Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Hard Kit is all other accoutrements that are not clothing, weapons or armour. This includes pots and tents, and flint & steel, and other things like that.

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Greg
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Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Greg »

Alright, I suppose I've got some explaining to do, yes?

I've had half a dozen major projects in the pipeline for a LONG time now, and most of them were/are just waiting for one crucial piece of the puzzle to show up on my doorstep so I can get started. In the meantime, I chose self-inflicted fingertip acupuncture as my next viable project.

In short, needle-felting.

At the last Indiana Moot, with my good friends Odigan, Udwin, and Straelbora, I had a few mishaps over the cookfire. In fact...I think I'd be raising these gentlemen's eyebrows on their computers at home if I didn't come out and just say that I was not at my best that weekend. BUT I had a grand old time, and expect to do far better for myself next time I'm out.

Anywho, over the fire, I had a hard time moving my boiler around by the bail, was using my spoon to pick it up and move it around, and spilled a little bit twice while trying to secure a stable surface of coals to cook on. Until your coals have burned down into smaller crumbles, they really create an unstable platform, so it's a battle. I've since begun taking a rock and pounding on the coals to break them up, which incidentally adds some surface area, thus better cooking material, and keeps the level a bit more even. Problem #1 solved.

I solved problem #2, struggling to move the pot around smoothly, by filing a small groove into the backside of my spoon handle, so the bail can't slide around (I believe most of you who are on facebook most likely saw me post that awhile back.)

Problem #3, however, was a different animal entirely. You see, the very reason that Copper makes for an excellent cookpot was indeed the source of another problem. Copper is SUPER heat conductive. As a result, your hot soup is going to keep your pot too-hot-to-touch for quite some time. Now, there are two approaches to this problem. #1: Pour your soup off into a wooden noggin. Easy, cheap, functional. I nearly went this route, but I'm really trying to force myself to stay within the constraints of my current pack size, which is very minimalist in nature for a "professional traveler", & etc.

SO.

How do I get to tear into my soup or morning oats while they're still hot, without burning the crap out of my hands? While we're at it...how do I keep my boiler from banging around in my pack (and potentially getting damaged in the process)?

Enter what I've affectionately labeled a "Beer Koozie" for my boiler, after the Southern Indiana term for a foam rubber can cooler.

It's not quite finished, but the hard part is over. It was needle-felted entirely by hand from 100% hand-carded undyed wool, darned close to straight off the sheep. I made a long rectangle that wrapped around the boiler, felted the ends together into a tube, and then this evening (a month after starting) I felted a disc and then worked it into the bottom. Shortly, I'll be giving the whole thing another once over, tucking in some loose ends and bits that aren't as tight as I'd like, and then will be adding a small strap over the top to hold the lid in place during transit.
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Elleth
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Elleth »

The infamous "copper kettle to the lips" problem! Ha! Nice solution - so much lighter and less fuss than an earthenware cup!
I imagine it will get kinda scuzzy with use, but what doesn't? Can't wait to hear how it works out!
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Udwin »

Ohhh man, that came out looking GREAT! Way tighter than most of my needle-felting has been.
Not that you need it, but for future reference, here's my protip for felting finishing (aka what I do when I'm burned out with the needles) : throw the piece in a pantyhose in a bucket of soapy hot water and massage it around for a while, then dry (car on a sunny day, over the furnace register, clothes dryer, &c.)
Always awesome to see your creative solutions to problems!
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Greg
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Greg »

Yeah...it took an inordinate amount of time to get it that tight. I came frighteningly close countless times to cutting the grip off of one of my felting needles and jamming it into Lori's sewing machine with the feed dogs off...but I stayed the course, and (about a month later) it came out great, and I can still claim hand-felted. My pierced left hand may not appreciate it the way the rest of me does, but what's a little blood and sweat, right?
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Taurinor »

That is so cool! Definitely one of those pieces of gear that shows a kit is used, not just for show. Only someone out working with their gear would come across this problem, and then come up with a solution. Awesome!
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Greg
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Greg »

I have to give credit for the inspiration to Udwin...long ago, he felted those awesome wool boots/shoe liners/what-have-you, which look to have taken a lifetime and a half to put together. Then, on our last group trip, he was sporting a pair of simple, awesome shoulder pads on his rucksack straps, also of felted wool. I stored the concept away in a corner of my brain, and a week later, while filing a notch in my spoon, shot him a text that, to sum it up, said "Eureka!"
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Greg
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Greg »

Update:

Cut small slits along the rim to allow the bail to be folded down, and finished those raw edges with grey wool yarn leftover from the scarf my wife knit me a few years ago.

Stitched the lid strap on, also with yarn (didn't want waxed thread leaving residue on the boiler from the inside, etc.)

I didn't want to cut slits into it, as I was worried they'd bend outwards constantly and accelerate the lifespan of the cover, but it was a necessary evil, because a boiler without a folding bail would be a VERY annoying item to pack...so ugly was the name of the game, and it functions as needed.

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Edit:WOW the lighting is horrible in that pic...I'll try to take a minute to replace that tomorrow.
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Mirimaran
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Mirimaran »

Looks great, Greg!
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by SierraStrider »

A koozie of this sort, especially one as insulative as that one looks, can do more than just protect your hands--it can be very good for cooking. Oats brought to a boil can immediately be put into the koozie and will finish cooking as you hike. I've used this trick on a number of occasions when I wanted to get out of camp as soon as possible, albeit with modern equipment. It takes a bit of practice with steel-cut oats, but rolled oats are no problem at all.
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Greg
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Greg »

Good point! Hadn't even thought about that...I don't usually have to leave camp in the morning in a hurry, but I've done similar things with a crock pot around the holidays.
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Re: Stone Age..."Beer Koozie"?

Post by Manveruon »

This was a really cool project, thanks for sharing, Greg! And I don't think there's anything about this that I would call "ugly." Seems beautifully made and extremely useful! And I quite like that leather strap you used to finish it off. Very nicely done! I doubt I would ever have the patience for needle-felting.
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