Originally Posted by
Dogwood
Seeking less commonly discussed techniques. This is in the UL Forum for fuel wt saving reasons.
I'll:
1) Obtain water that is warmer. What? Don't take icy water for heating cooking water. Consider taking water from south facing sources. In summer this isn't as great a deal. Not hard measuring water temp with a cheap trail thermometer
that's included in something like a ABC watch
2) Pre warm water inside pack or on outside pack pocket with gear, clothing insulating it
3) Pre soak meals
4) Opt for food that cooks faster. Opt for pepe, ditalini, pastina capellini over large shells, rigatoni, penne, linguini etc. Opt for ready to eat jerky rather than cooking a thick raw beef teak with a large bone.
5) Pre cook and dehydrate longer cooking needed foods like quinoa although quinoa can also be pre soaked to cut cook time.
6) Mix in no cook meals into a trip or segment. Some meals can be eaten hot or cold or eaten at a tepid temp. Particularly, during warnmer treks don't always eat a heated B-fast. More and more under hot hikes I go totally no cook B-fasts.
7) Do not excessively let water boil in a rage. Heat up water some and let food soak in it to finish off cook time.
8) Put lid on pot
9) Pot cozy and of course use a windscreen even if made from found natural materials
10) Carry only enough fuel based on length of fuel needed for trip or for segments between resupply. Harder for gas canisters but no need to always take an entire bottle of inexpensive HEET for a solo weekend alchy stove trip.
11) Adjust the size of the alchy fuel container needed for your situation. Why carry 12 - 18 oz containers that is likely heavier than a 2 oz container if the 2 oz container carries enough fuel for your hikes? This is just referring to the container wt which is why for shorter trips an alchy stove can often reduce fuel wt over other type stoves like isobutane which are in 4 oz cans(just fuel) PLUS THE WT OF THE CAN.
12) Boil water/eat HIGH! Takes less energy since lower atmospheric pressure means water boils at a lower temp. Take the lower H2O temp into account accepting you'll be eating food at a lower temp. In other words, maybe opt for foods that don't require a high sustained temp(long simmer) to cook. Boil and let soak in the heated water.
13) Consider mixing in cooking with found fuel with carried fuel ie; warm water over a small very contained warming/cooking fire
14) Don't make cooking meals so complex that it requires extensive cooking times.
What do you have to save fuel wt?
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