My product reviews 1) Camp Stove

I’m not writing this to promote someone’s product.  If I mention a particular brand it’s because of my experience with it.  I have camped in many different situations.  I have used lots of types of gear.  My decisions are usually based on price.  I don’t have tons of money to spend on equipment so I’m careful with what I buy. 

The number of places selling camping equipment has mushroomed in recent times.  This is good for competition I suppose but you have to be careful with what you buy.  Back in the day you had to go to a high end sporting goods store to even find specialized camping gear. Then you paid their exorbitant price.  These types of stores are the real losers when it comes to online shopping.  But I do not feel sorry for them.  For years these places raked me over the coals. The backpacking stove is an example of one such item.

If you have ever used the old style single burner stoves you have experienced the drawbacks.  The originals were a similar design to the new ones.  They have a gas tank on the bottom with the burner on top.  The tank held liquid fuel and used the little built in pump for pressure.  You could get a separate aluminum container to keep it in.  When you take the stove out it acts as a pot to heat water. 

I have used this type stove for many years.  The first one I remember was likely a WWII or Korean War era army surplus.  I’m not sure where that one ended up, probably sold in a garage sale.  The one I have now is a Peak 1 made by Coleman and has served me well for many backpacking trips.  Peak 1 is Coleman’s light weight and specialized product line.  I just looked and now you can buy the exact same one on line from Wal-Mart.   My o my the times have changed.  

The advantage to this stove is you can refill the tank.  I always carry at least one liquid fuel canister.  The disadvantage is its bulky compared to the new ones and it goes off like a flare when you first light it.  The yellow flame dies down once it heats up but it’s much worse at high altitudes.  The seals on mine are worn out and fuel leaks out during transport.  I’ve caught the whole thing on fire before so you have to be careful.  It is a good workhorse though and I would recommend it if you don’t have a camp stove.

The disposable fuel canister type stoves offer some clear advantages.  I resisted getting one for the longest time because it seemed wasteful.  The pressurized gas system is sealed and not spilling gas all over the place is nice.  The big advantage is flame control.  You get the same flame at different altitudes.

The stove part, the part that screws on to the fuel canister, comes in all different designs.  I started using the tri-gas fuel mix because I was given a small collapsible stove.  My first reaction was to rebuke the gift.  I looked at the exact same one at the store for seventy-five dollars and I felt like that was a bit excessive for a casual gift.  Then I found out she paid ninety-nine cents for it on line.  That’s with free shipping.  Go figure.

The stove did fail me though.  We got a late start on a day hike to the Devil’s Causeway in Colorado.  It was late June and we hit some pretty big show drifts. We made it about three quarter of the way up and decided to have lunch and head back down.  The piezoelectric starter wouldn’t work and we didn’t bring any matches.  We found out that cold dehydrated food does not taste very good.

This stove did convince me that the tri-gas mix is better than liquid fuel.  I found a higher BTU output stove at Wal-Mart for thirty-five bucks.  So I got on line and bought the same one for a dollar ninety-nine with free shipping.  Isn’t eBay wonderful?  I have used this stove many times.  The nine ounce gas canisters last a couple weeks making a cup tea everyday at lunch in the park.  But then I found a marvelous modern invention far superior to this stove.

I went through these steps each time I used the stove.  Attach the burner to the canister and light it.  Fill a small pot with water (or soup) and place it on top of the stove.  Wait for it to heat up.  Shut the stove off and let it cool while I eat lunch.  Disassemble the stove and head out.  I never realized how much heat was wasted on heating the pot and stove until I switched to a Jetboil.

I hate sounding like an advertisement. But, the Jetboil system is much more efficient and worth the purchase price.  The time it takes to boil water is much shorter because the majority of the heat goes into the water and not the surroundings.  Within seconds of turning off the flame the stove is cool to the touch.  This is because most of the heat goes into the water and not everywhere else.  The disposable tri-gas canisters last a lot longer because you are not wasting fuel heating up everything but the water.  

Going to do something

I heard these words in the kitchen last night; “I’ve canceled my trip to New York in May. We can go camping instead”

That’s not throwing someone a bone; it’s a big thick bar-b-queue rib right off the grill.   The only question is where to go and what to do.  I’ll try to stick to my own advice and plan on doing as little as possible.  After all my main purpose for going tent camping it to relax.  Well, mix in some adventure. 

Then I get up this morning and check my email.  Scenic Canyons Recreational Services sent out the same message to everyone that booked a trip to Cimarron Campground in the last year.  The campground host is not returning and they are looking for another.  That’s like throwing me a whole stake off the grill.  In case you didn’t know Cimarron New Mexico is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  The only question is how could I do it?

These are the things I will be pondering.  

My personal essentials: 1) The brew bag

Camping is the place to go for the best cup of coffee you’ll ever have in your life.  That’s because the perfect cup of coffee depends on where you are in mind and body.  Most people drink coffee with the blank slate of conscious thoughts while trying to wake up and start the day.  But when you get out of a warm sleeping bag and crawl out of your tent on a brisk morning then you’re in for some quick moving to get your drink.  Rest assured that when you are camping and close to nature you may very well be in the right place to whip up and enjoy the perfect cup.

I give my condolences to those of you who are not coffee drinkers.  I enjoy it.  I also give you the secret to a fresh brewed a cup of Joe wherever you are.  If by chance you don’t drink the stuff then please substitute tea or cocoa or your hot drink of choice may be.  I love my first sip coffee in the morning.  With it comes a flash of memories go racing through my mind.  I recall the wonderful camping trips in the mountains I’ve been on and how pleasant and peaceful the day starts off with that first cup.

My brew bag is an essential for me.  I put it together so I can brew a cup of Joe no matter where I am.   It works better than a thermos for me. I do things all the time to get ready for the next big journey.  Sometimes it’s only an idea while other times it’s a small step toward a developing idea.  The brew bag idea actually one that came from several directions.  I don’t like paying a buck & a half or more for a cup of coffee with flavored sugar when I can make my own for thirty cents.  And digging through and setting up gear while on the road to brew some tea is way to much trouble.  Plus you can’t buy fresh brewed tea if there is nobody selling it. 

When I was in high school I worked at a fast food restaurant.  I have clear memories of the store manager giving me instructions.  Smile, greet the customer; take the order and so on.  Before you start filling the order you ask, “Is this for here or to go?”  I don’t know if they still ask this question since now days everybody is on the go.  Everybody including me is on the go.  But for me and the journey to the place where I’m going I’ll pause and drink a hot beverage.

So I repurposed a hand tool carry bag for the essentials to make the hot beverage.   I keep it handy and try to take it with me when I go to everyday places.  When I’m not camping and find myself with a little time I’ll look for a park or picnic table.   I’ll find a good spot to get set up and bring out the bag.  In it is a small stove, cups, a spoon, coffee, cocoa, tea and matches.  I keep water separate because my canteen always needs refilling.  I have brewed a cup of the hot stuff at roadside rest stops, state parks, city parks, parking lots, at a ship channel levy and even employee break tables outside municipal buildings.  I feel more self sufficient when I make my own drink.  The best part is that when I’m on the road in the middle of the night I don’t have to find a gas station or truck stop open to get a cup of coffee. That is because I bring what I need with me.

Last November we were on our way to camp at Buffalo River in Arkansas.  After driving all night I was getting road wary.  I pulled into a rest stop and overlook at daybreak.  It was off of the main road and there were not any towns close by.  It’s a really nice stop if you are ever in the area.  I think it’s named the Rotary Ann. The picnic tables are built on bluffs overlooking the mountains.  This was the perfect place to drink my morning coffee so I reached behind the car seat and pulled out the brew bag.  Then we were off to find a campsite at a place we had never been before.  I drove while sipping on a fresh brewed cup of coffee. 

To experience nature is to become part of it.  Or get a little closer to nature and not be so removed from it.  There are real therapeutic effects of going tent camping.  I feel it at least and judging from the number of other campers I see they are it to.  It’s not just a diversion for me or I wouldn’t be putting these words here now. 

I’m not saying that the only time you’re really close to nature is when you are in the woods.   Lots of people are close to nature and never leave home.  But you seek nature because you are part of it.  So many things in modern society tend to pull us away from nature.

For example you can go to the grocery store and buy some radishes and eat them.  Or you can compost some kitchen scraps.  Mix the compost by hand with dirt to make a good rich soil.  Plant the seeds in a sunny location.  Give them water and watch them grow.  Then eat it when it’s ready.  In either case your digestive system got a radish.  A rational person knows which way makes more sense.

But the radish you grew brought you much closer to nature.  When you are tent camping you are the radish.  You are aware of the sunshine.  You are subjected to rain, wind, cold, warmth, clouds, all of what nature is.  I get this sense of amazement when I’m camping.  There is so much to experience in nature and being outdoors gives you a reminder that it is there all the time.

One of the best parts about camping is eating in the open air.  Enjoying a meal in the outdoors is something you rarely do in everyday life.  I like to stop at roadside rest stops when I travel.  The picnic tables there are usually nice and sometimes even cozy.  City, county, state, private, you name it, they all provide free use of their tables. 

For more than a two night stay I pitch my dining canopy over the picnic table.  It’s to much work to put it up for one night.  The table becomes my central area for activities in the campsite.  It works out well to have a cover over the table.  Some people eat their meals in their RV’s. I like the panoramic view from the picnic table.

I like eating my own food whenever I can.  I think this sets me apart from most travelers.  Everything is so accessible these days that people don’t use the tables at parks much.  I have come to believe that most will stop at a gas station and get a snack before they will throw something in an ice chest to eat on the road.  I sure they don’t take their food with them.  When I throw my banana peel and tea bag in the trash can I’ll look inside.  I mostly see pizza boxes and fast food bags and empty energy drink containers.

I usually have all the tables to choose from.  Even the busy rest stops will have lots of cars but not to many people using the tables.  A few people do but even then they won’t be fixing up a meal or a snack like me.  I guess it all comes back to planning.  Even without knowing where I’ll stop I will put “road food” at the top of the ice chest.  Then I can stop anywhere to break bread.