Kelly Kettle Base Camp Camping Kettle Review 2017/06/15
Boiling water out in the field is always a challenging task to do
quickly and easily without the need for relying on technology (such as
a Jet Boil) to make your tea. You can bring a billy can for when you
are on your own but to use it you first have to light a fire and its
not incredibly efficient as the heat is not contained. The problem
with gas stoves is you always run the risk of it malfunctioning when
out on expedition and then being left with an interesting ‘tea less’
situation. In this review we will look at the Kelly Kettle Base
Camp Camping Kettle.
Introduction
The Kelly Kettle Base Camp solves all these problems by allowing the
user to utilize natural fuel in a low entropy system that does not have
much that can go wrong when out and about. The kettle itself shelters
the fire inside from the environment which reduces the stress of keeping
the fire alight in difficult situations, especially in high winds.
Use
I used one for two weeks in Sweden on a canoe voyage. It experienced all
types of weather and even damp wood. The kettle acts as a funnel of heat
with the fire at the base directing heat upwards so it passes past the
water which is wrapped around the heat by the metal funnel. This also
allows the user to deal with wet wood as you can start to dry it out
once you have the first little fire lit inside and the heat starts to
build up.
My favourite technique to use is to
stuff the entire funnel with dry coniferous sticks which can be very
small if you desire. Above all just make sure you stuff a bunch up in
there! Once you have it completely filled with sticks fill it up with
water and light your tinder in the base. Placing the kettle on top of
this burning tinder will ignite all of the fuel you stuffed inside and
bring your water rapidly to a boil.
Design
An issue with the design is that if the handle is left to sit against
the walls of the kettle it will eventually burn through. Consequently a
simple solution to use is to place a stick to keep it balanced between
the openings. This is demonstrated in the photos. The chain can also
break and this then makes pouring a lot harder. Since it's metal a field
repair is not out of the question.
Conclusion
The Kelly Kettle Base Camp is made for longer expeditions of canoeing
and vehicle travel. I would not take one hiking as its very big and
heavy. However for base camp style situations is very effective. Mine's
an Earl Grey!
