Cooking – Three Points of the Compass

Cooking

Gear talk: Fire Maple FMS-116 and FMS-116T gas stoves

Some backpackers prefer a wide burner head on their gas stoves. This feature can add both weight and bulk to a cook kit, but not always. Two canister top options from Fire Maple have proven themselves as reliable performers over the years, one is light and expensive, the other is heavier and cheaper, the choice is yours.

Cooking

Gear talk: the Fire Maple FMS-300T ‘Wasp’ gas stove

The Fire Maple FMS-300T gas stove is a well made product from a manufacturer with many years of experience in producing stoves. This particular stove has been on their catalogue for ten years now. In that time Fire Maple have sold tens of thousands of them and they remain a favourite for those looking for a truly lightweight small burner, specifically for heating water rather than cooking. In operation, the stove benefits greatly with protection from the wind and if treated with due care should perform faultlessly for many years. While not the cheapest, or the most efficient, or even lightest for that matter, the FMS-300T will fill a particular niche more than adequately.

Gear

Gear talk: Nalgene bottles- hydration, hot water bottle and more…

Nalgene bottles are one of the original pieces of modern backpacking gear. Having updated over the years, they remain one of the best options for a rigid sided bottle on trail

Cooking

Trail talk: weighing fuel canisters

Three Points of the Compass believes there are two essential tools required when looking at fuel requirements for a backpacking trip. These are digital scales and a sharpie

Cooking

Gear talk- butane canister converter nozzles

Many will be aware that lindal valve gas canisters can be expensive, while bayonet connector butane cartridges can be much more affordable. There is a cheap, tiny, copper transfer nozzle available for putting the contents of one, in to the other...

Cooking

Gear talk: the G-Works Gas Saver Plus

The G-Works Gas Saver Plus is a handy little device for utilising cheap cartridges of butane, or gathering together the contents of almost empty canisters into one. Though simple to use, extreme care must be taken nonetheless.

Cooking

Gear talk: gas canister adaptors

Most backpacking stoves have lindal valve type connectors. Using an adapter opens up the possibility of using different canister types

Cooking

Gear talk: O-rings- check ’em!

Many of us will have managed to fit in a few weeks of backpacking this year and some gear might have been having a rough time of it. Beside cleaning, re-proofing and condition checking, think about including an inspection of the O-rings fitted to gas and multi-fuel stoves.

Gear

Knife chat: Victorinox horticultural knives- do they have a place beyond the garden?

Victorinox have produced a wide range of specialised knives for horticultural purposes. Despite many specialised aspects, some of these knives can suit other purposes.

Cooking

Gear talk: The BRS 3000-T gas stove

The BRS 3000-T is possibly the smallest and lightest that a gas stove can practically be

Cooking

Trail food: Oxo stock cubes

A day hiking is followed by campsite selection, site selection is followed by putting a shelter up, then a pack explosion of gear, closely followed by brewing up a post hike drink. More often than not, this is a hot Oxo

Cooking

Gear talk: The Soto Windmaster gas stove

The Soto Windmaster has proved to be a reliable and efficient performer and is now a first choice for three season use

Food

Knife chat: the Swiss Classic Foldable Paring Knives

Victorinox have looked at their kitchen knife range and produced two folding parers that may suit some campers with culinary aspirations

Cooking

Trail talk: The Yorkshire Wolds Way- Four days of food

A four day food carry for the Yorkshire Wolds Way

Cooking

Gear talk: The Flat Cat Gear Ocelot heat exchanger kit, with FMS-300T stove

The simple adapter plate from Flat Cat Gear enables a Fire Maple stove to be used with heat exchanger pots

knife

Knife chat: No.07 Mon Premier Opinel

No.7 My First Opinel is an affordable introduction for inexperienced young people to learn safe knife use

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