Hey all, Im fairly new around here, as you may have noticed, so most of you probably do not know I am a machinist. I work in a small shop with all kinds of materials and lately, work has been slow. Ive had time to do all kinds of projects of my own, and now, Id like to focus on creating a lightweight backpacking "item".

What Id like to know is, if you could have any metal item in your closet or backpack made lighter, what would it be" We have a surplus of scrap Titanium so Id like ides and inspirations. Let me know if ya think of something.

Im currently using CAD to draw up a light weight, collapsible stove but would like some more ideas. Thanks!

seemed like 20 or so titanium trowels sold in a few days here this week...

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=38134

This is what I have been pondering for a while:

A mug/pot with a liquid-tight screw-on Ti lid and internal silicone or ABS sippy lid - think a thermos with a wide mouth, but with only a single-wall of thin titanium. A removable food-grade 4mm thick EPS foam cozy of 2 equal sized parts that would also function as cups would go around the whole thing to insulate and protect in the pack.

Target weight = <4 oz. for the package
Target voume = 600ml-800ml

Thus you have a mug (or 3-4 mugs depending on lid depth), a water bottle, a thermos, and a UL cook pot + cozy for freezer-bag meals.

Maybe not what you were thinking, but I've wanted to find a heavier duty 'tea light' container for cooking. The thin aluminum + crushproof container (Jason Klass method) seems quite fragile and I'd rather get rid of the crushproof container and just have a heaver duty 1/2oz capacity vessel.

By container, do you mean the little aluminum piece each candle comes from the manufacturer with?

Also, to everyone: I should have specified the type of tooling we have at our disposal. I am not able to press/punch anything from sheet metal such as cups, mugs, etc. Would be great if I could though. We really only have CNC/Manual Lathe, mill, and hone. Basically I can make things like handles for knives, stove pieces, solid type items.

For anyone unfamiliar with machining, imagine having a block of soap/wood, what can you carve or turn from it? Those are my capabilities with the given machines and material. Removing material, drilling, etc.

Thanks for the ideas though everyone! Keep 'em comin'! Im really stuck on the creative part. My little stove/grill will be neat but theres a million different stoves out there already proven.

Travis, I was thinking you had access to a press. Then you could make an alternate to the thin aluminum foil found in a tea light. But by 'container' I was speaking to my current setup with an empty tea light and a 1.0fl oz. REI Polyethylene Container to protect the flimsy aluminum. I was hoping to swap both the aluminum container and the polyethylene for a Ti version.

What about snow stakes? Is there already a Ti version that I'm not aware of?

> What about snow stakes? Is there already a Ti version that I'm not aware of?

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/make_your_own_gear_titanium_snow_stakes.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/myog_ti_snow_stakes_part_2.html

Cheers

It might not be that feasible with the equipment at your disposal, but I'd love to see a lower cost alternative to the Zia Fabrications Titanium Grill sold by BPL. That grill is 0.9oz and $69.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/zia_fabrications_titanium_grill.html

Edited by dandydan on 10/21/2010 21:36:07 MDT.

A titanium version of the MSR Groundhog tent stake.

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/tent-accessories/groundhog-stake-kit/product

Edited by Rbrownkatz on 10/22/2010 06:54:25 MDT.

More snow stakes. These are made by BPL member Steven Evans.

http://suluk46.com/products%20%20-%20P2%20Ti%20Snow%20Stakes.html

I would think if you made anything like tent stakes, trowels. or alcohol stoves using the pop can design or you could make stove stands. Sporks would be another good idea. I know some pots don't have lids that come with them so you could make pot lids. Whateve you make I'm sure you'll get some buyers. Good luck in your venture.

Actually, If you had the equipment for pot lids I see that as something many people could use. More durable than an aluminum makeshift one. You could sell them as simple blanks with a lip rim to hold them in place, or modify them a bit with drain holes etc. How about some pot stand designs?

I'd love titanium crampons, or at least the the toothy plate to retrofit on my existing crampons.

I'd also like some type of plate to steady my shaker bottle so it's less likely to fall over as I fill it.

A pot stand that can be stowed inside my pot would be nice.

The pot stand: This is more or less what you could call my original "grill" design. It can either be used to raise the pot above your Alcohol stove for boiling OR the top surface can be used directly for cooking meat such as fish youve caught, game, etc. It is fully collapsible and will in fact fit easily into a 700ml pot.

So many replies! Thanks everyone! I will try and get back to every post.

Thank you Dustin for this link. I have not yet bought a subscription so I couldnt view the previous poster's links to see what a snow stake was. Those are definitely a possibility though, mine would not be as wide (3.5") because my stock is not that large.

Ive also been tossing around the idea of a "clip", so to speak, that can be used for guy lines, straps and what not. Almost like a Figure9 "knot substitute" deal. Ive drawn a few neat, very unique designs. Now for some cutting and testing.

A summer tent stake is typically of a small size, either a rod (like a shepherd's hook) or "angle" with a V-shaped or Y-shaped or T-shaped cross section of maybe 1/4".

A snow stake is typically different. Thirty years ago, I always used yellow plastic stakes with a T-shaped cross section, and somewhat larger. Now, I use the yellow ones, but I supplement that with some metal flukes. Mine were fabricated out of thick aluminum back then, but now I would make them out of titanium. Flukes are much larger, typically 4-7" across. Flukes get more important if you are camping in a place with high wind.

--B.G.--

Pot lids!

Are we talking about lids for "herbs"?

--B.G.--

I wouldn't mind seeing a source of titanium stakes that were longer than 6 inches and had better holding power than the skinny ones on the market. Something on the order of maybe 7.5 to 9 inches. They might have have to be flanged to give them some holding power.