Testing the Kelly Kettle

Sometimes there appears a piece of kit that is so simple and ingenius you wonder why no one else thought of it before.  This is such a piece of kit.

Kelly Kettles were invented by Irish fishermen so they could have a cuppa tea, using just a few

 tufts of grass and a few pieces of driftwood.  It's basically small firepan (that stores in the bottom of the kettle) with a chimney up the center of a small teapot.  The water is in a jacket surrounding the chimney.  Once you start a little fire, you toss a few more sticks in the top of the volcano top.  This is an efficient little system.  I wanted to find out how efficient it really is.

I wanted to use a fuel that would be readily available in a boreal environment where this kettle might be used, so I gathered this small pile of pinecones.  The test was to see how long it would take 2 cups exactly of cold tap water to come to a rolling boil.  

From match to rolling boil was exactly 3 minutes, 15 seconds.  Not bad. Here's proof.

So basically, this is a Jetboil that runs on sticks and pinecones.  Environmental impact - minimal.  Fossil fuels burned - zero.  Convenience - pretty good, actually.  Am I replacing my stoves?  Nope, but this is a great addition if you want the convenience of hot water for a cup of tea at lunch without dragging out and setting up a stove.

Now to get a wholesale account so I can spread these far and wide in the canoeing community.

Respectfully submitted,

      Canoelover