Should you’ve ever run out of gasoline mid-hike, the On Monitor Meals Flameless Heater Bag guarantees to get you out of bother, providing a easy, flame-free method to warmth up your dinner once you’re off-grid and out of choices. We despatched one to Explorer Joanna to learn the way it really works.
Each outside Explorer can agree that there’s nothing worse than working out of gasoline or not having the ability to mild your range once you’re out within the parts. This nifty product from Australian-owned On Monitor Meals is a Flameless Heater Bag that can assist 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 could be the worst…except you had a flameless heater bag | @aesthetics.of.journey
How does the Flameless Heater Bag work?
The On Monitor Flameless Heater Bag is named an MRE heater, which is a type of self-heating meals packaging. An identical product is utilized by the U.S. navy 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 below ten minutes, with no range, and utilizing simply 50ml of water. Whaaaaat?!
Every bag accommodates 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. Hold this in thoughts once you open your heated sachet otherwise you’re on monitor 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
- Get pleasure from!
That is what it appears 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 an extended day discovering that you simply can’t get your gasoline burner to mild or that – cue panic! – you’ve run out of gasoline. This case is the place the Flameless Heater Bag shines.
It’s a terrific choice for mountaineering in nationwide parks with hearth restrictions, in locations you’re not allowed any flame or gasoline 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 gasoline.
Need some meal inspiration? The We Are Explorers staff style examined the total vary of On Monitor Meals!
No range? No worries, simply observe the directions and also you’ll have scorching meals in a scorching ten (minutes)
Professionals & 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 may fastidiously open the ziplock again and test if the ready-made meal is heated up sufficient. If it’s not fairly scorching sufficient (I could have been a contact impatient!), then place it again within the bag for a little bit longer.
Professionals
- Light-weight – weighs simply 10g
- You may put two ready-to-eat meals in a single bag
- You should use these luggage to prepare dinner something that may face up to temperatures as much as 100°C
- The bag stays scorching for an extended whereas, so if it’s chilly you may wrap it up and use it as a hand hotter or place it in your sleeping bag as a scorching water bottle – nicely wrapped up after all!
Cons
- The baggage are single-use solely and made from plastic
- Can’t be taken on a industrial airplane in both cabin or checked baggage (annoying for interstate hikes)
- Must be propped up nicely because it expands in a short time and can tip over
Scorching meal. No gasoline. Is that this the way forward for camp cooking?
Eager to provide them a go?
Seize particular person Flameless Heater Luggage from Wild Earth for simply $3.45. Or head to Ultralight Hiker the place a pack of 5 retails for $16.20.
