On a whim I added a stainless steel foil pouch to my last order for McMaster-Carr. They are used to protect metal parts during heat treating. The foil is only .002" thick but it is infinitely more robust than aluminum foil.

It has VERY sharp edges. I carefully folded over the foil on three sides with some pliers. There's not much you can do with the open end, so I would advise against trying to drink directly from it.

I used a needle to poke a small hole on each side of the open end to thread with some snare wire as a bail. The pouch I tried is 2.5"x5" and when puffed open, it holds just over 1/4 cup. A one of the wider sizes would probably be better, even if you cut it down to be shorter.

Here's a short video clip of the pouch in use: Ultimate PSK Water Boiling Container

As you can see, the edges are cool enough to hold within seconds of taking it out of the fire.

What do you think?

Very nice! Can you carry it for some period of time in your PSK to see how it will withstand wear? Any ideas for the sharp edge cover? Perhaps a piece of duct tape will do?

I was wondering about the pouch one of these comes in:

http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324:best-glide-ace-emergency-ration-pack&catid=36:misc-gear&Itemid=57

I think you are on to something that may prove viable... let it withstand the abuse of being part of your kit, and see how it stands up to that.


I suggest you make it just large enough to fit into whatever PSK container you're using - i.e. just a bit smaller than that container. You can also use tape (duct tape, electrician's tape) along the edges to prevent them from slicing up your gear. If you find a tape flavor of your liking, it may even prove helpful for drinking....

That one looks like a plain plastic. I doubt it will allow to boil water. Especially having the aluminum cooking pan in it for that purpose.

Looks interesting. On the subject of containers for boiling water, why don't kit makers just give us a kit with a container that opens only on one end? Sure, capacity wouldn't be fantastic, but being able to easily boil small amounts of water to empty into a plastic bag from your kit seems like a good idea.

Like a metal bandaid box?

I'm saving a foil CapriSun juice pouch for experimenting with as soon as possible. Have to convince the wife it's worth starting a fire to see if it can boil water without too much detriment. Has anyone tried this technique and succeeded?

I thought these were made of plastic (mylar?). Then again, on one of the survival guy cable shows, the guy showed you can boil water in a regular PET plastic bottle if you're careful about how close you get it to the fire.

I'm liking the metal Band-Aid box idea. Not much capacity but it would make a good PSK carrier and it's pocket-carry friendly. Rust would be a concern, as they are not stainless steel. Do they still make them? I can't remember seeing one in a long time.

What's the reason for a tiny amount of boiling water? I'm curious because for either melting snow or re-hydrating meals you don't need boiling and 1/2 c at a time is slow; and for water purification it's also slow.