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MYOG: Caldera Cone Cozies

Lee "RevLee" Fields

These instructions were contributed by regular sectionhiker.com reader Ken “Drip Dry” Holder. The cozies were co-developed by Ken and Lee “Revlee” Fields, shown above.

A Cozy System for Freezer Bag Cooking

My hiking buddy (Revlee) and I went through about 5 renditions of this design before we hit on something that really seemed to work for us.  We typically use the “freezer bag” style of re-hydration (I am gluten-free and it is simpler to make my own meals and dehydrate them at home).  A normal meal amounts to boiling water, pouring a cup etc. into the dehydrated meal, then drinking the rest as coffee or bullion from a SnowPeak pot while the meal re-hydrates.

Three Stove Cozies

The system we use is really three cozies which integrate around the Caldera Cone plastic case.  The larger of the three we call the “mushroom”- it is sized wider to fit the lid of the SnowPeak 700 inside, and then slides around one of the other cozies.

Stove Cozy

Not sure about the Evernew 750, but the SnowPeak 700 will slip over the Caldera Plastic Case.

DIY Pot Cozy

One of the two taller cozies is sized to go over the Snowpeak for coffee, etc.  It allows you to hold the pot and keeps everything hot in cold weather.  It actually comes up to the lip (in the picture the pot is partially “out” of the cozie).

Pot Cozy

The other taller cozy goes around the longer of the plastic case “halves”.  We put the freezer bag in, seal it, then cover the top with the “mushroom” cozie.  This allows you to keep everything sealed and “shake” the entire cylinder periodically to stir up the food you are re-hydrating without opening the container and losing the heat.

Stove Cozy

Picture of the Caldera Case with long cozie and “Mushroom” cozie in place

The Complete Stove Cozy System

Packing the Stove for Travel

The complete stove and cozy system all fits together in one package not much bigger than the Caldera case.  My Caldera Cone stove, a long handled titanium spoon (cut down ½”) and an alcohol bottle goes in the case with the Caldera Cone so everything is in one place.  I made a square bottom stuff sack to fit it to minimize the wear on the Reflectix.  In a perfect world, the case would be shorter, but I tested every version of windscreen and stove I could find, and finally settled on the Caldera Cone because it a) boiled the fastest while b) using the minimal amount of alcohol.  I used it for my 9-10 weeks on my Appalachian Trail section hike and it worked every time regardless of weather.

My one complaint of the system is the length of the plastic case when packed.  I would really like to play with re-designing the Cone as a two piece windscreen (top and bottom with some kind of overlap to connect them) that would allow a smaller profile when packed but not lose any of the incredible benefits of the Caldera Cone.

11 comments

  1. Trail Designs already makes a 2 piece cone dubbed the Sidewinder.

  2. I think you've missed the point of this post. These are insulation sleeves wrapped around the CC case and pot, not a stove system.

  3. We primarily do freezer bag cooking, so a long handled spoon helps keep your fingers out of the bag while eating. The REI Ti Ware Long-Handle Spoon can be easily cut at the hole in the handle and fits perfectly in the CC case.

  4. I didn't. You said you'd like to redesign the cone as a two piece system. I was simply stating that it already exists.

  5. Got it – thanks for the clarification Chris.

  6. What R-value Reflectix do you use? I just received a Caldera Cone Ti-Tri Inferno yesterday, so good timing on this article :)

  7. Interesting that these aren't coming with the koozie but the Kegs do.

  8. Chris- to the best of my knowledge the Sidewinder only works with the shorter and wider Evernew pots. I haven't seen a test comparing the Sidewinder to the "classic" on boil times or fuel use, but my concern would be the pot height over the flame using an alcohol stove. I was really referring to a two-piece design that wouldn't change the "in use" size, only storage. OutHikingAgain- not sure on the R-value as I used up the remaining roll I purchased from Lowes- but it is fairly thin- 1/16"-1/8". It actually keeps the rehydrated food so hot you have to cool it off before eating in most cases.

  9. You could also use an old foam mat (or a cheap one) and some epoxy glue or duct tape to make a pot cozy. I tested one I made for my 2 liter pot last winter, it kept the water warm for a long time… after a hour in -10 celsius it was still 80 degree celsius. I got the inspiration from here
    https://www.andyhowell.info/Colin-Ibbotson/Colin-S

  10. Did you use aluminum Duct tape for the seams? I just received from Trail Designs the sidewinder/inferno ti-tri for the Evernew 900 pot and am anxious to start playing around with it. I'll think I'll end up making a cozy for a ziplock and the pot since the ti-tri fits inside my pot and thus don't have the carrying case…

  11. Jeremy- yes- I used the Alumimum Duct tape for the seams. It seemed to work better if you seal the outside and inside of each seam. I used short pieces for the inside and overlapped them- that seemed to work well.

    I have used the ziploc cozie as well. In case you haven't done that- I make the "back" about 50% taller than the "front" and seal three sides- the longer top folds over like an envelope. I also usually put two self-stick zelcro "dots" on the inside to keep it closed while reheating. Good luck- and please post about your impression of the sidewinder- I am interested to hear how it performs.

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