My Favorite Ultralight Cook Kit

[@janvanstraten5516]

The concept of detailing the evolution of your thinking and gear is what makes your videos really useful. Instant time, effort and cost saved from my perspective. Great video as usual.

[@ShastaBubba]

Thanks so much Jan! That is exactly my intention.

[@jackriminton7959]

This is how people should give advice, tell us the journey you went on and the lessons you learned on the way so we don't have to :) I can't stand a lot of famous youtubers who just tell us what we should and shouldn't be doing without any reasoning or justification

[@ShastaBubba]

Thanks so much for the encouraging words. Really appreciate it!

[@DebCampos]

Awesome background story. It is funny how our gear is always changing for the better. Thanks again for the great information 😊😊!

[@ShastaBubba]

You're welcome and thanks for watching! Hopefully the gear is always moving in the direction of 'better.' I try to keep a 'beginner mind' to new things, but sometime sentimental attachments get in the way.

[@DebCampos]

@@ShastaBubba your unique view is what matters 😊😊👍👍

[@ShastaBubba]

@@DebCampos Thanks Deb. Good luck with your PCT hike! Looks like you're going in strong.

[@DebCampos]

@@ShastaBubba thank you 😊!! I'm trying my best to be ready. Enjoy your weekend 😊!

[@williambrindel9364]

Thanks a lot ! In a hurry to see the clothing system. Maybe the burned pants will be on the list ;) Good weekend

[@ShastaBubba]

That's funny! I'll have to consider that. They actually were zip-off and the burned part was below the zipper, so I just hiked the rest of the trip in 1.5 pants. :-)

[@DrJohn493]

Good review of the pros & cons of butane vs. alcohol. Never thought I'd like alcohol for some of the reasons you cited. Not sure if you're stll using this system but I changed over to a Jetboil Stash (7.1 oz. or 16 oz. with a full 100g canister+lighter) and really like its low weight and small size. Served me well sinced I picked it up.

[@ShastaBubba]

Still using the same system! I like to keep it simple and, although the Stash is interesting, can't justify buying something new when the old system is still working great.

[@DrJohn493]

@@ShastaBubba Totally understand! For me I’m really working at trimming my pack weight and bulk. My next goal, 20 pounds base weight . Fortunately I’m at a position life I can spend a few dollars to achieve even marginal reductions in bulk/weight to make up for lost time due to other life commitments…and the “ravages” of age.

[@JohanGartner]

Nice video my friend, and thanks for adding the grams! I also used the poketrocket 2 for 1 year and i like it really much! but then I bought a brs 3000 T from China only 25grams! 25 grams!! It never failed me but it felt little fragile and not so wind proof, but I use to make fires so I think if it fails it's not so big deal and only cost like 15 dollars or so. But this summer I bought a soto windmaster that weighs 61grams but feels bombproof. I have tried it maby 7 times so I can't say so much yet, but compared to the pocket rocket that was better in the wind than the brs the soto was a deal breaker! I couldn't blow out the flames! The build quality feels amazing to! Take care Dan! Looking forward to se your clothing system!

[@ShastaBubba]

This is valuable information Johan, thank for sharing! I considered mentioning the brs 3000, since it's very popular, but I'd also read that it wasn't durable and didn't want to be negative about a stove I haven't actually seen. I have also read rave reviews of the Soto, so appreciate you telling about that option too. Christmas is coming and you can't have too many stoves! :-)

[@JohanGartner]

@@ShastaBubba as I said the brs haven't failed me and I don't know if it will, but compared to the mrs and soto it feels like a toy. So when I bring my kids I crab for the soto, but when I'm alone I think the brs will do the job. Maby I have a good copy but I don't know. Haha that's right! The Soto's downside it the size, I can't fit it in my pot. And I had to bye a 3 legged separately and it was quite expensive too.

[@ShastaBubba]

@@JohanGartner Good to know. Thanks!

[@user-tn8jw3vp3b]

Oh your videos are gold! Thank you so much! I use the windmaster and an evernew 1.1L pot as I really enjoy making soups for me and my girlfriend. I was thinking of trying the alcohol stove but after your description I ll pass. On really difficult trails I would choose stoveless to save that 300 grams. Also about the food bag and the lighter you mentioned I use a really thin drybag as a foodbag. I think its a sea to summit one. In my mind keeps the water away and the odors inside. It weighs around 60 grams for 13 L. Let me know your opinion on that :)

[@ShastaBubba]

Efharisto Peter! Glad it was helpful. I also will often go stoveless, especially on overnight trips, both to save weight and because I've learned that I really don't need the stove always. Those Evernew pots are really nice; I just went with the Toaks to save money.

[@mdaski]

Great video. I hear a lot about alcohol stoves, but i wished you showed how the alcohol is transported. Do you use the same kind of metal bottle that you carry white gas in? I'm curious if you ever went the Esbit route? When I first discovered LW BP, i went straight from an MSR gasoline setup to esbit tablets and a homemade tin-can stove--a very small can to hold the esbit and a larger, outer can to support the (titanium) pot. It's a pain to light the esbit and takes about 15 minutes to boil 1.5 cups of H2O. I later bought a tiny titanium esbit/pot holder that BPL was selling. A wind screen is necessary. I now use the pocket rocket.

[@ShastaBubba]

Yeah, after awhile I got to the point of being happy to carry a few extra ounces for ease and reliability (with the PR). Re: the Esbit, I bought a little metal kit all the way back in college from an Army/Navy store that was both the container and the stove/stand. Tried it a couple times, but a single tab burnt out before ever heating the water to boiling, so I gave up. Wish it would have worked, cause that kit was really neat! I just carried the alcohol in a small plastic bottle (like the ones Nalgene makes). Tough enough for the alcohol not to dissolve it, but lighter than a metal bottle. Didn't take much really, just about 4 oz./burn I think it was.

[@rigbyUnbound]

as always a great explanation of your journey to your current set-up. that leg fire could have been a lot nastier (not often you can be happy about wearing a knee brace!) & i understand your concerns of accidentally setting an even worse fire.. but for now i'll be sticking with my various alcohol stoves (both bought and DIY). to be honest it's mostly for 1st & 2nd coffees but with a pour over mesh of 15g the whole thing is negligible and i find the squirt bottles remove any messiness. look forward to your next instalment of lowering your base weight.. ATB!

[@ShastaBubba]

You're right about the irony of being happy I was wearing a brace! "1st and 2nd coffees" . . . is that like 1st and 2nd breakfast? :-) One thing I forgot to mention that I miss about alcohol stoves is the silence. Thanks rigby!

[@rigbyUnbound]

@@ShastaBubba 1st coffee always seems to be a rushed affair.. the second hits the spot especially with a great view & snack in hand. and yes the silence of an alcohol burner is wonderful and allows critters to appear rather than being scared off by the sound of a jet engine ;)

[@ShastaBubba]

@@rigbyUnbound I hear you on the noise factor (pun intended). :-)

[@pi654]

That's not exclusive to your pocket rocket 2, mine has the same issue. I'll have to try that coffee.

[@ShastaBubba]

Good to know, thanks Josh. The bail on the Snowpeak stove did line up, so I thought it might be unusual. Hope you like the coffee.

[@dazbass007]

you might just have persuaded me to keep my gas stove instead of alcohol atb daz

[@ShastaBubba]

Haven't missed my alcohol stove once. Cheers!

[@fayleya3865]

I get frustrated with the wastage of the gas canister - I either carry a bigger can than I need or I run out of gas. I’m experimenting with esbit tablets at the moment, they don’t have the spill and invisible flame problems of alcohol and i can work out exactly how many tablets to take.

[@ShastaBubba]

I hear you re: the waste factor. There's a little gizmo now you can use to transfer fuel from one canister to another. Haven't used it myself, but check out this article from Section Hiker: sectionhiker.com/g-works-gas-saver-canister-fuel-transfer-adapter-review/. My buddy got this and says it works fine -- he's really excited about it. I tried esbit tabs back in the 80s when they were just in the Army/Navy stores and couldn't even get one pot to boil, so set that aside. Still have the little pocket stove though and maybe they're making the tabs better now. I'd love to hear back from you if there's a mess factor on the pot like with wood stoves (also have one of those I haven't tried yet! Mainly because I don't want to trash my ti pot.)

[@newlifeeveryday1821]

Dan, how much gas do you use with your MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove during a one week long trip if you are boiling water for three meals per day ? Do you ever use it with a frying pan ? I plan on frying fish with my stove for lunch.

[@ShastaBubba]

I've never kept precise measurement of this, but just make sure to take a new (small) can when headed out for a long trip. I only boil water for two meals too, but would guess I have enough left over by the end of the week that I could have boiled x3. If I was ever lucky enough to actually catch a fish (!), I carry tin foil instead of a fry pan and would build a small fire to cook the fish in the coals. You just wrap the fish in foil and put it right on the edge of the fire for a few minutes; works great!

[@newlifeeveryday1821]

@@ShastaBubba thank you very much

[@froggyonthepct9947]

Thanks for subscribing to my channel. Your videos are right on the money. you blend weight comfort pack ability efficiency and common sense for all hikers. After three years and 1500 miles on the pct I have become a gram weenie thanks to my hiking buddy snow shoe. Btw. I have the three packs in you video. I get asked all the time a boy the seek outside one. I am going to try to modify the frame with extra carbon fiber poles from the duplex tent. I am leaning towArd the arc blast because of it’s weight and load lifter. I love the hmg but find it pulls bAckward on my shoulders do u experience this?. The other drawbacks fixed hip belt and no load lifters. Just drilling down. I have about 400 miles on the pack desert to the Sierra to Northern California. The seek outside I use as my high Sierra pack. Echo lake south to mt Whitney. It carries my bearicade expedition well in the bottom straps. Also w carries work better. I think I can get my base weight with that pack in the mid 18’s bear vault spikes and rain pants. Btw where is your cabin. Looks very cool. For now Froggy out. A new video will be posted soon Froggy’,s top ten Redux. The top ten lessons learned hiking the pct.

[@ShastaBubba]

I haven't had that problem with the HMG pack; although I usually do experience some shoulder pain around day three. Someone suggested load lifters would help that, but didn't seem to make a difference for me. Thanks for asking about the cabin! It sits on my property in NW Montana, just a hundred yards from the main house, but it's special because it was built around 1880 by workers on the Northern Pacific Railroad as temporary housing. It stood on a neighboring property about a mile down the road, but they were planning to burn it down, so my wife and I got permission to dismantle it log by log, then I rebuilt it on our property. It's only 11'x15' so not much, but I'm really proud of it, since it took about 5 years to complete.

[@rigbyUnbound]

@@ShastaBubba WOW! that's an outstanding achievement.. and was i in my london flat thinking all you out doors guys in Montana lived in cabins like that ;)

[@ShastaBubba]

@@rigbyUnbound Thanks for that -- it was certainly a 'labor of love.'

[@dma634]

Hey Dan, I'm Dan. Found your channel a couple weeks ago and am working my way through all of your videos. I am an experienced ultralighter and am also somewhat addicted to watching backpacking videos. I wanted to say that I think you have an aura about you that is super pleasant to watch, and it's a rare thing. I've no doubt you'll able to grow your channel to wherever you want it to go! On another note, I'm sure you've probably already tried it, but I highly recommend Medaglia D'oro Instant Espresso for trail coffee. It's strong, rich, and has a wonderful aroma. Shugemery is in love with it on his channel, and I share the love. It can be found at almost any major grocery chain. www.medagliadoro.com/coffee/instant/espresso

[@ShastaBubba]

Hey Dan! Thanks so much for these kind words of encouragement; couldn't have come at a better time as I'm taking a pause to reevaluate my goals for the coming year and responses like yours are really what fuel me to keep going. Thanks also for the coffee recommendation and happy trails in 2021!!!