UKC

I was thinking of getting a titanium jet boil stove for a mountaineering trip when weight is a serious issue, but jet boil on their website say the you can't use that version to melt snow:

"It cannot withstand the higher temperatures associated with melting snow or cooking food. When used in this manner, the FluxRing can melt or break off causing the cup to become damaged and no longer safe to use. That is why the Titanium cups are designed for WATER BOILING ONLY."

What do you think? What are the chances we'll get away with it if we don't turn it up too high? (!)

In reply to John Alcock:
I think the issue is that snow (and even 'white' ice) is full of air, is a solid object, and doesn't allow enough transfer of heat from the bottom of the pot into itself, before it starts to melt.
That causes the flux ring and bottom of the pot to heat up too much, as titanium is already a much poorer conductor of heat than Aluminum.
The simple solution it's to always save a little of your liquid water and put it in the bottom with the snow or ice to act like a primer. The benefit is it makes snow melt quicker too.
Thats the science very badly explained, but that's my experience as simply put as I can anyway. YMMV.

In reply to Jonny Allen:

+1

If there is always some water in the pan it cannot get above boiling point or too hot for the materials used.

In reply to Rick Graham:



What he said.

In reply to John Alcock:

I wouldn't melt snow even with water in the pan: the flux ring on my ti one detached after melting snow in it despite being careful always to have some water in it. But hey, at least it didn't go up in flames like some reports! For the marginal weight dfference, I'd stick with the alu version.

In reply to John Alcock:

Ti is a poor choice for a heat exchanger, since its thermal conductivity is shit; one tenth that of Al.

It also won't be that much lighter than Al (density 4.2 vs 2.7).

Ti is stronger. That's it, really, as far as benefits go. In all other respects, it's inferior as cookwear.

Jet boils are pretty heavy, if weight is your primary concern. You need to consider the length of trip, and how much extra fuel you might need to take for a conventional stove. Or look at other exchanger pots (e.g. Primus Eta), and a winter stove (with heat exchanger carburation tube to allow inverted canister liquid feed).

As others have said, always 'prime' a pan of snow with some water.