Hi All!
Santa kindly brought me a pair of Sporkifes from Primus (photo 1 below). Despite some initial skepticism about the hinge/catch, they seem to work very well and provide a real, dedicated spoon, fork, and knife (the outer fork tine is serrated but the tool is plastic so...cutting pasta?) rather than the traditional spork which always seems sharp to me when used for sipping soup.
I tour alone, so I got two, figuring that way I wouldn't have to hold a greasy spoon bowl when I wanted a fork, and vice versa. It also offers the opportunity to invite a guest to dine with me if someone happens by at mealtime.
Pretty well pleased with these so far. Time will tell wrt long-term durability, but the red is nice for quick recovery if they should get become misplaced. They fold to stow next to my little Coleman Peal 1 multifuel stove in the nesting pots that also make its case.
Next up in Santa's bag of goodies was an MSR piezoelectric starter (photo 2), replacing the one with fittings I turned out of brass and soldered to adapt a lantern lighter (photo 3). The old one uses a spring-loaded flint and textured spark-wheel. The MSR uses no consumables...basically, a little hammer hits a rock and it produces a weak spark, like a barbecue igniter. There is a trick to using it: Gaseous vapor has to collect in the tube before it reaches levels the spark can ignite. The flame-front then exits the tube and lights the gas. I can *just* get it to work on my meths/spirit/alcohol beer can stove and Mini-Trangia, but the alcohol has to be warmed a bit by hands on the fuel reservoir, and sheltered from the wind else the fumes get whisked away. Holding the MSR's tube close above the surface for 5-7 seconds seems to collect enough for a "go", though I'm not sure how well it would work in cold weather for meths, but it works a treat on gaseous naphtha (white gas).
I also picked up a second Coleman Peak 1 multifuel stove and pot set from 1990, new-in-box from eBay. Love these things. Unlike current multifuel stoves, this is one piece with self-cleaning jet and windscreen and a vaporizer tube that can be swapped so the stove can burn white gas/naptha, unleaded petrol, kerosene/paraffin, diesel, and JP-4 jet fuel. It is not the lightest stove empty; the weight savings comes from the large built-in fuel tank and really good fuel economy. It will simmer (really, truly simmer!) for nearly 11 hours, and the case really does make for a pair of pots, one serving as a lid for the other. The two folding spoons, the MSR igniter, a small bottle of oil for the pump leather, and a Victorinox Swiss Army Deluxe Tinker knife all fit inside, making for a very compact yet powerful and economical kitchen in one little cube/box.
Best,
Dan.
