Budget Cook Kit 13 ounces

[Mr. Dill With It]

So I have created a budget and lightweight cook kit based on a Walmart grease pot. I have included a link to my Youtube video that outlines the entire kit. Let me know what you think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk0vG6IPsjE&t=23s

please feel free to leave comments here or on my youtube page

[zelph]

Post some details here please. You tube videos suck up too much of my walmart portable wifi dohickie giga bites. Thank you very much :-)

[Starchild]

I watched the Video, it looks good and all, but also would like to see a breakdown of the parts and weight listed here as well, just to scattered on the vid.

[cmoulder]

Toaks folding titanium spoons are free?

OK, so you probably found it, but most people won't be able to depend on luck for assembling a cook kit.

But I do like folding spoons that fit inside the kit. I use the MSR folder that weighs 9g.

[Mr. Dill With It]

Full Specs with Prices and Weight

Total: 13.65 OZ Cost me roughly $10

Mainstay Grease Pot: $6.75 - 6.8 oz (after a few mods)- capacity of 44 fluid OZ
MYOG Aluminum Windscreen: Free from kitchen - 0.45 oz
MYOG Aluminum Vapor Barrier: Free from kitchen - 0.1 oz
Cat Can Stove w/ziplock: $0.85 - 0.3 oz
Full sized liter:$1.00 - 0.6 oz
Toaks Folding Spoon: $10 (but stated free b/c I have had it for years) - 0.7 oz (an alternative is a bamboo spoon like these)
Aluminum Mug: have had it for years (GSI Outdoors infinity stacking cup $2.95) - 1.75 oz (GSI is 1.8 oz)
Spice Kit Bottles: $0.75 each - 0.4 oz each (similar to these but I found some GSI ones at a thrift store)
Pink Bottle $0.25 - 0.5oz (3 oz container from Walmart)
Handkerchief: $1.00 - 1.25 oz (I have decided that I am going to cut this in half)

[cmoulder]

How much water do you normally boil? If it's only 2 cups you could also use the Imusa 10cm, which holds about 2.5 cups., 2.67oz, $2.49 with the Minibull designs lid, 16g (.56oz), $10 (Zelph used to offer a lid but no longer has this one, unfortunately... it weighs 9.5g... .34oz) or a MYOG pie pan lid or Ti foil.

As UL alky cook kits go, 13.65oz is actually a bit on the heavy side.

My set-up which uses an Open Country 3-cup pot, MSR Lite Lifter, OC plastic cup and Fancee Feest stove weighs about 8.7oz all up (including 4oz fuel bottle minus fuel... usually use a soda bottle for longer trips...) It will bring to a full boil 3 cups of cold water with 35ml of denatured alcohol.
alky_cook_set_01.jpg

[Mr. Dill With It]

How much water do you normally boil? If it's only 2 cups you could also use the Imusa 10cm, which holds about 2.5 cups., 2.67oz, $2.49 with the Minibull designs lid, 16g (.56oz), $10 (Zelph used to offer a lid but no longer has this one, unfortunately... it weighs 9.5g... .34oz) or a MYOG pie pan lid or Ti foil.

As UL alky cook kits go, 13.65oz is actually a bit on the heavy side.

My set-up which uses an Open Country 3-cup pot, MSR Lite Lifter, OC plastic cup and Fancee Feest stove weighs about 8.7oz all up (including 4oz fuel bottle minus fuel... usually use a soda bottle for longer trips...) It will bring to a full boil 3 cups of cold water with 35ml of denatured alcohol.
alky_cook_set_01.jpg

Cmoulder- this kit was built so I could go lighter if wanted or just keep it simple. The imusa 10cm has been something I have been looking at too.

[happypad]

I've been eyeing the Toaks 600 lately

[Nanatuk]

I have the same pot, wrapped a couple of turns of silicon tape around the handle and don't need a pot holder anymore.

[zelph]

(Zelph used to offer a lid but no longer has this one, unfortunately... it weighs 9.5g... .34oz) or a MYOG pie pan lid or Ti foil.

I have a couple of those lids laying around somewhere in a box in the garage.

[Just Bill]

Any of you stovies try this pot- https://www.amazon.com/Imusa-IMUSA-I...3PYPNYW5R95XS0

IMUSA grease dispenser? Saw it pop up someplace but forgot to bring it up here.

[Just Bill]

https://www.amazon.com/Imusa-Aluminu.../dp/B0018EA048

Here's a 1.5l version as well... previous was .9l.

Decent shape for right in the fire, bigger capacities and no lids to find. No idea on weights or if the handle collapses or is removable.

[cmoulder]

https://www.amazon.com/Imusa-Aluminu.../dp/B0018EA048

Here's a 1.5l version as well... previous was .9l.

Decent shape for right in the fire, bigger capacities and no lids to find. No idea on weights or if the handle collapses or is removable.

I have this one... got it for various stove testing. Without the strainer it weighs a breath over 8oz. I have seen these with the handles cut off and the remnants ground down.
IMUSA_1.jpg

Maybe good for a combined cook kit for 2, and it's pretty stout and durable. Probably would work well in a fire, as you suggest. There are much better and lighter options for solo cooksets, however.

[cmoulder]

(Zelph used to offer a lid but no longer has this one, unfortunately... it weighs 9.5g... .34oz) or a MYOG pie pan lid or Ti foil.

I have a couple of those lids laying around somewhere in a box in the garage.

IMUSA 10cm (which holds approx 2.5 cups) with Zelph lid... right at 3oz.
IMUSA 10cm with Zelph lid.jpg

A better option for the soloist.

[Just Bill]

I have this one... got it for various stove testing. Without the strainer it weighs a breath over 8oz. I have seen these with the handles cut off and the remnants ground down.
IMUSA_1.jpg

Maybe good for a combined cook kit for 2, and it's pretty stout and durable. Probably would work well in a fire, as you suggest. There are much better and lighter options for solo cooksets, however.

No doubt... been running into more bushcrafters and hammock hangers these days who are looking more for something like this. The .9l size for solo plus use or the 1.5ish size for two man or winter/melting snow solo.

Basically along the budget minded bomber discussion and with campfire cooking being the principal heat source. Figured one of you had tried it.

The bushcraft guys tend to be all into their crafting so they like the bail and tripod like Zelph's pic. But I've always preferred a simple handle to ease stirring or snow scooping. If I don't set it right in the coals, I'll just use two of the feeder sticks or logs to rest the pot on and scrape coals under it with the main fire off to the side, especially if I have some damp wood. Much easier to reliably regulate temperature or slow cook rice/beans/etc when you aren't in a hurry. A sturdy handle and taller sides make it the right tool for the job IMO. Though this might even be a hair to small diameter to sit well on two wrist sized logs and still expose enough of the pot to heat unless you get a good pile of coals there if you want to boil. Bout 5-6" Diameter seems right for that though you can always carve out the feeder sticks a hair to satisfy your crafting itch and use the 4" pots okay. 4" is a nice pack size for sure.

The stanco grease pot is a nice budget pot but then you gotta carry a gripper to really cook with it IMO. A bandana will get it on and off the fire sure enough, but it's no fun grabbing it like that while you are trying to stir or fry and the short fat pots can be hard to carry unless they are very short; which leaves you a bit ashy over an open fire most of the time.

[Just Bill]

And the IMUSA stuff seems to have stood the test of time overall... that's the problem with some of the budget stuff... kinda a crap shoot on what you're getting.

[cmoulder]

The stanco grease pot is a nice budget pot but then you gotta carry a gripper to really cook with it IMO. A bandana will get it on and off the fire sure enough, but it's no fun grabbing it like that while you are trying to stir or fry and the short fat pots can be hard to carry unless they are very short; which leaves you a bit ashy over an open fire most of the time.

In that case, I would use—as I do with the Open Country 3-cup pot—an MSR Lite Lifter, which IIRC is a smidge under 1 oz... albeit a bit spendy for a pot lifter.

Re the 1.5 liter IMUSA in the fire... should work very well sitting at the edge of the fire with the bottom in the coals and the side exposed to infrared heat from the other coals. Just gotta watch out for the lid knob which is plastic. The plastic looks like the hi-temp stuff, but even that will melt if exposed to intense IR for long enough.

But this fits nicely into the light-cheap-durable scheme... pick any two.

[Just Bill]

I had me one o them MSR lifters once- it is very nice. Had a nice TI one too at one point.

I've never lost a cookpot (though Another Kevin did save me from a close call at Harriman), nor have I ever lost a handle attached to said pot...
But as fer me poor pot grabbers they seem to have abandoned ship on some long ago journey.
Suspecting mutiny I've been loath to add another to my crew.

[scope422]

Never post much here but figured I'd chime in on this one. I believe the 1.5L Imusa and the Mainstays grease pot in Walmart are the same. It's a great pot when cooking for 2 but too large for 1. Use it on coals and its fine, but yes, handle gets very hot, always keep a bandana in the pot for hot handling and cleaning. I also have the Imusa 10cm and 12cm cups. The grease pot is the same diameter as the 12cm cup but taller and flared at the top for lid. For me, the 10cm cup is too small. The 12cm cup is my absolute favorite, I love it, with me on every trip. Use it in fire as well, handle does get very hot also. You can use the bottom of a powdered iced tea or Gatorade mix container as a lid, fits on 12cm cup. Fuel canisters fit in it perfectly as well. 4.45oz with lid and costs like $3.

20170502_185058.jpg
10cm, 12cm and grease pot.

20170502_184500.jpg

[Alligator]

I had me one o them MSR lifters once- it is very nice. Had a nice TI one too at one point.

I've never lost a cookpot (though Another Kevin did save me from a close call at Harriman), nor have I ever lost a handle attached to said pot...
But as fer me poor pot grabbers they seem to have abandoned ship on some long ago journey.
Suspecting mutiny I've been loath to add another to my crew.

Yeah I have one that is not exactly lost I just don't where it is exactly. The one pot set I use it for I don't use regularly. When I do bring that set, I waste about 20-30 minutes looking for it until I finally remember a better solution for me. I carry the Leatherman style PS multi-tool. It's a really small one and it has the pliers and scissors. I use the pliers as the pot lifter. Now it too has the potential to get lost but it has a carabiner clip and I religiously attach it to my pack or a belt loop when I do use it. A bandana works or gloves or a hat but sometimes the flames are running up the pot side and I need something metal.

Of course, perhaps it is too much multi-tool ...I mean the clip is also a bottle opener and who the hell needs that? It's not like I plan on a few beers when I know there's a trash can I'll be passing by the next day or spending the night front country at some point during the trip. None of the guides really say where stores sell singles either, it's really problematic about when a guy might use it. Nearly useless that feature.