Did someone say "Beer"?

[rob1970]

Hey all,

This may or not been done on here before... here's my version anyway...

After fluffing around with one of those frustrating titanium foil screens (kinda dangerous with canister top stoves) for a few years, this idea came to me...

There are a number of DIY options on the net, but none really tickled my fancy, so I came up with this... an integrated screen that is permanently fixed to my go-to pot (a 650ml Toaks).

All you need is a can of beer (I used a 1lt can of Germania PILS... yum!)... drink it... some scissors... some Insulation Foil Tape and you're good to go.
Cut to the length of your pot... cut a slot for your pot stand (if it protrudes past the diameter of your pot)... cut a thin aluminium strip to put through your and handle to joint the screen (it slides better with this strip than just tape)... tape it in place and you're done.

I mainly use my pot for home made dehyd meals, so use a cozy to rehydrate.
This screen just slides down when in use (see pics) and slides up when I pop my pot in the cozy.
It's added a total of 6 grams to my pot.

I'm yet to properly test it on the trail, but I imagine it will work OK.
One thing I have found is that I need to run the stove with lower flame as the heat can travel up the open side and heat up the handle (not that I run the burner at full boar anyway).

Note - No beer was spilt during the making of this screen.

[ggorgeman]

Nice work, good thinking there. R&D can have its side benefits too!

[Bill P]

Great idea! Clever.

[Bill P]

Nice job Rob,

If you only use that stove with the 650 pot, you could cut the ends of your stove pot supports off, and make almost a full 360 deg telescopic beer can windshield. The support legs will be strong enough.

Bill

[rob1970]

Thanks Bill.

I'm hesitant to make the shield any bigger as it reflects a bit of heat back down onto the valve and gas can as it is... especially when there's no wind.
The good thing is that you can choose how much you want to lower it (if at all) to suit conditions.

I've also tested it on the FM petrel hx pot and have found that the pot/stove actually performs better without the shield deployed... unless there's wind (however I'm yet to test it with wind).

[Warin]

An idea?
The shield needs to be spaces off the pot so that the hot air comes up the sides of the pot. This will reduce the heating of the shield and the valve.
The spacing can be done using ‘fingers’ from the shield at 90 degrees towards the pot. Stow in the pot with the fingers at the pot bottom.

[rob1970]

Yep... you're definitely onto something there Warin.
The flame does bounce back off the shield (where it contacts the pot) as it can't travel up the side of the pot

Now just to figure out how I'm going to do these "fingers"... and how much of a spacer they need to create.

[Warin]

Yep... you're definitely onto something there Warin.
The flame does bounce back off the shield (where it contacts the pot) as it can't travel up the side of the pot

Now just to figure out how I'm going to do these "fingers"... and how much of a spacer they need to create.

Space ... start with, say, 15 mm depth - you can always shorten them..

How? Cut a 'castle' profile along the top of the shield ... just the vertical cuts downwards to start, then fold the fingers in. Now you have the castle top. Then do a 'hair cut' along the top edge to remove the non finger bits, bye castle.

How long? Again I'd use 15 mm ... shorter than that might be too much work, longer than that and the 'cold' spots around the fingers may start to get large.

Good Luck.

[Lamont]

Yep... you're definitely onto something there Warin.
The flame does bounce back off the shield (where it contacts the pot) as it can't travel up the side of the pot

Now just to figure out how I'm going to do these "fingers"... and how much of a spacer they need to create.

Pencil/biro and pressing hard around them works to make corrugations. 2 or 3 would do.
Flame should stay only the base anyway of the cup (for me) but might let a bit of heat escape.
You'll need to make it a wee bit longer though as the 'corrugations' will consume some of the length/circumference.
Cheers