What is a Good Container to Boil Water in?

**Firecraft** · 06-22-2011, 06:12 PM

I think I'll not boil water at the moment instead of having something explode in my face.

**kyratshooter** · 06-23-2011, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Firecraft

I think I'll not boil water at the moment instead of having something explode in my face.

No need to call it quits yet kid. Help is here.

The proper name for your water boiler is the term "billy" and they have been in use for as long as tin cans have been around and perhaps a bit longer truthfully.

What you need is a coffee can. The one pound size is prefered but any can will do in a pinch as long as it is not lined with plastic. As a general rule, if you can see bare metal inside it will work.

Here are your needed tools.
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Hammer, nail, pliers

here are your neded raw materials.
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tin can, coat hanger wire

Using the hammer and nail poke a hole in each side of the can up near the top.
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Now,m using the pliers cut a section of wire long enough to wrap around the can with a bit extra.
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Bend the wire and hook it into the holes you punched in the can, then crimp the wire so it will not come loose.
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If you play your cards right you can find two caans that nest inside each other.
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If you get really good you can make whole sets of campware
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That one at the bottom with triangle shaped holes is a stove made from a tuna can. Squirt a bit of hand sanitizer in the can and light it. You will have a liter of hot water in about 3 minutes.

**BENESSE** · 06-23-2011, 03:53 PM

That's great K! Doable, accessible, fun to make, chep. Thanks!

**Sarge47** · 06-23-2011, 04:01 PM

Great post, Kyrat., You just put pics to what I posted earlier on, great job! Rep sent!

**kyratshooter** · 06-23-2011, 05:08 PM

I have lost track of how many miles I have hiked and how many meals I have cooked using nothing but a coffee can for heating the water and a second can as a cup.

Heat a pint or more of water in the coffee can, pour off enough to make instant coffee in the soup can, then dump your rice and sauce or noodles and sauce in the boiling coffee can. Crumble up some beef jerky into the main course and in five minutes you have supper and hot coffee.

Nice thing about a coffee can is that it is big enough to get your hand into so you can wash it well with minimal soap. Then you put the can back beside the fire to dry it out and give it a good sterilization.

**hunter63** · 06-23-2011, 05:57 PM

KRS, great job on an old favorite.
Sadly the steel coffee can is becoming a thing of the past.

**hunter63** · 06-24-2011, 11:43 AM

BTW, it appears that the cheapo alum water bottle is single layer, so I guess I'm gonna try it out..........

**Sarge47** · 06-24-2011, 01:16 PM

A couple of years back I posted MY Tuna fish can stove, but I like K-Rats better as it's even less work: http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...mergency-stove... Just click on the pic to enlarge.

Another feild stove can be made from a rgular tin can by poking a bunch of holes in it and using pine sap for fuel. (Wayne J. Fears)

**EdD270** · 06-24-2011, 11:17 PM

Hang in there, firecraft. Several good ideas already presented here.
Instead of wire for the bail (the hanging loop), I prefer to use chain. Very light duty picture hanging chain capable of holding up your billy (pot) is cheap and is readily available at Wal-Mart or K-Mart, as well as the home improvement stores. I prefer chain because it's so easy to adjust the length for temperature control, rather than messing with moving the stick it's hanging on.

**kyratshooter** · 06-30-2011, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by EdD270

Hang in there, firecraft. Several good ideas already presented here.
Instead of wire for the bail (the hanging loop), I prefer to use chain. Very light duty picture hanging chain capable of holding up your billy (pot) is cheap and is readily available at Wal-Mart or K-Mart, as well as the home improvement stores. I prefer chain because it's so easy to adjust the length for temperature control, rather than messing with moving the stick it's hanging on.

That is a very good idea!

But coat hangers are generally FREE!!

Sometimes us grown-ups forget what it was like to be a kid with no money, no choice and no ride to Walmart.

**Beans** · 07-03-2011, 09:59 PM

This tread brought back memories of my Ol USMC days.

When our canteen cup was full of dinner we would cut the top 2/3 out of a "C" rat can bend it over for a handle. fill it with water and "C" rat coffee and then sit it besides the fire until it boiled. You had to use your cover to pick it up and the can was "hot". Those cans were good for everything from a drinking cup, to a coffe cup, to a Fuel tab stove.

**Pocomoonskyeyes3** · 07-03-2011, 11:07 PM

As a MINOR variation on what EdD270 said....
Still use the wire bail and carry the chain as well. Cut a few pieces of coat hanger to make some "S" hooks and by using two or three at different heights above the end you can Quickly change the height above your fire. In this way it could be suspended from a stick, limb or whatever is handy. If you are doing this in the woods with materials at hand you can cut a stick with a fork and make hangers of different lengths. Just cut a notch in the end closest to the fire for your bail. Fork(cut like a hook) fits over a spit crossing over the fire.

I'm not sure of Firecraft's age, but if young enough join the Scouts. If you're too old, buy the BSA Fieldbook and read through it. There are MANY ways to cook over an open flame. There are "Dakota holes" and several ways that require no suspension at all.

**Sarge47** · 07-03-2011, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Pocomoonskyeyes3

I'm not sure of Firecraft's age, but if young enough join the Scouts. If you're too old, buy the BSA Fieldbook and read through it. There are MANY ways to cook over an open flame. There are "Dakota holes" and several ways that require no suspension at all.

Amen to that! Rep being sent!

**Blake Fister** · 01-07-2012, 10:40 PM

Been looking for a good stainless steel water bottle myself too, that i could safely boil water in if needed. Must be hard to find since some of the ones i've looked at they've had a coating inside that might come off and get into the water. I guess if i realy had to boil the water in it i wouldn't really need to be worried about the coating that could be in the water though. Probably doesn't really matter what kinda container i would get just as long as it doesn't have any rubber seals or anything else that would melt preventing the lid to seal properly again. So, it should be safe to get any kinda of stainless steel container and even spray it with a high heat spraypaint?

**Rick** · 01-07-2012, 11:20 PM

I'm still boiling water in this....

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**kyratshooter** · 01-08-2012, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Blake Fister

Been looking for a good stainless steel water bottle myself too, that i could safely boil water in if needed. Must be hard to find since some of the ones i've looked at they've had a coating inside that might come off and get into the water. I guess if i realy had to boil the water in it i wouldn't really need to be worried about the coating that could be in the water though. Probably doesn't really matter what kinda container i would get just as long as it doesn't have any rubber seals or anything else that would melt preventing the lid to seal properly again. So, it should be safe to get any kinda of stainless steel container and even spray it with a high heat spraypaint?

Here's a thought, before you need to boil water for an emergency run, take the coated water bottle outside and burn the coating out on purpose. Eliminate the problem in advance.

Paint the container???? That charred look to the outside means you have really been to the woods and not just talked about going! MG our woods filling up with OCD clean freaks?

**Rick** · 01-08-2012, 06:40 PM

Why get something that's lined? Use your imagination and a little out of box thinking. Wally World has all sorts of stainless steel stuff in their housewares department or try Goodwill. I never saw the need to reinvent the wheel with a canteen and cup. Works pretty well.

**randyt** · 01-08-2012, 07:15 PM

I use a billy of my own making, copper with a tin lining. This one is about the size of a 1 lb coffee can.

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**Blake Fister** · 01-08-2012, 07:56 PM

Ah, i never even though of burning off the inner lining first. good idea.

I do own 1 canteen with stove/cup. Just was looking at other options as well. I really like the billy can idea though.

Thanks Everyone

**hunter63** · 01-08-2012, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Why get something that's lined? Use your imagination and a little out of box thinking. Wally World has all sorts of stainless steel stuff in their housewares department or try Goodwill. I never saw the need to reinvent the wheel with a canteen and cup. Works pretty well.

That what I use as well.....seems like the best option for a compact unit...has been proven for over 60 years.