Useful Kit - Cooking and Water Filtration

[Trailqiest]

When you have limited capacity for carrying kit and when you are operating in difficult conditions, often tired and wet you need equipment that is reliable and easy to use. A recent client of ours spent a small fortune on a camping stove (well known brand) that had an unbelievable amount of small, fiddly working parts. Ideal for use on a summer picnic but quite hopeless for use in the dark with cold hands.

Trailquest instructors all carry the Jetboil system. Self lighting, comapct and very easy to use they are really worth a look. Available from many outlets including Touratech.

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For water we rate the Pure Hydration systems with in line filter. Built to military specification and enabling you to drink from any water source they are far more durable than other similar systems and much more efficient than pumps and chemicals..

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For details of both see the Links page at www.trailquestadventure.com

[Alun]

There's nowt wrong with the Jetboil system that's for sure but there are smaller and more lightweight gas camping stoves that would take up less space in panniers – the MSR Pocket Rocket being one.

I've used the Pocket Rocket on many, many overseas expeditions and environments from high glaciated mountain ranges to steamy jungles and through blistering deserts and it just keeps going.

What I would caution anyone reading this, who is setting off on an overseas adventure, is to check the availability of gas canisters in your destination. Too many times I've found myself in counties (including European ones such as Portugal, Austria and Switzerland) where I could not get a cartridge with the same fitments as my stove. And I've a fine collection of European stoves in the gear locker to prove it.

The cartridge 'fit' problem becomes more acute the further you move out of Europe – North Africa, for example - and there's a good case for taking a multi-fuel burner such as the MSR Whisperlight or XGK. And then of course there's the absolutely indestructible Trangia cooking system (Gas, meths, sticks! whatever), which I have to say is a personal fav of mine.

There's lots to think about before buying a camping stove when you're heading overseas. Oh, you could of course leave it at home and go all Ray Mears....

[Travelling Sam]

You could ask Les Madge from Traveldri-Plus any questions you have about cookers. Les carries a huge range of top quality kit and has vast experience on the subject. Better still, he really lsitens to you and won't give you any sales bull. If he hasn't got what is best for you, he'll tell you so, will try to get it, or will send you where you can get it. Good bloke for all this sort of stuff. The truth of the matter is that for a long journey you need a good tent, a great sleeping bag, a good sleeping mat and a great cooker. If you have those things you'll sleep well and eat well. That equals fun on the road.
Happy travels!

[Travelling Sam]

And I should have said that he also carries some very trick water filtration systems. Light and quick is the name of the game here as far as I'm concerned. Put the billy on someone...

[Andy Leett]

I'm a recent convert to the Trangia system, I like its simplicity and the fact it all packs down quite small.

[Alun]

Sam, I take it you pack a water filter on your travels? I've not bothered with one for years and (I'm grabbing wood panelled table as I type this) I've not had a problem – and that's in Africa, Americas, Asia and the Himalaya. I just drop in Iodine and then a fizzy orange flavoured tablet to neutralise the lousy Iodine taste.

Mind you, that's not to say I don't recommend people pack one, it's just me saying I'm short on patience when it comes to pumping water. Though I do strain the water through my t-shirt if there's a lot of debris in it which adds a lovely nutty flavour after a couple of weeks on trail.

[Trailqiest]

For water filtration I would refer back to the Pure Hydration system. Coming in bag or water bottle form they are simplicity itself - in line filter so no pumping, no added chemicals and no bad taste. Simply fill from ANY water source and drink!

www.trailquestadventure.com

[Travelling Sam]

When I first set off I carried a water filter pump. The thing cost a fortune - in relative terms. I quickly grew to hate the thing. Some days in Sudan when it was 50 degrees in the shade, I'd be sweating more from the effort of pumping than I was able to pump! And when I took water from the local pond, well, the thing bunged up far too quickly. I was glad to dump it!!!

Iodine? If you are on a really long journey its not a good idea to rely on it - the stuff is pretty powerful and can play some unpleasant games with your insides. For a month or so its ok.

There are several filter systems you can get nowadays that are very easy to use. One is just a bottle, you fill it with water from anywhere, and then drink from it through its cap. It's as instant as that. Its a liter in size and I seem to remember the filter will give you 1,000 litres before it doesn't work any more. Don't quote me on that though - you'd need to check with Traveldri on that. I wonder if they are the 'Pure Hydration' system that Trailquest are talking about...

Having said that, I often just boil my water. I use my petrol stove as I always have fuel on tap. I arrive somewhere, and while I'm setting up camp I have the billy on to boil water for a cuppa. When that is in hand the billy keeps being filled until I have topped off all my bottles for the next day. The most I've ever drunk in a day is 18 liters, and yes, that was in Sudan.

Cheers All,
Sam
www.sam-manicom.com
'Where Every Day is an Adevnture'

[Trailqiest]

I agree Sam - those pumps are just so irritating. We had a client who insisted on using one ( a typical case of being "sold" the product in the camping store ) but despite the amount paid for it his broke within a few weeks. We ended up sending him three Pure Hydration products.( www.purehydration.co.uk)

The problem with Iodine and Chlorine is that although they kill viruses and bacteria they do not kill pathogens such as Crytosporidium and Giardia. Boiling is the only true safe way of purifying water (other than filters) and even then the amount of boiling time required is dependent on location, altitude etc etc. Even then it does not remove chemical contamination.

I learned my lesson the hard way - the only time I was hospitalised during my military career was through drinking bad water. NEVER AGAIN!!!

Richard
www.trailquestadventure.com

[Kev P]

Sam's right, Iodine isn't good to take for extended periods and it has not been available to buy in the EU since last October.

Boiling is fine, but only if the water is filtered first....cryptosporidium and giardia cysts can be shielded by the heat if inside small bits of particulate matter. Also if any chemicals are in the water boiling may actually concentrate them

There are many pumps on the market and some are better than others. We've had customers out in the desert whose purification pumps have clogged up in days. The Lifesystem device has some limitaions IMHO. Personally, I've been using the General Ecology First Need pump for about 8 years all over the world and never had any problems even when pumping 12+ litres a day in the Sahara.

Kev