The BikePacker's Kitchen- stoves, cookkits, water treatment discussed here

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

This threads intent is to promote discussions on the different types of  
stoves (alky, canister, white gas, wood, esbit)
cookkits (Titanium, Al, Beer can)
water treatment (steripen, tablets, gravity filters, pumps) used by bikepackers.

Photos of your equipment in action would be wonderful since a picture is worth a thousand words.
Stories of what you have tried that worked and did not work could really help
others as they build or tune their bikepacking cook kit/s.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I am a recreational bikepacker.
I bikepack everything from concrete bike paths(railstotrails) to Colorado/Utah singletrack.

I have never been able to settle on one bikepacking cookkit so I thought I'd post a couple Pict's of the
kits I use the most.

LPG(liquid propane gas) kit: Used during Colorado Fire Ban's when other methods are prohibited.
MSR Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove
Other items used in this system is a titanium windscreen called a
caldera cone, Snow Peak titanium 0.82L pot with gripper lid, 10" crepe skillet

I use this cookkit when weigh is really not a big issue like rails to trails bike path travel.
When fresh food can be purchased every day or so in the small towns you pass thru.
This kit also boils water very fast for the typical freeze dried trail meals.
The thick frypan and controlled heat does a great job cooking trout.

Canister LPG Pros:
Fire ban approved (the main reason I got one)
Excellent heat control
Fast water boil
Fast assembly
no spill
weighs less than my MSR whitegas

Canister LPG Cons:
Used canisters BIG waste must packout empties
Hard to gauge how much fuel is in can
Poor heat at extreme cold
Poor heat at altitude
Use of a wind screen can be dangerous. LPG bottle can overheat.


White Gas Stove

White Gas Pros:
Most heat per ounce of fuel, over all others
Fastest to melt snow
Best at altitude and cold temps below freezing
easier to find fuel in remote areas

White Gas Cons:
Lots if parts
a priming process
heavy
poor flame/heat control basically on/off
fuel can spill
over priming fire


MSR XGK EX Stove
I have zero experience winter mtn bike packing. But I have 30 years of winter
backpacking/snowshoeing/pulkpulling/xcskiing in the Colorado Mtns. I only put the white gas stove
in this article because it's the best type of stove to use in winter.


My lightest cookkit is made from beer cans by MiniBullDesigns and uses an alky stove called a miniAtomic.
This is a pressurized stove that really puts out the heat.
I can usually boil 1 1/4 cups of water in less than 3 minutes with 1/2 oz of fuel @10,000ft.



Each of these cook system have special qualities, precise heat control, works well in cold, super light weight, etc.
when I don't have to consider some special requirement my favorite cook kit is the
Caldera Cone with SnowPeak 0.82L pot, alky stove. This kit works in high winds, cold, and altitude.
It won't fry trout or bacon and eggs. Hence the reason I have so many bikepacking cookkits.
Hope you enjoy the photos and can pict up a tip or two. Would love to see what you guys are using.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

What did not work for me was a Titanium wood stove.
I know some folks absolutely love to use wood but I was unable to get past the
soot/smut getting on everything and the smoke smell that never leaves and actually migrates
to everything that is packed with that cookkit.

[s8tannorm]

If anyone's interested in putting together a lightweight cooking system, we've three different alcohol stoves available here -http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/

The smallest/lightest was designed for use with a 450ml mug and weighs just 8g. There's two versions of the larger stove, the 'normal' one weighs 22g and is ideal for bigger pots. There's also a Remote Feed version of the 22g stove which allows an infinite burn time ... if there's fuel in the bottle, it'll keep burning



All three come with a fuel bottle and instructions. The 8g also includes a template to make tapered windshield.

[bmike-vt]

i use easy to prep meals, oatmeal, and starbucks via instant coffee, as well as trying to eat a good meal at a store or cafe along the way if possible.
stoves range from a trangia to a whisperlite international (haven't used it in years!) to homemade alky burners of various types - ones that act as pot stands (inherently unstable without good ground or rocks or a table) or ones that use a bike spoke pot stand, or that mimic the caldera cone type system. i have a few that won't spill (based on zelph's starlyte stove), and all sorts of variations. going to likely pick up a cheap jet type burner for compressed gas can type stove too. so convenient to watch a friend light it up and have hot coffee or food minutes laters. i use a snow peak ti 700 cup / pot and carry fire starter and a folding spork thing. also a few guyout designs silicone bowls. heat water, then let food rehydrate. heat second batch or use leftover for coffee.

homemade stoves:


IMAG4055 by mbeganyi, on Flickr


IMAG4036 by mbeganyi, on Flickr


the one by mbeganyi, on Flickr


IMAG4068 by mbeganyi, on Flickr

kitchen:

breakfast by mbeganyi, on Flickr


IMG_0094 by mbeganyi, on Flickr


IMG_1838 by mbeganyi, on Flickr

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Thanks for joining in the discussion bmike the picts are great.
Your DIY alky stoves/stand/windscreen are very cool. Nice job and so light.
When I'm not cooking eggs on the trail, which isn't very often, 2 packs of oatmeal
with Italian Roast Via is my favorite breakfast or lunch on a cold day.

[s8tannorm]

CCB I know what you mean about wood. Have you tried a wood stove that uses the 'wood gas' effect? It certainly reduces the amount of soot and smoke produced.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Hi s8tannorm, thanks for joining the discussion.

Coaxial Downdraft Gasification (((oh yeah))) haha sorry the retired engineer in me peaked out.

The only one I've seen in person was called a bushbuddy and it seemed to work quite well.
I'm not sure it eliminates the stinky smoke smell that cooking on a fire brings.

While bikepacking/camping, I seem to meet and talk with more people than when I'm hiking.
I stop in more towns and walk into more stores and eating establishments.
Having that backwoods aroma on my hands, my cloths, my sleeping gear just bugs me. It's a smell you can't escape until you hit a
laundry mat and scrub and wash the heck out of everything. As you quietly whisper to yourself go buy a dang bottle of HEET or LPG.

[wahday]

I have an MSR Whisperlite Internationale which I use as a white gas stove, though it also can be used with kerosene, jet fuel and "automotive fuel" (not sure what they mean by that - gasoline? diesel?). Stove itself is pretty light and durable and I've been using it for backpacking and canoeing for more than 20 years. So, definitely durable. But not as light as it could be between the fuel bottle and the stove.

So, when I am bikepacking I have either used no stove and eaten cold meals or taken my little homemade alcohol stove (your typical beer can assembly). It packs inside a little windscreen made from a coffee can that is also the pot stand. I have one lidded pot and one cup and it all fits inside itself, much like others' examples. I carry the fuel in a contact lens solution container which is leakproof and cheap (and write "warning" on it, of course)

The challenges with the alcohol stove is determining how much fuel you need. Not enough and you will need to refill/relight partway through cooking. Too much and you waste the fuel as it evaporates fairly quickly after turning off the stove. So, I generally use this option where I just need to boil water for coffee (also a Via fan) or cook a quick and easy dinner (ramen, for example). Anything more involved and I would bring the Whisperlite.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I have an MSR Whisperlite Internationale which I use as a white gas stove, though it also can be used with kerosene, jet fuel and "automotive fuel" (not sure what they mean by that - gasoline? diesel?). Stove itself is pretty light and durable and I've been using it for backpacking and canoeing for more than 20 years. So, definitely durable. But not as light as it could be between the fuel bottle and the stove.

So, when I am bikepacking I have either used no stove and eaten cold meals or taken my little homemade alcohol stove (your typical beer can assembly). It packs inside a little windscreen made from a coffee can that is also the pot stand. I have one lidded pot and one cup and it all fits inside itself, much like others' examples. I carry the fuel in a contact lens solution container which is leakproof and cheap (and write "warning" on it, of course)

The challenges with the alcohol stove is determining how much fuel you need. Not enough and you will need to refill/relight partway through cooking. Too much and you waste the fuel as it evaporates fairly quickly after turning off the stove. So, I generally use this option where I just need to boil water for coffee (also a Via fan) or cook a quick and easy dinner (ramen, for example). Anything more involved and I would bring the Whisperlite.

If you'd like to be able to save unburned alcohol (heet) and have more control over the flame the Trangia-Alcohol stove has a lid with gasket.
You just blow out the flame and install the lid. It also has a simmer ring for less flame.
I've read the military as adopted this stove. No sure if their model is different.
I believe bmike-vt is using one in his last picture. However it's hidden by a wind screen. I recognize the simmer ring and lid.

http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Mountain-LIB327550-Trangia-Alcohol/dp/B000N8L90Y

I use my Mini Bull Design MiniAtomic stove 3-5 times a week and with that kind of usage you can guess on the fuel pretty close.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Oh I have another stove to add to the list in this stove thread.
It's a bit over the top. I don't expect many to pack one.
Pack size 2.5" x10"x18"  weight in carry case 3.5#

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

WATER TREATMENT

As a recreational bikepacker something I enjoy doing is to collect and filter my water used on a trip.
I like the thought that the water I am drinking is not loaded with chlorine from my city water treatment facility.





My favorite filter is unfortunately one of the heaviest. The MSR MiniWorks EX Water Filter.
It not only does a very good job of filtering out most of the bad things but the water tastes great and
for me that is worth the weight penalty.

[Bedrock]

I've been pretty happy with this filter system. I can filter on the spot or I can fill the "grey water" bags, throw them in my pack and then filter at camp as needed.



The whole kit as you see it below weighs 6 oz. It filters fairly quickly and has no moving parts. I have filtered water from some pretty questionable potholes in the desert and although the water can be slightly tinted at times it always tastes fine. Haven't been sick yet.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Wow that looks super light weight greenwater.
This probably sounds kind of dumb but how do you get the untreated water(puddle,lake,cattle tank)
into the bag when gravity is not there to help(water dripping or flowing from a ledge)?

Do you carry other items to help with filling?

[Bedrock]

CCB,
that's a good question. It can be a little tricky to fill the bags from a shallow pothole. If the water source is 4+" deep it is easy but any less and it gets more difficult. The bags have a bit of structure to them, meaning they kind of hold their shape. What I usually do is puff up the little one with a quick blast of air and then dip it into the water source. Fill as much as you can and then transfer it to the bigger bag. It actually goes pretty quick once you get the hang of it. I wondered the same thing when I first used the filter.

[wahday]

If you'd like to be able to save unburned alcohol (heet) and have more control over the flame the Trangia-Alcohol stove has a lid with gasket.
You just blow out the flame and install the lid. It also has a simmer ring for less flame.
I've read the military as adopted this stove. No sure if their model is different.
I believe bmike-vt is using one in his last picture. However it's hidden by a wind screen. I recognize the simmer ring and lid.

http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Mountain-LIB327550-Trangia-Alcohol/dp/B000N8L90Y

I use my Mini Bull Design MiniAtomic stove 3-5 times a week and with that kind of usage you can guess on the fuel pretty close.

Thanks for the tip! The price on that is pretty good, I have to admit. I generally shy away from buying new gear if I have something I already own that I can use (see the Dirtbag thread), but $15 won't break the bank and I like the idea of being able to reuse unspent fuel already in the stove.

My rinky dink stove from two beer cans nestled inside a coffee can that serves as the stand and windscreen. Works great and cost me nothing but delicious beer and coffee.


For water, I don't have anything as stealthy as Greenwater (very cool setup!). Again, I use what I already own from backpacking and try not to get sucked into buying additional gear. I have a steripen which is very effective if you have clear water (I have mainly used it travelling abroad). I also have a Pur hand pump filter that's a it more bulky but very effective. But it gets the particulates out. I usually run the steripen on the filtered water for good measure, but its probably not necessary. The reality, though, is that I have only bikepacked in high desert areas where there is little or no access to surface water so mostly I am just carrying what I need.

[bumbler]

I have a Platypus GravityWorks water filter. My first filter, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I have no complaints. I like that I can just fill the bladder with water and wait while my bottles & camelbak filled up - no pumping! I left the "clean bladder" home to save space & weight. Filling the bladder from a shallow stream was a bit challenging, sometimes requiring a second fill to get enough water, but not a big deal.

[bumbler]

My DIY alcohol stove. Inspired from a post I found on BackpackingLight a while ago; made from an aluminum beer bottle (thicker aluminum than cans), gradually crimping the rim with needlenose pliers to form a cone.



It puts out a tightly focused flame, which works well with small diameter cups & pots.

It's quite sturdy and I like that it has no moving parts or small holes which could clog.

Another picture along with my windscreen, etc. The entire kit pictured here fits inside my pot (except for the reflectix, but I suppose it might too - I haven't tried).

[stumpyfsr]

I've been pretty happy with this filter system. I can filter on the spot or I can fill the "grey water" bags, throw them in my pack and then filter at camp as needed.



The whole kit as you see it below weighs 6 oz. It filters fairly quickly and has no moving parts. I have filtered water from some pretty questionable potholes in the desert and although the water can be slightly tinted at times it always tastes fine. Haven't been sick yet.

GreenWater, I use the same filter. But instead of stock bags I've decided to use a regular plastic bottle (1L) for easier fill-up.
Can't find anywhere either this filter works in winter or not. Would be any damage to filter if frozen?

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Thanks for the tip! The price on that is pretty good, I have to admit. I generally shy away from buying new gear if I have something I already own that I can use (see the Dirtbag thread), but $15 won't break the bank and I like the idea of being able to reuse unspent fuel already in the stove.

My rinky dink stove from two beer cans nestled inside a coffee can that serves as the stand and windscreen. Works great and cost me nothing but delicious beer and coffee.

Love the DIY kitchen wahday, am I looking at the wind screen or stove under the pot?
I ended up ordering a trangia stove since on my last outing I stepped on my pop can stove and smashed it beyond repair.
I'll report back once I run the new stove thru it's paces.