Getting Cozy

This post is about how to make a pot cozy for backpacking.  The point of a pot cozy is to insulate your cooking pot so the food will keep cooking even after you take it off the stove.  This saves on fuel, which is better for the environment and your wallet.  Also, you don't want to run out of fuel on a trek.  Using a pot cozy is also easier.  You can let your dinner sit and cook without having to watch it or worry about burning it.  

Reflectix is a type of insulation that works well for this purpose.  It is basically mylar (think space blanket) bubble wrap.  A roll of Reflectix at the hardware store can be expensive. The thriftiest way to get your hands on some Reflectix is to buy a car windshield sunshade at your local auto parts store or big box store.  You can find them in the $7 range.  


Cut a piece that matches the height of your pot x the circumference.  Cut it so the border on the sunshade will make a nice border on your cozy.  Cut another strip 2" wide x the circumference of you pot with the cozy on it.  Trace your pot with a Sharpie onto the Reflectix to mark the bottom of your cozy and then cut it out.  Repeat with the pot lid to make the top.  Then put it together with duct tape.  




The finished product should look like these pictures.  The pot in the picture above is an MSR 2L pot.  A thrifty alternative is a 1L grease pot from Walmart for < $10.  


I am going to do some future posts on backpacking recipes that I am going to make using the pot cozy method.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frapping Mallet

Image
I was doing some research on pioneering for an upcoming Camporee with a pioneering theme.  I came across a blog called Ropes & Poles .  One of the articles was about a tool called a frapping mallet .  It is used to tighten up lashings on larger projects.  You wrap the rope around the handle, brace the head against your spar, and use the handle as a lever to tighten the lashing.  I could not find much else on frapping mallets on the internet.  I don't think these are available for purchase anywhere.  I did find an old sailors tool called a heaving mallet used on rigging in a similar manner. Nevertheless, I was intrigued and had to make one.  This is not your typical project that anybody can make in their kitchen, but if you have the required tools, and know how to weld, it's not that hard. Materials 1/2" x 18" iron pipe 1-1/4" x 6" iron pipe scraps of hardwood spray paint Tools Cut off saw drill press center punch hammer 1/4" an
Read more

Dining Fly Poles

Image
Here is how to make some inexpensive poles for a dining fly.  Make two of these, add an inexpensive poly tarp, some cordage and stakes and you have a very economical dining fly. Materials: 1/2" EMT pipe (10') 5/8" oak dowel 7 or 8" aluminum gutter nail (spike) EMT stands for electrical metallic tubing.  It is used as electrical conduit.  It is galvanized steel, but fairly lightweight.  You can buy a 10' foot length of 1/2" diameter pipe for $2 and change at your local home improvement store. If you want an 8' pole, cut your pipe into two 4' sections.  Cut a 2" piece of the 5/8" dowel.  Hammer into into one end of one pipe.  You may need to sand it a bit to make it fit.  You want a tight fit so it doesn't move later.  Now drill a hole through the dowel that is slightly smaller than the gutter nail diameter.  I used a 7/32" bit.  Hammer the nail in until about 2" is still protruding. Now make a piece to connect th
Read more

Commando Rope

Image
Remember the commando rope with a loop on one end and a toggle on the other that commandos would use in WWII to scale cliffs, etc.?   It does not seem to have warranted a mention in the latest edition of the Scout Handbook.  It was featured in my 1980 edition Scout Handbook.  There were also articles about it in the June 1947 and December 1978 issues of Boy's Life.  We have a pioneering themed campout coming up, and I thought it would be neat to make some wooden toggles so the Scouts could make commando ropes. I used 7/8" oak dowels, which are about $5 for a 36" length, enough to make 8 4" toggles.  I used a 3/8" core box router bit, set to a height of 1/8" to make the groove.  I made a groove 2" (on center) from each of of each dowel using a router table.  It will take multiple passes to make a circumferential groove.  It is better to make the groove when the dowel is long.  Don't cut them to 4" and then try to make the groove.  T
Read more