Fozzils Kidz Solo Pack

I saw these Fozzil brand collapsible plates and bowels at REI and they looked like a good idea.  I wasn’t sure how they would hold up but a little research online showed people seem to be happy with them.  I was originally looking to buy the regular size set and not the “Kidz pack” however on another trip to REI this set was on clearance for $7 and some change so I picked it up.

The kids size is smaller but still adequate for camping needs, especially backpacking.  Included is a 1 plate, 1 bowel, 1 cup, and 1 spoon.  They come in this reusable sleeve where all the pieces store flat.

It just takes a couple of seconds per item to snap together and voila, you’re ready to eat.  The spoon that comes with the set seems pretty useless considering most people will have a real spoon or spork with them anyway.

The material feels heavy-duty enough to hold up for some time given you take reasonable care.  It’s a slightly textured surface but all residue wipes off easily which is good when running water might not be available.

DIY Alcohol Stoves

I decided to try my hand at making a few of the homemade alcohol burning camp stoves that I’ve read about.  The first one I made was made out of an Altoids Smalls can.  It was pretty straight forward to make.  Fill the can with perlite (found at a garden center) and cover with metal screen to hold all the perlite in.

This one fits into my Esbit stove and is a great replacement for the stinky Esbit cubes that come with it.  All you do is fill up the can with some denatured alcohol and light her up, its simple and works great.

I then tried to make a jetted style burner stove out of a regular size Altoids can.  The idea is the can will heat up and cause the alcohol to vaporize and shoot out of the holes that were drilled in the sides.  Unfortunately there is a design flaw somewhere and this one did not work well.

My third attempt was whats known as a “penny stove”.  This was a little more complicated to build but with ample online instructions and about 30 minuets of work it turned out great.

The construction is basically 2 soda can bottoms and 1 can top.  The top is used as a stand to get the stove off the ground to allow for proper heating of the stove which vaporizes the fuel.  One of the can bottoms is kept as is for the bottom of the stove.  The other can bottom has 4 holes drilled int the middle to allow fuel to drain into the inside and 12 holes drilled around the edges (6 on the top and 6 on the bottom).  The 2 can portions are pressed together.  To use you fill the cup portion with the 4 holes with fuel and let it drain into the middle.  Then you place a penny over the 4 holes to keep the fuel from draining (hence the name penny stove) and fill the cup portion with fuel again but allow some alcohol to spill over the side holes.  When you light the stove the alcohol on top burns and heats up the stove so the alcohol in the middle starts to vaporize and exit the side holes creating a burner.

here is a video testing the small Altoids stove and the penny stove.  I spilled a bit too much alcohol on them to prime them so the initial burn off is a little long but they both worked great.

a clip of the penny stove after a few minutes burning

Budget Hiking and Camping Gear

After going car camping a couple of times last year I’ve wanted to try my hand at backpacking.  I’m not looking to hike the AT just try some light hikes and overnight trips.  Problem is I had no gear.  I don’t want to invest deeply into something that I’ve never done before which leads me to my goal.  To find decent, low-cost, and relatively light weight backpacking gear, a challenge I’m sure to enjoy.  Here are a few of the items acquired thus far.

The pack: Ridgeway by Kelty external frame back pack

From what I have read “Ridgeway by Kelty” is not made by Kelty but either way seemed like a good pack for my needs and paid $35 on Craigslist.  I adjusted it and it fits me well.  The only thing it lacks is a sternum strap which I bought on Amazon for $8 made by Outdoor Research and will retro fit any pack.

The tent: Kelty Zenith 2

This tent retailed at Target for $60 but they had it on clearance for $29.  Its 5′ by 7′, has one door, a gear loft, all of the upper is made of fine mesh with the exception of the door which is solid material, fiberglass polls, and has a full rain fly with vestibule.  It weighed in a little over 5 lbs.  I found Kelty makes a tent named the Salida 2 that retails for $160 and is the same as the Zenith 2 except it comes with aluminum poles, the door is half mesh half solid, and mostly because of the poles it weighs less.  I called Kelty (who had awesome customer service) and asked if the poles for the Salida would fit on the Zenith and could I order them.  The girl I talked to confirmed that the tents were basically the same and the poles would fit.  I ordered the aluminum poles for $28.  With the new poles and aluminum stakes the tent now weighs 4 lbs 1 oz for a total of $60 invested.  Win!  Basically a $160 tent for $60.  I know there are lighter weight tents that are not much more expensive but I decided that I wanted the extra room of this dome style tent.  The tent and poles all fit in the upper portion of the pack.

The sleeping bag: Kelty Mistral +20 long

Rated for 20 degrees, synthetic fill, and  found at Gander Mountain on clearance for $29 don’t know what the normal price was but have seen it online any where from $36-$80ish.  It’s a bit large in its stuff sack but I have an external frame pack so I don’t mind as it will ride on the lower outside portion of the pack.  It’s very comfortable and roomy.

The ground pad(s):

Field and Stream Explorer Ground Pad

Clearance $20 Dicks Sporting Goods, self inflating (kinda), 1 lb 13 oz, very comfortable when testing but haven’t camped with it yet, in its stuff sack it fits multiple ways in my pack.

Field and Stream standard ground pad

Clearance $9 Dicks Sporting Goods, closed cell foam, 1 lb.  I plan on using this for the colder nights to put under my inflatable pad for more insulation.  Other than my sleeping bag this is the only item that wont fit inside the pack and it will ride on the upper most portion of the outside.

and a little pillow by Field and Stream, clearance, $4, Dicks Sporting Goods.  Not much to say here, its small and more comfortable than balled up clothing for a pillow.