Part of food prep for the woods is calories per ounce. One of the things I always do is bring a couple ounces of olive oil. Olive oil is calorie dense, and adds great mouth feel back to freeze tried meals. Add the oil first, stir it in, then add the hot water. Good fat, extra calories, and much tastier food.
It also makes a great butter replacement. I take salt/pepper/ olive oil and parmesan or those small powered Italian hard cheese pots with me - thing is, you can go ultra-light and be miserable, or actually take some light stuff that makes you happier and makes the meals taste 10000% better.
peanut butter (or any nuts, whole or butter) is great too. Not as calorie dense as pure fats/oils, but not bad, and has about as much protein per gram as meat does.
If you ever get take out breakfast, ask them for butter on the side. They will usually give you those individual packs of butter, which will keep for weeks unrefrigerated.
After years of dehydrated food, this weekend I'm going gourmet and I will carry my Trangia and do real cooking. With starter and main course. And fruit. And ground coffee. Nobody can stop me.
Trangia 27 is great. Not ultra light but useful. I like my diy Caldera Cone for light weight early Spring trips. It was too cold for my canister stove but the alcohol one worked fine. I did sleep with the canister but may have been the brand- still didn’t want to light.
@@chrishansen5784 I don't remember the brands. The meals sold at Decathlon and other camping stores I have here. But the last years I assembled my own meals, I use the recipes of "The backpaking chef" and have some Spanish meals adapted to dehydration too. Once you get the method it's easy. They taste better, but it implies some work. You have to like to do it.
You're doing the absolutely right thing! Take care of your body after your adventures outdoors and treat it well with some real food. Also to me, cooking is part of the recrestion, too. :-)
As a mother of three I can only say that these safety tips are the sort of thing you'd also tell an eight year old when they were learning to cook in a house kitchen, lol. As a longtime camper myself, both pre and after kids, I'd also say that finding or making any sort of wind shelter for your stove saves an impressive amount of fuel and also cuts cooking time down. So cook in the wind shadow of the tent, or simply use your body (at a safe distance) as a wind break.
That stove was turned way up too, thought that was odd...a good windbreak and the throttle feathered nearly all the way down boils water just as quick and there will still be fuel for daaaays.
I've always been a Dakota fire hole kinda guy before kids and still solo. Never used the stoves and fuels. However after kids I am really looking for info on what others are doing to help me, help them. If you made or will make videos geared towards camping with kids (not glamping in an RV) I will watcha sub.
@@Jb-qn2xz .. past couple of years ,, an open flame is not allowed in state and National forests across the US ,,,,,a Dakota fire (although sub ground level is "open flame" .. and too time consuming , to dig/construct/and properly put out cold to touch ,, while on trail ... nothing beats one of the many trail stoves on the market ... they must be able to shut off fuel/flame ,, so twig stoves are certainly great for emergency ,, or when no fire ban in effect ,, they are considered open flame ...
For a three day trip I bring 2 oatmeal packages one for each morning. 3 tuna packages one for each lunch. 3 trail mix sand which bags as a snack for each day. One dehydrated backpacking meal for dinner on night 2. Night one we bring a steak and potatoes and cook that. A little extra weight on the front end but it’s gone after the first night and well worth it.
I like to bring Jerseys mikes for lunch 1 ,then cold chicken nuggets for dinner, Polish sausage for bonfire every night. Thaw out my biscuits and gravy morning two, bust out my uncrustables for snacks, ramen for lunch, dinner will be thawed out protein and side. Then oatmeal last morning
Here's one: If you use an alcohol stove, especially one of the super ultralight ones like a Fancy Feast stove, never use it on a picnic table. Only use it on the ground. If you knock the stove over then flaming alcohol will flow across the table and it's really hard for people to get out of a picnic table quickly. Put it on the ground in a shallow dugout hole and use a wind screen. It will be much more effective and vastly safer.
👍👍👍.. good point. I have put 'Ceramic / Glass Wool / Fibre Glass' (Carbon Cloth works too but the former can be more easily salvaged from building sites etc) into all of my homemade Alcohol Burners. It doesn't appear to appreciably affect the burn but greatly reduces the spill hazard. I am busy experimenting with the fore-mentioned in my Trangia Alcohol Burner and so far, the results are encouraging.
for extra stability I use one of those small folding tripod stands to mount the gas canister on. It packs with the burner and it's really light but adds a lot of stability, especially on grass.
You haven’t camped until you watch your cook pot tumble off your stove with your only meal for the night. I bring one extra meal and stay clear of the pot. Another tip…better to cook away from your tent. A must in bear country, but the food also attract raccoons and rats, etc that can make a mess, damage your tent, and make for a sleepless night while they forage about.
Many years ago when I'd come home to mom's place, with food leftover, she'd pick up one of the items and hold it to her ear; "What's that? You really enjoyed the trip? That's great! Oh, you'd like to go again? I'll let her know!" Then she'd tell me how much my extra food loved the trip and is eager to go again. Ok, mom, point taken...
Idk, this whole advice and attitude does seems off to me. I'm sure not many enjoy walking the emergency stairs or having a foam parties with the extinguishers. If your first aid kit haven't been opened - just be glad it's this way.
@@IsabellaBurke That's the great thing about car camping - you can take everything AND the kitchen sink. Quite another story when I'm on a self-supported kayak trip, though.
Just FYI, hand sanitizer does not kill norovirus or other "bathroom" viruses. Soap does though. I carry a tiny pack of Coleman soap "sheets" to wash my hands before eating.
Very good advice. Hand sanitizer has an alcohol base and can be used in place of deoderant for the arm pits. And as a fire starter. But not for disinfecting hands instead of soap and water. Plus the water rinses away the bacteria loosened by the soap. Just using hand sanitizer as a disinfectant is like wiping one's hands with toilet paper after accidentally touching something nasty such as fresh dog poo. A hand sanitizer should never be confused with soap and water.
A pair of good gloves is always a good idea to take with you. they can be used to pick up hot pots/pans/cups (my friend does this all the time). For cleaning, a pack of 'wet wipes' is a must for me along with hand sanitiser.
This! I always have a pair of leather gloves in my pack. They are extremely useful with hot things, sharp things, wood cutting, and they also prevent blistering if you use a digging tool or an axe extensively.
Yep, I have some heavy duty leather work gloves together with my fire starting equipment. Great for easily adjusting logs on a fire too. That being said, recently I bought one of those lightweight aluminium pot holders on Amazon. Never liked the built-in handles on my titanium pots.
Good vid, valid points. Exactly how much food to carry backpacking is something that has to be learned through experience, but even when I try to go minimal, I always have something left when I finish. As far as the short spoon-deep pouch dilemma…, try turning the pouch 90 degrees and cutting open on the long edge. 1) it’s much more shallow, 2) it opens up nice and wide like a bowl. This is an old and simple life hack soldiers learn eating MREs in the field - no more spaghetti sauce on your already nasty dirty fingers.
@DanBecker, the hack isn't tearing the bag lower, the hack is folding the bag in on itself! You don't need long spoon, because the walls of the bag on the inside or going to be clean, and by doing that you'll still retain the ziplock at the top of the bag.
Good tips! BTW, Titanium transfers heat a lot slower than stainless and much much slower than aluminum. This translates into it being a significantly less efficient use of your fuel.
Titanium pots are generally made with extremely thin material to offset some of this problem. I have tested boiling times between my stainless and titanium pots. in my case, the amount of fuel used and boil times were almost identical.
I’ve gotten 2nd degree burns from when I was pouring boiled water into a bag containing my meal sitting on a picnic table. I was sitting down and the side of the bag sagged spilling water which ran onto my stomach and legs. Luckily, I was where my daughter could come get me and took me to the ER. I now carry a small container of silvadine cream in my first aid kit.
Oh my gosh! I laughed so hard I snorted at the pot handles! I had been looking at it thinking “what’s with the handle! Pop the handle!” Didn’t even catch it was on purpose I was so frustrated. Super fun video and genuinely helpful as well.
I’m a chronic food over-packer. Not sure why I can’t seen to stop doing this. Also, the long titanium spoons are a MUST. Finally, I think it’s key to pack all meals that are cool-in-bag (boil water and then pour into the bag). Par-cooked (“instant”) oatmeal, rice, etc. make this possible. Planning to cook regular rice or oats requires you to cook in the pot, and takes way longer. This makes a huge mess and requires you to do dishes. Not having to do any dishes besides your spoon is a huge bonus when you’re tired
@@ryand141 1. Long titanium spoon. 2. Don't cook your food in the pot (use freeze dried or par-cooked food instead). 3. This means fewer dishes. At least this is my interpretation.
Here's a tip: Save one or two of those envelopes the meals come in to form a wind shield around the stove and pot. The foil can be wedged into splits in the top of little twigs whose other ends are pushed into the ground. This will decrease time-to-boil greatly on a day with even a little breeze. It works even better of the envelopes are lined with shiny foil.
One thing I’d add: do not use just hand sanitizer after wiping. Why? Sure, you may deactivate most germs in the feces, but do you still want feces on your hands?? Best to wash with soap and water, then rinse. THEN sanitize. They make several portable, bio-friendly soaps like Campsuds. I suggest you buy a small bottle, and use in conjunction with hand sanitizer.
@@floydvaughn9666 No, but the fact remains that you randomly get some on you inadvertently. Not always. But it happens. And yes, even to you. It’s disgusting not to actually wash one’s hands if there’s even the remotest chance some feces transfers to your hands.
Yep was gonna comment same thing. Camping videos sometimes say just sanitize after going potty. But sanitizer works on clean hands. Clean hands well like 2 happy birthdays, wrists, nails, all nooks and crannies, then rinse from wrists pouring that soap off so it fliws off finger tips, not back on arm. Like how surgeons do. If Covid gave me anything positive it was teaching me to wash hands right. Or guess could be thorough with reusable baby wipes homemade with Dr Bronners. For example maybe tiny spray bottle of soapy water then tiny bottle of water. Dry. Then put enough sanitizer to really get wet and let it air dry. But the sanitizer is optional. Can just wash hands very well. Sanitizer is flammable (dome even use it as am alcohol stove!) and should not be used near the fire! I'm not sure I'd want freshly sanitized hands near fire either. Also: bidet is gentler and cleaner and less to carry than tp. And reduces odor more.
2:02 props for bringing attention to that. Cooking like that in a position where the pot can tip over and burn you is most definitely overlooked too many times. I got a 2nd degree burn just like that, just 2 weeks ago while frying some fish. So props to you for bringing attention to that. Great video, I enjoyed it!
It’s overlooked because that’s true of any position you can cook in with that little stove unless your going to lean over a hole. Just set it somewhere steady and watch for wind and you’re fine.
This is why I like my jetboil, it’s locked into the burner so it’s more stable, and it has the nice cozy so that you don’t burn your fingers. Another safety upgrade is to use the larger fuel canisters with it, bigger base and even more stable. And put it one the ground, I had one tip over me on a table, luckily I had 10 liters of water right next to me to hose down my pants with before it burnt me. Another great tip is to always check if something is hot with the back of your hand, you’ll feel the heat faster with the back of your hand, and if you get burnt you can still use your hands, if I remember correctly it’s an old navy trick.
Likewise old powerplant trick. Back of hand hurts less if burned. AND if electric, it will clench your hand shut AWAY from the wire. If using fingertips it will clench your hand AROUND the wire, and you're toast. Not that we'd be poking our hands around electric circuits.
Interesting... Most people we know that have jetboils have often managed to tip them over quite easily. A lot of backpackers won't use the orange stabilizing feet on their gas canisters. Jetboils tip very easily. If in the desert, and you lose half a liter of water, that is not good for personal hydration.
"meals and extra food". Ok when talking oz, carrying a few extra packets of lipton soup, chicken noodle, tomato, onion. In a sealed bag, with 3 in 1 coffee packets, a little esbit stove, and some tablets, is a great addition. Maybe even add in an SOS bar or 3, you can essentially create a very small, light weight, backup set of meals... that you won't need but will keep you going if you have to hunker down for a day or 2 extra.
@@flowersafeheart military units use them. They come in some MRE's. they are "toxic" so not made for indoor use. but in a tent, even in a camper with a window open. the catch is, the health organization rates or talks about exposures over 18 hours. so if you shouldn't burn tablets and breath the fumes for 18 hour straight. all this said... for emergency use, in a small double bagged baggy, with a separate baggy with soups, coffees, etc.. its a perfect little, light weight, emergency system and backup. cuz nothing beats, being stuck in the snow, and being able to make yourself a cup of coffee, and/or soup, while you wait for the tow truck.
Re #4 hand washing. We did our annual first time backpack trip for our new Scouts one year, and one the boys asked to borrow the trowel and TP, and off he went. Shortly after, he returned, and presented the trip leader with a nicely wrapped package and asked what to do next ? We realised the "you need to dig a cat-hole" instruction needed to be a little bit more specific !! (Said Scout di d go and use his cat-hole after)
My wife is always amazed when she sees my food load out for a trip. She's one of those people who is blessed with a thin body who can eat beyond comprehension. But yes you need to keep it light and not bring any more than you need. I always have one day emergency ration with me in case I get stuck but nothing more.
This was probably one of the most funny videos i have watched, not because you are wrong, becuase you are totally right on everything. Its just funny to realize that these are things people dont think of.
I take leather gloves for handling hot containers and burning logs of my campfire. If the hiking terrain is bad or I have to climb, I also wear the gloves in case I have to catch my fall which will aid in keeping me from injuring my hand.
Two tips that I can say are not having fun for your first night or two for dinner. The first night or two for myself, I always try to pack something fun for dinner. Just the other week, I packed steaks and bacon uncooked. Way better when you fry them up in the mountains. I also always end up packing a couple of frozen bottles of water with me in my pack, which helps to keep everything chilled. There is nothing better than ice cold water and something really tasty for the first night or two, depending on the weather.
But if you're packing steaks and bacon, you have to pack something to cook them on. That's extra weight, and many backpackers are trying to pack ultra light, especially for tough trips. It takes a lot of fuel to cook either one as well, and with fire bans, we can't have fires in our area, so often a pit fire is out. Where we live, all that meat cooking aroma is going to attract bears... I think I'll save the steak and bacon for car camping and take the boring stuff on hikes. Bears in my camp is too much excitement for me. 😱
Speaking to "Carrying less food" 3 buddies and I started backpacking for the first time a few years ago: Four days three nights, make camp every night and break camp every morning to hike 5K-10K between sites each time... First time around we all did the prepackaged rehydrate meals. One per person, per meal - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner - per day... We had SO MANY left over at the end...
Over the course of 3000+ miles of backpacking, I've found that my appetite is actually suppressed for the first 7-10 days of a hike (10-17 miles per day). Even so, I seem to *always* have food left over by my first re-supply, but I guess I can say that's my emergency buffer. After 10 days, however, my appetite skyrockets, to the point where a bag of gorp that used to last for 3 snacks is gobbled up for one lunch and it's not enough!
I pack one extra meal and several instant Oatmeal and instant Grit packets. They are a great emergency meal. I like to make and bag my own meals so it's still home cooking out on the trail. I use the Freezer Bag method and clean up is licking the spoon. The used zip lock freezer bag becomes the trash bag for the rest. If I use the prepacked ( Manufactured ) dehydrated foods I repack them.
I absolutely love my Toaks 750ml pot with a bail handle. If the pot or handles get too hot I can loop a stick or utensil under that and lift it right off the burner, no problem. Also helpful to support the pot if it's windy or tipsy at all. And lastly it's removable if you want to shave off those ounces.
... totally agree ,, and if you have a pot without a bail it's easy to drill the holes and make one ,, also makes it possible to hang over small campfire coals ... a big plus for trail/camp metal cups/pots ...
Great tips overall. I think using a Trangia 27 vs a tall stove would solve a lot of problems with pot stability and the risk of burning yourself, although you need to be in less of a hurry to boil water and be respectful of the alcohol fire. One suggestion I would also make would be to practice using any new equipment before hitting the trails and also inspecting all gear setting off.
I always bring an extra 1.5 days food because I hike with my dog. 🤙 If we have issues, I’d rather have plenty for a brief search party or rescue or extra night due to weather.
I took a kayak trip from Ft. Benton to James Kipp (149 miles) in Montana. It is very remote with zero cell service for 90% and hiking up and out is not practical or safe. A Spot gps device is necessary (even tho I don't have one). Anyway, I did take 2 days extra of light rations. If getting stuck a couple extra days is a possibility then you can go with reduced rations for those days.
Leaving the handles in! This is when a multi-tool that has pliers would be a good idea. Grab the rim of the pot with the pliers and use it as a makeshift handle and ta-dah! You’re good
The no 1 reason I became a rafting guide and not a backpacker is that the raft will carry about 2k lbs of gear, and I don't have to. I like taking fresh food, cold beer, a dutch oven and proper cooking gear along, and really Eating well four days out on the river. Old joke: A guy finishes his business in the men's room and starts to walk out... Other guy says, "Hey, didn't your mother teach you to wash your hands after you use the bathroom?"... First guy says, "Nope, she taught me not to pee on my fingers."
I’m new, but I have the Outdoor Element pot gripper, I don’t want my hands burned, plus I have one of those gloves to pick up hot things. I bought a long handled spoon and spork set from Amazon that are stainless steel.
I absolutely love Emmitt bringing such sass and character to the table. The quips back and forth really bring a new level of enjoyment to your videos for me Dan. Keep it up!
@@MrTangent comparing similar things of the same size, yes. Comparing things of the same mass, no. That is why titanium is great for hiking and backpacking.
@@jameshaulenbeek5931 technically your right but your missing vital information that's very relevant, like the fact that there's a reason that stainless steel and aluminium cookware comes in much thicker because it is far weaker than titanium, meaning the titanium can be a fraction of the thickness whilst still being as strong, or often stronger still.
Dan, really appreciate your videos. We're going on our maiden voyage (well, backpack) this month for our anniversary after begging for 10 years. Your videos have helped to prepare us. Thank you.
I like bringing MREs when I go camping. For some reason I have always liked the food in MREs for some reason. Especially the chili macaroni. So good and easy to make
Years ago in AmeriCorps they fed us only those on one of our disaster relief work projects fixing rooves (roofs?). I remember them being not bad. And easy.
Make a list or spread sheet of every thing you are packing ( including the pack ) and I mean everything. Then you get back go thru the list / spreadsheet and check off every thing you did not use that trip. Do same thing every trip and compare to find those items you have been packing but not using... In the 70's Mt House food came in either a red or green package. Same meals, same size just different colored package. The red meal was the civilian version and was labeled meal for two. The green package was for the military and was labeled as a meal for one
First rescue I coordinated was a teenager who spilled boiling water on his feet. Blustering burns 17km from the trailhead is a bad day, luckily we were on the icean and able to keep his feet cool until the helicopter arrived. Maks sure your stove and pot are stable!
Recent studies by a couple of outdoor outfitters proved that shorter, wider pots are more fuel efficient than taller, skinnier ones. I use a 6 cup teakettle since I’m just making coffee, tea, and re-hydrating meals-it’s safer too, harder to spill.
Cool tip. Here’s another. For cups with lids it retains the heat better being taller than wide but for boiling water I understand the surface area being faster at achieving boiling.
I mean, that just makes TOO much sense. Most of the water's surface area is closer to the heat instead of a tiny area being heated with most of the cold water resting on top.
@@Biggiiful ... if it's important to you ,, there are stoves with different sizes of burners .. the larger dia. sizes are more efficient if you use a larger pot or skillet on trail ..i.e. - frying meats,,fish etc. .. a more recent model is the pathfinder stove and still uses canisters ...
OMG, the stories I could tell about my first two backpacking trips in the 70's and 80's. Horrors. The person you backpack with can make or break a trip... and that's a huge rookie mistake to go with someone who doesn't have the right skills. It's a huge rookie mistake to go when you don't have the right skills, too. Fortunately, I ended up taking the Wilderness Basics Course and learned safety, gear, the right food and how much water to bring, how to pack lightly, environmental, maps, and so much more. Complete game changer!
Tippy boiling water thingy? Yeah done that. Thankfully it was in the 30s or 40s and I moved quickly and did not have to go to the hospital but I did surely feel it
Wise advice on the hot water! I hiked the Superior hiking trail with a second degree burn on my leg because I wasn't paying attention to my water and pouring it into my food
I was hoping to see this comment. I never cook next to my shelter as I don’t want it to smell like food. I do like stories of animal encounters in shelters… other peoples stories!
Yes! I look at my food at the end of a trip and ask, could I have survived another day on that? Usually it’s a few snack left. Be if the answer is Yes, then I say, Good planning!
I really don't wanna eat out of a bag, I'm gonna get a collapsible bowl with a lid if I ever do those camping meals, but currently I just do cheap packaged stuff from the store, like Knorr sides, and cook it in the pot and wipe it out when I'm done. I've eaten out of bags, it's a chore imo, also you can't even get the last bits out because how the bag is folded, it's easier to dump the dried food out and cook in a container that you can eat from cleanly.
I also take some Reflectix and make a little "sleeping bag" for my "pour in water" bag meals. This allows me to hold that bag of hot water and increases the efficiency of the rehydration (less time till I eat). I already have the Reflectix and Gorilla Tape from other projects.
... gee , you have to make millions from that idea ..... by the way they are called a" cozy or koosey to some " ... but making your own saves money for something else ... ... also , if you have a large enough piece of Reflectix ,, maybe , 3ft. x 6 ft. ,, border a hem on all sides with the gorilla tape and make an insulated ground pad for under your air mat or sleeping bag .... protects your gear and again saves money from buying one ... rolls up small and also works as a good sit pad ...
Very handy. I've used reflectix as the bottom layer of my "sleep system" for years. A few years back i made a pot koozy, with a lid , and the lid even has a tape tab handle. On a particularly windy evening i used my reflectix sleep pad with a few sticks and rocks as a wind break for my stove .
Mistake 4:12. You're next to your tent. Nearly everywhere I backpack has roving bears looking for yummy treats. Cooking that close and/or upwind of your tent is inviting serious trouble. Mistake 6:35. If at all possible don't poop while camp is set up. If you're in an impacted campsite chances are that you're not the only person to walk away to dig. Either make sure you walk far enough away from camp to keep the smell grom wafting in (seriously, hike 5 or 10 minutes from camp) or if you can hold it don't poop until you've hiked 15+ minutes from camp in the morning. This spreads out the waste concentration and gives your poop a better chance to not be found by the next person. I found a tampon applicator while I was excavating for a call of nature near a popular lake. Yuk! Side note: If you're camped by a lake and there is no water flowing out *don't go for a swim*!!! This is especially true if it's the only water source in the area. I don't want to cook my dinner or filter into my CamelBak from your sweaty bathwater. If you need to clean up take the water away from the lake. If the water is flowing take your bath. At least your funk will be washed away.
I made the mistake of waiting to poop one morning until I arrived at an AT lean-to (in Virginia, I think). I encountered an incredible number of poop holes (and some not buried) within 50 yards of the shelter. Disgusting.
I hike with a coworker who insists on packing group meals. I hate the concept because I prefer packing my own light weight food. One cool trick I picked up a few years ago was if you like to bring whiskey, pack it in one of those Sawyer water filter pouches.
SAR here. You do need more food than you think. Its not just as simple as am extra day. Most people dont even hit a beacon or get called in for 24+ hours. God forbid you are injured or isolated then its more. Its not a 'survivalist' mentality. Its prudence. We already take a lot of risks being out in some places. Dont give bad advice just to save a little weight.
Thank you. Some things need to be said again and again. p.s. Use a windscreen with your stove - I use aluminum foil or carbon felt for that - and put the lid on
Hiking with my 3 boys 3 nights calculated with jetboil needed one 4oz fuel. Saw a couple on same trip carrying 3 x 8 oz canisters or about 32oz extra weight and waste of money. :)
There is instant food in Korea, but my friend's instant food looks more convenient and delicious.^^ Friend's video always gives me new good thoughts. 👍 👍 👍
I use a modified tarp style tarp tent. Make an A frame, roll ground sheet over lower braces,then main tarp over top with edges under ground sheet. Can’t really explain it how I do it,but myself and partner sleep comfortably and dry with way I do it.
Real problem with the handles on a Ti pot is they get hot regardless of whether or not they're folded in or out. MomentOfZen shared a suggestion about silicone covers, and I can endorse that suggestion. I've used the DipIt silicone stuff to dip my handles in and that helps keep them stay cooler to the touch.
I always have a pair of leather gloves...for canoeing, mountain biking, processing fire wood, etc. These gloves work also for handling hot cooking equipment. Everything you carry should be capable of two or three different uses.
A hole near the top and an oldschool tent stake shaped like a check mark ✔️. Also replaced my big coffepot handle with soft copper and it allows me to tension the bend a little so the handle stays straight up during the boil, can bare hand it this way. 🖐️
I bring 2 pounds per day on any trip that is an overnight. I also bring one emergency back up meal just in case anything should happen. For my stove if I can I put a couple large rocks around the base of my tank to help hold it in place.
Thanks Dan for a great video, much appreciated 👍 Like many who have commented, there is an inherent design flaw in all the screw on top stoves (I have about 8-10, but who’s counting!!) they are all very unstable especially when you stick a narrow mug type pot on top. After 60+ years of various types of camping I have finally moved over to the remote canister type stove (Primus Spider!) yes you pay for a bit of extra weight but you can always claw that back by reducing weight in other areas. As for the extra food, for me it’s an extra dehydrated meal or a couple of extra instant oats. Once again many thank, kind regards from deepest Dorset England 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇦👍
For the screw on top style stoves, you can get a set of folding legs that clip onto the bottom of the butane canister. That should reduce the chances of a tip over. MSR makes a metal set and Jetboil comes with a set of plastic ones.
Sanitizing wipes is a handy little thing to have in your poop kit, you can use it right away and burn it together with the toilet paper in the hole - just make sure the fire has gone out before refilling the hole, and that no fire ban is in effect at the moment (if so, only the toilet paper can be dug down).
I boiled half a pint of water in my living room, was turning the heat down and bang,all over my leg, Big blisters,quite a bit of pain, Be careful people, especially with tall narrow stoves with tall pots, I was using a pocket rocket and Stanley cookset
I motorcycle camp in the backcountry and your site is my go to for gear, how to, what not to do etc. as I am new to camping. I am hoping you will do a film on sleeping bag liners as there is no good info on this subject.
The best pot kit i ever had was a Gal & 1/4 pot, with a kettle that stored within, the flat lid was a 7' fry pan, a single clamp handle for both, thick base's, was Norwegian (1980) and weighed 1.4 Kg. So about 3 Lb.
Mistake # 2. Stove placement…. Too close is only part of the problem…. Secure & Steady base. Many don’t consider uneven ground, or clearing an area of flammable debris (grass, twigs & sticks). Ensuring the stove and pot don’t tip over. Adding to the pot, or clumsy move reaching for something, anything that might cause pot or stove to fall can be mitigated by ensuring a flat sturdy cooking area is used.
And recent studies have proven that wide pots boil faster and use less fuel than tall skinny pots. I use a 6 cup teakettle, since I’m only making coffee and re-hydrating meals. safer too-doesn’t spill.
As a snow camper, one meal I use for breakfast and emergency food are packets of ! A couple of ounces of oatmeal provides nutrision for many hours of strenous activities.
i was gonna carry extra water and buy some fancy dehydrated food ,but i ran out of time so i just grabbed a can of chunky soup on the way out the door,(hope i survive),cheers great vid ! :)
LOL - I hike hundreds of miles every year. And every single one of those miles is with more food than I need. Don't know what it is. But I have come to accept that I just cannot mentally grasp how much food I actually need to bring. It is what it is, so I just accept it and hike on.
Just left pictured rocks from a camping trip and was guilty of the #1 sin, taking way too much food. A car camping series might be nice on your channel btw. I go backpacking with friends but usually do a car camping trip with my dad once or twice a year and we started as complete amateurs.
When cleaning your hands, remove solids THEN sanitize. Poop happens. Even if you have to wipe them on some leaves, get any solids off as best you can before sanitizing.
Yes!! Sanitizer also works best on clean hands. And can dry out hands uncomfortably to use too often and is flammable. So I'm thinking maybe skip sanitizer and just wash hands well with 2 happy birthdays, nails, wrists, everywhere. Rinse well. Like we all were taught in pandemic. Pat dry or air dry. Like how surgeons wash their hands. Sanitizer after that is optional. (Also bidet done well cleans crotch better than tp. Though yes, that uses water.) Wiping body parts on leaves in woods seems a little risky to me cause what if was poison oak or had ants or animal feces or something.
In the group someone should always have a leather man or my personal favorite the ultra mini locking vise grip. They are great for stove repair or pack repair, and they lock on to your pot so you can take it off the heat and hold it safely!
Dan--very funny and accurate video. RE hacks: I like to repackage all boil in bag meals into ZIPLOC quart freezer bags and lose the 3/4oz dead weight (see "freezer bag cooking" by Sarah Kirkonnel), use a cannister base to stabilize stove, build a COZEE pouch out of "reflectix" to contain meal and rehydrating contents during cooking. It keeps things very hot for up to 15 minutes hands free until food is reconstituted and cool enough to enjoy. No dishes, except empty ziploc bag.
You have probably already learned this, but you should only use Ziploc bags designed for freezer storage. These are the sturdiest and less likely to leak or tear when exposed to boiling water.
I think its a mistake to go all meals dehydrated , its not great on your system , use a mix of fresh , ie bacon/salami/cured meats , tins , dehydrated etc , some times , getting extra water is hard or impossible , depending where you are . I always used flight gloves while cooking , but I use to heat the can directly on heat source , wait for me dents to pop out , while rotating can , and open can away from me , and eat straight from can, like pressure cook .
Great video reminds everyone to set up correctly, only if in Australia the first thing is look overhead for tree branches that may drop off more so with Australian gum trees, perhaps trees you have where you are are not so bad, cheers and all good..
Tip 5 so important! That ja the reason why I always carry extra Hand sanitizer for my partners because the often don't carry it ( they think Its too heavy😷). After they take a dump I always have the sanitizer at hand to sprinkle it on there hands). Best is to have a mini dropper bottle which can be operated with one hand like the nalgene mini Dropper bottles! Carry aprox 3ml sanitizer per day
Part of food prep for the woods is calories per ounce. One of the things I always do is bring a couple ounces of olive oil. Olive oil is calorie dense, and adds great mouth feel back to freeze tried meals. Add the oil first, stir it in, then add the hot water. Good fat, extra calories, and much tastier food.
I appreciated and will use this tip👍
It also makes a great butter replacement.
I take salt/pepper/ olive oil and parmesan or those small powered Italian hard cheese pots with me - thing is, you can go ultra-light and be miserable, or actually take some light stuff that makes you happier and makes the meals taste 10000% better.
@@realfingertrouble I prefer good butter. If hiking less than a week it keeps fine.
peanut butter (or any nuts, whole or butter) is great too. Not as calorie dense as pure fats/oils, but not bad, and has about as much protein per gram as meat does.
If you ever get take out breakfast, ask them for butter on the side. They will usually give you those individual packs of butter, which will keep for weeks unrefrigerated.
Just a heads-up for everyone; when boiling water, it’s good to KEEP THE LID ON THE POT. A covered pot will boil 25% faster. That’s a lot fuel. Cheers!
With all due respect...doesn't everyone?
@@machbaby he’s not using one in the video 🤷🏻♂️
@@jkarasta1 Yeah, bud. I know just to visually illustrate his point. Makes sense.
ngl i didn’t know this and need to do this thank you
But you'll be lighter if you use the extra fuel
After years of dehydrated food, this weekend I'm going gourmet and I will carry my Trangia and do real cooking. With starter and main course. And fruit. And ground coffee. Nobody can stop me.
Trangia 27 is great. Not ultra light but useful. I like my diy Caldera Cone for light weight early Spring trips. It was too cold for my canister stove but the alcohol one worked fine. I did sleep with the canister but may have been the brand- still didn’t want to light.
What kind of dehydrated food did you like to get? I love the brand "food for the sole"
@@chrishansen5784 I don't remember the brands. The meals sold at Decathlon and other camping stores I have here. But the last years I assembled my own meals, I use the recipes of "The backpaking chef" and have some Spanish meals adapted to dehydration too. Once you get the method it's easy. They taste better, but it implies some work. You have to like to do it.
You're doing the absolutely right thing! Take care of your body after your adventures outdoors and treat it well with some real food. Also to me, cooking is part of the recrestion, too. :-)
I love packing extra food to chow down hard at camp.
As a mother of three I can only say that these safety tips are the sort of thing you'd also tell an eight year old when they were learning to cook in a house kitchen, lol. As a longtime camper myself, both pre and after kids, I'd also say that finding or making any sort of wind shelter for your stove saves an impressive amount of fuel and also cuts cooking time down. So cook in the wind shadow of the tent, or simply use your body (at a safe distance) as a wind break.
That stove was turned way up too, thought that was odd...a good windbreak and the throttle feathered nearly all the way down boils water just as quick and there will still be fuel for daaaays.
I've always been a Dakota fire hole kinda guy before kids and still solo. Never used the stoves and fuels. However after kids I am really looking for info on what others are doing to help me, help them. If you made or will make videos geared towards camping with kids (not glamping in an RV) I will watcha sub.
@@Jb-qn2xz .. past couple of years ,, an open flame is not allowed in state and National forests across the US ,,,,,a Dakota fire (although sub ground level is "open flame" .. and too time consuming , to dig/construct/and properly put out cold to touch ,, while on trail ... nothing beats one of the many trail stoves on the market ... they must be able to shut off fuel/flame ,, so twig stoves are certainly great for emergency ,, or when no fire ban in effect ,, they are considered open flame ...
For a three day trip I bring 2 oatmeal packages one for each morning. 3 tuna packages one for each lunch. 3 trail mix sand which bags as a snack for each day. One dehydrated backpacking meal for dinner on night 2. Night one we bring a steak and potatoes and cook that. A little extra weight on the front end but it’s gone after the first night and well worth it.
"Night one we bring a steak and potatoes" This is the way. :)
Sounds very tasty and easy except maybe not enough calories? Especially just tuna as a meal
I like to bring Jerseys mikes for lunch 1 ,then cold chicken nuggets for dinner, Polish sausage for bonfire every night. Thaw out my biscuits and gravy morning two, bust out my uncrustables for snacks, ramen for lunch, dinner will be thawed out protein and side. Then oatmeal last morning
Brother you just reminded me how much I miss eating a nice bowl of oatmeal in the morning
Here's one: If you use an alcohol stove, especially one of the super ultralight ones like a Fancy Feast stove, never use it on a picnic table. Only use it on the ground. If you knock the stove over then flaming alcohol will flow across the table and it's really hard for people to get out of a picnic table quickly. Put it on the ground in a shallow dugout hole and use a wind screen. It will be much more effective and vastly safer.
👍👍👍.. good point.
I have put 'Ceramic / Glass Wool / Fibre Glass' (Carbon Cloth works too but the former can be more easily salvaged from building sites etc) into all of my homemade Alcohol Burners. It doesn't appear to appreciably affect the burn but greatly reduces the spill hazard. I am busy experimenting with the fore-mentioned in my Trangia Alcohol Burner and so far, the results are encouraging.
Sounds like you're speaking from experience. 🙀 Hope nobody was hurt, though. Sorry about that situation. 😻
Though if in winter, don't set it on the snow - keep it off the ground then
Way to suck all the fun out of using alcohol stoves!
for extra stability I use one of those small folding tripod stands to mount the gas canister on. It packs with the burner and it's really light but adds a lot of stability, especially on grass.
You haven’t camped until you watch your cook pot tumble off your stove with your only meal for the night. I bring one extra meal and stay clear of the pot.
Another tip…better to cook away from your tent. A must in bear country, but the food also attract raccoons and rats, etc that can make a mess, damage your tent, and make for a sleepless night while they forage about.
Yes or boars
I love that Jim started being a youtuber after the office 💚
Wtf?
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this. This guy could be John Krasinski's dad.
@@claymountain1300 would be perfect if the other dude filming looked like Dwight Schrute
Haha was watching one of his other videos and thought this 😂
Many years ago when I'd come home to mom's place, with food leftover, she'd pick up one of the items and hold it to her ear; "What's that? You really enjoyed the trip? That's great! Oh, you'd like to go again? I'll let her know!" Then she'd tell me how much my extra food loved the trip and is eager to go again. Ok, mom, point taken...
LOL that’s amazing
That is so damn funny, tell your mom she's fantastic!
Idk, this whole advice and attitude does seems off to me. I'm sure not many enjoy walking the emergency stairs or having a foam parties with the extinguishers. If your first aid kit haven't been opened - just be glad it's this way.
😂 Fair one. I want to remember this next time I pack anything for any trip... me and the kitchen sink along for the ride.
@@IsabellaBurke That's the great thing about car camping - you can take everything AND the kitchen sink. Quite another story when I'm on a self-supported kayak trip, though.
Just FYI, hand sanitizer does not kill norovirus or other "bathroom" viruses. Soap does though. I carry a tiny pack of Coleman soap "sheets" to wash my hands before eating.
I gringe when people just use sanitizer
You can also bring nitrile gloves for using the bathroom. They weigh next to nothing.
Very good advice. Hand sanitizer has an alcohol base and can be used in place of deoderant for the arm pits. And as a fire starter. But not for disinfecting hands instead of soap and water. Plus the water rinses away the bacteria loosened by the soap. Just using hand sanitizer as a disinfectant is like wiping one's hands with toilet paper after accidentally touching something nasty such as fresh dog poo. A hand sanitizer should never be confused with soap and water.
Wash your hands and your forearm
Soap doesn’t kill v, soap helps you to wash them off. It’s useless if you use soap without water, although I don’t think anyone would.
A pair of good gloves is always a good idea to take with you. they can be used to pick up hot pots/pans/cups (my friend does this all the time).
For cleaning, a pack of 'wet wipes' is a must for me along with hand sanitiser.
This! I always have a pair of leather gloves in my pack. They are extremely useful with hot things, sharp things, wood cutting, and they also prevent blistering if you use a digging tool or an axe extensively.
Yep, I have some heavy duty leather work gloves together with my fire starting equipment. Great for easily adjusting logs on a fire too.
That being said, recently I bought one of those lightweight aluminium pot holders on Amazon. Never liked the built-in handles on my titanium pots.
Good vid, valid points. Exactly how much food to carry backpacking is something that has to be learned through experience, but even when I try to go minimal, I always have something left when I finish. As far as the short spoon-deep pouch dilemma…, try turning the pouch 90 degrees and cutting open on the long edge. 1) it’s much more shallow, 2) it opens up nice and wide like a bowl. This is an old and simple life hack soldiers learn eating MREs in the field - no more spaghetti sauce on your already nasty dirty fingers.
I like that Emmet is more included, he adds an extra fun dimension. Your Vlogs have always been a good source of info and are continuing to improve
@DanBecker, the hack isn't tearing the bag lower, the hack is folding the bag in on itself! You don't need long spoon, because the walls of the bag on the inside or going to be clean, and by doing that you'll still retain the ziplock at the top of the bag.
... ✅✅ ... That's actually one I've never thought or heard of .... I usually just got messy fingers or cut the taller one's length wise ... huh ..
Good tips! BTW, Titanium transfers heat a lot slower than stainless and much much slower than aluminum. This translates into it being a significantly less efficient use of your fuel.
Titanium pots are generally made with extremely thin material to offset some of this problem. I have tested boiling times between my stainless and titanium pots. in my case, the amount of fuel used and boil times were almost identical.
I’ve gotten 2nd degree burns from when I was pouring boiled water into a bag containing my meal sitting on a picnic table. I was sitting down and the side of the bag sagged spilling water which ran onto my stomach and legs. Luckily, I was where my daughter could come get me and took me to the ER. I now carry a small container of silvadine cream in my first aid kit.
Mistake 6. Taking food you don't actually like
Taking food you didn't try ahead of time!!
Or food you know will hurt your stomach…the list is especially long if you’re like me and have severe IBS
Oh my gosh! I laughed so hard I snorted at the pot handles! I had been looking at it thinking “what’s with the handle! Pop the handle!” Didn’t even catch it was on purpose I was so frustrated. Super fun video and genuinely helpful as well.
Love how you jump right into it. Totally guilty of too much food, but you are right on about being over cautious.
I’m a chronic food over-packer. Not sure why I can’t seen to stop doing this. Also, the long titanium spoons are a MUST. Finally, I think it’s key to pack all meals that are cool-in-bag (boil water and then pour into the bag). Par-cooked (“instant”) oatmeal, rice, etc. make this possible. Planning to cook regular rice or oats requires you to cook in the pot, and takes way longer. This makes a huge mess and requires you to do dishes. Not having to do any dishes besides your spoon is a huge bonus when you’re tired
You lost me. What?
@@ryand141 1. Long titanium spoon. 2. Don't cook your food in the pot (use freeze dried or par-cooked food instead). 3. This means fewer dishes.
At least this is my interpretation.
Here's a tip: Save one or two of those envelopes the meals come in to form a wind shield around the stove and pot. The foil can be wedged into splits in the top of little twigs whose other ends are pushed into the ground. This will decrease time-to-boil greatly on a day with even a little breeze. It works even better of the envelopes are lined with shiny foil.
K thanks
Pouring hot water on freeze dried food is NOT cooking.
Good tip :)
One thing I’d add: do not use just hand sanitizer after wiping. Why? Sure, you may deactivate most germs in the feces, but do you still want feces on your hands??
Best to wash with soap and water, then rinse. THEN sanitize. They make several portable, bio-friendly soaps like Campsuds. I suggest you buy a small bottle, and use in conjunction with hand sanitizer.
Ever use campsoap? It's paper thin sheets of soap. I bring it on trips. It works way better than just sanitizer. Or those medium size wipes.
@@Ogrematic That works, too. Lighter, as well.
Are you wiping barehanded?
@@floydvaughn9666 No, but the fact remains that you randomly get some on you inadvertently. Not always. But it happens. And yes, even to you. It’s disgusting not to actually wash one’s hands if there’s even the remotest chance some feces transfers to your hands.
Yep was gonna comment same thing. Camping videos sometimes say just sanitize after going potty. But sanitizer works on clean hands. Clean hands well like 2 happy birthdays, wrists, nails, all nooks and crannies, then rinse from wrists pouring that soap off so it fliws off finger tips, not back on arm. Like how surgeons do. If Covid gave me anything positive it was teaching me to wash hands right. Or guess could be thorough with reusable baby wipes homemade with Dr Bronners. For example maybe tiny spray bottle of soapy water then tiny bottle of water. Dry. Then put enough sanitizer to really get wet and let it air dry. But the sanitizer is optional. Can just wash hands very well. Sanitizer is flammable (dome even use it as am alcohol stove!) and should not be used near the fire! I'm not sure I'd want freshly sanitized hands near fire either. Also: bidet is gentler and cleaner and less to carry than tp. And reduces odor more.
2:02 props for bringing attention to that. Cooking like that in a position where the pot can tip over and burn you is most definitely overlooked too many times. I got a 2nd degree burn just like that, just 2 weeks ago while frying some fish. So props to you for bringing attention to that. Great video, I enjoyed it!
It’s overlooked because that’s true of any position you can cook in with that little stove unless your going to lean over a hole. Just set it somewhere steady and watch for wind and you’re fine.
@@kishascape yeah exactly, I just put it further away from me and everything and wait for it to cook. But the hole is a good idea
I've got a MSR universal fuel canister stand and it really stabilizes everything. It also folds up small and is pretty light. Highly recommend.
This is why I like my jetboil, it’s locked into the burner so it’s more stable, and it has the nice cozy so that you don’t burn your fingers. Another safety upgrade is to use the larger fuel canisters with it, bigger base and even more stable. And put it one the ground, I had one tip over me on a table, luckily I had 10 liters of water right next to me to hose down my pants with before it burnt me. Another great tip is to always check if something is hot with the back of your hand, you’ll feel the heat faster with the back of your hand, and if you get burnt you can still use your hands, if I remember correctly it’s an old navy trick.
Yep, day one of firefighting training.
love my jetboil!
its worth the weight for me
Likewise old powerplant trick. Back of hand hurts less if burned. AND if electric, it will clench your hand shut AWAY from the wire. If using fingertips it will clench your hand AROUND the wire, and you're toast. Not that we'd be poking our hands around electric circuits.
Interesting... Most people we know that have jetboils have often managed to tip them over quite easily. A lot of backpackers won't use the orange stabilizing feet on their gas canisters. Jetboils tip very easily. If in the desert, and you lose half a liter of water, that is not good for personal hydration.
one of your best videos, and yours are generally more to the point than so many that claim to give guidance on products
"meals and extra food". Ok when talking oz, carrying a few extra packets of lipton soup, chicken noodle, tomato, onion. In a sealed bag, with 3 in 1 coffee packets, a little esbit stove, and some tablets, is a great addition. Maybe even add in an SOS bar or 3, you can essentially create a very small, light weight, backup set of meals... that you won't need but will keep you going if you have to hunker down for a day or 2 extra.
I like that idea though hear esbit are toxic but yes lightweight and said to work well
@@flowersafeheart military units use them. They come in some MRE's. they are "toxic" so not made for indoor use. but in a tent, even in a camper with a window open.
the catch is, the health organization rates or talks about exposures over 18 hours. so if you shouldn't burn tablets and breath the fumes for 18 hour straight.
all this said... for emergency use, in a small double bagged baggy, with a separate baggy with soups, coffees, etc.. its a perfect little, light weight, emergency system and backup.
cuz nothing beats, being stuck in the snow, and being able to make yourself a cup of coffee, and/or soup, while you wait for the tow truck.
Re #4 hand washing. We did our annual first time backpack trip for our new Scouts one year, and one the boys asked to borrow the trowel and TP, and off he went. Shortly after, he returned, and presented the trip leader with a nicely wrapped package and asked what to do next ? We realised the "you need to dig a cat-hole" instruction needed to be a little bit more specific !! (Said Scout di d go and use his cat-hole after)
My wife is always amazed when she sees my food load out for a trip. She's one of those people who is blessed with a thin body who can eat beyond comprehension. But yes you need to keep it light and not bring any more than you need. I always have one day emergency ration with me in case I get stuck but nothing more.
This was probably one of the most funny videos i have watched, not because you are wrong, becuase you are totally right on everything. Its just funny to realize that these are things people dont think of.
Having the second person in your more recent videos is a very nice touch. Sometimes, the interaction can emphasize the point(s) being made.
I take leather gloves for handling hot containers and burning logs of my campfire. If the hiking terrain is bad or I have to climb, I also wear the gloves in case I have to catch my fall which will aid in keeping me from injuring my hand.
Two tips that I can say are not having fun for your first night or two for dinner. The first night or two for myself, I always try to pack something fun for dinner. Just the other week, I packed steaks and bacon uncooked. Way better when you fry them up in the mountains. I also always end up packing a couple of frozen bottles of water with me in my pack, which helps to keep everything chilled. There is nothing better than ice cold water and something really tasty for the first night or two, depending on the weather.
But if you're packing steaks and bacon, you have to pack something to cook them on. That's extra weight, and many backpackers are trying to pack ultra light, especially for tough trips. It takes a lot of fuel to cook either one as well, and with fire bans, we can't have fires in our area, so often a pit fire is out. Where we live, all that meat cooking aroma is going to attract bears... I think I'll save the steak and bacon for car camping and take the boring stuff on hikes. Bears in my camp is too much excitement for me. 😱
Speaking to "Carrying less food"
3 buddies and I started backpacking for the first time a few years ago:
Four days three nights, make camp every night and break camp every morning to hike 5K-10K between sites each time...
First time around we all did the prepackaged rehydrate meals. One per person, per meal - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner - per day...
We had SO MANY left over at the end...
Over the course of 3000+ miles of backpacking, I've found that my appetite is actually suppressed for the first 7-10 days of a hike (10-17 miles per day). Even so, I seem to *always* have food left over by my first re-supply, but I guess I can say that's my emergency buffer. After 10 days, however, my appetite skyrockets, to the point where a bag of gorp that used to last for 3 snacks is gobbled up for one lunch and it's not enough!
I wear a pair of leather gloves that I build barb wire fence with. Great stove mitt and boiling water catcher. :)
I pack one extra meal and several instant Oatmeal and instant Grit packets. They are a great emergency meal. I like to make and bag my own meals so it's still home cooking out on the trail. I use the Freezer Bag method and clean up is licking the spoon. The used zip lock freezer bag becomes the trash bag for the rest. If I use the prepacked ( Manufactured ) dehydrated foods I repack them.
I absolutely love my Toaks 750ml pot with a bail handle. If the pot or handles get too hot I can loop a stick or utensil under that and lift it right off the burner, no problem. Also helpful to support the pot if it's windy or tipsy at all. And lastly it's removable if you want to shave off those ounces.
... totally agree ,, and if you have a pot without a bail it's easy to drill the holes and make one ,, also makes it possible to hang over small campfire coals ... a big plus for trail/camp metal cups/pots ...
Great tips overall. I think using a Trangia 27 vs a tall stove would solve a lot of problems with pot stability and the risk of burning yourself, although you need to be in less of a hurry to boil water and be respectful of the alcohol fire. One suggestion I would also make would be to practice using any new equipment before hitting the trails and also inspecting all gear setting off.
That transition from the poop kit to eating chocolate was great filming! 😂😂🌲
I always bring an extra 1.5 days food because I hike with my dog. 🤙 If we have issues, I’d rather have plenty for a brief search party or rescue or extra night due to weather.
I took a kayak trip from Ft. Benton to James Kipp (149 miles) in Montana. It is very remote with zero cell service for 90% and hiking up and out is not practical or safe. A Spot gps device is necessary (even tho I don't have one). Anyway, I did take 2 days extra of light rations. If getting stuck a couple extra days is a possibility then you can go with reduced rations for those days.
Leaving the handles in! This is when a multi-tool that has pliers would be a good idea. Grab the rim of the pot with the pliers and use it as a makeshift handle and ta-dah! You’re good
The no 1 reason I became a rafting guide and not a backpacker is that the raft will carry about 2k lbs of gear, and I don't have to. I like taking fresh food, cold beer, a dutch oven and proper cooking gear along, and really Eating well four days out on the river.
Old joke: A guy finishes his business in the men's room and starts to walk out... Other guy says, "Hey, didn't your mother teach you to wash your hands after you use the bathroom?"... First guy says, "Nope, she taught me not to pee on my fingers."
I’m new, but I have the Outdoor Element pot gripper, I don’t want my hands burned, plus I have one of those gloves to pick up hot things. I bought a long handled spoon and spork set from Amazon that are stainless steel.
I absolutely love Emmitt bringing such sass and character to the table. The quips back and forth really bring a new level of enjoyment to your videos for me Dan. Keep it up!
Titanium actually has pretty low thermal conductivity compared to other metals like steel and aluminum fwiw
That also means it has more heat retention and will take longer to cool down.
@@jameshaulenbeek5931 yea you're right, just calling out the handle comment it'd actually get less hot than most common metals
@@jameshaulenbeek5931 It doesn’t though. Titanium cools down remarkably quick.
@@MrTangent comparing similar things of the same size, yes.
Comparing things of the same mass, no.
That is why titanium is great for hiking and backpacking.
@@jameshaulenbeek5931 technically your right but your missing vital information that's very relevant, like the fact that there's a reason that stainless steel and aluminium cookware comes in much thicker because it is far weaker than titanium, meaning the titanium can be a fraction of the thickness whilst still being as strong, or often stronger still.
Dan, really appreciate your videos. We're going on our maiden voyage (well, backpack) this month for our anniversary after begging for 10 years. Your videos have helped to prepare us. Thank you.
I like bringing MREs when I go camping. For some reason I have always liked the food in MREs for some reason. Especially the chili macaroni. So good and easy to make
Years ago in AmeriCorps they fed us only those on one of our disaster relief work projects fixing rooves (roofs?). I remember them being not bad. And easy.
Make a list or spread sheet of every thing you are packing ( including the pack ) and I mean everything. Then you get back go thru the list / spreadsheet and check off every thing you did not use that trip. Do same thing every trip and compare to find those items you have been packing but not using... In the 70's Mt House food came in either a red or green package. Same meals, same size just different colored package. The red meal was the civilian version and was labeled meal for two. The green package was for the military and was labeled as a meal for one
These are just common sense, yet people forget. Thanks for the reminder!
Also use a gas canister stand so your stove remains stable when cooking/boiling water
First rescue I coordinated was a teenager who spilled boiling water on his feet. Blustering burns 17km from the trailhead is a bad day, luckily we were on the icean and able to keep his feet cool until the helicopter arrived. Maks sure your stove and pot are stable!
Recent studies by a couple of outdoor outfitters proved that shorter, wider pots are more fuel efficient than taller, skinnier ones. I use a 6 cup teakettle since I’m just making coffee, tea, and re-hydrating meals-it’s safer too, harder to spill.
Cool tip. Here’s another. For cups with lids it retains the heat better being taller than wide but for boiling water I understand the surface area being faster at achieving boiling.
Also substantially more useful when trying to fry something. or use it in the fire.
I mean, that just makes TOO much sense. Most of the water's surface area is closer to the heat instead of a tiny area being heated with most of the cold water resting on top.
@@Biggiiful ... if it's important to you ,, there are stoves with different sizes of burners .. the larger dia. sizes are more efficient if you use a larger pot or skillet on trail ..i.e. - frying meats,,fish etc. .. a more recent model is the pathfinder stove and still uses canisters ...
OMG, the stories I could tell about my first two backpacking trips in the 70's and 80's. Horrors. The person you backpack with can make or break a trip... and that's a huge rookie mistake to go with someone who doesn't have the right skills. It's a huge rookie mistake to go when you don't have the right skills, too.
Fortunately, I ended up taking the Wilderness Basics Course and learned safety, gear, the right food and how much water to bring, how to pack lightly, environmental, maps, and so much more. Complete game changer!
Tippy boiling water thingy? Yeah done that. Thankfully it was in the 30s or 40s and I moved quickly and did not have to go to the hospital but I did surely feel it
In bear country I also don't cook and eat where I sleep. Down wind away from camp if I'm staying in the area if I can help it
Wise advice on the hot water! I hiked the Superior hiking trail with a second degree burn on my leg because I wasn't paying attention to my water and pouring it into my food
I’ve watched so many hiking videos where people cook way tooo close to themselves, or too close to the tent. It gives me so much anxiety 😂
Wait until you see me making my morning coffee while laying in my hammock. 😂
What about cooking by your tent? I always try to follow that triangle between tent, cooking/eating, and food storage… thoughts?
I was hoping to see this comment. I never cook next to my shelter as I don’t want it to smell like food. I do like stories of animal encounters in shelters… other peoples stories!
Very obvious stuff and as such easily over looked.. Very Helpful video, some great tips that I will certainly utilise.. Thank you!
Yes! I look at my food at the end of a trip and ask, could I have survived another day on that? Usually it’s a few snack left. Be if the answer is Yes, then I say, Good planning!
I really don't wanna eat out of a bag, I'm gonna get a collapsible bowl with a lid if I ever do those camping meals, but currently I just do cheap packaged stuff from the store, like Knorr sides, and cook it in the pot and wipe it out when I'm done. I've eaten out of bags, it's a chore imo, also you can't even get the last bits out because how the bag is folded, it's easier to dump the dried food out and cook in a container that you can eat from cleanly.
I also take some Reflectix and make a little "sleeping bag" for my "pour in water" bag meals. This allows me to hold that bag of hot water and increases the efficiency of the rehydration (less time till I eat). I already have the Reflectix and Gorilla Tape from other projects.
I also use mine for that frozen steak and cold beer for that first night.
... gee , you have to make millions from that idea ..... by the way they are called a" cozy or koosey to some " ... but making your own saves money for something else ...
... also , if you have a large enough piece of Reflectix ,, maybe , 3ft. x 6 ft. ,, border a hem on all sides with the gorilla tape and make an insulated ground pad for under your air mat or sleeping bag .... protects your gear and again saves money from buying one ... rolls up small and also works as a good sit pad ...
Very handy. I've used reflectix as the bottom layer of my "sleep system" for years. A few years back i made a pot koozy, with a lid , and the lid even has a tape tab handle. On a particularly windy evening i used my reflectix sleep pad with a few sticks and rocks as a wind break for my stove .
Mistake 4:12. You're next to your tent. Nearly everywhere I backpack has roving bears looking for yummy treats. Cooking that close and/or upwind of your tent is inviting serious trouble.
Mistake 6:35. If at all possible don't poop while camp is set up. If you're in an impacted campsite chances are that you're not the only person to walk away to dig. Either make sure you walk far enough away from camp to keep the smell grom wafting in (seriously, hike 5 or 10 minutes from camp) or if you can hold it don't poop until you've hiked 15+ minutes from camp in the morning. This spreads out the waste concentration and gives your poop a better chance to not be found by the next person. I found a tampon applicator while I was excavating for a call of nature near a popular lake. Yuk!
Side note: If you're camped by a lake and there is no water flowing out *don't go for a swim*!!! This is especially true if it's the only water source in the area. I don't want to cook my dinner or filter into my CamelBak from your sweaty bathwater. If you need to clean up take the water away from the lake. If the water is flowing take your bath. At least your funk will be washed away.
I made the mistake of waiting to poop one morning until I arrived at an AT lean-to (in Virginia, I think). I encountered an incredible number of poop holes (and some not buried) within 50 yards of the shelter. Disgusting.
I like the dehydrated food, light and makes it easy
A lot of this is common sense to be honest. Easy to forget though after hoofing it all day so a PSA is always welcome.
I hike with a coworker who insists on packing group meals. I hate the concept because I prefer packing my own light weight food. One cool trick I picked up a few years ago was if you like to bring whiskey, pack it in one of those Sawyer water filter pouches.
The Sawyer bags are the best flasks on the market!
SAR here. You do need more food than you think. Its not just as simple as am extra day. Most people dont even hit a beacon or get called in for 24+ hours. God forbid you are injured or isolated then its more. Its not a 'survivalist' mentality. Its prudence. We already take a lot of risks being out in some places. Dont give bad advice just to save a little weight.
Yes this resonates
Thank you. Some things need to be said again and again.
p.s. Use a windscreen with your stove - I use aluminum foil or carbon felt for that - and put the lid on
Hiking with my 3 boys 3 nights calculated with jetboil needed one 4oz fuel. Saw a couple on same trip carrying 3 x 8 oz canisters or about 32oz extra weight and waste of money. :)
There is instant food in Korea, but my friend's instant food looks more convenient and delicious.^^ Friend's video always gives me new good thoughts. 👍 👍 👍
I use a modified tarp style tarp tent. Make an A frame, roll ground sheet over lower braces,then main tarp over top with edges under ground sheet. Can’t really explain it how I do it,but myself and partner sleep comfortably and dry with way I do it.
Real problem with the handles on a Ti pot is they get hot regardless of whether or not they're folded in or out. MomentOfZen shared a suggestion about silicone covers, and I can endorse that suggestion. I've used the DipIt silicone stuff to dip my handles in and that helps keep them stay cooler to the touch.
As someone with a pot with sili- handles & one without, I can attest to the difference even on aluminium.
I always have a pair of leather gloves...for canoeing, mountain biking, processing fire wood, etc.
These gloves work also for handling hot cooking equipment.
Everything you carry should be capable of two or three different uses.
@@blueeyeswhitedragon9839 That was exactly the comment I hoped to read. Gloves are my hiking fetish item lol. Never a bad choice!
I avoid pots with handles and use my aluminum foil "windscreen" to pick up the pot and pour water.
A hole near the top and an oldschool tent stake shaped like a check mark ✔️. Also replaced my big coffepot handle with soft copper and it allows me to tension the bend a little so the handle stays straight up during the boil, can bare hand it this way. 🖐️
8 minutes of how to not get burned by hot pots or boiling water
Solid advice
I bring 2 pounds per day on any trip that is an overnight. I also bring one emergency back up meal just in case anything should happen.
For my stove if I can I put a couple large rocks around the base of my tank to help hold it in place.
I like that rocks idea!
Thanks Dan for a great video, much appreciated 👍 Like many who have commented, there is an inherent design flaw in all the screw on top stoves (I have about 8-10, but who’s counting!!) they are all very unstable especially when you stick a narrow mug type pot on top. After 60+ years of various types of camping I have finally moved over to the remote canister type stove (Primus Spider!) yes you pay for a bit of extra weight but you can always claw that back by reducing weight in other areas. As for the extra food, for me it’s an extra dehydrated meal or a couple of extra instant oats. Once again many thank, kind regards from deepest Dorset England 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇦👍
For the screw on top style stoves, you can get a set of folding legs that clip onto the bottom of the butane canister. That should reduce the chances of a tip over. MSR makes a metal set and Jetboil comes with a set of plastic ones.
Sanitizing wipes is a handy little thing to have in your poop kit, you can use it right away and burn it together with the toilet paper in the hole - just make sure the fire has gone out before refilling the hole, and that no fire ban is in effect at the moment (if so, only the toilet paper can be dug down).
I boiled half a pint of water in my living room, was turning the heat down and bang,all over my leg,
Big blisters,quite a bit of pain,
Be careful people, especially with tall narrow stoves with tall pots,
I was using a pocket rocket and Stanley cookset
I motorcycle camp in the backcountry and your site is my go to for gear, how to, what not to do etc. as I am new to camping. I am hoping you will do a film on sleeping bag liners as there is no good info on this subject.
The best pot kit i ever had was a Gal & 1/4 pot, with a kettle that stored within, the flat lid was a 7' fry pan, a single clamp handle for both, thick base's, was Norwegian (1980) and weighed 1.4 Kg. So about 3 Lb.
Mistake # 2. Stove placement…. Too close is only part of the problem….
Secure & Steady base. Many don’t consider uneven ground, or clearing an area of flammable debris (grass, twigs & sticks). Ensuring the stove and pot don’t tip over. Adding to the pot, or clumsy move reaching for something, anything that might cause pot or stove to fall can be mitigated by ensuring a flat sturdy cooking area is used.
And recent studies have proven that wide pots boil faster and use less fuel than tall skinny pots. I use a 6 cup teakettle, since I’m only making coffee and re-hydrating meals. safer too-doesn’t spill.
As a snow camper, one meal I use for breakfast and emergency food are packets of ! A couple of ounces of oatmeal provides nutrision for many hours of strenous activities.
Can you make a video on fast fly tent set ups and if they are any good?
i was gonna carry extra water and buy some fancy dehydrated food ,but i ran out of time so i just grabbed a can of chunky soup on the way out the door,(hope i survive),cheers great vid !
:)
LOL - I hike hundreds of miles every year. And every single one of those miles is with more food than I need. Don't know what it is. But I have come to accept that I just cannot mentally grasp how much food I actually need to bring. It is what it is, so I just accept it and hike on.
You've met your match with camera man😁
Just left pictured rocks from a camping trip and was guilty of the #1 sin, taking way too much food. A car camping series might be nice on your channel btw. I go backpacking with friends but usually do a car camping trip with my dad once or twice a year and we started as complete amateurs.
I moto camp offroad and your vids are my “go to” for information. Great job. The dialogue between you to was a hoot btw,!
Get the Uco spork/knife one that's a 2 piece. Been using it bikepacking and adventuring, and it's making stirring in my Jetboil super easy.
When cleaning your hands, remove solids THEN sanitize. Poop happens. Even if you have to wipe them on some leaves, get any solids off as best you can before sanitizing.
Yes!! Sanitizer also works best on clean hands. And can dry out hands uncomfortably to use too often and is flammable. So I'm thinking maybe skip sanitizer and just wash hands well with 2 happy birthdays, nails, wrists, everywhere. Rinse well. Like we all were taught in pandemic. Pat dry or air dry. Like how surgeons wash their hands. Sanitizer after that is optional. (Also bidet done well cleans crotch better than tp. Though yes, that uses water.) Wiping body parts on leaves in woods seems a little risky to me cause what if was poison oak or had ants or animal feces or something.
Thank you Jim from The Office.
Put a lid on the pot, it will boil water faster and save fuel!
and a windscreen!
In the group someone should always have a leather man or my personal favorite the ultra mini locking vise grip. They are great for stove repair or pack repair, and they lock on to your pot so you can take it off the heat and hold it safely!
Dan--very funny and accurate video. RE hacks: I like to repackage all boil in bag meals into ZIPLOC quart freezer bags and lose the 3/4oz dead weight (see "freezer bag cooking" by Sarah Kirkonnel), use a cannister base to stabilize stove, build a COZEE pouch out of "reflectix" to contain meal and rehydrating contents during cooking. It keeps things very hot for up to 15 minutes hands free until food is reconstituted and cool enough to enjoy. No dishes, except empty ziploc bag.
You have probably already learned this, but you should only use Ziploc bags designed for freezer storage. These are the sturdiest and less likely to leak or tear when exposed to boiling water.
I think its a mistake to go all meals dehydrated , its not great on your system , use a mix of fresh , ie bacon/salami/cured meats , tins , dehydrated etc , some times , getting extra water is hard or impossible , depending where you are .
I always used flight gloves while cooking , but I use to heat the can directly on heat source , wait for me dents to pop out , while rotating can , and open can away from me , and eat straight from can, like pressure cook .
Great video reminds everyone to set up correctly, only if in Australia the first thing is look overhead for tree branches that may drop off more so with Australian gum trees, perhaps trees you have where you are are not so bad, cheers and all good..
Tip 5 so important! That ja the reason why I always carry extra Hand sanitizer for my partners because the often don't carry it ( they think Its too heavy😷). After they take a dump I always have the sanitizer at hand to sprinkle it on there hands). Best is to have a mini dropper bottle which can be operated with one hand like the nalgene mini Dropper bottles! Carry aprox 3ml sanitizer per day
Where do you get your data on the frequency of these mistakes?
I'm so happy about this video because I've never made any of these mistakes! And I normally don't trust myself so this is good xD