#231803 - 09/10/11 04:13 AM
One foil to rule them all
|
Veteran
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1580
|
I was going to post an inquiry to the tin foil thread about where to get extra heavy duty aluminum foil, but then someone mentioned titanium foil. Hmm, interesting, so I looked its pros and cons, and found this on < http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/titanium-foil-windscreen.html>: Advantages of Titanium Foil. Springy material rolls easily for better storage and more precise and even ventilation around the cookpot. Can be made thinner for far more strength and heat resistance than aluminum, and for far less weight than stainless steel foils.
Disadvantages of Titanium Foil. While titanium foil can be folded, it will not regain its shape after folding, and it cannot be "crushed." The plot thickens!!! Now there is stainless steel foil???  A malleable metallic foil seems like such a basic and useful thing, that I propose to have a separate thread to honor this basic survival tool. (I was also thinking of upgrading from my basic heavy duty aluminum foil anyway.) So let's have a discussion: what kind of foil is best, and where can we get it?Thus far, I see a few candidates: 1. Heavy duty aluminum foil. Recommended on ETS. You can get this at the bigger supermarkets. 2. Extra heavy duty aluminum foil. It seems available through professional kitchen supply stores at 100 yard lengths or some such industrial length. Costly at that price. I couldn't find a source for just 5 yards. 3. Titanium foil4. Stainless steel foil5. Kyptonite foil? Adamantium foil? Taking nominations. So, does anyone have experience using any of this stuff? Da Bing
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231806 - 09/10/11 04:45 AM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
|
Drat! Foiled again! (sorry, I just had to say that) I've got some Ti foil, a BackpackingLight Ti windscreen. I'll have to dig it out and look at it. I haven't had it out for a while. The problem with Ti is the expense. Al foil is cheap and readily available. Seems like the most viable option honestly. You can get various grades all the way up to "crafter's foil" which is the approximate gauge MSR, Primus, etc. use for windscreens for their stoves. Steel is heavy and is not very flexible. Steel foil tends to be difficult to work with, and it's a great way to cut yourself. It's more like a shim than the flexiness of Al that we're all used to. I don't think steel is a very viable option. I've got a steel windscreen on my MSR Capillary Force Vaporizer stove. It's great as long as you just unroll it and use it as a windscreen, but no way could you make a water tight boiling vessel out of it. Of course there's always Unobtanium, which is the perfect material for nearly everything.  HJ
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231808 - 09/10/11 05:29 AM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Veteran
Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
|
I've been using a Ti windscreen from titaniumgoat.com. Rolls up nicely and is plenty durable. I use clothespins or paperclips to adjust the size. Much better than my home made aluminum windscreens.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231811 - 09/10/11 06:14 AM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Enthusiast
Registered: 11/19/09
Posts: 295
Loc: New Jersey
|
I use aluminum drier duct, the rigid kind that's used to go thru walls, not the flimsy accordion duct, with my alcohol stoves and bottle cup. I just wish I could find larger than 4" diameter. 6" would be ideal.
I like that the interlocking seam can be separated so you can re-roll the duct to fit inside a bottle cup or cookset, then it springs back and can be interlocked again, or even spread out to leave one side open to accommodate larger cooksets.
_________________________
2010 Jeep JKU Rubicon | 35" KM2 & 4" Lift | Skids | Winch | Recovery Gear | More ...
'13 Wheeling: 8 Camping: 6 | "The trail was rated 5+ and our rigs were -1" -Evan@LIORClub
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231820 - 09/10/11 03:19 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Mark_M]
|
Old Hand
Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
|
Dryer duct, and taking materials from the US strategic reserve of titanium - what's wrong with turkey basting pan? Its thick, can be cut to any size, and lasts for years. If you don't like your screen you can start over easy enough. And its available at any grocery store for a couple dollars.
I just don't see the need for heavier, lighter or far more expensive alternatives. I've always made my stove wind screens from inexpensive, cut up turkey basting pans.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231825 - 09/10/11 04:27 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
|
Personally, I would rather just carry a pot. It's far sturdier, much more dependable, is useful for lots of things, and it can hold some of your stuff. Granted, it won't fit in an Altoids tin...
Sue
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231826 - 09/10/11 04:33 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Susan]
|
Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
|
Okay, split the difference between aluminum foil and a bulky, one-piece cup: collapsing aluminum cup Sue
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231832 - 09/10/11 05:11 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Journeyman
Registered: 04/13/10
Posts: 98
|
I know a lot of knifemakers use stainless foil to wrap the blades when they are hardening them. Keeps them from being exposed to oxygen when they are hot which will decarburize the surface of the steel (and just make a mess which takes longer to sand it clean). I personally haven't used it, so I can't comment to the foldability/durability, but it will withstand REALLY high temps, which aluminum foil won't.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231848 - 09/10/11 09:03 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Newbie
Registered: 01/28/11
Posts: 26
|
I was going to post an inquiry to the tin foil thread about where to get extra heavy duty aluminum foil, but then someone mentioned titanium foil. Hmm, interesting, so I looked its pros and cons, and found this on < http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/titanium-foil-windscreen.html>: Advantages of Titanium Foil. Springy material rolls easily for better storage and more precise and even ventilation around the cookpot. Can be made thinner for far more strength and heat resistance than aluminum, and for far less weight than stainless steel foils.
Disadvantages of Titanium Foil. While titanium foil can be folded, it will not regain its shape after folding, and it cannot be "crushed." The plot thickens!!! Now there is stainless steel foil??? A malleable metallic foil seems like such a basic and useful thing, that I propose to have a separate thread to honor this basic survival tool. (I was also thinking of upgrading from my basic heavy duty aluminum foil anyway.) So let's have a discussion: what kind of foil is best, and where can we get it?Bingley I like the idea of specific forums. In all actuality you could one for each of the 7 needs, fire, water, shelter foil etc. I think it would help the forum become a little more easy to navigate through posts. Just a thought. Thus far, I see a few candidates: 1. Heavy duty aluminum foil. Recommended on ETS. You can get this at the bigger supermarkets. 2. Extra heavy duty aluminum foil. It seems available through professional kitchen supply stores at 100 yard lengths or some such industrial length. Costly at that price. I couldn't find a source for just 5 yards. 3. Titanium foil4. Stainless steel foil5. Kyptonite foil? Adamantium foil? Taking nominations. So, does anyone have experience using any of this stuff? Da Bing
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#231849 - 09/10/11 09:12 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: kristina27]
|
Geezer
Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
|
Because of the high temp capabilities and high resistance to corrosion, I ordered up some of the Ti foil. Pricey, but I have a few potential uses.
Unlike aluminum foil, Ti foil will not be a consumable/throwaway.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#232190 - 09/15/11 02:39 PM
Re: One foil to rule them all
[Re: Bingley]
|
Addict
Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 450
|
For the money, it's hard to beat regular old heavy duty aluminum foil. For years, I used a long sheet folded over several times as a nice compact, lightweight, durable, and effective windscreen for my little Trangia alcohol stove. Then I found regular small sheets of aluminum flashing. That makes an even better windscreen. Curve it to the shape you want, slightly tighter actually, and it will spring tightly around the base of whatever pot/burner combo you're using.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
|
|
0 registered (),
752
Guests and
16
Spiders online. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Previous Topic
Index
