titanium pots

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guamsean
Posts: 21
Joined: June 30th, 2020, 8:35 pm

titanium pots

Post by guamsean » July 27th, 2020, 12:49 pm

so i just bought three pots, with the intention of keeping one and returning the other two. i'd rather not put a flame to the two i'm returning, if at all possible. i'll be using it as a cook pot and eating/drinking vessel. so, bought:

msr kettle, not sure the mls. regular size.
toaks 750ml
valtcan 750 ml with bail

leaning towards the valtcan, toaks has better reviews, people rave about the msr kettle but i think it's a goofy shape and i don't really care about a lid that fits tightly. also msr was almost sixty bucks and the other two were $35. i think the bail on valtcan will come in handy.

my stove and cook stuff fit in all three. soto amicus, fuel canister, etc.

this will be a piece of gear i'll use a lot and will last for years, hopefully. suggestions? thanks

leiavoia
Posts: 228
Joined: April 24th, 2015, 9:53 pm

Re: titanium pots

Post by leiavoia » July 27th, 2020, 7:24 pm

The toaks and the valtcan look very similar. I don’t think the bail handle will be very useful unless you are a dedicated tripod and fire pit cooker. You will be using the regular handles to pour and to hold and to eat and drink from it. I would also be cautious about the bail handle mounting tabs sticking out too much and snagging on stuff in the pack.

Kettles are only good for heating water. You can’t or shouldnt eat or drink from them. The versatility of a regular pot beats it every time. The other thing a pot can do is hold your bag of hot rehydrated food because it has handles. Much easier to hold the pot handles than the bag.

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Bosterson
Posts: 2317
Joined: May 18th, 2009, 3:17 pm
Location: Portland

Re: titanium pots

Post by Bosterson » July 27th, 2020, 10:25 pm

I have an MSR Titan kettle that I got as part of a package with a Caldera Cone alcohol stove system that I used on the JMT. It works just fine to eat out of, and is nearly the same as those other two except that it has a small pour spout, which I suppose is useful when I'm just boiling water for coffee in a separate cup. Titanium is basically indestructible for backpacking purposes, but $35 is hardly a big investment, and you can always swap it out for something else if you decide to go with a different type of cooking system later. Agreed that the bail handle is not necessary unless you're going to hang the pot. I would just go with a cheap one for now, though if it seems badly made (lid fit, lid handle ergonomics, etc), consider whether the money is worth it for better usability and not being annoyed by your gear. One thing to note with titanium is that it's extremely thermally efficient and very thin, so the pot (and its contents) will cool very fast once off the burner.
#pnw #bestlife #bitingflies #favoriteyellowcap #neverdispleased

guamsean
Posts: 21
Joined: June 30th, 2020, 8:35 pm

Re: titanium pots

Post by guamsean » July 28th, 2020, 7:26 am

thanks for the feedback. i'll keep it simple and stick with the toaks.

Aimless
Posts: 1922
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lake Oswego

Re: titanium pots

Post by Aimless » July 29th, 2020, 5:47 pm

Just a side note about having a bail handle: it can be annoying when you drink or eat directly from the pot, as it is no help at all in that situation and can get in the way. Simple is best.

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