What is your favourite way to suspend your billycan.

Discussion in 'Bushcraft' started by sticks65, Apr 8, 2010.


  1. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    OK the full title of this thread wouldn't fit in the box so here it is again.

    What is your favourite method of hanging your billycan over the fire.

    I use a crane type set up as mostly i camp out on my own and usually only cook with one pot.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Please describe your favourite method and add photos if possible.
     
    Enokiprepper and Ganado like this.
  2. hog

    hog Drinking Mampoer.

  3. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    I see Ray has been watching my videos again.[lolol]
     
  4. hog

    hog Drinking Mampoer.

    He was the best student I ever had.[respect]
     
  5. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Wow nobody on the forum uses billycans or suspends them over the fire when they go camping?

    Does anyone even go camping?
    scratchchin. poke[1]. shrug.
     
  6. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    I use crane or place them directly on the coals (depending on what I am trying to achieve).
     
  7. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I use a Kelly Kettle for most of my purposes.
     
    Enokiprepper likes this.
  8. pcc

    pcc Monkey+

    guess I'm too used to creature comforts. I use one similar to this, mine doesn't have the charcoal tray

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    Kelly Kettle is a handy thing. I usually use some variation of your crane or a spit between two forks; just depends on what is handiest and the duration of my stay, purpose of the fire, etc. I rarely do an open fire just to boil a hot drink, preferring a small alcoholic stove or Kelly. If we are doing a big camp, there is usually a large coffee pot going on the fire but it is more a social thing than anything and is usually on the grate that someone lugged along.
     
  10. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Thats a novel idea that i haven't seen before.

    Thanks for posting it,i may have to make a copy.
     
  11. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    Id love to see your variation as its interesting but i get what you saying about using an alcohol stove for a brew.

    Ive not used a kelly kettle but have heard good things.
     
  12. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I just use a small stove and a GI canteen cup for my hot water/food needs. Never cooked over an open fire.

    Interesting technique though.
     
  13. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    This is just my personal preference.... I am anti-stove. There is way too much free fuel laying on the ground for me to carry it anywhere. A small cooking fire is a bit more work, but much more pleasing to the soul.
     
  14. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

  15. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    I prefer direct-fire over stove-cooking any day!
     
  16. tired-medic

    tired-medic Monkey+++

    Though I have no Billycan or Kelly, I usually use a grate or set cast iron on coals. We used to canp when the children were young and often made coffee by placing the pot on rocks beside the fire pit, not the best but it worked.
     
  17. ColtCarbine

    ColtCarbine Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Well, I see we have a terminology barrier. Based on your pictures: What you call a billycan, we call a coffee/teapot or kettle and the other just a plain ole' pot.

    Are you sure that isn't a hobo stove and fire? :D
     
  18. sticks65

    sticks65 Monkey++

    This is a billycan,it has been used by railroad works in the UK for well over a hundred years or more and funny enough they also called it a billycan.
    [​IMG]

    This is a kettle,used for boiling water.
    [​IMG]


    Now the OP was about how you suspend your pot,kettle,billycan or what ever else you would like to call it,so lets stay on topic ah.[beat]
     
  19. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Many times used a cake cooling grate to hold up pots. Find some appropriate size rocks and do it to it. (No pix on record, but ---) They don't last long and have to be regarded as expendable. However, anything that makes SWMBO happy ---. (Those days are long gone, haven't camped since well before we parted ways.)
     
  20. ColtCarbine

    ColtCarbine Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Well f*ck me, I guess I replied to the wrong thread with the wrong answer. Sorry for such an off-topic reply.

    Billycan

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Jump to: navigation, search
    <!-- start content --> For the dolls or icons called Billycan, see Billiken - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Billiken.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f8/Billiken.jpg/150px-Billiken.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@en/thumb/f/f8/Billiken.jpg/150px-Billiken.jpg.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Modern billycan on a gas stove


    A billycan, more commonly known simply as a billy or occasionally as a billy can (billy tin in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada), is a lightweight Cookware and bakeware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:pfanne_(Gusseisen).jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Pfanne_%28Gusseisen%29.jpg/220px-Pfanne_%28Gusseisen%29.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/f/f7/Pfanne_%28Gusseisen%29.jpg/220px-Pfanne_%28Gusseisen%29.jpg which is used on a Campfire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="image"><img alt="Question book-new.svg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png or a Portable stove - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Svea_fotogenk%C3%B6k.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Svea_fotogenk%C3%B6k.jpg/220px-Svea_fotogenk%C3%B6k.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/7/70/Svea_fotogenk%C3%B6k.jpg/220px-Svea_fotogenk%C3%B6k.jpg.
    <table id="toc" class="toc"> <tbody><tr> <td> Contents

    [hide]

    </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> </script> [edit] Usage and etymology of the term

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    A traditional billycan on a campfire


    The term billy or billycan is particularly associated with Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Flag_of_Australia.svg" class="image" title="Flag of Australia"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/125px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/125px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png usage, but is also used in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom and Ireland <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">[1]</sup>. Elsewhere, there is no special term for a pot designed for camping use.
    It is commonly accepted that the term "billycan" is derived from the large cans used for transporting bouilli or Corned beef - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Translation_arrow.svg" class="image"><img alt="Translation arrow.svg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Translation_arrow.svg/44px-Translation_arrow.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/2/2a/Translation_arrow.svg/44px-Translation_arrow.svg.png on Australia-bound ships or during exploration of the Outback - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Yalgoo_Shire.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Yalgoo_Shire.jpg/280px-Yalgoo_Shire.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/d/dd/Yalgoo_Shire.jpg/280px-Yalgoo_Shire.jpg, which after use were modified for boiling water over a fire. <sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">[2]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference">[3]</sup>
    In Australia, the billy has come to symbolise the spirit of exploration of the outback. To boil the billy most often means to make Tea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg" class="image"><img alt="Text document with red question mark.svg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg/40px-Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/a/a4/Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg/40px-Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg.png. "Billy Tea" is the name of a popular brand of tea long sold in Australian grocers and supermarkets<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference">[4]</sup>. Billies feature in many of Henry Lawson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Henry_Lawson_photograph_1902.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Henry_Lawson_photograph_1902.jpg/225px-Henry_Lawson_photograph_1902.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/9/93/Henry_Lawson_photograph_1902.jpg/225px-Henry_Lawson_photograph_1902.jpg's stories and poems. Banjo Paterson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Banjo_Patterson.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Banjo_Patterson.jpg/225px-Banjo_Patterson.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/b/b2/Banjo_Patterson.jpg/225px-Banjo_Patterson.jpg's most famous of many references to the billy is surely in the first verse and chorus of Waltzing Matilda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Elderly_swagman.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Elderly_swagman.jpg/220px-Elderly_swagman.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/a/a9/Elderly_swagman.jpg/220px-Elderly_swagman.jpg: "And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled..."
    [edit] Modern billies

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    A billy with integrated heatsink, lifted using a billy-grip


    In recent years, conscious of the important role played by billies in lightweight Backpacking (wilderness) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Backpacking_in_Grand_Teton_NP-NPS.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Backpacking_in_Grand_Teton_NP-NPS.jpg/390px-Backpacking_in_Grand_Teton_NP-NPS.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/2/20/Backpacking_in_Grand_Teton_NP-NPS.jpg/390px-Backpacking_in_Grand_Teton_NP-NPS.jpg and Mountaineering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Summitting_Island_Peak.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Summitting_Island_Peak.jpg/220px-Summitting_Island_Peak.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/5/51/Summitting_Island_Peak.jpg/220px-Summitting_Island_Peak.jpg, much research and innovation has gone into improving their design and performance. Issues include:

    General-purpose pot handles, often called billy-grips, can be bought separately. These have a hinged Pliers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Needle_nose_pliers.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Needle_nose_pliers.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/6/6b/Needle_nose_pliers.jpg-like construction and can be used to grip almost any pot which has a lipped rim. The term "spondonicle" has also been applied to these handles by some Australian users; <sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference">[8]</sup> it is widely understood that the term is derived from a The Three Stooges - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Copyright-problem.svg" class="image"><img alt="Copyright-problem.svg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Copyright-problem.svg/37px-Copyright-problem.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/c/cf/Copyright-problem.svg/37px-Copyright-problem.svg.png Sketch comedy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia where the term is used to refer to a mock Surgical instrument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Various_scalpels.png" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Various_scalpels.png/220px-Various_scalpels.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/9/92/Various_scalpels.png/220px-Various_scalpels.png.
     
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