Question: Haveyou got a useul gadget?

Posted on 19 Mar 2013 09:55

As long as I can remember I have been a fan of useful gadgets. In 1965 when I was serving with the army in Benghazi I was introduced to the “Benghazi Burner”. This was basically a metal cylinder about 10 inches (250mm) diameter and about 3 feet (900mm) tall. It had a 2 inch (50mm) pipe up the centre. Both ends were closed off with a welded plate leaving a filler hole near the top to pour water in. (The water was in the hollow space between the inner pipe and the outer cylinder). Set into the top opposite the filler hole was a simple spout. The heat source was a fabricated metal box approximately 8 inches (200mm) square with sides approximately 2 inches (50mm) high.

To use it you; filled the box with sand, poured a cup of petrol over the sand, filled the container with water (it held about 4½ gallons / 20 litres), lit the fire and placed the water container on top. The flames roared up the inner tube and heated the water to boiling point in about 5 minutes. When you wanted hot water you put your bowl under the spout and poured more cold water in at the top, this ensured that nobody took hot water without topping it up. I must admit that filling the sand container with more petrol could be a bit dodgy; however we got round that by having 2 sand containers.

We used to make these as and when we needed them and over the years I made, or instigated the making of quite a few. I had often thought of having a smaller one made in stainless steel for use when camping. Imagine my glee when I actually found a company that makes something very similar? It is called a “Kelly Kettle”. Other names are “Ghillie” or Volcano” Kettle.

Perhaps I have not explained it very well but a picture speaks a thousand words so if I have wetted your appetite please go to Amazon and type in “Kelly Kettle”. One word of advice! They are available in stainless steel or aluminium so if you order one be careful to ensure it is the material that you want. The 1.5 litre stainless steel version is around £55- and the same size aluminium one is around £45-.

You might think that you don’t need one of these as you boil all your water on the gas hob, That’s your choice, all I can say is that they are brilliant and if you buy one you will wander how you ever got along without it. You can also buy cooking pots to use in conjunction with the kettle.

Have you got a favourite gadget?

Rep
134

alan Myland

5 Bronze Badges

1 Silver Badge

9 Forum Questions

30 Forum Replies

No Followers

No Campsite Reviews

No Photos

Report Post

No Answers