“Prepare dinner your dinner in your pants” positively feels like a phrase making an attempt to get clicks on the almighty web, however Gossamer Gear’s Crotch Pot really does simply that. The Crotch Pot is a fuel-free, ultralight backpacking range that makes use of your physique warmth to heat up your meals. For those who desire low-effort backcountry cooking and are on the lookout for methods to shave some further grams out of your base weight, the Crotch Pot is price not simply guffawing over, however giving a attempt!
Now, the vast majority of advertising and marketing and kit opinions on the market on the Crotch Pot have admittedly been from a male perspective. Even our beautiful graphic by Mike Clelland that demonstrates the right way to use the Crotch Pot contains a dude with a bulge in his shorts strolling alongside a path. Nonetheless, regardless of these optics, I’m right here to declare that the Crotch Pot is greater than a gag reward exchanged between bros.
Beneath, I share my tackle the Crotch Pot as a lady hiker, together with suggestions and methods for tactics to put on it and when to make use of it.
How I Discovered My Approach to the Crotch Pot
I’m not an ingenious backcountry chef. Once I get to camp, I would like my meals to take as little effort as potential and require even much less clean-up. My go-to dinners and breakfasts, extra occasions than not, are of the just-add-water selection.
Once I heard concerning the Crotch Pot, I assumed it was possibly an April Idiot’s joke, however I used to be additionally intrigued. I favored the thought of having the ability to streamline my cooking course of much more after a protracted day of climbing. It appeared so handy to not even need to trouble with my range and boiling water. As a substitute, I may merely sit down and eat once I received to camp.
I made a decision to provide the Crotch Pot a attempt on a bit hike of the Appalachian Path via Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. I selected Hatch Inexperienced Chile Mac & Cheese from Backpacker’s Pantry as my inaugural Crotch Pot meal. Within the morning, I adopted these easy steps:
- Emptied the meal’s contents right into a Ziploc bag
- Added the required water
- Sealed it up
- Kneaded it to combine the components
- Positioned the Ziploc bag into the Crotch Pot cuben fiber pouch (Notice: new fashions at the moment are made with a coated ultralight Tyvek materials)
- Clipped the Crotch Pot into my working shorts
- Started my hike
We had deliberate a decrease mileage hike—about eight miles from Cosby Knob shelter to Pecks Nook shelter. The temperature was additionally cooler that day. Given these variables, I made a decision to hike the complete day with the Crotch Pot for max cook dinner time, particularly since I used to be nonetheless just a little skeptical of how it might work out. For those who’re climbing in hotter climate or for an extended time frame, you possibly can seemingly wait till the final hour or two of your hike to get your meal positioned.
So, what occurred once I received to camp? Properly, by the tip of the day when my dinner was prepared and I didn’t need to do something however sit down and luxuriate in, I used to be a complete Crotch Pot believer. I even exclaimed to my companions, “I don’t assume I ever need to cook dinner my dinner once more!”
Total, I used to be realizing the fantastic thing about chilly soaking as an possibility basically. And, the Crotch Pot is one very great tool for facilitating that, particularly if you happen to’re wanting so as to add just a little extra heat to your cold-soaked meal. Dinner was scrumptious!
Suggestions, Tips, & Ideas on Cooking Dinner With the Crotch Pot
Chances are you’ll understandably nonetheless have questions concerning the Crotch Pot. My purpose with the tidbits beneath is to reply a few of these and share my predominant takeaways from the expertise.
1. Seems Aren’t Every little thing
I’m going to be sincere, once I pulled the Ziploc bag out of the Crotch Pot, my meal didn’t look significantly appetizing. I’m used to seeing my just-add-water meals from the vantage level of wanting down into an opaque bag, not noticing all of it squished up in opposition to the partitions of stated bag.
Whereas the meal didn’t look all that tasty, it was! As quickly as I scooped some onto my spoon, the meal appeared regular once more and tasted nice. For those who assume the primary look of the meal would possibly wreck your urge for food coming straight out of the Crotch Pot, you possibly can simply repair this by choosing an opaque Ziploc that mimics typical backcountry meal sacks.
2. Sure, It’s Lots Sanitary
Your meals is well-protected out of your precise physique. It has each the Ziploc layer and the coated ultralight Tyvek layer between your meals and also you, plus your clothes layers. With easy clips on the high, it’s additionally simple to take away if you’ll want to take a rest room break.
So, sure, it sounds bizarre, however it really works fairly seamlessly. Like all backcountry cooking, it depends on you making good selections and utilizing hand sanitizer.
3. Goal for a Comfy Match
For smaller just-add-water meals, you possibly can in all probability match the bag it is available in instantly into the Crotch Pot reasonably than transferring the contents to a Ziploc. Nonetheless, the Ziploc makes for a extra snug match. I additionally assume your physique warmth transfers higher with the Ziploc for the reason that materials is thinner, however I’m not a scientist, so don’t take my phrase on that.
4. Finest for Heat Climate Hikes
You’re not going to get a piping scorching meal with the Crotch Pot. On the finish of the day, your physique simply can’t carry water to a boil. What you’re going to get as a substitute is a warm-ish meal.
For that motive, I like to recommend the Crotch Pot for summer time climbing or backpacking journeys in hotter climates. A Crotch Pot meal won’t be as satisfying within the winter once you’re on the lookout for a scorching meal to heat you up.
5. Sporting It With a Costume Is the Finest
I’m an enormous proponent of climbing attire. They’re snug, maintain you cooler, make pee breaks easy, and look nice. I didn’t need to sacrifice my love of climbing attire for the Crotch Pot, so I got here up with an answer to have the ability to rock each.
I added some working shorts underneath my climbing costume as a Crotch Pot holding pouch, if you’ll, and I discovered that the costume and shorts combo made Crotch Pot use each discreet and trendy. You couldn’t even inform I used to be cooking!
Completely different Methods to Put on the Crotch Pot
Regardless of its advertising and marketing, there are various methods to make use of the Crotch Pot that don’t contain the necessity for a bunch of “beneath the belt” jokes. For those who’d like to provide it a attempt, however aren’t bought on housing it in your pants, listed below are a spread of choices:
- Sports activities bra: That is one other space that generates loads of warmth for the Crotch Pot and may maintain your meal securely positioned all through your hike.
- Kangaroo pouch: For those who’re sporting a comfortable layer with a kangaroo-style pocket, you possibly can slide your Crotch Pot in there for cooking and storage.
- Operating shorts with a costume, skirt, or kilt: As I discussed above, I integrated some working shorts to function a solution to safe my Crotch Pot whereas sporting a climbing costume.
- Clipped into pants: That is the unique solution to put on the Crotch Pot. You utilize the 2 small carabiners on the high of the bag to clip the Crotch Pot to belt loops in your climbing pants, tucking the meal into your pelvic space for optimum heating.
- Hanging in your pack: On a scorching summer time day, the Crotch Pot will in all probability work simply as properly clipped to the outside of your pack the place it may well warmth within the afternoon solar. That is very true for trails with uncovered ridgelines and little tree cowl.
Finally, you’re the one one who can resolve your most well-liked solution to put on the Crotch Pot. Check out totally different choices that really feel each snug and safe when you’re climbing and that place your meal in a means that advantages from the warmth that both you or that mighty solar are producing.
Make Backpacking Meal Prep Simple With the Crotch Pot
For those who’re a low-motivation backcountry chef like me, the Crotch Pot could make your just-add-water meals even easier! Seize yours immediately to expertise an elevated chilly soak expertise.
Wish to be a part of the Crotch Pot Recipe Membership? Share your favourite Crotch Pot meals with us by tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and utilizing the hashtag #takelessdomore. You too can share your suggestions and methods for a way, the place, and when to put on it!
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