For those who’ve ever run out of fuel mid-hike, the On Observe Meals Flameless Heater Bag guarantees to get you out of hassle, providing a easy, flame-free technique to warmth up your dinner if you’re off-grid and out of choices. We despatched one to Explorer Joanna to learn how it really works.
Each out of doors Explorer can agree that there’s nothing worse than working out of fuel or not with the ability to mild your range if you’re out within the components. This nifty product from Australian-owned On Observe Meals is a Flameless Heater Bag that will help you out whereas on the path.
I took one with me on an in a single day journey to Binna Burra to determine the way it works, the professionals and cons, and to eat a scrumptious dinner. Let’s see what occurred!
Realising you’re out of gas after mountaineering up for the proper view can be the worst…until you had a flameless heater bag | @aesthetics.of.journey
How does the Flameless Heater Bag work?
The On Observe Flameless Heater Bag is named an MRE heater, which is a type of self-heating meals packaging. An analogous product is utilized by the U.S. army to reheat ready-to-eat rations (MRE = Meals Prepared-To-Eat).
It’s a single-use bag that offers you the choice to prepare dinner your ready-to-eat meal in beneath ten minutes, with no range, and utilizing simply 50ml of water. Whaaaaat?!
Every bag incorporates a mixture of aluminium powder, calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and calcium oxide that reacts with water to generate warmth, reaching temperatures as much as 100°C. Maintain this in thoughts if you open your heated sachet otherwise you’re on observe for a buuuurn. You additionally want to attend for the bag to chill earlier than disposing of it in a daily rubbish bin.
Fortunately, the heater bag itself is easier to make use of than understanding the way it works. Right here’s what you do:
- Contained in the ziplock heater bag is a heating pad
- Unwrap the plastic from across the heating pad (newer luggage received’t have plastic because it’s being phased out) and place it again within the ziplock bag together with your sealed ready-made meal, ensuring the heating pad sits behind the meal bag
- Add 50-60ml of water to the indicator line on the ziplock bag
- Seal the bag utilizing the ziplock, ensuring the bag is standing upright and leaning in opposition to one thing sturdy in order that steam can escape from the little holes on the prime
- Wait 7-10 minutes earlier than unzipping
- Take pleasure in!
That is what it seems to be like earlier than you seal it up
When is a Flameless Heater Bag the only option?
There’s nothing worse than on the finish of a protracted day discovering that you simply can not get your fuel burner to mild or that – cue panic! – you’ve run out of fuel. This case is the place the Flameless Heater Bag shines.
It’s a fantastic possibility for mountaineering in nationwide parks with hearth restrictions, in locations you’re not allowed any flame or fuel stoves, when the climate is atrocious, otherwise you’re simply quick on water. It’s additionally a comparatively light-weight backup in case you run out of fuel.
Need some meal inspiration? The We Are Explorers staff style examined the total vary of On Observe Meals!
No range? No worries, simply observe the directions and also you’ll have scorching meals in a scorching ten (minutes)
Execs & Cons
Did it warmth my meal? Sure. Was it as scorching as I anticipated? No, nevertheless it was undoubtedly heat and I nonetheless loved my spag bol. I wasn’t positive what to anticipate with this, and it was entertaining to look at the bag nearly come alive, as steam billowed out the highest.
Piping scorching steam billowing out the highest
After ten minutes or so you possibly can fastidiously open the ziplock again and verify if the ready-made meal is heated up sufficient. If it’s not fairly scorching sufficient (I’ll have been a contact impatient!), then place it again within the bag for a bit of longer.
Execs
- Light-weight – weighs simply 10g
- You’ll be able to put two ready-to-eat meals in a single bag
- You should use these luggage to prepare dinner something that may stand up to temperatures as much as 100°C
- The bag stays scorching for a protracted whereas, so if it’s chilly you possibly can wrap it up and use it as a hand hotter or place it in your sleeping bag as a scorching water bottle – properly wrapped up in fact!
Cons
- The baggage are single-use solely and made from plastic
- Can’t be taken on a business airplane in both cabin or checked baggage (annoying for interstate hikes)
- Must be propped up properly because it expands in a short time and can tip over
Sizzling meal. No fuel. Is that this the way forward for camp cooking?
Eager to provide them a go?
Seize particular person Flameless Heater Baggage from Wild Earth for simply $3.45. Or head to Ultralight Hiker the place a pack of 5 retails for $16.20.
