John Fenna reviews the BCB Crusader Cooking System.
The BCB Crusader Cooking System is not exactly new to the market place, but I have recently had the opportunity to examine the system in depth. It breaks down into the following parts, all of which are available separately or as a complete set in a single package.
- Zulu Belt Pouch (I was trialing a prototype model)
- Crusader Cooker (in plain stainless steel or with a black PTFE non-stick coating)
- Water Bottle and Mug (standard 58 style)
- Crusader Cup Canteen (in plain stainless steel or with a black PTFE non-stick coating)
- Crusader Cup Lid
- Ethanol Eco Gel Fuel
The Zulu Pouch, which will soon be available, will come in woodland DPM, black or green, is made from tough 1,000D Cordura and measures 21x10x14cm with a shaped lid that closes using an adjustable quick release buckle. Inside the lid there is a 7x4x10cm Velcro-closed pocket, while inside the front panel of the pouch there is a part-bellowsed pocket of approximately 16x10cm.
On the sides of the pouch there are D-rings which allow a shoulder strap to be attached, if required, while the back of the pouch is stiffened and padded and has fittings that make it Molle compatible so you can wear it on a belt, or any bit of kit with Molle fittings. The base of the pouch features a large drainage eyelet, all seams are webbing bound and the inside of the pouch has 2 elasticated bands running front to back to stabilise the pouch contents and prevent rattle.
Made to a high standard, the Zulu Pouch takes the rest of the Crusader Cooking System with ease and leaves room for small items (fuel, tea/coffee, spoon etc) but is also an ideal size for other items such as first aid kit or other useful bits of field kit.
The Zulu Belt Pouch is being specifically designed to take the Crusader Cooking System and as yet I do not have a price for the system that includes this pouch.
The next part of this system is the cooking unit, a deceptively simple item that comprises a windshield with a fuel crucible and a folding arm “pot-stand”. On the side from which the arm is hinged there is a small slot that allows air intake and how you position this with regard to any breeze seems to affect how fast the fuel can burn. In transit the pot stand arm folds up out of the way and the cooking unit fits under the base of the Crusader Cup Canteen.
The Crusader Cup Canteen is a robust stainless steel mug with a flared rim and folding wire handles. The cup is shaped to fit on the base of the 58 pattern military style water bottle and has a capacity of 750ml with graduation markings of 0.25L and O.5L stamped into the face of the mug and visible from both inside and out. A very popular mug, the Crusader Cup Canteen is no lightweight at around 290gms, but is almost indestructible and is comfortable to drink from (I have yet to burn my lips on the rim while drinking from it, a problem I have encountered with rolled edge metal mugs).
The Crusader Cup Canteen is pretty much the benchmark by which all metal mugs are judged and is usable as a mug or a cooking pot on an open fire, or in the Crusader Cooking System.
The 58 pattern military style water bottle and plastic mug that come with the cooking system really need no introduction as they are old favourites. Those supplied with the cooking system are stamped “Osprey”, have a NATO stock number and are made of tough plastic, the bottle holding 950ml and having a captive screw cap with a heavy duty seal ring. The 500ml capacity mug fits over the top of the bottle and has folding wire handles. Both mug and bottle are roughly kidney shaped to make them comfortable to carry in a belt pouch, are quality items and weigh around 227g.
The Crusader Cup Lid is a shaped clear plastic item that fits in the top of the Crusader Cup Canteen to keep out dirt and dust, reduce boiling times and to turn the cup into a “sipper” cup to reduce the chance of spillage if you are drinking from it while moving. The lid has a drinking cut-out at the end closest to you if you hold the cup in your right hand, a vent hole in the other and twin “pinch tabs” on top in place of a handle. The lid is a tight fit and can jam in place if you are not careful while cooking, but otherwise does the tasks it was designed for quite well.
The “Green Heat” ethanol gel fuel comes in packs of 12 sachets that are easily packed in the Zulu Pouch, contain about enough fuel fir a 10 minute burn and even the sachet itself can be burnt so there is no waste. The gel itself is eco-friendly, being made from a renewable agricultural source rather than fossil fuels, burns with a clear hot flame, leaves little residue with no toxic fumes and can be extinguished for re-lighting later. Non-toxic and environmentally safe, the fuel is, I feel, superior to solid fuel tablets in may ways.
In use the Crusader Cooking System has proved to be a useful package for use as a brew kit in the field and also as a cooking set when lightweight camping. The complete set fits neatly into its pouch and each sachet of the gel fuel (known to some as “fire snot”) will boil 0.5L of water in approximately 10 minutes without leaving any messy residue (unlike Hexamine sold fuel), or unpleasant odours (Hexi again). The fuel appeared to boil water twice as fast as Hexi in the same conditions in a side-by-side test and seems comparatively well priced.
All items in the system are well made, rugged and hard wearing (though I have heard of the lids snapping as you lever them out of the cup when they jam) and do their jobs well.
The Crusader Cooking System comes as a complete, ready-to-go, out-of-the-bag set for around £43 (£34.95 from Lakeland Bushcraft here), weighs about 1.5kg with around 2 hours fuel, is a good option if you want a simple, rugged “go anywhere” stove/pot/mug/water bottle set and I can see why it is so popular.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This review was originally was originally written for “Gun Mart” magazine.
John Fenna
Apologies John for missing that out of the post. I have included the link in your comment to the magazine.
Great article. Has made me think seriously about the cooking system I ought to get.
I have used the crusader system with both hexi tabs and with the green heat gel. The hexi tabs burn hotter, and boil faster, but stink, spit, (caught my rucksack on fire once!) and leave a residue on your mug. The green heat gel can barely boil a mug of water for a brew, and the sachet really doesnt burn away properly, leaving you with an unpleasant mess in the burner. Having used both I now use a gas stove with the mug. It is clean, lights easily even from a firesteel, boils fast (4 minutes) and the steel gas cannister is recycleable. The weight of the cannister gives you many more brews or cooking times than the same weight of green heat. Gas cannisters are also more easily available in any hardware or camping shop.