I am about to receive a Trekmate flameless cooker (impending birthday gift from the DW) and it looks like a pretty hot, and useful, item, at least in the right situation - there are a number of occasions where producing usable cooking heat without flame could be quite significant. While not ultralight, this unit weighs 348 grams (12.2 oz) with a rectangular tray holding food with a capacity of 850 ml, quite adequate for a serving or two. Use is simple - pour water on the heating packet in the lower chamber, load the upper chamber with chow, seal the top, and wait about ten minutes or so. I think it will definitely prove useful.

Just a couple of questions. Instructions on the heating packets are explicit about using it only in well ventilated spaces, but they give no specifics. Are there noxious byproducts? The packets can be disposed of in normal trash, but the company literature or website are silent on just what is being discarded.

I know there are MRE flameless heaters and I believe at least one other civilian version. How do they all compare? Any experiences? I will probably have more to say once I officially receive this gadget net week. Until then, where is Hikin' Jim when you need him????

One other thing - Trekmate is a Brit company - the alert reader can tell right away because their product reviewers drive lorries and spend quid - whatever they are.....

Expensive to buy.
Expensive to run.
Slow to heat.
Heavy.

Just use a Zestotherm (MRE) flameless heater in a padded mail envelope instead.

I've not been too impressed with the MRE heaters.

After handling the Trekmates Flameless Cooking system, the conclusion was that the trekmates Flamless Cooking system was indeed expensive to buy, expensive to run, slow to heat (not any slower than the Zestotherm MRE heaters) and heavy (especially if operating in an arid area). The main downside is the expense. But then again the Zestothem MRE heaters are expensive as well when purchased in the UK. Two Quid a piece.

The high power 50g Trekmates Heatpacks will produce more heat than the Zestotherm MRE heaters and will have a similar purchase price in the UK.

Using the 50g heatpacks with a Addis 502263 Clip cover food case with boil in bag products such as

http://www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk/Page/Index.aspx

and a pouch of Uncle Bens Basmati Rice (you should be able to sufficently heat 2 pouches at once.)

The main problem of producing water hot enough to make a decent cup of tea still remains a real problem though.


BTW you can use a conventional compressed gas cooker inside a tent. i.e. jetboil etc

Hikermor,
I have no intimate familiarity with the trekmate, but I did get to use plenty of MRE flameless heaters, both as a Naval Reservist and when camping and fishing in Georgia. The issue with flameless heaters is hydrogen gas given off during the exothermic reaction. They also will produce steam which some may take for smoke. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flameless_ration_heater

It might be just what you need but why do you think you need it?
If it is just cuz, well that's fine but do you really intend to take it
camping or hiking?
If it is just for home or car use then other means of heating products
will be more cost effective and quicker/easier.
If you ever saw my stove collection you would know
just cuz often works for me.

Yes, indeed, one would desire a well ventilated environment....Thank you for the information

I generally cook with my MSR Pocket Rocket or various Esbit or alcohol contraptions when I really want to go light. However, there are times when any kind of flame is a no-no. One would be the aftermath of an earthquake,with many disruptions, including ruptured gas lines. Another would be those times in the western US when the forests become tinder dry, and open flames are banned. Of course, those are also good times to eschew hiking and launch the sea kayaks.

I project a flameless cooker or two as a nice backup to conventional methods, handy for special circumstances. It will be interesting to see how well the unit works...

BTW, just how much is a "quid" (the monetary unit, not the thing you chew).....?

A "quid" is one British pound ... its slang, like referring to a dollar as a "buck." Currently a pound is worth about $1.50 in US or Canadian dollars.

Looks like my habit of watching British tv finally came in handy .

I buy flameless cookers from:

http://evaq8.co.uk/FLAMELESS-RATION-HEATER-Turns-A-Wet-Meal-Into-A-Self-Heating-Meal.html

A few dozen at a time and therefore pay £1.19 or $1.84 each.

I find one cooker will easily heat two of the "Look What We Found' (one is really not enough) and a pack of Basmati rice in a used lightweight Jiffy bag slipped into my jacket pocket to a temperature too hot to eat. The trick is to leave enough time, 18-20 minutes is about right. Tea is boiling water in a flask and teabags for a fresh cuppa.

The whole pack may then be discarded, nothing to take home.

My main use is for a one day excursion to Bisley. This setup fits the bill as it is flexible and hassle free.

But when walking I use a Trangia and car camping a suitcase gas stove. Horses for courses but I found the Trekmates just too far outside the envelope to keep and use, just not value for money or for our US cousins 'bang for the buck'.

Just as a by the bye, I understand a full size shipping container of MRE heaters exploded. It obviously had many thousands of heaters inside and as they slowly degraded the Hydrogen they gave off accumulated and something ignited it. Not likely to happen to the ordinary person though.

http://www.cargolaw.com/2001nightmare_mre2.html

...and the thing you chew is a cud, if you are a ruminant.

http://www.amazon.com/MRE-Flameless-Heat...rds=mre+heaters
Hikermor, found this on Amazon. 24 heaters for 42 bucks

Yeah! Where is that guy?? Sheesh.

Oh, wait, that's me.

Seriously though, I haven't had a lot of experience with flameless ration heaters. The only ones I've used are the US military ones that come with MRE's. They work, and it's an extremely clever idea. I was a little turned off by the amount of trash left over. The expense and weight have already been mentioned as has the lack of flexibility -- they will heat a packet of food, but they're not much for boiling water for treatment (or just for a cuppa).

My overall impression was that they weren't very practical, but in places where stoves are forbidden, I can see their clear utility.

For something like a GHB (or the like) that you'd put in a car trunk, hmm. Not sure they'd be stable. And (potentially) hydrogen gas in an enclosed space right near a heat source (the exhaust system). Dunno about that. For trunk kits, my money is on ESBIT type fuels.

For travel, I'm not sure if flameless heater kits are acceptable on airlines. I wouldn't allow them if it were up to me, but there may be a loophole in the regs here. Still, would you really want to bring something on an airplane that could emit a highly flammable gas (hydrogen)? That's not sounding like a good idea.

How about sea kayaking? Or river rafting? That might be an application where they'd be good. They can be sealed into a dry bag fairly compactly. Might give you a nice hot meal. I think an ESBIT stove might do just as well, but I could see flameless ration heaters as having utility here.

Just my thoughts. I'll be interested in hearing about how they work in practice. I think they'd look really good next to photos of a classic Primus 71.

HJ