After a winter trip down the eastern divide a couple years ago where I didn't hardly use my multi-fuel stove at all I challenged myself to try going wood only and never looked back. I figure I can pick up HEET or equiv at any gas station in America and improvise a perfectly good alcohol stove at the drop of a hat out of aluminum foil or spare can not that I've had the need over the last couple years. I primarily only cook in the evening and winding down by a fire is the perfect way to do it. Weighs less and is less hassell with no need to carry fuel or worry about resupply. I've become a wood gourmond. Uses so little fuel I can and do get selective about my woods. Hickory, pines.
ultralight cook kit, 2oz stove, 2.3oz pot, .6oz mug/bowl by
mmeiser2, on Flickr
Wish I had an updated picture. The monster energy drink can works fine as a boiler, but my preferred pot is a 700ml evernew since I can eat out of it as well as boil and cook in it. Soot is a complete non-issue with a Reflectix pot cozy covering up any soot. Plus keeps the food hot and the pot easy to handle when off the stove.
There are so many joys to fire, and this little 2oz piece of titanium flashing gives me the flexibility to scale up or down my fire as appropriate. Best of all when I'm done a tiny bit of cleanup leaves absolutely no trace. My only wish is I could use it on a picnic table or in a tent. But then I've been working on a chimney stove for my tent. I have experimented with an aluminum pie plate or piece of heavy duty aluminum foil with several inches of dirt on it. It works, but I really think this stove works best when staked out in the dirt.
My boil tests are amazing. Because the pot sits down inside the stove with the heat all around I can consistently boil two cups of ambient water in 2-2.5 minutes. Of course boil tests aren't everything. It's requires a few more minutes to get a fire started then to light an alcohol or isobutane stove. But I'll go with skill, knowlege and experience over carrying more gear every time. These things weigh nothing and get better over time. Plus skill, knowlege and experience give you versatility and adaptability.
I favor elemental gear for the same reasons. A piece of titanium flashing isn't just a wood stove, but it's also effectively a perfect wind screen if you do decide to pair it with an alcohol stove so you can cook on a picnic table or can do a quick start of hot coffee at the beginning of the day.
Along these same lines, tarps are more elemental then a tent and therefore more versatile. With skill, experience and knowlege over time one learns to pitch tarps thousands of different ways and for many different uses. Perhaps you might putch it high for a multi-person cook / hangout area. Perhaps it's early season and there are no bugs. Simply leave the bug net at home. My favorite tarp is actually a GoLite poncho tarp. Yes it will even work as a poncho. I generally use a riding specific jacket (O2 rainwear) but the versatility costs nothing, and I'm sure one day it will come in handy though I did not purchase it for this use.
I guess the point is that for me DIY alcohol stoves of which I am a huge fan were a jumping off point. A way to understand and start to develop extremely purpose built gear. Elemental gear. Tools not "solutions". Specifically not off-the-shelf solutions like jetboil cook kits or free standing tents. When I develop and depend more on elemental tools, knowlege, and developing experience and skill I can carry far less gear and yet have far more comfort and versatility.
BTW, a word about ziploc bags as kit. You're spot on with using the ziploc over your stove holder. Try making a Reflectix cozy instead. Even more useful then a plastic container that can melt.
The backpackers use this ziploc method heavily and it works great as ziplocs can handle boiling water and often they personally pack all their food in ziplocs. Best of all no cleanup. However I as a cyclists am often improvising my food choices as I'm traveling because I'm stopping in grocery stores or convienience stores at least every three days if not every day. Because of this I'm going for more fresh foods and fruits, sometimes if I hit a grocery store in the evening I'll even pick up things like steak. Why not get some potatoes and onion as well. I always carry a some aluminum foil and you can always request a little from the Deli/ meat counter if you're buying something. Produce bags are as useful as ziplocks for packing (though not eating). Improvised gloves / shoe covers in the rain or cold. But back to food.
I will sometimes even grab can goods if I know I'm going to be eating them that night or first thing in the morning.
There is nothing like waking up, brewing ups some coffee an eating a can of fruit cocktail or peaches. I guess it's a nice alternative to my regular morning OJ which I miss on the road.
I guess my point is learn to improvise on the road. Purposefully go out with only staple foods like coffee and oatmeal when doing short trips and overnighters. Stop at grocery stores when on trips as frequently as possible at first and ask "what pill pack well on my bike and cook up or be great to have uncooked". While bikepacking or touring you're not going to be out of civilization for weeks on end. Unless extremely remote you will encounter at the very least gas stations daily.
Realize you can go lighter then a backpacker in the food category and look at your food choices more versatily.
Realize cooking is a luxury. You don't have to cook every meal, you don't have too cook at all. If you do cook it's because you want too, you like it. It's a great way to wind down the evening, but is it necessary for breakfast or lunch? If you're not enjoying it but trying to rush through it then why bother cooking. Just find stuff that doesn't require cooking.
I often competely forego breakfast until after I've done 10-20 miles for the day. I'm not a high functioning morning person so I just like to roll out of bed and wake up on the bike. After a while I start to wake up and think about breakfast and then I'll stop at a local breakfast place or feast on a uncooked breakfast or whatever. Having in 10-20 before the day even gets going is a great way to start the day an easy way of getting more miles and breaks up the day nicely. It isn't about racing. It's about ease of miles and freedom to roam.
So. Hopefully that was useful for you. I admit I like to write. Sometimes a little much. It reminds me of what I love about bikepacking and UL touring.
