End of an Era: The last ultralight backpacking Heineken beer can cooking pot

Now that they're becoming unavailable, here's how to turn a Heineken 24 oz. keg can into a boiling billy with a removable top...using a side-cutting can opener. The can weighs 2 oz and costs $2.50--beer included. A 32 oz. (0.9 liter) titanium pot weighs 4.9 oz and costs $45 at REI--with no beer! Although the Heineken "keg cans" are best, they are no longer available being imported to the USA. I had to go to 4 liquor stores to find one at all. Fosters beer cans also work but aren't quite as dent-resistant. Just fill the pot with water, put the top on and put it in the fire....boiling water in 3 or 4 minutes. With the top off in your pack, you can fill the can with socks or tea bags or even a silnylon rain poncho. Make yourself a classic Heineken beer pot and crush-resistant storage can while you're still able!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• ultralight. backpacking
• beer can. cooking pot
• home-made
• aluminum
• inexpensive
• can opener
• lid
• side cutting
• camping
• cooking
• boiling billy
• boiling pot
• back country
• Heineken
• beer
• removable lid

[hemna]

nobody drinks that crap beer anyway.

[djbarryiii]

@hemna  Maybe we didn't drink it, but we all used the cans for camping pots!

[scott98390]

Dude, you've no idea how to pour beer. :-) Love the idea, though.

[djbarryiii]

@scott98390 Yoe are so right about that! I really did waste a few ounces making this vid...but, hey, it wasall for the public good....

[BrokenAeroVT]

@djbarryiii A simple tilt of the mug and pour slowly on the side prevents the build up of head. So what's replacing the 24 oz Heiny can? Won't see me grieving over the old can though. Boiling in a plastic coated can eventually browns the plastic where the water isn't touching it. I kinda cringe at the thought of filling my body with flakes of degrading plastic, especially considering that it's laced with a hormone.

[djbarryiii]

@BrokenAeroVT Well, I have to admit that you have a good point about the plastic.  On the positive side,though, the extrogen analogs in the plastic may help us wild men get more in touch with our feminine side. Right, girls?

[BrokenAeroVT]

@djbarryiii ...or grow boobs.

[rainbowhiker]

@Scigeek87 The indented ring at the bottom of the can is really hard to clean. That's MY main reason for not using them any more. You see I cook in my pots, not just boil water. It upset me, too, that they quit making them. Now it seems we're all prone to using the same sort of cans for our new lightweight cooking post. Rats! Ingenuity & creativity will come around again. Like I said, I use my BlueDiamond almonds can more than any other cooking pot, these days. 1&1/3 cups. It's small but works.

[djbarryiii]

@rainbowhiker I hadn't heard that explanation.  I guess I'll have to sue them now for taking the cans off the market!

[rainbowhiker]

I was dissapointed to didcover they aren't makig these 24 oz. cans anymore. Heineken got wind that people were using them for cooking pots in the outdoor communities and that must have scared the local lawyers into protective action. I still have two left, even though I seldome use 'em, these days. I use to cook in pots, but they were too hard to clean so I use a stainless billy can or cup and a third Blue Diamon Almond can to cook food in with my own desiged slow cooker alcohol stoves. Thanks.