New Hobo Cook Kit and Lunch

Out looking for wild edibles, wild teas and wild edibles. I decide to have some lunch using my new hobo cook kit made from very inexpensive thrift store finds

[@ajtaylor560]

Just an aside the Canadian and Brit MRE's are normally heated using your method and in fact for winter a tent group had a pressure cooker that would hold everyone's entree's. However there were orders issued and a warning not to drink the water the bags had been in. Now I don't know anyone that got sick from doing it but it might have been one of those things that slowly ate your liver or spleen. I don't think companies even consider the end user might be making coffee or tea from the left over water so may in fact might be using something that is not supposed to consumed by avid outdoors persons. I for one would rather error on the side of caution and just refill the pot especially with a lake handy. Great video Mark.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

A J Taylor You are the seco d person to mention that. I think I will let people know this in a future video. Thanks for commenting

[@ForgottenMan1]

Same for U.S. MRE's, we were told that the MRE plastic outer bags were treated for pest resistance with some compound that would leach into the water used to batch heat the meals, and that there had been deaths from then using that water for meal prep or drinking.

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

I agree with these comments...I noticed when trying the same water saving procedures, that there was a slight metallic taste, so I saved the warm water for clean-up. I remember years ago that my brother & I had a favourite retort pouch meal...cabbage rolls in tomato sauce. There is something about your videos...as if I'm sitting next to you and you are cooking for the two of us. Thanks for the video.

[@davidmantooth1285]

Tin cans come in various sizes so that one can will fit inside another making an entire cook set. I like the bag you made.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Right on. Thanks for commenting

[@Yukontom]

Love your hobo stove videos. I made mine with three feet to keep it from rocking on uneven ground. I also made a windscreen from 3 old license plates linked together with key rings.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Very cool. I love hearing other people's ideas. Thanks for commenting

[@darcyleepearson4416]

A great design on the stove those extra breath holes at the top great idea...i prefer my feed port up higher so i can hold a little more coals x

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I agree. Many stoves don't have sufficient exhaust room at the top. Thanks for commenting

[@lessharratt8719]

Spam. I am up for that. Now and then for sure. Thanks for the outdoor adventure.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

SPAM now and then for sure. I figure I am burning the calories off during the hike in and out

[@BingWatcher]

Great video and informative content, especially for us budget minded people. The use of the iced tea spoons is very creative. Looking forward to the build video, as I can use some help with my kit. Thanks again!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

B. Mann I hope to start the build in a few weeks.Thanks for commenting

[@shiladutta6960]

Great outdoor, I have enjoyed this and want to tell you one thing about this Indian Meal is that we use this as a side dish and take it with rice or chapati/hand made bread, This will work well if you cook 25 grams of boiled rice straight into the pack after washing the rice thoroughly and add same amount of clean drinking water, not the water you have from the stream and cook it for about 20-25 min till the rice will become soften. This will mild down the spiciness of the "palak paneer" of ITC company and also give you a good aroma of rice. You can take it with breads or even with pan cakes. Adding some butter enhance it's test much better. We love that product in India. Regards

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Shila Dutta Thank you for your valued I information. I wil likely try it again with rice. Thanks for commenting

[@libbybaker6890]

Palak Paneer is one of my favorite meals. I used to get it frozen from another company that also included a nice brown rice seasoned with a bit of caraway seeds. I've never thought of boil-in-bags for my camping or hiking meals, but I think I'll seal some up for next time. Thanks!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I am just learning about Palak Paneer and other great Indian dishes. The boil-in-bags are really convenient but I have heard from viewers who are concerned about using the hot water for tea/coffee afterwards as it might have leeched chemical in it. Thanks for commenting

[@surearrow]

>> Spam? Spoken like a true adventurer! I just bought a case of the old style canned versions last week, for food storage. After expiration, they make excellent candles---although somewhat smelly. (I've never smelt a rotting corpse before, but I'm pretty sure this is how they smell).

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Oooh..rotting corpses. Been there. Didn't know about the candle idea but I don't think I want to try either. Thanks for commenting

[@XDM50]

Hi Mark, Great video. I really enjoyed this. I think clever, creative, budget gear is the best! :) Cheers, Duane

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

XDM50 Lot of fun and satisfaction making budget gear. Thanks for commencing

[@Britishperson131]

Great video as always Mark. You would have been proud I managed to source two stainless steel coffee/sugar "tins" from work as they were throwing them out. Giving them a new lease of life! So todays challenge was to make a "hobo" stove from a tin can (in this case a tin of plum tomatoes). Took about 3 mins to complete and by tinkering and utilising some more scrap metal I managed to get a good burn from it! Early days but the tin fits nicely in the sugar tin and its extremely light. Thanks for all the ideas and great tips!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Glad the video helped out. Well done on the sugar containers. Something satisfying about re-purposing something and saving money at the same time. Thanks for commenting

[@jimf1964]

I can imagine a garage sale at your place. A whole drive way full of charred kitchen utensils.😃😃 You're becoming quite the stove expert. Only thing I'd add is that I don't think I'd use the same water for tea that you boiled the bag in. There's a reason there is a coating inside most food containers. The actual outside isn't always food safe. Plus the conditions it's spent it's time in isn't exactly always clean. But the stove looks great. I especially like the little sticks for smaller items. It'd be nice to do away with those bigger cross pieces somehow, but if you made cut out on the stove itself, it would loose too much strength.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Funny, I was thinking of unloading some of the projects and wondered what people would say about all the soot. In hind sight, I should not have re-used the water I heated the meal with. There are some plastics that it is okay to do this with but I don't think this was one of them. Still made clean up much easier but should have boiled fresh water for coffee. Thanks for commenting

[@martinwhipkey9343]

Another great video. Mark, you're really pushing me over the edge to make one of these stoves!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

There is a lot of satisfaction in making your own gear. Thanks for commenting

[@chrishale7444]

great video 👍👍👍

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thank you 👍

[@randal1470]

Great vid, thats another great stove and pot combo. Ahhh, Spam. 😄

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Vinland Bushcraft spam, spam, spam....reminds me of Monty Python. Thanks Randal

[@randal1470]

Mark Young 😄 Month Python is the first thing I always think of when I hear the word :0)

[@funonvancouverisland]

Awesome little kit my friend. Very impressed with it. I am not a fan of curry dishes, but may have to try one of those. Thanks for sharing, Cheers!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Glad you enjoyed the video. I didn't realize at the time but the curry dish should have either rice or quinoa added...did taste good though. Thanks for commenting

[@kan-zee]

I love Value Village...1/2 of my camp gear, is from modified products of Value Village / Salvation army donation stores....

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

LOL... My two main outdoor supply stores are Value Village and Dollarama. Thanks for commenting

[@kan-zee]

@@MarkYoungBushcraft I enjoy the garage / yard sales on weekends...it's amazing what you can find...but recently (these past 2 yrs) I've been more attracted to the sales on the internet...it is alot of fun, to shop on the internet, in your area...and see what people are selling for 1/4 prices of the original store price, or giving away for free.

[@gregscountrycabinoutdoors7359]

Just a note, maybe use hacksaw blades for your cross bars. Much thinner, maybe not lighter, idk. Something to think about. Just subscribed.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thanks for the sub. I am now using 12" stainless steel rulers I bought at Walmart for $0.97. Work great.

[@birdie399]

Great communication skills, you should be in broadcasting. Enjoying all your videos thanks.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thank you for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@user-bh3ew6ii4g]

Palak Paneer, my favorite! I just looked for them on Amazon Smile and they have them. I'm really interested in getting some. I had never heard of them before, so thanks so much Mark! You are so clever coming up with all these stoves. I wish that I could start fires with my fire stick as well as you do. I have been watching your videos, and haven't seen one about how you do that. But if you haven't made one yet I'm sure it would be popular.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

That was my first time having Palak Panner. I have since learned I should have had it with rice or other grain like quinoa, and definitely not with SPAM. Making small inexpensive stoves is fun for me. I don't have a separate video on how to use the ferrocerium rod but I will be releasing one shortly that may have some of the information you are looking for. Thanks for commenting.

[@jacquiblanchard3131]

Just stumbled upon your channel and I like the way you roll. Happy new subscriber here. :)

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I am glad you like my videos. Thanks for subscribing and commenting

[@pacediver2594]

Always into your videos,just one thing is I was always told not to drink the water that you boiled your mre or similar because of the chemicals that come off during the boiling ,that was a long time ago when I was in the military maybe the packaging is different but something you might want to look into.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Pacediver I wondered about that but had been told it was safe. Will have to do more research. Thanks for commenting

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Enjoyed watching. Appreciate that you made your stuff sack large enough to comfortably enclose your gear. Sometimes it's especially painful to watch someone struggle to remove items from too small containers. Doesn't matter if it's DIY or highly touted commercial product, it's almost like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Enjoy, too, seeing others use of economical products that'll get the job done very satisfactorily. I've made a number of kits from the IKEA style utensil holder from WalMart. Appears to be taller than yours. Adapted it to handle wood, solid fuel tabs, Trangia burner, Fancy Feast (tomato paste can version) alcohol stove, Steno and liquid chafing dish fuels. Tent stakes (4) and tin can lids for bases, make up this system. The kit I use has the Stanley Adventure Cup & Ozark Trail Cup, combo stashed in it. The stove and related items are stashed in a generous stuff sack, too. Including a long reach spoon (iced tea spoon!) from WalMart. (Can often be found at thrift stores, too. Enough of me rambling, this morn. Thank you for sharing your gear and meal with us. BTW, I also like your "water bucket". That's a good idea that I want to adopt for our Grab/Go and vehicle Get Home bags. thanks!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Oldtimer Lee Wow, you have a very comprehensive well thought out kit. Thanks for sharing

[@newlife155]

Hello Mark, thanks for the ideas , I will use a few of them, got to visit the dollar store more often. I know your happy to have your pots blackened but there will come a time when there will be some build up that will make your pots less heat efficient, Norwegian Bushcraft just put out a vid explaining a simple way to clean the black off. Just in case your interested. Be well.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Good hunting in the dollar store and thrift store. I saw the video you are referring to and have been thinking about what he said. Alternatively, Mors Kochanski says a blackened pot will conduct heat faster. Would be interesting to put the two theories to the test. Thanks for commenting

[@newlife155]

Hello Mark, I agree that a black container will attract more heat , the problem is sometimes , with my pots in any case, is that there is more than dark color , there is layer of , for lack of a better term, creosote on the surface and that would act like an insulation to the metal..just saying,,,Thanks..

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I also have a pot with a thick coating on it and I can see how it might be an insulator. I think I will see if I can get an identical but clean pot and see if I can do set of tests...thanks again

[@newlife155]

If you do it will a revelation for us all..

[@marodriguezsr]

Hey Mark nice job. If I may suggest (which you may already know) if you fry up that SPAM it will kick up a notch in the flavor department. Thanks for all of the videos you share with us. - Marco subd

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Glad you enjoyed the video. I love fried SPAM...at least once in a while. Grew up eating it and fried balogna. I wish we could get the SPAM singles in Canada. Thanks for commenting and subscribing

[@melissahoffman4687]

How about making cross bars out of stainless steel instead of aluminum? That way it won't have a risk of melting due to overheating from the wind.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I have since moved to using SS rulers I buy at Walmart. I show them in my later hobo stove builds. Thanks for commenting

[@bushcraftnorthof6012]

Spam, sliced into square sliced, fried in cast iron, placed on Purity Pilot Biscuits, is GOOD EATING. Anyone selling Pilot Biscuits back in NS?

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Bushcraft North of 60 better than bologna? I think we call get pilot bisquits at the Newfoundland store here in Halifax

[@josephsylwestrzak8037]

NOVA Scotia nice area Mark good job with the stove looks better than the hotash lol. Ahhh good ole spam

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Hey Joseph. Glad you like the stove build. FYI..I have been in contact with Hot Ash and they want to talk about my experience with the stove. I will be referring to your comments when I do. Thanks again

[@josephsylwestrzak8037]

@@MarkYoungBushcraft I see them on amazon for 90-100 for the big and mini and for that kind of $ think wayyyy too much trouble although maybe the big one burns better. Oh 1 more thing wanted to mention for heater build its advised no smaller than 4x4 tube must be a reason, mine were 5x5 and 7x7, 2,3x2,3 too small even for a twig stove I would think.

[@underthecarolinasky2363]

Great vid Mark! I love things like this. I have made several kits and like them all. Large restaurant vegetable cans work great for stoves. Do you have a video on how you make your own stuff sacks? Thanks -Mike

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Under The Carolina Sky Not yet but I May in the near future. Thanks for commenting

[@Fred-lf1id]

you can get single packet spam from Amazon a 24 pack costs around $18.00 (USA) which puts them around .78 cents apiece (USA)

[@Woodswalker1965]

Fred Schwartzkopf wow great deal, cheaper than Walmart! Delivered in Canada?

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Fred Schwartzkopf will have to see how shipping and exchange add to the cost. Thanks for commenting

[@8626John]

I like the hobo stove idea, but not your lunch choice. Not a fan of curry. Lol

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I have not had it since😅. Thanks for commenting

[@johngalt6929]

I've been getting those entrees from India. They are -very- good! Been paying $2.00 USD each.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I agree. I have had a few different ones. Added rice or quinoa instead of SPAM..it was not the most appropriate ingredient..$2.00 is a good price. Thanks for commenting

[@johnhoward7298]

At the risk of being a little less than than discrete ... Your lunch looked , well , Like ... Yeah ( can't bring Myself to say it ) I'll just say I won't be buying a pack of it anytime soon ! I'll stick w/spam I think !

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

LOL...no worries. I know what it looked like. Lets just say my culinary skills have improved considerably. Thanks for commenting

[@martinadejaquiz2482]

that's a nice hobo kit. if i had it, it would be put to use, too. not so sure about that spinach n' spam lunch though, i courteously say! tell you 1 thing you hit the nail on the head of during that mike barton interview video.. that instant coffee mike does!!!! oh man, i can't handle that instant coffee, but mike & josie are wonderful. so, i'll give mike a pass on the instant coffee! enjoyed it - thx & thumbed up!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Glad you liked the hobo kit. Not sure if I would have the spinach again either. It was fun teasing Mike about the coffee. Some day I will convert him to "real" coffee

[@AvoidingChores]

hmmm not sure about the spinach but you're setup looked like something I'd use. can you imagine that I found it cold today ?? :)

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Not the most appetizing meal I agree...taste good though. I know you have played around with hobo stoves in the past. I am going to do a full build tutorial in the near future. Thanks for commenting Jim

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

and yeah...glad I was not the only one around here to find it a bit chilly...too soon...too soon

[@martinpecheur8506]

U can use a sandwich bag and porion out a can of spam..

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Great suggestion. Thanks for commenting

[@shadowsilverlight1651]

spinach curry taste great but hard to eat due to how it looks, lol

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I agree. I should have had some rice or quinoa or noodles to put in on. Thanks for commenting

[@flytime5]

Enjoy your videos, you mentioned you were going to have a cup of coffee, I didn't see you treat the water. To prepare your boiled pouch, you don't need to treat it, but to drink it? You don't have to treat it?

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I am glad you enjoyed the video. Excellent question. Water should always be treated in someway before drinking or using in a meal. Boiling is one of the most effective means of destroying biological threats but it does not remove chemicals. In fact, neither do most filters or other means of treating water. Having said all that. What I did not account for in this video is whether the bag the food came in was "food safe" meaning, would it release unsafe chemicals as it sat in the hot water. Food safe bags can be purchased and used in this manner. The advantage is I use less water and my pot remains clean. I hope this answers your question. Thanks for commenting

[@58Kym]

Aside from the spam, it looked good.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Glad you enjoyed the video...the spam was a gift from a friend..not something I carry. Thanks for commenting

[@tinymetaltrees]

I was imagining a giant can of Spam with several cakes (?) of spam in it. I’m kind of relieved not to see you try to eat multiple loaves (?) of Spam.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

LOL... a little Spam is good but a lot of Spam is, well, not so good. Thanks for commenting

[@bushcraftnorthof6012]

Too bad the only way to keep dum-dums from starting forest fires in Nova Scotia, it seems, is travel bans. I don't miss that! Our cloudberries and Saskatoon berries are coming on now. Nice to forage a bit. How many hobo stoves do you own!?! Hope you aren't soon restricted from the woods. Take care.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Bushcraft North of 60 too many. May have to give some away. Thanks for commenting

[@BingWatcher]

Hi Mark, I had just re-watched your video, as I was putting together a similar set-up and was curious if you had any issues with the soot from your stove coming off inside your cookpot? I know heading home from a hike it's fine, but when leaving home to go out for a hike, the stove exterior nests inside of the pot. Thanks for your reply!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Contrary to what you may think, soot is not much of an issue. The outside of the stove remains clean and if I knock any loose soot out of the stove before packing then I find very little, if any, inside my pot the next time I open it. At worse, I find a little bit of loose powder but none of the sticky type soot you can get on the bottom of the pot. A quick wipe with my bandana and a rinse with a bit of water and its good to go. Hope this helps

[@BingWatcher]

Mark Young ➡️Yes, it helps immensely and your explanation was just what I needed to know. 👍 👍Thank You ‼️

[@robertjeffery3237]

Another outstanding video, Mark! Are you concerned that your fire could get hot enough to melt the aluminum cross bars?

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thanks Robert. I have been using the aluminum crossbars on a number of my stoves and only once did I notice the slightest warping. It must have been an especially hot fire. The warp was slight and didn't affect use and was easy to bend back. Possibly over time it could be an issue but they are not expensive to make. Thanks for commenting

[@larryfisher7056]

Mark, It's amazing to me that someone would have to ask how to make crossbars....

[@robertjeffery3237]

Larry Fisher LOL I a was thinking exactly that!

[@jeffm5808]

what store did you find the kitchens of inda meals.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

They are fairly common here in Halifax. I believe I bought this one at Walmart. Thanks for commenting

[@jeffm5808]

Will take a look at Walmart I think a friend of my found something like the kitchens of India at dollarama aswell .

[@BBMeyer100]

You and many out there use a rather labor intensive way of lighting the fire. Wouldn't it be easier to carry a cheap bic lighter with you...maybe a book of matches for backup? It seems to me that you could do without making the fluff and feathers and such if you could just hold a bic flame on your twigs for 30 seconds or so. I like the video and your stove, just don't understand why you (and there are others out there) are laboring using a ferro rod. Maybe there's some advantage I don't know about. Thanks in advance.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I carry one or two Bic lighters but rarely use them. For us bushcrafters, we like to challenge ourselves with more primitive skills such as flint&steel or bow-drill. I prefer to use my ferrocerium rod as it will not fail under any environmental conditions. A Bic lighter often won't work when cold or wet and can run out unexpectedly (yes I carry a backup). Hope this helps

[@BBMeyer100]

It does, thank you. I just wondered if I had missed something. I've never had trouble starting a fire with my bic, my back up bic or matches where I've camped, so maybe this is an issue in other camping conditions. I think I see what you mean. Shooting a black powder gun is a lot of fun...and it's only efficient if you get your target on the first shot....but it's still fun.

[@jay90374]

BBMeyer - LOL - I find it funny that you think 15 secs of scraping the birch bark to be labor intensive. By the way it only took him 30 secs to light that fire!

[@BBMeyer100]

I just had seen others do the fluff and feather thing and thought the flip of the bic was easier and just wanted to know why he does that. HA! To me, that would be labor intensive. I once went on a camping trip without lighter fluid, the bic lighter and fire starters and all we had were matches and some dampish twigs...no bic. It was a damp campout. Just super humid and I couldn't get a fire to stay lit to save my life. So my new and improved fire starting kit is a bic lighter, small can of lighter fluid in case the logs are wet, and if I can't get anything to catch, fire starters. I've had success ever since then. :)

[@jay90374]

Yep, I always try to have at least 3 different ways to light a fire when I am out.

[@susancheveralllong7694]

👍🙂👍

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thanks for emojing😄

[@sbcinema]

👍

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thanks for commenting

[@leonhuggins7579]

This guy should do voices for family guy

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thanks for the compliment

[@martinarcher5280]

Looks like baby food.lol

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Martin Archer yeah it did...but a whole lot spicier. Would have been good on rice. Thanks for commenting

[@richardhenry1969]

Nice set up. Canada is so beautiful but not a fan of your government. I hope it stays beautiful an wild it’s not looking good with China learning cold weather training in your woods. Hope Canadians wake up before its to late.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Thanks for commenting

[@brucemorton13]

Another great presentation. Thanks, and I look forward to the video of the Hobo Stove build. The Indian dish you enjoyed is Saag Paneer (Paneer being the "homemade" cheese [probably what the manufacturer meant by "cottage" cheese]). It's one of my favorite veggie dishes when I'm eating out. Here's a link to the recipe for the dish and for making your own cheese. www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/saag-paneer-spinach-with-indian-cheese-recipe-1927603

[@brucemorton13]

P.S. I've lived in Colorado for 14 years and have never visited a Dollar Store; in fact, I've never seen one (they were plentiful in Southern California). But, thanks to you Mark, I now know where the closest one is (~10 miles) and I'm planning a visit. [Called Dollar Tree here]

[@brucemorton13]

P.P.S. SPAM rocks!

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

Bruce Morton Hey Bruce.Thank you for the information. I will check out the links

[@lessharratt8719]

What is that you are wearing around your neck

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

A small wooden turtle one of my daughters gave me a number of years ago. Thanks for commenting

[@harrymason1053]

I'm sorry, that looks disguising.

[@MarkYoungBushcraft]

I agree, but it did taste good. Thanks for commenting