Kit Mods

[Fletching]

Hi Guys / Girls,

I thought I'd start a thread about kit modification (or using pieces of kit outside their intended purpose), as I thought this might be useful to some out their with bits 'n' pieces that are not being used but might have an alternate use.

Today, I dusted off the sewing machine and made a footprint for my Akto tent using an old - I mean really old - groundsheet that cost about 3 quid fifteen years ago, and saved myself 40 quid by doing so. I also mutilated my mKettle by removing three-quarters of the neoprene wrapper so I could use it on my hobo stove without melting it.

Have you any tips for re-using kit or making a cheaper alternative?

Steve

[Martin]

Good idea on the Akto footprint Steve. I too use a small tarp as a footprint for my TerraNova Laser tent. It's light as a feather and a damn site cheaper than the OEM kit.

Matt, the Quarryman Moderator, has discovered that Lucozade/Red Bull shot bottles are the perfect size for storing meths for a brew. In fact, in laboratory (my kitchen) conditions I managed to boil a kettle with half a bottle full but in the field this didn't prove enough to get a decent boil.

Martin

[Fletching]

Yeah, I had a problem with getting a fuel bottle the right size as well. The smallest I could find online (and in-store) was 600ml which would fuel my tatonka for a week. The Red Bull bottle sounds a good idea, I'm guessing they're what - 150ml? What's needed is something in between and as a temporary measure, I've got meths stored in a +/- 300ml hip flask, which seems the perfect size when combined with the fact that my burner can store unused fuel for transport with it's sealing lid. The only problem with the hip flask is the fact that I'm anal and want my fuel storage bottle to be labelled 'FUEL'! Might see if I can get a waterproof sticker for my laser printer or paint a red strip on it and get the Letraset and varnish out. :)

Steve

[Martin]

Actually Steve, the Red Bull shots are 60ml each. More than enough to boil over 500ml of water given reasonable conditions.

Martin

[Fletching]

Whoa, that's tiny! OK for a brew I s'pose but you wouldn't get a three course a la carte out of it would you? ;) One of the things that excites me the most about being outdoors is testing my culinary skills with minimal equipment. I've a friend who has a yacht out in the med and we're constantly trying to improve our 'one pot cooking'!

[Martin]

You certainly wouldn't but for that you may decide that a different fuel type would be appropriate. Certainly for long slow cooking I've heard that a wood fire is quite useful, although I appreciate that your friend may object to you lighting a fire on his yacht. ;)

Martin

[Fletching]

You certainly wouldn't but for that you may decide that a different fuel type would be appropriate. Certainly for long slow cooking I've heard that a wood fire is quite useful, although I appreciate that your friend may object to you lighting a fire on his yacht. ;)

Martin

No open fires on the yacht (built 1965), but he's really happy that I gave him a Kelly Kettle a while back, which is brilliant for beach brews.

Wood is my fuel of choice and the burner's for when a wood fires not available / not allowed. On the subject of mods again, I cut out the steel gauze from a kitchen sieve/strainer and rolled it back on itself to use in the base of my hobo to improve air circulation. Does wonders and helps save fuel too as the fires much hotter.

Steve

[Aaron Rushton]

well my only kit mod is some rolled up carboard and tape wrapped round my mora clipper sheath which holds my firesteel well.

[Realbark]

The plastic bottles for toiletries in hotels (and on ebay etc) hold enough for a brew. I have 3 x 50ml in my 375ml mug along with a tin opener and firelighter. Fits easily in my swedish cook kit along with a slightly smaller burner (the original military one would not fit with the cup in) and my tea etc.

I have also modded my crusader cooker with a couple of holes for cut down skewers to sit just below the top allowing a small meths stove to be used with the cooker and cup. I find the gel messy so dont use it. All packs into the mug and into a 58 pouch.

[Realbark]

Trangia do a .3l fuel bottle

[Fletching]

Trangia do a .3l fuel bottle

Yeah, I've seen this now, thanks. Still like the shape of the hip flask though. Seems to slide into a space in a pack easier than a round bottle.

Steve

[paul standley]

Meths Storage...

Small hand sanitizer gel bottles hold 60ml (2 ounzes) of meths which normally bring 1 pint of water to a boil in the field and hold it there for a few minutes.

Cholesterol lowing yoghurt style drinks (Asda £1.20 for 4) come in 100ml screw top plastic bottles, I use them myself for storing and carrying meths, they work really well.

[paul standley]

Tea Caddies to Billy cans...

Stainless steel tea/coffee caddies make great billy cans and standard size holds a little over 1 pint.

To make a handle for it, use a short length of braided bicycle brake wire secured each end with small electrical crimp connectors. Brake cable for 97 pence for 2 metres at Wilkinsons. Very strong.

[paul standley]

Coke bottle to Water Filter...

Take a 2 litre pop bottle, cut off bottom 2 inches of the base, dril 6 small holes in the bottom & retain.

Hold main part of bottle upside down, place 2/3 cotton wool make-up cleaning pads inside up against the neck. A few cotton balls after that then a couple of plastic 'scrunchie' scourers then push the base (bottom first) into the bottle and all the way down to sandwhich the scourers and cotton wool tight up against the neck.

Make 2 small holes near the cut open end of the bottle, tie a piece of string to hang it up and/or carry it and you have a 1.5 litre capacity water filter and the screw cap acts as the 'tap' to drissle water out after it's filtered. Can use it to collect and carry water from stream, puddle etc to camp (just screw the cap up tight).

The bottle can be used to store cooking kit, stove, fuel etc as an example to 'fill up' the space in your kit.

Remember to boil the water before drinking.

Paul.

[Fletching]

Coke bottle to Water Filter...

Take a 2 litre pop bottle, cut off bottom 2 inches of the base, dril 6 small holes in the bottom & retain.

Hold main part of bottle upside down, place 2/3 cotton wool make-up cleaning pads inside up against the neck. A few cotton balls after that then a couple of plastic 'scrunchie' scourers then push the base (bottom first) into the bottle and all the way down to sandwhich the scourers and cotton wool tight up against the neck.

Make 2 small holes near the cut open end of the bottle, tie a piece of string to hang it up and/or carry it and you have a 1.5 litre capacity water filter and the screw cap acts as the 'tap' to drissle water out after it's filtered. Can use it to collect and carry water from stream, puddle etc to camp (just screw the cap up tight).

The bottle can be used to store cooking kit, stove, fuel etc as an example to 'fill up' the space in your kit.

Remember to boil the water before drinking.

Paul.

That's a good one. SRoM's does something similar in one of his Wild Foods vids, but he uses charcoal as well.

[Fletching]

well my only kit mod is some rolled up carboard and tape wrapped round my mora clipper sheath which holds my firesteel well.

I've a piece of buckskin taped to my main Mora (510) which is really good for wiping/mini stropping.

[paul standley]

Bird feeder to pot stand...

Wire mesh peanut bird feeders - great source of lightweight wire mesh for meths stove pot stands (Trangia/tatonka/pop can stoves etc.

My local Asda selling them off this week to clear the shelves - bargain at 25 pence each, got one tonight.

Paul.

[paul standley]

That's a good one. SRoM's does something similar in one of his Wild Foods vids, but he uses charcoal as well.

Yeah.... charcoal added between cotton wool layers is a good idea. Ideally needs to be Activated charcoal which can be purchased cheaply from aquarium shops but campfire charcoal crushed fine will work.

[Realbark]

Tea Caddies to Billy cans...

Stainless steel tea/coffee caddies make great billy cans and standard size holds a little over 1 pint.

To make a handle for it, use a short length of braided bicycle brake wire secured each end with small electrical crimp connectors. Brake cable for 97 pence for 2 metres at Wilkinsons. Very strong.


Billy cans is a good one - got one myself. Re the brake cable - 2mm fencing or gardening wire is about £2.00 for fifty feet and can be used as bail handles, is easily turned to "S" hooks for fire chains and is malleable enough to turn to many tasks. Its strong enough not to break or unwind with a kilo or two on it.