods web site. There are a lot of good pots and billy's."

Thanks aw i got it... Still don't get the part about 1" wide...?"

Yep, I see the confusion. I wonder if he means large as in a big, tall loop, or large as in 1" wide.

Hey OldFingers57, please enlighten.

Olicamp SS nesting pots I have a set of Peak One just like these but with a 5Qt and lid also.
To me it's the largest pot you are going to carry, big enough to add snow to, by the large economy size scoop/shovel/arm full. To speed up the melting make sure to put liquid water in the pot first if you have it.

butthead

Thanks for the pot suggestions. I am leaning towards the open country 4qt even though I'd prefer stainless like the olicamp. Thanks for the tip on adding the water first - if you don't add water to the Ti pot first you can warp the bottom - I guess I've found that out the hard way.

What about stove for daypack? I can't bring myself to use the jetboil, but the 3L helios probably would be very efficient. I am thinking about buying an MSR windpro II. I know white gas might be better but I don't want to give up canister convenience. Supposedly the inverted canisters will work down to -10F. Anyone tried an inverted canister near that temperature?

All I can say is ...WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, and one more time WHITE GAS.
Or a campfire I guess...

quote NotLight: "Thanks for the pot suggestions. I am leaning towards the open country 4qt even though I'd prefer stainless like the olicamp. Thanks for the tip on adding the water first - if you don't add water to the Ti pot first you can warp the bottom - I guess I've found that out the hard way.

What about stove for daypack? I can't bring myself to use the jetboil, but the 3L helios probably would be very efficient. I am thinking about buying an MSR windpro II. I know white gas might be better but I don't want to give up canister convenience. Supposedly the inverted canisters will work down to -10F. Anyone tried an inverted canister near that temperature?
"

To each his own, but I'm a big Trangia stove fan. Alcohol burner. No parts to fail. Works every time. Great wind screen. There's even a cold weather kit, but I've never found that I've needed one.

Little slower to boil then white gas, but I'm okay with that.

quote Doughboy12: "All I can say is ...WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, and one more time WHITE GAS.
Or a campfire I guess..."

That's what I'm thinking. But even the whisperlite takes up a lot of space when you are talking about a daypack, which I already have other stuff in. I suppose I could look for an old Coleman Peak1 or a Svea, but then I start to look like I was collecting stoves.

quote awbrown: "

quote NotLight: "Thanks for the pot suggestions. I am leaning towards the open country 4qt even though I'd prefer stainless like the olicamp. Thanks for the tip on adding the water first - if you don't add water to the Ti pot first you can warp the bottom - I guess I've found that out the hard way.


What about stove for daypack? I can't bring myself to use the jetboil, but the 3L helios probably would be very efficient. I am thinking about buying an MSR windpro II. I know white gas might be better but I don't want to give up canister convenience. Supposedly the inverted canisters will work down to -10F. Anyone tried an inverted canister near that temperature?
"

To each his own, but I'm a big Trangia stove fan. Alcohol burner. No parts to fail. Works every time. Great wind screen. There's even a cold weather kit, but I've never found that I've needed one.


Little slower to boil then white gas, but I'm okay with that."

How cold have you used the alcohol stove? I suppose that is small enough that you could keep the stove and fuel in an inside jacket pocket to stay warm.

quote NotLight: "

quote Doughboy12: "All I can say is ...WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, and one more time WHITE GAS.
Or a campfire I guess..."

That's what I'm thinking. But even the whisperlite takes up a lot of space when you are talking about a daypack, which I already have other stuff in. I suppose I could look for an old Coleman Peak1 or a Svea, but then I start to look like I was collecting stoves."

I use an Optima NOVA Plus...never thought it was much of a space hog but the fuel can be. An alcohol stove won't solve that problem, you still need the fuel...and a lot more of it. If you have a stove failure just use a little of the WG to get a wood fire going...and melt snow or heat the stove and fix the failure if possible...warm parts work when super cold ones won't, sometimes.

quote NotLight: "

quote awbrown: "

quote NotLight: "Thanks for the pot suggestions. I am leaning towards the open country 4qt even though I'd prefer stainless like the olicamp. Thanks for the tip on adding the water first - if you don't add water to the Ti pot first you can warp the bottom - I guess I've found that out the hard way.



What about stove for daypack? I can't bring myself to use the jetboil, but the 3L helios probably would be very efficient. I am thinking about buying an MSR windpro II. I know white gas might be better but I don't want to give up canister convenience. Supposedly the inverted canisters will work down to -10F. Anyone tried an inverted canister near that temperature?
"

To each his own, but I'm a big Trangia stove fan. Alcohol burner. No parts to fail. Works every time. Great wind screen. There's even a cold weather kit, but I've never found that I've needed one.



Little slower to boil then white gas, but I'm okay with that."

How cold have you used the alcohol stove? I suppose that is small enough that you could keep the stove and fuel in an inside jacket pocket to stay warm.
"

I've used it down around 20F. As Doughboy says, you still have to carry fuel. If you're out just for the day, you could fill the Trangia stove with fuel, which is good for about 20 minutes and carry a small Nalgene bottle with another couple of ounces.

Another alternative could be a twig burner, if you're out somewhere where you can gather a little wood. I have a Slat Grill and a Vital Stove. The Slat Grill breaks down and fits in a small flat bag. The Vital Stove works great, boils water twice as fast as a Trangia, will burn any type of combustable fuel and is pretty small. However, it takes a couple of AAA batteries and is heavy for its size. But it's very dependable........and did I say fast.....it's up around 20,000 btu when the fan is on high speed and the damper is open all the way.

Vital Stove and Trangia

I have a big 4L? Olicamp like linked above for warming water or melting snow on my woodstove. I almost always camp close enough to a water source and carry an auger so I drill and warm. If you don't have a woodstove the 4L might be too big and tippy for other stoves (save for a suitcase style coleman). I also take a windpro II and we tested it and the optimus vega last winter. In milder conditions (probably around 10-15 degrees F) both of these worked well with the canister inverted. They will work better if the canister is kept warm prior to use-so tuck it in your jacket for a few minutes. If I didn't have the woodstove to warm water on I would probably take a white gas stove for more reliable performance in the cold.

tg

quote Doughboy12: "All I can say is ...WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, and one more time WHITE GAS.
Or a campfire I guess..."

What about this Primus Omnilite (video) or Primus Omnifuel (video)? Seems like they will burn either white gas or canister isobutane, like the Optimus Nova does. Plus they'll simmer nicely it appears (assuming I'd care for that). I really like that Omnilite Ti.

Also, I notice some people use a stove board with white gas stoves in winter. Right now I just use a 6" square of xps foam with my canister stove on snow. But, I think I might want something more elaborate and heat resistant if I buy a white gas stove. Anyone ideas?

Check out Littlebug Jr. stove for daytripping.

quote NotLight: "

quote Doughboy12: "All I can say is ...WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, WHITE GAS, and one more time WHITE GAS.
Or a campfire I guess..."

What about this Primus Omnilite (video) or Primus Omnifuel (video)? Seems like they will burn either white gas or canister isobutane, like the Optimus Nova does. Plus they'll simmer nicely it appears (assuming I'd care for that). I really like that Omnilite Ti.


Also, I notice some people use a stove board with white gas stoves in winter. Right now I just use a 6" square of xps foam with my canister stove on snow. But, I think I might want something more elaborate and heat resistant if I buy a white gas stove. Anyone ideas?

"

Old license plates...one for the base and one for the wind block.

Well, with a 3L stainless pot, I don't think an alcy burner will be your most efficient snowmelter. White gas is probably a better fuel for the purpose. Especially because you can simmer with most whote gas stoves and lower flame for a longer time gives more melt.