Hot Cans - Anyone tried them??

[katilea]

spotted these online when looking for meals that just needed hot water. No microwave or reheating needed?? Not sure how much they cost but maybe a good thing to have a couple of cans incase of powercuts that went on for long or happened after camping gaz had been used up?

http://www.hotcan.com/instructions.html

[pseudonym]

spotted these online when looking for meals that just needed hot water. No microwave or reheating needed?? Not sure how much they cost but maybe a good thing to have a couple of cans incase of powercuts that went on for long or happened after camping gaz had been used up?

http://www.hotcan.com/instructions.html

TBH they aren't worth the money katilea, they are small tins with an internal heating system which can in some instances not work at all.

Save your money and buy more tins from Tesco and a couple extra gas canisters.

[Jamesey1981]

I would be inclined to agree, I used to keep pots of self heating coffee in my car, did the job just about for a warm drink with a lot of caffeine to perk you up on a long drive but didn't get all that hot, cost about as much as a coffee from a service station and a huge amount of the container (more than half) was taken up with the quicklime and water that heats it up.
If you really want self heating food then go for the military MREs, the self heating ones are expensive but you get a good amount of calorie dense food that's tried and tested, but I would say you'd be better served buying extra fuel and either getting more tins, buying freeze dried hiking food (also expensive) that just needs hot water or (preferred option for taste and cost purposes) cooking and dehydrating your own just add water meals. I dehydrate a lot of meals both to store and for hunting and camping trips in a dehydrator that I got for less than 30 quid on Amazon, not the best quality and won't last forever, but it's paid for itself several times over in beef jerky alone!
Guy on YouTube called babelfish5, he does a series called "The hungry hammock hanger" he does a load of recipes for dehydrating, I've tried a couple of his, they're good and well worth trying, and once you know what you can and can't dehydrate safely it's easy to come up with your own.

[gunner7]

TBH these hotcans have proved to be worth their weight in gold for ME. I'm not saying that they are for every one but I have kept a couple of meals and a couple of drinks in my car for emergency. When I got stuck for five hours in a traffic jam I had a hot meal. After spending a whole day in the wilds of Scotland I had a hot drink when I got back to my car. Yes, I could have kept a gas cooker, some water, coffee, powdered milk and sugar in my car and then made a hot drink, but I find it easier to have self heating drinks, not to mention that these drinks can be prepared in my car whereas I wouldn't want to start boiling water inside my car.

[BadgerSE]

Ive had these before at work. They are not amazing to be honest but they serve a purpose I suppose. Wouldn't buy lots of them - they are expensive for what they are.

And yea as previously said British MOD ration packs and US MRE'S are a better investment if that's the sort of thing you're after. Also mountain house stuff is relatively tasty.

[Alloneword]

And yea as previously said British MOD ration packs and US MRE'S are a better investment if that's the sort of thing you're after. Also mountain house stuff is relatively tasty.

That's nice to know my order of MH has just turned up today along with 3 freebie packs to try, i guess they were free as use by date is 2020, some of the other stuff i bought was 2023 i think, so will be testing those for taste over the next week or two


All1

[Appin]

I tried the HotCans a few years ago. They have been around since the 1980s and I came across them when doing some SCUBA diving in my youth. Some people used them post dive - sitting in an inflatable was not the place to try and use a stove!

They did not impress. As an emergency back up in my car i did keep a few as like others stuck in a 5 hour jam hot food even if only modestly warm was nice.

I have tried these instead very like MREs. http://www.hotpackmeals.co.uk/

Heating was better and the range is better.

Like any prep they can have a use but are not fantastic.

Appin

[Jan Smits]

Never saw the point to the drinks myself, but the meals have their uses on an overnight hike where I really can't be doing with taking a stove. I wouldn't bother at home though.

Katilea - bulgur wheat, rice noodles (the thin ones), and couscous are all good for pour on water, cover, and leave to stand for a while. I don't think any of them are very appetising on their own (I don't think couscous is ever appetising, but that is my taste), but you can add various things. The noodles go well with the instant miso soup you can get, or put frozen peas and corn in with the bulgur and they defrost in that time too, and you can add stock, herbs, whatever you like. Not sure any of these make a full meal, but they are quick and relatively easy. Hope that's useful.

[sniper 55]

They might come in handy in a situation where you cant heat up food by other means (the self heating mre's are better) but the hot cans we tried didn't get very hot, but better than nothing.

[Yorkshire Andy]

as I wouldn't want to start boiling water inside my car.

If like any prepper you keep your car topped up with fuel you can't beat a 12v heating element or a travel kettle (must run the engine tho)

Food pouch on manifold heat shield.....


2 birds with one stone