Ghillie Kettles

Udders

A Needy Twat
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Anyone got / use one? :nenau
I saw a TV program yesterday and they look ok. Pretty lightweight but fairly bulky. I’m guessing it depends on where you’re camping as to suitable burning material.
https://www.ghillie-kettle.co.uk/
 
I have a Kelly Kettle with nearly all the extras. (The ones it came with about 5 years ago)

Good points.

All in kit and you can cook just about anything (using the extras like the hobo stove etc.)

Main Kettles are one of the best and quickest ways of boiling water, barring a JetBoil or similar, and certainly the best using fire.

Great if you are carrying in your car, mainly for hot drinks.


Bad Points

Bulky, takes up too much space for what it does.

Messy once used. Fire always is sooty, but at least it's mainly contained to the fire base and the internal tube of the kettle.

If you are not using the Kettle and you're cooking on the Hobo stove (or Ghillie kettle equivalent) then it's a real pain trying to maintain heat. You're forever feeding little sticks and twigs onto it to keep it going, which keeps cooling the fire, then burning out, then cooling etc. Really fiddly.

Fire base is small (middle sized stove) so pan size is limited.


If you like the idea of cooking with fire, I would suggest the Firebox Stove range of fire boxes, which are far more versatile. They also have a sale on at the moment. www.fireboxstove.com

I have 3 of their stoves (different sizes) and I love using them. You can use them with twigs and larger wood, charcoal, wood pellets and they're even designed to be used with both meths and gas Trangia burners. Maybe worth a look and far better, in my opinion than the limits of the Kelly Kettle set up.

The chap who invented them has a channel on YouTube which is great viewing, especially the earlier ones on how to use the stoves.

Hope this helps.
 
They’re good but unless you’re good at finding dry moss or similar it’s worth carrying a few of those firestarters made from waxed wood shavings. Pine cones are the best fuel but in all honesty they’re best suited to preppers who want to hide in the woods wearing camouflage clothing and putting mud on their faces because they’re too bulky and they get incredibly dirty.
 
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That’s the mid sized one. You can also put two cross plates on the top of the main body and cook on that if you feel like it.
 
I have a Kelly Kettle with nearly all the extras. (The ones it came with about 5 years ago)

Good points.

All in kit and you can cook just about anything (using the extras like the hobo stove etc.)

Main Kettles are one of the best and quickest ways of boiling water, barring a JetBoil or similar, and certainly the best using fire.

Great if you are carrying in your car, mainly for hot drinks.


Bad Points

Bulky, takes up too much space for what it does.

Messy once used. Fire always is sooty, but at least it's mainly contained to the fire base and the internal tube of the kettle.

If you are not using the Kettle and you're cooking on the Hobo stove (or Ghillie kettle equivalent) then it's a real pain trying to maintain heat. You're forever feeding little sticks and twigs onto it to keep it going, which keeps cooling the fire, then burning out, then cooling etc. Really fiddly.

Fire base is small (middle sized stove) so pan size is limited.


If you like the idea of cooking with fire, I would suggest the Firebox Stove range of fire boxes, which are far more versatile. They also have a sale on at the moment. www.fireboxstove.com

I have 3 of their stoves (different sizes) and I love using them. You can use them with twigs and larger wood, charcoal, wood pellets and they're even designed to be used with both meths and gas Trangia burners. Maybe worth a look and far better, in my opinion than the limits of the Kelly Kettle set up.

The chap who invented them has a channel on YouTube which is great viewing, especially the earlier ones on how to use the stoves.

Hope this helps.
I already have the stainless steel Firebox. :thumb2
Ta for all that. :thumb2
Don’t think I’ll bother. :thumb2
 
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That’s the mid sized one. You can also put two cross plates on the top of the main body and cook on that if you feel like it.
Cheers. :thumb2
They do look good but sound very messy. :thumb2
 
Anything that burns wood will be messy but as I said before, dried out pine cones burn well and my limited experience suggests they don’t smoke as much as even dry twigs.

I rarely use my Kelly Kettle but that’s mainly because it’s at my lock up and I’ve got better options at home. I have considered buying the smallest version but deep down I know it’d be a waste of money and after an initial burst of enthusiasm I’d bung it in a corner.
 
I keep thinking I'll leave mine in a void in the boot of the car for an impromptu cuppa, but it'll never happen.

Especially after getting a little Pocket Rocket gas burner.
 
I keep thinking I'll leave mine in a void in the boot of the car for an impromptu cuppa, but it'll never happen.

Especially after getting a little Pocket Rocket gas burner.

If I want something small, light and fast I stick a Pocket Rocket in a 1/4 litre Titanium pan and take the smallest cylinder available. Chuck a few 3 in 1 sachet of coffee in the kettle with the stove and it’s sorted. The pan has a lid so nothing falls out and while the coffee is shit it’s warm and wet so does the job.
 
If you ever find yourself in a ‘survival situation’, make your own:

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if you arent using one of these, youre a pussy :aidan
 

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I Especially after getting a little Pocket Rocket gas burner.

Once you're done with little bonfire's, the MSR Pocket Rocket is all you could ever need.
 
Once you're done with little bonfire's, the MSR Pocket Rocket is all you could ever need.

Yeah, I know what you mean, but it's not all about quick boils and cooking fast.

Sometimes it's about cooking on a fire, then keeping it going all night and staring at it. Something primeval in all of us. :camping

Nice to have options.
 
I served alongside the Australia Army back in the 90's on an exchange program ( I was Army) and they had these as issued kit and I can honestly say they were amazingly quick in boiling water.

However what they were no good for was cooking boil in the bag type foods. Something to bare in mind though is that when carrying things try and make sure they have a couple of jobs, especially with space being limited on a bike a Jetboil type cooker would be far better as it has three uses.....cooker, cup and cooks your boil in the bag. plus if you buy the right one everything fits inside the cup including the gas canister.
 


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