Ultralight Cookset - How To Do Some Heavy Eating, Lightly!

 Weighing in at 132g on my scales; Jake and I have put together a fully integrated (packs down inside of the mug) solo cookset for backpacking, bikepacking and all-round-cooking-on-the-go...

The system we have created is not revolutionary in the backpacking world, especially in the ultralight backpacking community where weight and packability are carefully considered. If you’re not already versed on the principles of lightweight backpacking, I haven’t particularly the energy to explain it in it’s depths here, but many sources I have listed on my resources page will be helpful in exploring the topic further (Notably see Ray Jardine’s Guide to Lightweight Backpacking). As it goes, the lighter one’s gear and the weight one is carrying, the less energy expended to carry that gear a certain distance. The less energy one is using correlates (in theory) with the amount of enjoyment one might have whilst out walking. 

(Gas VS Liquid Fuels)

It is foremost important to mention that this is a liquid-fuel based system, in which case the weight of the fuel (methylated spirits for eg.) is not included in the system’s weight. Big powerful gas canisters with compressed gas fuels such as iso propane and butane are efficient and reliable ways of generating heat when backpacking. They’re easy to use, safe, and generate stable and reliable heat. The problems lie with their size, weight and packability, as well as the lack of common availability. Systems that rely on liquid fuels are more sensitive to cold temperatures and windy conditions but they are generally lighter and fuel-availability is high. Regardless of fuel-source, ‘backcountry’ cooking in general requires consideration. Systems that may be easy to set up, carry or use, may suffer from the underlying symptoms of poor heat retention!

The other important factor for consideration in general when it comes to backpacking gear is price. Most of what is on the market is fairly priced, but not cheap. The cook-system we have been working on was designed fundamentally for it’s packability, weight and affordability and consists of a mug with a lid, a stove, a windshield, an eating utensil, a fire source, a cleaning utensil and a bag (to contain the other components). To reorder them in the order in which they appear when packed, it would be;

a bag, a mug and lid, a windshield, a stove, an eating utensil, a cleaning utensil and a fire source.

Pot w/ lid, windshield and super cat! Meow!

Cooking mode.

We should start first and foremost with the stove, for this is the dictator of all the considerations of the remainder of the cook-system. For our system, we have gone for a pressurised alcohol stove made out of an aluminium can. This is referred to by different names based on the design-choices and the hikers who have contributed them to the hiking community. Ours follows the ‘Super Cat Alcohol Stove’, by American hiker and DIY-stove pioneer, Jim Wood. The Base Camp is his website, no longer actively being contributed to by Jim but hopefully laying available as a resource to others for many years to come. If you find the website unavailable at any point in time, do feel free to contact me for a copy of his pages on the Super Cat as I have them as a printable file and would be happy to help in continuing the circulation of such a useful resource. 

(Jim’s website was one of a few main inspirations for the starting of this blog.)

The Super Cat works by housing and burning a liquid fuel (methylated spirits e.g.) and pressurising the generated heat to create concentrated thermal jets. One places their pot on top of the stove directly, blocking it’s open top and forcing the heat out of small holes that have been created in the can’s sidewalls. Providing enough oxygen can reach the stove, then an ounce of liquid fuel can power the system for around fifteen minutes. Ours are made from Purina Gourmet cans, for truly Purina Gourmet cats. The scales say 7 English grams for the stove and building instructions are all on Jim Wood’s website, or found here -- The Super Cat Alcohol Stove

We used Gold Paté, but all flavours taste good and will work.

Fire in the hole baby!

Boiling two cups of water (around 500ml or so, to satisfy most dehydrated meals that one might eat in the backcountry) can take between 3-10 minutes depending on the system's efficiency and the environmental conditions. Placing a windshield around the stove and pot can prevent wind from interfering with thermal efficiency of the system, whilst still allowing enough oxygen in to keep the fuel burning. Market windshields come in an array of materials and designs, each hosting their strengths in packability, functionality, weight, price and ease of use. Most gear compromises weight or price in order to excel in the other areas. 

Pure pressurised burning. Like cookin' on the hob. 

For our system`s windshield, Jake made these out of sheet aluminium and using Captain Paranoia’s Windscreen Generator. We used 0.2mm thick sheeting sourced from Speedster Stoves here in the UK. The design is simple enough, coiling up and fitting inside the cooking pot, and springing back into its true diameter when removed. A folded tab of aluminium helps to fasten the two open ends of the windshield together. There’s cut outs for pot-handles, and holes punched in for ventilation. The generator caused a bit of faff, but Jake came out on top. Thanks Jake! Puppy weighs only 17 grams.

Side view, thanks Jake

Cut outs for pot handles, and the fastening tab. Supreme craftsmanship.

As well as the sheeting, we bought silicone tubing for the pot handles, magic erasers for cleaning (doesn’t give a reading on my scales) and some other tiddlybits from Gary Green at Speedster. Would recommend, thanks Gary! Cooking equipment, stoves and full systems, made for backpacking by a backpacker.

Next up comes the cooking vessel. Jake and I went for the Snow Peak Titanium 600 mugs, single walled for gram-shaving goodness. The mugs come no frills, so we fashioned some pot-lids out of scraps. Pot weighs 83 grams with the silicone tubing on the handles and my lid weighs 12, an embarrassing 95 grams total for the cooking vessel. The SPTi600 mugs are very cool and compact and lightweight compared to their double-barrelled counterparts which boast capacities of >1L, (or effectively, dinner for two). The downside is, it’s truly dinner for one due to the smaller capacity, so load up on the nooch, the olive oil to compensate.

Eating with your hands is okay in some cultures and not in others. Or, okay with some foods and then not okay with others. Either way we included a utensil for eating and mine was a Snow Peak Titanium spork, 16 grams from the manufacturer's website but 15 grams on my scales at home. Problem with this sporko is it doesn’t fold into itself to fit inside the almost-all-integrated cooking system. Jake uses a folding titanium sporko, which does fit inside his pot.

All of this is housed together inside one of Skye McGregor’s cuben fibre ditty bags. Handmade in the UK and weighing in at a whopper 5 grams on the scale, makes the bag the second lightest item in the cookset system after the magic eraser. Wild Sky Gear sells a bunch of great stuff. I’ve got lots of tiddlybops from Skye over the past years for hiking and am happy with everything I have purchased. I have my eyes on a Wolf Solo tarp, which weighs in total less than the pot and lid in my cookset. 

WSG Dittybag!

Jboy, pretty stoked with his hot cup of noodles, very first cooking test. 

Other than that, you need a lighter and some fuel. Fuel was not weighed in for the cooking system as it is a variable and one must take what one predicts one will need for said trip. 

We cooked the shit out of some of Pietro’s porcini trail ramen and turbo mac and cheese using our system in May and we were pretty happy. Nothing fell over and everything worked as it should. Consider it trail tested! 

The whole system! Brought to you by Jake and I.