I have a kettle similar to the Kelly and it does work very well. With a normal billy only the bottom of the pot receives the heat and this head is dispersed via convection through the pot. With the Kelly style there is a huge surface area of pot exposed to the heat, so it boils more quickly and requires less fuel.

After using my kettle I wrap a handful of dry sticks in newspaper and stuff it into the base of the kettle and pop it back into the bag. Then next time I pull it out and light it and it will boil very quickly. Mine holds about 1.5 l. Its great for a quick cuppa in the mornings when we don’t want to light a big fire or bring out a stove. But it is quite bulky and heavy compared to other stoves, so we don’t bring it everywhere – depends on your circumstances.

Incidentally, back in the not so old olden days making a Kelly style kettle was a standard trade school activity for apprentices, so they were around for a long time before they were commercialized. Once tradies were out on a job, they could have a break and make a cuppa !