For the record I’m not Stick…although I may be catching up with him in the number of cook kits I have. Hey Stick :)
Last summer I used a SUL cook kit and it worked great, the only draw back I found was the pot easily bent over time and many miles. I decided it was time to get a small titanium mug that would be stronger and less prone to bending inside my pack. It was an easy choice I wanted a MLD 475 Ti mug.
Once it arrived and knowing I wanted to use Esbit for warm weather cooking I began playing around with my various stoves, the simple DIY setup I used last year worked just fine, what I didn’t like was using foil for a lid. I have in the past and I’ve chased foil across camp when I forgot to place a small rock on top to hold the foil in place so a carbon fiber lid was in order from Ruta Locura.
When the lid arrived I was happy with my newest cook kit…well almost. The thing I missed most last summer was the lack of a small campfire when I didn’t camp in the over used camps along the AT.
So I got in contact with Rand at Trail Designs and explained, after a couple emails my MLD 475 mug was on it’s way to California for a fitting…a week or so later I received a titanium cone just perfect for the MLD 475 mug and a window for feeding small sticks and small private campfires.
And Stick doesn’t have one…not yet anyway.
Mug- 42g
Cone- 30g
Floor- 10g it could be trimmed down a bit
Gram Cracker Stove- 2g not shown
Lid- 4g
Stakes-7g x 2, I already carry these in my stake bag so no added weight there
I like it.
I don’t think anyone could have azs many cook kits as Stick, unless it’s Jason Klass!
I’m one of the last folks to not have the MLD 475 and I really want one. I’m hoping to get one this year and I’m planning on making a custom wood gassifier to go with it. Can’t wait to hear how this setup works on trail.
I think Stick has more cook kits than I have pots and pans in my kitchen. The SUL kit I used last summer was great in size, plenty of hot water for meals, like I said the only draw back was the mug bending, this one should be better due to Ti strength and the added bonus of having a small fire with the Ti cone. And I’ve never made it public as to how many cook kits I have.
Nice set up
Haha… I love the post! Thanks for the shout out too!
Great to see someone with the Ruta Locura lids… I can’t tell you how many times I put one of those in my cart, but then never checked out… I will likely get one though eventually… but which pot to get it for?
Really though, how do you like the fact that it is oversized around the edges to lift the lid off as compared to a traditional top handle? I can see myself burning myself with the steam…
And very nice on the cone for the set-up! I don’t have one of those either! I am sooooo slacking!…
Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed it.
~Stick~
Stick the oversized edge is really nice, the lid has a little hole to release the steam and I haven’t had any problems with getting burnt, at least not yet. The 475 mug has a small rolled lip so that makes it easy to lift away from the heat with a bandana so I don’t miss not having handles. TD included a silicon band for the mug, but I found the lip still got a little too hot for me so I don’t use it. So far I’ve been heating water for my morning tea and it a pretty sweet setup.
And I should have mentioned I have the first cone built by TD for the MLD 475 mug.
JERMM, this is lighter than my current alcohol kit, have you done a video review of it yet? I would watch it if you do.
Sorry no video here.
I’m jealous, I’m in need of a small pot/cup and that MLD looks perfect. Am I imagining things or don’t you already have a TD caldera for a bigger pot? I wondered how well it might work with the stakes in wood burning mode with a smaller cup. I know they are designed to the diameter of your pot, so you would lose some heat, but I thought it might be a cool experiment (just don’t burn your hands.) I only ask because I already have a TD fissure that’s sized for a snow peak 800ish ml pot and don’t know if I can afford a second caldera for a smaller cup.
Josh this one is sized to fit the MLD 475 mug. My guess is if you use a small diameter mug/pot the flames will shoot up around all sides of the mug making it dangerous to lift the mug off the stove.
i have a similar setup. i have the 550ml pot that is available with the lid from ruta locura (actually i think i got it from ti-goat)
)
it looks exactly the same as the MLD pot (maybe the MLD pot is like the 450). i often need the full capacity of the 550. it easily holds two cups of water with just enough room to spare.
i put 1 cup increments in the pot using a punch and a hammer (just enough to dent it
i use a gram weenie stove, and it’s perfect for boiling 2 cups of water or less when it’s 35*F or above.
my lid has melted a bit from flames reaching up to lick it. be careful with a wood fire!
i might also take up on your idea though! on long trips i get tired of carrying all that fuel.
are traildesigns going to offer just the cone/groundsheet like you have?
er0ck- sounds like you have a nice kit, check the TD website for cones to fit your mug size