Cook Pot Temperature Indicator

What is it and how to use:

It's no secret I'm a huge nerd that is overly obsessed with stove system efficiency. Just take a look at my Joule Thief/Bandit project to see my stove system efficiency obsession in action.

This little 1/2 gram temperature sticker is one of my tricks I've been using for the past 3 years to better manage fuel consumption on trail.

The idea here is simple, you don't need to bring your water to a full boil. I've found 70 - 75 degrees C (150 F) to be perfect for reheating hot meals and coffee in the summer Sierras while still having it be what most people would consider pretty hot. Doing so can save upwards of 30% more fuel per boil because you are not wasting fuel to continue to heat your water another 30 degrees C until it reaches 100 C.

Optimal Application Location:

I recommend putting it up as high as you can, while having it still be below your lowest common boil volume. For me, that is about the 350 ml mark, because boiling water for tea is the lowest volume of water I'll heat while on trail.

The reason you may want to do it this way is so it's as far away from the flame as possible (more accurate reading this way) while still being directly on the other side of the water you're trying to heat. If it's above the water volume you're trying to heat, it'll be very inaccurate, and the same goes for if it's too low and almost at the bottom of the pot near the flames licking around the pot's corners.

Appling:

Clean your cook pot surface with the include alcohol wipe, then apply the sticker with firm and even pressure.

Note: These last a good amount of time on titanium or anodized Aluminum pots ( about 500 tail miles for the sticker on my toaks 550ml and 500 trail miles for the sticker on my Joule Bandit MYOG HX pot). But these do not last as long when applied to non-anodized polished aluminum surfaces (about 2 weeks before peeling starts). 

2025 Update: 

I sourced a new version of these that is slightly cheaper, so starting Feb. they will go from $5.80 to $4.20, but look slightly different than they do in the photo above. I'll also be adding the option to ship these out in handwritten envelopes with letter stamps, so shipping will now have $1 option (without tracking) or the usual $4.83 for small package + tracking. Keep in mind this also means it could take me a few days to mail them out depending how many people order at the same time.

If you'd like a good quantity of these, it will be cheaper for you to purchase a 10 pack on amazon here (you want the "7 point 60C - 90C" version). This is not an affiliate link, just trying to help some hikers out. Only buy this from me if you want the convenience of having it included in a Pad-Pal order, or you're looking for a way to support me, my gear passion projects, and small business endeavor here :)