Taiwan Camping 台灣露營

Plans for Campervan Delica L300 4WD Rebuild Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:49:00 +0000

Hi guys it has been a while.

Today we will talk about campervan rebuilt. Yes I am in position to talk about it since we owned it in 2010 a 1997 L300 Delica 4WD. We chose an Auto transmission and she was registered as a cargo van. Less tax.

We have been traveling around Taiwan many time until she was let to rot for the last 7 years. Initially I wanted to sell it but my transmission KO. Got it fix last year and suddenly the price of this vehicle sored. So we decided to make her better for our own use. She was in 2 workshops both for 3 months each.

So in this topic we will discuss our plans

First thing first, living in the Van we need to cook, poo, shower, electricity, internet, we have all these bases covered. Unlike the locals where they only go camping for a day. For us it can be weeks or months. Since for the last 2 years we been migrating to Taichung for Wind Farm work and we have plans to rent out our Kaohsiung house and we will live in this manner, 6 months work, 6 months traveling.

We will keep our van very simple and light but plenty of storage. So the plan has proceeded. We have already sent the Delica L300 to the paint shop and the other workshop had all her fluids, brakes and AC fixed. There are 2 more workshop to visit, one is the under carriage paint shop for rust prevention and her interior redesign to our specification.

I can't say much where you are from but in Taiwan we have 7-11 everywhere. Hot water, toilet, microwave, etc. You can even camp right beside them so we do not need a 60lts water tank nor a 300amp battery. We keep electrical appliances to the minimum.

Before we have her redesign, we took measurements of her interior. Then we go around the stuff we bought like the Poo tank, Fridge, water tank and sink.

We later drew a rough sketch of the carboards and storage area. Also on the sketch a detail measurement was drawn out scale 1:100 on an A4 (not shown)

ELECTRICTY

We bought a 500W Bluetti Battery and a 100W Foldable Solar. We also have a 35lts fridge which can last for 4 days using the 500W Bluetti if we set around 3 degrees. All our gadget will be mostly 5V. There is no internal wiring, no switches and our light comes from USB magnetic camping lamp which has mosquito lamp.

We do not carry a laptop but a phonebook that connects to Samsung Dex using our Unlimited 5G phone. The only 12V items will be our portable rice cooker and the fridge. Both able to use 110V

WATER

We have a 25Lts water tank which can be use both outside and inside the van. We have a small sink with a USB Tap. The grey water will be going in the Poo tank for flushing. For shower we have a USB charged shower and the changing room tent. We have a MSR water filter so we can get water in the wild.

COOKING

We can do both inside or outside cooking. If there is frying to be done then it is outside. We have design the Campervan table to be mobile and when not in use it will stored above the fridge giving us a long counter top in the van. It can be used rear and both left and right central door ways. The whole countertop and table we set it as 60cm heigh so we can rest our arm. (Very Important)

SLEEPING

We have designed a 1 meter long platform that have interior storage below that can be accessed from the top. There will be a approx 100x80cm interior storage drawer at the rear but it can only pull out to 50cm. The rear drawer is to storge less use item like backpacks and others. We have it planned there is no divider in the drawer coz you never know your storage equipment size the next time.

To compensate the length of the bed, we will be using folding storage boxes of 35cm high. These boxes can be used as a chair. Our bed will be our Therm-a-Rest mattress that can also double as a chair. The platform and storage boxes will give us sufficient height sitting in the van.

You will see in the later video when all is finished. The amount of space and storage we will have.

Do subscribe to us Youtube, Facebook for further updates.

Overall cost at current

Interior NT74, 000 with Pine wood counter and both side overhead storage

Repair NT80, 000

Paint NT50, 000 only exterior

Tires NT12,000

Vehicle at time in 2010 of purchase NT120 ,000

Oh yea recently the vehicle was installed with anti thief alarm and remote control locking system

Xiaomi 70mai forward and rear camera was also installed (DIY). Very simple.

THE BEGINNING COVID19 SURVIVAL STOCKPILE CONSUMABLE

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 00:44:00 +0000

OK...Oh Boy. Seems DAY Z is really falling on us. 

This few weeks, it really indicate how urban people stock for survival.

+ Toilet Paper (Don't need it as we yse finger licling good)
+ Instant Noodles (agree)
+ Raw Food (grad as use can bit must finish is 3 days)
+ Alcohol and Sanitiser  (there is no clean place on earth)

Me as Urban and Outdoor Survival

Urban Stockpile

Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Instant Noodles
Drinkable Alcohol 
Tea or Milo 
Flour + Eggs 
Canned Food of all Types
Pre-cooked Meal 
Carrots, Potatoes and Onion plus Garlic and Ginger 
Soup Bouillon 
Dried Fruit and Peanuts

* Water needed if there is a block down

Is GoPro Hero 5 Session: Still Worth Getting

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:16:00 +0000

Many of you might not know GoPro Company is going down the hill. Their recent Hero 6 has not got many reviews. So is GoPro Hero 5 Session worth getting it?

There are many cheap action camera out there almost as good as GoPro Hero 5 but the Session 5 is different from all the others. It is small and compact compare to all action cameras. It shaped is a compact square and others are more bigger in rectangle shape.

My current GoPro Hero 5 Session is almost 2 years old, so far it has been to Tibet and Singapore which I have made many food videos with it under another Blog Without Borders.

At this moment GoPro stopped production of the Hero Session but you can still can get it on eBay as low as USD195. GoPro Hero 5 now sells at USD299.

After all this years, I really love the small form factor of this action camera, the 4K recording is a bonus but for better digital image stabilization I have to drop to 1080p. The colour quality is pretty decent, enough to make Youtube videos which can upscale to 4K using 3rd party video editing software.

At the moment when I am up on an adventure, there are only 2 cameras in use, my Samsung S9 and GoPro Hero 5 Session. Clips on the GoPro will be transferred to my Samsung S9 using OTG cable for editing.

The software I used is PowerDirector Paid App, it takes about 30 to 45mins to edit the video and later video is uploaded to YouTube and the rest of the clips are transferred to my 1TB Seagate Slime Drive. Basically I do not have to bring a laptop, all is done from my Samsung S9.

SAMPLE VIDEO
Here is a video made using GoPro Hero 5 Session recorded in 4K but downscale to 1080p.
Just view and listen to the sound quality, the mic is from the GoPro itself. In making this video, I used my smartphone as a second screen to capture the angle of the shots.

Overall I find it is good action camera that suits my need. The battery life is around an hour and I am using 64g ScanDisk Ultra Micro SD card. On my Samsung S9 I have a 128g SD card so I can transfer all the 64g file to my phone for editing.

GoPro Hero 5 Session is a waterproof camera up to 10m, it is small and the recharging time is around 3 hours but I do charge before the battery runs out. So to me battery duration is not a problem. GoPro Hero 5 Session is currently my smallest setup.

What are your views on this little camera?

Taiwan Delicious Mountain Cuisine Baolai Koahsiung 高雄寶來美食

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:17:00 +0000

This is one of the most delicious food in the mountain Boalai which is located northern part of Kaohsiung. Around this area there are many hotspring, we fail to visit one due to my partner exhaustion from lack of sleep.

If you are in this area do check out this stall. Hope you guys enjoy this video

Taiwan Outdoor Day Trip and Campsite Review At MeiShan Kuo

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Thu, 24 May 2018 19:27:00 +0000

Just a day trip to northern Kaohsiung, have not been there for years. Just a short video on this trip and a view of Meishan Kuo Campsite.

PS found a wild campsite by the river ...Hehehe

Samsung Screwed Up My Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:07:00 +0000

I have never been a Samsung fan, Sony have always been my choice for last 15 years. Back in Singapore 2016 my son had a Samsung S7 and he had made me change my mine. Back then Sony did not have the phone of choice so I have decided to purchased a Samsung S7.

The S7 was my adventure tough phone, made videos, Navigate, edited videos for Youtube, entertainment etc. Recently due to poor anger management I have damage the screen.

So the phone was sent for replacement screen and when it came back the led and sensor was not working. Back it when for service and when it returned I asked if the phone is still waterproof and I did not get an answer. I decided to put it to the test and it failed!!

The service center called and told me the phone could not be repaired and they can't do anything about it!!!

Moral of the story if you send your phone for repair it is best you check with them. I made this video so everyone around the world can take note about this problem. As for me now if I do not get an answer I will bring this to Consumer Association.

Some of the video I have made in Singapore using S7

Gear Review Titanium Canteen Set

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:19:00 +0000

Note: Below is a video I have made, this is the first time using and setup.

Before I start the post, first of all I like to thanks Campers' Corner Singapore for sponsoring this Titanium Canteen Set. It has been a great addition to our outdoor kit.

Titanium Canteen Set do not come cheap, I wanted this for quite sometime and was fortunate enough Campers' Corner gave this set to me.

Why this is not cheap is simply because the Canteen alone makes up of 3 three pieces to make one, the bottom, top half is welded together than follow by the screw thread. That is the reason you find the canteen has a middle line and that is the joining area.

I am glad it fitted firmly in my Eagle Creek Backpack as the pic show above. This backpack have traveled around World the for 15 years.

Usually I will carry a cookset and Nalgene bottle with Snow Peak Mug which nested firmly for both me and partner used.

With this new setup, I will save space in the backpack and carry less weight. The canteen itself has 1200ml and mug 600ml capacity. That is more than enough for our traveling needs.

Now it will also be a great addition to my solo outdoor needs. My outdoor set will be used with water filter to fill the mug, boil it and pour into the canteen. As it is made of Titanium, it will cool very fast. I will still carry a 450ml Titanium Snow Peak Mug for drinks mix. Inside the mug will store Alcohol Stove.

Gear Review AMG Titanium Large Cook Pot

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 18:52:00 +0000

This is a short review on AMG Titanium Cook Pot. The last review I did on a Medium Pot Set was a while back. This review is just to show how the medium and large Pot set can nested perfectly.

Till today, we have use the medium pot set extensively at home and it served us well. Quality built still remain the same.

AMG Titanium Cook Pot Medium Size Review
http://www.taiwancamping.net/2016/05/amg-titanium-cookset.html

Final Review on Taiwan Made SYM SB300 Cruiser

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 23:32:00 +0000

It's has been one a half year since I owned this bike, the the video will share my thoughts.
Thanks for supporting.

This is the cheapest cruiser and a camper biker around Taiwan, you will not go wrong, in my experience.

Cheap Survival Water proof Wind proof Lighter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 21:31:00 +0000

I have bought a few of such high end lighter in my life just as Bruton lighter. Today I found out it was a waste of $$. In this video, I will show how a cheap lighter can compare to those high priced lighter for outdoor that is waterproof and windproof for a fraction of a price.

Campers' Corner Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 17:51:00 +0000

It has has been a while since I have posted. Was back in Singapore recently and decided to make a video on my favorite outdoor shop in Singapore. Watch it how this camping store is so different from others.

Calvin has been a great host and one thing I got from him is a Titanium Canteen which I have been thinking for a while to buy one. Now he had sponsor me on and the video will be coming up soon how this setup saves me weight and space.

GOPRO Hero 5 Session Action Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 17:01:00 +0000

This topic will not be discussing the specification on the above subject, this you can find on the internet but more on my motivation on getting it which I have been scouting for months from Singapore, Taiwan and around the World.

I do own a GoPro Hero 3 Silver, since then Gopro has been launching new models almost every year. One of the model that caught my eyes was the Hero 4 Session. Having use the previous Hero 3 Silver, the Hero 4 Session was a new kid at the block with build in waterproof housing and small form factor.

I was still reluctant at that time to pay for Hero 4 Session because of the pricing, everyone was complaining about it. GoPro did drop the price.

In late 2016 GoPro launched 4 products in their line. The Hero Session previously name Hero 4 Session, Karma Drone, Hero 5 Black and Session.

At the launch the price was pretty decent $299 for Hero 5 Session but that you can only get it from the States. Prices elsewhere was shocking, in Taiwan the price was $100 more, Singapore was SGD486.

Finally I found from eBay the Hero 5 Session for $289 + $5 shipping from Hong Kong. I could not resist the temptation and with 3 clicks on the mouse. GoPro Hero 5 Session arrived by DHL at my doorstep 3 days later.... WOW!!!! (The seller since then have change the pricing to $299 shipping remain the same)

No doubt the Hero 5 Black is much better and cost $100 more than the Hero 5 Session but I am looking for size, weight and small form factor.

HERO5 Black: 4.2oz / 118g

HERO5 Session: 2.6oz / 73g

The Hero 5 Black was just merely Hero 4 Sliver and Black combine plus a incorporated waterproof housing. So there was not much changes. However the Hero 5 Session compare the earlier model it took drastic changes, the upgrade of voice command, 4K recording and image stabilization was worth putting the $$$.

I have yet to test the new GoPro but the material design was simply awesome, sadly it has a 1000mAh which said to last for 2hrs. So I will need to explore option like how to constantly power the device using 12V Bike / Car battery or Portable Battery while still recording. That was possible on the GoPro Hero 3 Silver. A 32Gb class 10 micro SD Card will be sufficient.

In future topic will discuss how to use Smartphone, 2.5 portable HD to transfer media to free up space on the GoPro or any Camera devices for any Outdoor Adventure.

PS Previously GoPro 3 Silver was ordered from Hong Kong. Please do not ask where I bought from, go to eBay and find out.

Cheers,

Spencer

Campers' Corner Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 16:57:00 +0000

I am happy that a good friend from Singapore who runs Campers' Corner is giving a chance for my son to work with them. Hope he can learn more about outdoor life. My kids had their adventure with me till they are 12 years old when I have to move to Taiwan. 

When they were in Taiwan I still gave them the same treatment. Their first cycling trip in Taiwan was 120km from Kaohsiung to Kenting in a day. They been to many outdoor like Meishan Kuo and Maolin which was destroyed by 88 Typhoon in 2009.

Calvin Tay who now owns 3.5 joint has work himself hard since we met in the 90s. He also a big fan of Taiwan with many Taiwanese outdoor friends. There is one in particular he wants me to meet and his shop is just doors away from my place. 

Now he is a dealer for US major brands like Marmot, Arc'teryx and others. Before I used to get MSR, Thermarest and others camping products from him. Now he even produce his own brand.    

Last time I was there, Australian Search and Rescue team was there. Need not to say more, his reputation have grown worldwide. 

Do drop by his place if you are in Singapore, he have a nice bar setup with drinks you do not expect to find. Occasionally there are talks  from other adventurers about their trips. You have join their Facebook to get the details. 

Pst.... he has free WiFi....password: ilovecampers 

It was in my head since the day he had WiFi setup.....LOL

Thank you Calvin and Team for allowing my stay in Singapore pleasant and it was great to know new friends from Campers' Corner

Forgot to mention .... he and me shared the same birth date 24th Feb....How coincident??!!!!

Choosing Multi Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 18:14:00 +0000

Frankly there is no such thing as best Multi-Tool, every tools suit every person differently. With more than 2 decades using Multi-tool experience, I have narrowed down to my needs.

A breakdown on the Multi-Tools I have owned

Swiss Army Issued SAK given to me by a Swiss friend.
Swiss Army Knife Mini
Leatherman Wave
Modded Leatherman Super Wave Black Tactical
Leatherman Rebar
Leatherman Juice Xe6
Victorinox Farmer
Leatherman Style PS
Leatherman CS

Last couple of years of my usage there are 2 kind of Multi-tools, one for OUTDOOR / TRAVELING and the other for EDC URBAN SURVIVAL TOOL.

EDC SURVIVAL MULTI-TOOL

Previously since 1998 Leatherman Wave was my EDC Multi-Tool until 2013 I have created a super multi-tool for my need calling it Super Wave Black Tactical. You can read the post Here. This is the best Multi-Tool I ever mod however it is not lightweight. Not ideal for traveling and hiking. Most of the tools have no use for Outdoor and Traveling.

Ideal usage: Bike, Cycling, Car Camping and other heavy duty work.

OUTDOOR / TRAVELING MULTI-TOOL
For backpacking, hiking and traveling, it is not ideal to have the Leatherman Super Wave Black Tactical because of the weight. Below is my breakdown what I need a Multi-tool for these activities, needs to be lightweight.

These are the basic Multi-Tool functions which I feel necessary for Outdoor and Traveling

Knife
Can Opener
Awl / Reamer
Wood Saw
Pliers
Scissors
Wire Cutter
Cross and flat head screw drivers

Few years ago I finally found what I really needed, Victorinox Farmer and Leatherman Style PS combo.
Before I go further, some of you might not carry such tool, allow me reason out.

Everything man-made item will breakdown even for our camping gears. I have done many outdoor emergency repair and clearly understand there are certain tools I needed to have for outdoor. The basic tools listed below is really necessary to carry out our repairs and other work function.

Below are all the tools function for both Multi-Tools in total 14 functions and weighs below 130 gram.

Victorinox Farmer (89gm)

Knife
Can Opener
Awl / Reamer
Wood Saw
Bottle Opener
Wire Stripper
Cross / Flat Screw Drivers

Leatherman Style PS (44.7gm)

TSA Approved

Needle Nose Pliers
Regular Pliers
Scissors
Wire Cutter
Nail File
Smaller Cross / Flat Head Drivers
Bottle Opener / Carabinar
Tweezers

Some of the repairs or work I have carried out in the field

Backpack sewing repair
Wood processing
Tent pole repair
Tent fabric repair
Awl for pilot hole drilling
Awl for fire starting with fire steel
Wire cutter for repair
First Aid such as tweezers
Preparing Meals

Q: Why the need of 2 set Multi-tools?
Victorinox Farmer is a camp tool while the Leatherman Style PS is used mostly for field repair.

Q: Why not a Swiss Army Knife with all the tools.
The pliers on the Swiss Army knife is very weak.
The Wood Saw on Victorinox Farmer is much longer so is the blade
Having 2 different Multi-Tools reduce the chance of breaking down.

Q: Why Leatherman Style PS and not Squirts PS4
Leatherman Style PS is TSA approve.

In my opinion the Victorinox Farmer is one of the favorite by many people. I had to order from ebay direct from Germany.

If you have your favorite do share your thoughts.

Best Traveled Places - Somewhere 3000km in Pingtung

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:07:00 +0000

http://www.taiwancamping.net/2012/04/little-ghost-lake-trail.html

Best Traveled Places - Somewhere in Taitung

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:50:00 +0000

http://www.taiwancamping.net/2011/03/lisong-hot-spring.html

Outdoor Cooking With Almazan Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:09:00 +0000

YouTube: Almazan Kitchen

I love cooking and have subscribed to many Youtube Channels including infamous Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.

I found this Siberian YouTube channel few months back and was very fascinated, they started back in 2015 with home grown, picked and made ingredients.

So all those infamous Chef can take a seat back. Today I will recommend this Channel to you guys, give us your thoughts.

Click on the YouTube link above if you are interested. Anyhow here is a preview one of their video. Enjoy!!

Best Traveled Places - Somewhere in Pingtung Wild Hot Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 00:58:00 +0000

Best Traveled Places - Somewhere in Kenting

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 00:47:00 +0000

Adventure Tip - Cycling in Taiwan

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 23:56:00 +0000

Yesterday I came upon a Youtuber Bicycle Touring Pro, Darren who had cycle around the world for a decade. His video is pretty comprehensive. The video discussion on his trip in Taiwan was informative but there are few points I personally felt it was better.

Travel light
Camping anywhere in Taiwan is possible
Cycle counter clockwise around the island if heading the East Coast.
Try not to be a Vegan :p

This is my last cycling guide blog in 2012

Brother BRS-3000T Hornet Gas Burner

noreply@blogger.com (Spencer) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 06:32:00 +0000

World Smallest and Lightest Gas Burner

From China by a company JieDeng Outdoor Products Co. Ltd. This burner was released to China market in Jun 2014.

I have using it for almost 2 years now and I have very please with the product. So far have to encounter any promblem.

Highly reommended

Specification
Unpack size: Dia85 x 68.5mm
Packed size: Dia37 x 52mm
Wight: 25g
Output: 2700Kw
Material: Titanium

Gear Review AMG Titanium Cookset Medium Size

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 May 2016 16:02:00 +0000

This is another Titanium camping inventory added to our gears. So far the first impression was good, the quality was well built. I did order the Evernew Titanium DX3 which has a 1300ml pot, good enough for 2 person camping but soon realised the Evernew with non-stick coating cannot withstand extreme heat but I am glad the Japanese seller told me was out of stock.

AMG stands for Authentic Mountain Gear, they are specialized in making outdoor Titanium products for other company. The company is based in Inchon, South Korea. Now they have decided to market their own and this is just one of them. As for price, this is one of the cheapest Titanium product you can find in the market. All their products provided free shipping.

I highly recommend not to buy any non-stick pot expect for fry pan. All coated non-stick cookset cannot withstand high heat, their coating will eventually peel off.

Anyway this is my video below how I am going to Ultralight setup for 2 person. This setup will be used for hiking, bikepacking and overseas backpacking trips.

www.amg-titanium.com

On their web there is English version just lookup at the right corner.

Specification

Fry pan or Lid: 400ml dia

Pot : 1250ml

Weight: 200gm.

Correction on my video price, I have paid USD34 but on their website is only USD30 at this time publishing.

DIY Edelrid Hexon Multifuel Stove With Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 May 2016 14:05:00 +0000

Before I purchased the Hexon Multifuel Stove, I did a lot of research and one of it was using with Vargo Hexagon Wood Stove. I have Noticed the nut of the Hexon Multifuel Stove size and the base plate of the Vargo Hexagon Wood Stove had the same size. It was a wild guess without physically seen it. There was no info on the internet that anyone has done it.

Took the gamble and guess what??!! I was right. This is a simple mod to use both stoves together. Takes less than a minute to get it done. Watch the video below

You might ask why the mod, reason simple if the Hexon Multifuel Stove fails, I have the Vargo Titanium Wood burning as backup. At the same time I do not have to bring along a wind screen or I have have 2 working stove, one on wood the other on gas.

There is only one item needed for this to work. A Presta Valve nut from a bicycle tube.

This mod you can just leave the nut in place and with all the legs install back. The Hex hole on the Vargo matched perfectly with Hexon nut.

Edelrid Hexon Multifuel Stove Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 May 2016 11:53:00 +0000

This stove is from a German Company who makes climbing gears. This is the first stove they released sometime back but the first generation had minor problem on the leg support due to high heat.

In 2014 they released the 2nd generation with some modification. The legs were tilted instead of right angle on the stove support section.

I was scouting for another Multifuel Stove to replace the MSR Dragonfly. Reason is that I needed a stove that can run on LPG as well.

Options were MSR Whishperlite Universal but it did not fold compact and you need to change jet for different fuel. The other was Optimus Polaris Optifuel, great looking stove and uses ONE jet for all fuel. However it did not fold well and the simmering control was sticking out. It's weighs too heavy.

Hexon Multifuel was different, it folded, small, compact and very neatly. It is much lighter compare the other stoves.

The Youtube video will provide more details and also a test on Diesel which was not mentioned on the instruction sheet.

Makers Fuel Recommended

LPG
White Gas
Unleaded Gasoline (never use Leaded Gasoline due to health reason)
Kerosene
Paraffin??!!

Kindly comment if any.

Cheers
Spencer

Read and watch my post on

DIY Edelrid Hexon Multifuel Stove With Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove

Choosing Camping Cookset

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 17:16:00 +0000

Outdoor Camping Cookset are very expensive depending on the construction and made. Many have made the wrong choice after a few field trips, most ended getting a Cookset too small or to large and heavy.

We never narrow our Camping Cookset just for Camping, we use it both for outdoor activities, home or traveling. Our choice of cookset have to very versatile, durable and light. Over the decades I have made some wrong choices but now we are clear on what we are getting into.

Before we select a cookset, we first have to identify how many people are we cooking for. Simply break down to these groups. Bigger group more than 5 person will not be discussed here as you probably need Kitchen Cookset.

TYPES OF CAMPERS COOKSET

Soloist (1 person)
Partner (2 person)
Family / Group (3 to 4 person)

First we will discussed type of Cookset construction and their usage practicality but we first have look into their construction.

Stainless Steel
Aluminium
Titanium
Cast Iron

Stainless Steel

Ideal for: Bike, Car, Kayaking Camping

This comes in 2 variations lightweight and heavyweight, personally we had own the heavy weight MSR Alpine Cookset but sold it away (wish I have not done that). MSR Alpine Cookset was very durable and most of the time we made perfect even from cooking rice without any burnt. The cookset have a thicker base thus it distributed the heat rather evenly especially for the fry pan. The trick to frying is to let the pan heat up till smoke from the oil then only you dump in the ingredient. This will prevent fish, eggs or meat from sticking the pan.

The other version will be thin walled stainless steel cookset as you can see below pic with discolouration, mostly we got it in Taiwan Supermarket. This cookset gets dented easily and burnt the food rather fast. The benefit is the weight, it is twice as light compare to the thick wall type. The material tends to discoloured after prolong usage.

PS Zebra brand from Thailand makes good cookset, MSR was using them. You can find it in locally. Think about it.

MSR Stainless Steel Alpine Cookset, fry pan sold separately

Thin wall Stainless Steel Pot discolouration

Aluminium

Ideal for: Hiking, Bicycle, Bike, Car, Kayaking Camping and Traveling

Back in the days of World Wars, soldiers were issued with Aluminium Mess Kit and you can still find such construction from different maker such as Trangia. The are durable however the setback it leaves a black residue when cleaning with a scourging pad. Does not spread the heat evenly.

Aluminium Polished Cookset are much better than earlier mention. Their construction are thinner and prone to dents. However they will not produce any reside when washing with a scourging pad but do leave some marks. Does not spread the heat evenly, example our Uniflame Yama Cookset.

Aluminium Hard Anodized are specially coated and heat mostly using Teflon base. Their construction is much harder compare to the two above. We own a MSR Duralite Cookset for 15 years and the coating all started to peel. Now we have decommissioned it due to health reason. They spread the heat reasonably but still heavier compare to the earlier both Aluminium type.

MSR Duralite and Uniflame Yama Cookset

MSR Hard Anodized wearing off mostly cause by the Pot Handler

Titanium

Ideal for: Hiking, Bicycle, Bike, Car, Kayaking Camping and Traveling

Most expensive of the lot also one of the toughest and lightweight construction. So far we are in love with it and cleaning was easy, we could use a steel scourging pad and it still will not damage the surface. At the moment we owned the EPI Titan Cookset. We are looking to add another ~~Evernew Titanium DX3 Cookset~~ to our current because at the moment we only have a soloist cookset. Evernew Titanium DX3 has a 1.3L pot and a fry pan which is suitable for Partner or solo camping. The only setback is this cookset have coating on both pan and pot however they are using ceramic the best and more durable coating. Then again any coated or treated pot will still fail in time, at least ceramic is much healthier than Teflon.

Update:
I have decided to go with Korean AMG Titanium medium size 1.25L, it is not coated but cost half the the price of Evernew. There were reports of Evernew non-stick pots and pans coating failure.

Evernew Titanium DX3 and EPI Titan Cookset

Cast Iron

Ideal for: Bike, Car Camping

The heaviest cookset in this category, this mainly focus to luxury or family camping. However cast iron distribute the heat very evenly and cook pretty good gourmet. We only have the 7" and 6" skillets. We have no plans to own a Dutch Oven just yet. Hey, we do use a cast iron wok at home :)

What Kind of Cookset should you get.

It all depends on your outdoor activities.

Family or Group

If you have a family or group of 4 who goes camping and hiking, we had use the MSR Duralite, it has a 2.0L and 1.5LPot with a 7" Fry pan. Not necessary to get MSR but something of this size. Fry pan of 8.5" like the Primus LiTech should do the job.

Partner

Go with at least 1.3 to 1.5 Pot, Fry Pan 6" to 8.5".

Soloist

Some Soloist prefer kettle style like the Jet Boil or Snow Peak Trek 900 where they only boil water for their freeze or dehydrated meal.

If you are looking for cookset with a pan then have a look at Evernew DX3 or something similar size. If you choose Evernew DX2 it will something similar to Snow Peak or EPI Titan which have 0.65L pot, I rather pick up the Uniflame Yama Cookset with larger capacity.

How to Use the Cookset

Besides Cast Iron or heavy base Stainless Steel Cookset, all other construction cannot be subject to high heat, this will create a heat spot even if you are cooking noodles in water, the noodle will get stuck to the pot bottom especially so if using Titanium Cookset. You will need constant stirring to prevent that from happening.

Some of our replacement Primus LiTech Fry Pan with Silicon Ceramic Coating, been using more than 3 years now mostly at home cooking for 2 or car camping, suitable for me and partner.

Our replacement frying pan Primus LiTech 8.5" over MSR Duralite 7.5"

Our Final Thought

Because of our activities we will go with Titanium setup. Except for Car camping we will add the Primus LiTech Fry Pan for Gourmet cooking.

Our cookset have traveled many places, Dubai, Holland, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, India ....etc. The list is too long. Yes, we always bring our cookset when traveling, we enjoy our morning cup of coffee or taste the local instant noodles otherwise preheat leftover food.

So we do not mind investing in a good all rounder cookset, what do you think leave us a comment.

Photos of Cookset in Lake Toba Inonesia, Dubai Hotel room,

India Midnight Train and Wild Hot Spring.

4 different cooking methods, Alcohol, Electric, Tablets and Fire

PS Do not waste $$ buying cookset for Kitchen, instead look beyond the horizon and get a decent all purpose Camping Cookset. No point buying a cookset just for camping.

We have spent move 1.5K for both outdoor and our kitchen for perfect cookset. Now we most use our outdoor cookset for home cooking.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers

Spencer