Tea and Sand

[polygonum]

I am trying to decide how best to brew up on the beach.

Living near much coast, I want to be able to efficiently boil up for tea or coffee. Enough for three mugs. Not too expensive to buy or run. And absolutely must be simple to light and use even in fairly breezy conditions. Doesn't need to work in gales or snowstorms!

I have in the past used Coleman petrol stoves and I quite like them, but someone else would find one rather awkward to light. So I reckon it has got to be gas - butane? or mix?

This doesn't have to be lightest-of-the-light - only needs carrying modest distances rather than up and down mountains. :-)

[Clive George]

I like our coleman apex peak petrol stove, and it is a lot easier to light than a traditional coleman stove, but they're not made any more and I'd not use it on the beach - sand isn't good for things.

Lots of people love their jetboils, but probably fails on expensive.

Any cheap gas stove really. Get one which uses a resealable container (same as a blowtorch).

Friend got one for about a tenner which sits inside its own box and contains built in ignition. It does use a fair bit of gas though.

Idiot proof and very cheap.

[tabbypurr]

I used to cheat with survivalist cookers by adding random solid fuel to conserve gas/paraffin/hexamine etc. With hexamine it's necessary or you won't cook jack.

NT

[polygonum]

Too true - JetBoil or, possibly, Primus Eta range, looked good but too expensive.

The next one looks quite good but I was concerned about gas cost.

Last one is pretty much same as Phil suggested. Yes - price does look good.

[polygonum]

Definitely don't want solid fuel (or gel or whatever) despite some merits.

[harry]

What's wrong with a thermos flask?

[News]

In message , polygonum writes

I'm still a fan of the traditional Camping Gaz stove for travel, not to mention home use during a power cut. Also have the matching lantern, which uses an identical gas cylinder.

[polygonum]

Given the overwhelming support for the little flat ones, I think I'll go down that route. When I had a dual Camping Gaz one one a big cylinder, it seemed pretty pathetic. But that was a very long time ago.

[mark.bluemel]

One of my sons swears by the Kelly Kettle type, but it's not cheap...

[Muddymike]

Try a Kelly Kettle. Then you can just use sticks lying on the beach as fuel and sand wont hurt it.

Mike

[Tim+]

Hmm, my parents had one. How we survived without serious scalding I don't know. Unstable and water boils over very readily.

Yes, it's quite fun to use and involves playing with fire but dry fuel isn't always that easy to find in this country!

Tim

[tabbypurr]

With some gas or liquid fuel burners you can just add solid fuel when there's some lying around, and not when there isn't. Ideal.

NT

[John Rumm]

CPC have one like that on offer for £7 today

[News]

Tea made and kept in a flask is foul stuff. Slightly less foul is a flask of hot water used to make fresh tea. Not perfect, but better than ready made tea.

[polygonum]

Tea and coffee from a flask are marginally more acceptable if taken without milk.

Flexibility as well - I don't want to have to decide before I leave home a) that I want (or don't want) a hot drink; b) which drink; c) how many drinks.

[T i m]

I was working on a campervan I'd just bought away from home and we took some eggs, bacon, mushrooms and baked beans with us and cooked them in the van, along with several cups of tea during the day.

It's amazing how much nicer a fried breakfast or even a cuppa tastes when consumed under such circumstances. ;-)

I do most of the cooking at home and all of it when we are camping (cycle / motorcycle / tent or car / folding caravan). The dishwasher takes care of the dishes at home and the Mrs when we are camping. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[whisky-dave]

You put the Mrs in a dishwasher while camping, is there a special setting for that :-)

[mark.bluemel]

I'm not sure it takes care of the Mrs in the same way as it takes care of the dishes...

Something about sitting on a running washing machine comes to mind...