I wasn't sure weather to put this thread under multiple use gear or MYOG, because its a little of both. anyways i am making a pot cozie out of reflectix for my SP trek 700 pot. I've been thinking about making a 2 part design with a removable bottom so i can use the part of reflectix that will wrap around the side of the cup as a wind screen while i cook. when i am done cooking i will be able to attach the bottom piece and make the side piece fit the cup with velcro. I have never worked with reflectix before so i am wondering how it will stand up the the heat of my cat can stove. if it is going to get ruined after a few uses i will just carry my old wind screen and make normal one piece cozie. any info on reflectix or this idea would be appreciated, thanks!
-Greg

Hi Greg,

The idea of dual use on any piece of gear is a good way to lighten the pack load.

When I first read your post the first thought that came to my mind was wind. You are talking about using reflectix as a windscreen material. This material is inherently light.

Will the wind move around your cozy / windscreen and push it too close to the heat of the stove's heat and flame?

The shiny side will definitely reflect the heat but I wonder about the plastic bubbles in-between the two shiny sides. Will they survive the proximity to the heat of the stove. Your air gap and stability will be critical.

Others have used CCF pads as windscreens and some have even made them out of silnylon and staked them out around their stoves. Both of these have the same issue with the air gap distance to avoid damaging the material.

Party On,

Newton

thanks john,

the bubbles on the inside are also one of my concerns. i haven't gotten the reflectix yet so i'm not sure of the thickness/durability of it. my current windscreen is just folded aluminum foil so i ususally have to stake it down with sticks or rocks like you said.

i am also thinking that since the refectix will be the same diameter as my pot it may not be the most efficient wind screen either.

luckily reflectix is cheap enough that i can just order some extra so i can try it out!

Post your results with pictures if possible.

Inquiring minds want to know and eyes like to see. ;-)

Much good luck

Party On,

Newton

Greg, I was going to use the wraparound lid of my cozy with a super cat stove, but found that it melts pretty easily. The innards of reflectix are just bubble wrap, and as soon as the flames reach up around the side of your pot (they do with my Vargo 0.9L), it starts to melt.

Even if your lid didn't melt, if it was large enough to serve as a windscreen, the stove would smother itself to some degree. You need the hot exhaust to move up around the pot and exit at the top.

I'd rather just bring a piece of aluminum foil that I don't need to worry about melting. That said, I encourage you to experiment and share your results! I found a 18" by 25' roll of reflectix at Lowes for about 15 bucks, and the tape was another $3 or so.

Edited by hope_for_gorilla on 04/05/2012 08:28:10 MDT.

Points for thinking outsIde the box, but I think it will move with the wind and will burn. Seems too hazardous.

thanks Chris and Dave,

you described exactly what i was thought would make this idea not work, but i may give it a try anyways.

I bought a roll of the stuff and after making a pot cozy, a freezer bag cozy, a sit pad, and reserving some for a possible 'under-the sleeping-pad' layer for winter, I had a bunch left over so I tried this very thing out using a penny stove, as well as a V-8 sized penny stove under a GSI pot that's 4.5" in diameter. Both melted the reflectix in less than a minute. You don't even need to have the flames wrap around and up the side of the pot. The heat of the chimney effect is enough. The mylar layer didn't melt as badly, but the bubble wrap inside was trashed, warping and tearing the mylar.

I made the windscreen with about a 3/4" gap all the way around, and extended maybe 2" up the side of the pot with a small gap under the bottom edge, held off the ground with paperclips.