Stoves and Cooking Gear
Reviews of stoves and cooking gear.
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Cross Bands by Grifiti: When is a stuff sack not a stuff sack?
The Cross Bands by Grifiti, costing $1.79, are heavy-duty rubber bands that hold a pot and lid together, reducing weight by 0.3 ounces. They prevent lid rattle and fit items like the Vargo Titanium Ti-Lite 750 Mug. This gear enhances efficiency and reduces small annoyances on trips.
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Simple Plate for Front Country Camping
The 10" Plastic Kids' Square Divided Plate by Pillowfort, sold at Target, costs $1 and is now $0.85 on sale. It’s lightweight, BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and microwave safe for reheating. Available singly or in sets, it effectively separates food. Its limited colors and separate spork purchase are drawbacks. Highly recommended for camping.
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Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Two Pot Cook Set First Look
Sea to Summit released an updated collection of cookware earlier this year, and I got my hands on a review copy of the new Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Two Pot Cook Set (Get it direct from Sea to Summit). I’ll be using this over the summer on family camping trips. To make that work, they also sent me an extra Passage Bowl and Cup. This is my first look at the system. I’ll follow-up with a full review after using them for the season. Sea to Summit has been making some interesting gear that has peaked my curiosity. For example, last year the new Sea to Summit 50L Big…
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GSI Coffee Rocket Review
The GSI Coffee Rocket is a small, compact and collapsible, pour-over coffee maker for camping. It’s one of the many portable coffee makers that I’ve used over the years, and it’s currently my favorite. After about a month or so of use at home and in the field, I’ve come to appreciate the simplicity of this one-person camp coffee maker. I like it so much that it has replaced an Aeropress for making coffee at home. Plus, it’s cheap! It’s just $11 at REI last I checked. It’s also available on Amazon. The Coffee Rocket is a small, polypropylene and nylon coffee maker with a stainless-steel filter. It’s designed to…
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Right On Trek Mac and Cheese Review
A challenge with canoe and kayak travel can be finding good food to take canoeing or good food for kayaking. That’s where Right On Trek has come to the rescue. I’ve reviewed their service in the past (Read: Adventure Meals by RightOnTrek Review). The short of that review was that I like it. Recently, they revamped their backcountry meals and sent me over a few samples to try. I thought the Right On Trek Mac and Cheese deserved it’s own review. Spoiler: It’s great! Here’s how Right on Trek describes their take on the classic Mac and Cheese recipe: A no-compromise version of a classic comfort food. Our Mac and…
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Sawyer Water Filter Bottle Review
After using this product on my 11-day, 160-mile trip, I feel like it’s time to do a quick Sawyer Water Filter Bottle Review. Usually, I like to get 30 days on a product before reviewing it, but in this case it’s based on technology from Sawyer that I’m comfortable in providing my full thoughts. I’ve used both the Sawyer Squeeze and Mini before. This water filter bottle uses the Mini. Sawyer Water Filter Bottle Description Here’s what Sawyer says about the product: At just 4.5 ounces in weight, this durable BPA FREE water bottle can deliver clean water as fast as you can drink it. Use the included filter with…
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First Impressions: Vargo Titanium Ti-Lite 750 Mug
I’ve been testing the Vargo Titanium Ti-Lite 750 Mug since May. The Ti-Lite Mug is one of Vargo’s most popular mugs. Its 25 ounce (750 ml) capacity is large enough for most freeze-dried meals, and it’s big enough to cook single entree meals. It also works well as a mug to sip hot chocolate or a nightcap out of. If you carry a Nalgene bottle, it will fit inside the mug. As far as other features, it has graduated measurements in mililiters, foldaway handles, a strainer lid and a mesh storage bag. Vargo states its weight as 3.7 ounce with a diameter of 3.8 inches and height of 4.3 inches. It took…
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First Look: Paleo Meals To Go
Sick of the salty, typical freeze-dried fare in the cooking aisle of your local big box sporting goods retailer? Or are you sick of cooking when out paddling because you never have luck making a tasty meal without hauling a truck load of cooking gear? Or maybe you’re on a paleo diet and haven’t found a good way to continue that diet while on the trail. It was the later that spurred Ty Soukup and his mother Dawn Anderson to launch Paleo Meals To Go. They developed freeze-dried camping meals that aligned with the paleo diet. Paleo Meals To Go are freeze dried, gluten free, milk free, soy free, grain free,…
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Tubism Review: Lightweight containers for liquids
I’m always on the lookout for lightweight products that can carry liquids easily without leaking. The gold standard is Nalgene bottles, because they don’t leak. But, they weigh more than I’d like at 0.5 ounces, and they don’t work with food or products you need to squeeze. I was excited when I saw the Tubism resealing zip tubes. At 0.4 ounces for 1.7 fluid ounces, they looked like a good deal. They could carry small amounts of liquids on trips while keeping down the weight. The Tubism tubes are unique because they’re flat instead of round. One end has a zip closure and the other end a squeeze lid. They are…
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Sawyer Mini Water Filter Review
When a 1.6 ounce, $24 Sawyer Mini water filter showed up at my door, I felt hopeful that it would be all that it claimed to be, but skeptical as well, because of an experience I had testing another lightweight water filter over the summer (one which the company withdrew from review after I told them it was like sucking concrete through a straw). I also knew that by getting a chance to test the Sawyer Mini Water Filter in the fall, I’d be one of the first people to review it and because it stands to be a revolutionary water filter in the way the bigger Sawyer Squeeze Filter…
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Sawyer Squeeze Filter and Fast Fill Adapter for Hydration Packs Review
I’m always looking for a better way to filter water in the bush, and I’ve tried it all. I started with iodine pills, bought various pumps, tried electronic filters, tried hanging filters, chemicals and boiling. I didn’t think that there was anything that I hadn’t tried until I saw Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System. When offered, I jumped at the chance to review the filter and the Fast Fill Adapter for Hydration Packs, and I couldn’t believe my luck that it was offered just as I was about to buy one. First, I’ll put my biases out there. I used to sell Sawyer’s products when I worked in retail, and…
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Kate’s Bars Review
Years ago, I decided that the best food in the world would be a bar named “Food Bar.” You’d eat it in the morning, and it would sustain you throughout the day. While that still isn’t available, many energy bars do the trick for me. Years ago I settled on Clif Bar’s Crunchy Peanut Butter, and that’s what I stuck with. While I’ve tired other bars, I always go back to Clif bars. I was excited when I heard about Kate’s Real Food, which makes beefy energy bars with peanut butter as one of the core ingredients. Peanut butter energy bars with extra ingredients, such as rice, oats, honey, bananas, apricots, raisins and…
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Snow Peak Titanium Bowl Review
The Snow Peak Titanium Bowl measures 5.5 by 3 inches and holds 20 fl. oz. It weighs a claimed 1.6 oz. It’s made out of titanium which means that it doesn’t rust and you can cook in it. It fits perfectly inside Snow Peak’s Titanium Multi Compact Cookset. By combining the lightweight camping bowl with the cookset, you get a sub-14 oz. cookset with enough gear to cook elaborate meals for two. But, is it too good to be true? This is my Snow Peak Titanium Bowl review. Snow Peak Titanium Bowl Review I purchased the Snow Peak Titanium Bowl earlier in the year and didn’t use it until I took…
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Bushbuddy Ultra Wood-burning Stove Review
A guest post by Rick Beaty of a Crooked Blue Line. I’ve always relied on canister fuel. I’ve always been a pocket-rocket-style-stove-type guy. Usually, my kit is made up of only what I can buy from REI or other large outdoor retailers. I never considered cottage industry equipment. The Bushbuddy Ultra wood-burning stove, manufactured in the cottage industry, was the first piece of kit that made me rethink every other piece of gear I hauled in boat and on portage. Other than over coals from campfire, I have never cooked in the backcountry without my “technology”. The Bushbuddy Ultra changed that. Its simple beginnings, in the tradition of homemade Hobo…
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Kupilka Cup Review
I’ve always liked the look of a traditional wooden kuksa, a drinking cup made by the Sami people. When I saw the plastic and wood composite Kupilka cups, I fell instantly in love. I always wanted a wooden cup, but didn’t want the maintenance or weight that comes with it. The plastic version seemed like a good substitute. When I first saw the cups, availability was limited to Europe, but I managed to get a Kupilka 21 and a 5 in exchange for a review. The Kupilka 21 is a round cup with a molded handle that extends from the cup’s lip. The cup hold about 8 oz. It has…
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