In this post and video, you’ll find an honest review of Kelly Kettle’s Trekker Stainless Steel Kettle & Kit. I go over the pros and cons and as well as address some of the comments I’ve seen on this kettle and camp stove.
Kelly Kettle Pros
Fast Boil – Right out the gate we have to acknowledge that the Kelly Kettle is able to boil water crazy fast. The double-wall stainless steel wrapped around a rocket stove type kettle with jet-style flame heats up the water container rapidly.
Well Built – This thing is high quality no doubt. I have the stainless steel version and the Kelly Kettle is well designed and built to a very high standard. I have no doubt that I’ll be using this kettle for years to come.
Fair Price – For what you get, the Kelly Kettle could easily cost more.
The Size – What? Yes, I have the size of this monster (10.4″ Width 5.5″) in the ‘Pros‘ section because after carrying it, using it, and evaluating the complete kit compared to my favorite cook kit, I think the overall size is fine.
When compared to my Solo Stove cook kit with a GSI cup and Klean Kanteen water bottle, which is what’s in most of my packs, the Kelly Kettle is comparable in size.
Kelly Kettle Cons
Kit Storage – As I mention in the video, my biggest gripe is there’s no way to lock in the firebase, cup, pot, and lid when they’re nested in the bottom of the kettle.
It’s not a deal-breaker but a little annoying because I know a lot of planning had to go into this kit for it to nest together as it does.
Water Capacity – For the size of this kit, the Trekker only boils 20 ounces of water at a time.
Kettle Non-Issues
I want to address a couple of other “issues” I’ve seen on other Kelly Kettle review videos.
First, the bottom gets hot and can cause a fire. So, I mean it’s fire, right? Are you going to set any outdoor cook kit on your nice kitchen table? Yes, the bottom gets VERY hot – just like my Solo Stove and any other camp stove. Please be careful.
Second, some people have mentioned that the Kelly Kettle is unstable with a pot on top. Don’t try to cook a meal above the Kelly Kettle.
For cooking with a skillet or something larger than a very small pot, you’ll want to use the hobo-stove addition – which comes with the Kelly Kettle Trekker cook kit.
Third, it takes too long to cook something when heating water. Yes, the Kelly Kettle boils water so quickly that there’s not a lot of time to cook something on the pot support above the kettle.
This is a frustrating complaint because my wife’s car doesn’t climb hills like my TrailBlazer. It wasn’t designed for that. The pot support is designed to heat something up quickly or even cook something fast.
If you want to fry some bacon and eggs or cook a steak, use the included Hobo Stove on the firebase. That’s why it is part of the Trekker cook kit.
Here’s a quote directly from the Kelly Kettle Company website;
Use the pot-support to cook fast items like noodles, soup, popcorn, etc over the chimney of the kettle as the water comes to the boil.
By the way, you can also buy the Hobo stove, along with many other accessories on their website if you didn’t get the Trekker version.
Kelly Kettle Has Several Options
My gear review is for Kelly Kettle’s Trekker Stainless Steel Kettle & Kit. Kelly Kettle has other options, however.
I want to keep this gear review short and concise so I’ll refrain from giving a ton of stats and details and link to the pages in case you want more information on certain versions or kits.
There are currently three sizes of the Kelly Kettle® in stainless steel, the Base Camp, The Scout, and The Trekker. And these Kettles come with a wide array of kits and there are many accessories that can be purchased separately.
Base Camp
(13″ x 7.3″)
54 fl. oz
Scout
(10.4″ x 7.3″)
41 fl. oz.
Trekker
(10.4″ x 5.5″)
20 fl. oz.
My Overall Kelly Kettle Trekker Review Rating
Kelly Kettle Trekker Review With Video
Summary
Overall, the Kelly Kettle is high quality and a well-designed piece of kit worthy of consideration. The Kettle is the fastest method I’ve seen for boiling water and the Trekker kit adds the ability to heat and cook food.
Mentioned In The Video
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Kelly Kettle Trekker Kettle & Kit
- My favorite cook kit article
- Finding The Best Water Filter For Our Kitchen article
- Solo Stove
- GSI Cup
- Kleen Kanteen
- Light My Fire Spork
- Light My Fire Farro Rod
- My favorite firestarter – ZIP
- LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
- Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System
Related Article: Which Survival Water Filter Should I Use – The Sawyer Mini or the LifeStraw?
Call To Action / Next Step
Next Step: Vehicle Survival Gear / 2021 Car Emergency Kit – Video
Stay safe. Stay prepared.
Hawkins Out.
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