warm food when hiking?

FobleAsNuck

could someone point me to the right direction, I'm looking for some easy way to warm the food during medium hikes, are there any solutions that don't take too much space and are lightweight?

unkel

Easiest is to bring it hot and keep it hot. Like tea or soup in a proper thermos flask. I have a 1l one and boiling hot tea poored in at 8AM is still almost too hot to drink at 4PM after a day around the tops of mountains in Wicklow in snow and ice.

As for heating food up or actually some cooking (or a fresh brew):



With a tiny gas cylinder and an aluminium pan. Should be able to buy all 3 for maybe €30-€40

Jack the Stripper

There isn't much eating in warm tea.

Positively Negative

Pot noodle, hot cup soup, instant pasta, noodles, there is losds of options thst just need hot water so all you need carry is a flask, or even a burner which you could boil stream water on.

Positively Negative

Another option, bring a small frying pan and a cigarette lighter, gather some twigs. I often have the full Irish on a Sunday morning half ways up a mountain, mostly fishing trips.

Also, the small disposable BBQs you get in supermarket for 2 euro, ideal!

SmartinMartin

I carry a coke can alcohol stove with me. Simple to make and free, and brilliant for heating a metal cup/small pot/pan/kettle. I use acetone in it because I get it free. I made up a small wire frame to hold a pot over it. Extremely light and takes up no room. The stove is the same as this;

http://www.goodshomedesign.com/how-to-build-a-coke-can-stove-for-hiking-and-camping/

FobleAsNuck

thanks for ll the tips, I always carry a flask with hot tea, but on cold days there's nothing better that some warm meal to go with it

Tabnabs

A more expensive, but quite popular option
http://www.hotpackmeals.co.uk/

my3cents

I would highly recommend the Campingaz Twister Stove Kit. There isn't much that Campingaz do that I'd recommend but the Twister Set is a great it that folds away and stores really well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Camp-Stoves/Campingaz-204222-Twister-Plus-Kit-Stove/B001P80GS2/ price isn't too steep either.

Edit> a good set of pictures of the set here http://armasblancas.mforos.com/936816/10539257-cocina-campingaz-twister-plus-pz-kit/ sorry not English but the pictures say all you need to know.

Chiparus

Buy Irish??

https://www.kellykettle.com/?___store=europe

my3cents

Chiparus wrote: »

Buy Irish??

https://www.kellykettle.com/?___store=europe

Great little unit for boiling water, not that practical for cooking on despite all the add on bits you can get now. Also very bulky to carry even the smaller ones. Perhaps better for making drinks for a group?

unkel

my3cents wrote: »

I would highly recommend the Campingaz Twister Stove Kit.

That's a clever set! Comes with the big gas canister which is very much overkill for a day hike or even an overnight for one or two people, but I suppose you could bring the smaller canister

I have the Twister myself and one big benefit is the piezo lighter. You don't need to light it with a lighter / match.

Had a solid stove on my first night wild camping high in the Wicklow mountains and it was almost impossible to get the fuel blocks lit with a lighter in the high winds. I did curse. A lot. Never again

Bought the twister a few days later...

my3cents

unkel wrote: »

That's a clever set! Comes with the big gas canister which is very much overkill for a day hike or even an overnight for one or two people, but I suppose you could bring the smaller canister

I have the Twister myself and one big benefit is the piezo lighter. You don't need to light it with a lighter / match.

Had a solid stove on my first night wild camping high in the Wicklow mountains and it was almost impossible to get the fuel blocks lit with a lighter in the high winds. I did curse. A lot. Never again

Bought the twister a few days later...

The only downside with that set is that it doesn't all store made up in the pan set. You have to remove the gas cartridge. Campingaz used to make another set think it was called the Globe Trotter that had the same pan set and it fitted in set up attached to the cartridge. The Twister can obviously be used with a smaller cartridge

I have loads of stoves, but the one I use most is an OPtimus Svea 123r which without the little pan that comes with it lives in an Optimus Terra Pan set.

To go with the Optimus Terra pan set I keep meaning to by an Optimus Crux stove its about the smallest stove you can get and can store with the gas cartridge in the pan set. The heat exchange on the bottom of the main pan works really well, the small pan is really too small so I only use it as a lid.

Don't think you can beat the Twister with its pan set on price but if you want to start reducing weight and size a bit then you have to start paying out. The 123r adds weight but wins on durability and usability (frozen when gas gives up it still works away), plus its nice and shiny

For lighting I'd always have a firesteel handy and store one along with most of my stoves. As a backup a firesteel can always be used to start a campfire.

my3cents

I posted a link to this site before speedsterstoves.co.uk the guy is slowly growing his product range. Some really light weight stuff for those that like to cook on meths. Never actually used him so can't say how good the stuff is or how to get it delivered to Ireland.