Small Space Living

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Praise God, I finally found them!!

About a year ago, I bought a roll of paper towels which was more textured than average, and which clung to itself - a perfect cure for the endlessly-unrolling reality of paper towel life in a van. ... They are Viva "Signature Cloth" brand, ...

HOLY SHEET! I MEAN, SHEET OF PAPER TOWEL!

Viva "Signature Cloth" brand appears to be all ***synthetic***!! It is **hydro-knit**!!

I did not know this, nor was it important a year ago when I made that post I've quoted above.

In the name of all that is holy, WHY would I find this relevant or exciting?

Because myself and others each independently determined that one of the best analogs to N95 melt-blown fabric in the consumer market is the synthetic paper towel. And given the international shortage of N95 masks, this is important information.

But up until now, I was not aware of any source other than the blue shop towels that are largely used commercially. I didn't know that there were any hydro-knit household-grade towels. I discovered it by accidentally putting two Viva towels through the washing machine yesterday. As happens with hydro-knit towels, they came out looking better than when they went in (whereas wood / paper pulp towels will disintegrate). And so then I checked them under my microscope and saw that familiar hydro-knit texture.

Some sources claim that you can enhance the effectiveness of a cloth mask by lining it with a hydro-knit fabric. So, if you carry that brand of paper towel in your van, not only will you have a good towel that does not spiral out of control on you due to the incessant unrolling that most of them suffer, you could potentially use them to bolster the effectiveness of your coronavirus cotton masks. Or so the claims go.

[AKNate]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

...

4. Titanium cutlery (too expensive to carry in large quantities).

...

We use titanium. We have a set of four and it is plenty for us. There’s no dishwasher in the Airstream, so we wash as we go. At home we need a lot of flatware because it accumulates in the dishwasher. We also have larger groups of people over for dinner at home, but not in the Airstream.
I prefer to generally avoid aluminum cookware and utensils since aluminum has been linked to negative health effects.

[InterBlog]

I may go for titanium if no other option pans out, even at twenty bucks per each set of three. Gulp.

Some brands are sold out, or not available until late August or September, because of our current supply chain disruptions.

Edit: For titanium not originating in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore, current street prices seem to be around $10 per piece. The preppers and new-to-camping-because-everything-else-is-closed folks cleaned out much of the supply when the pandemic hit. It's only $20 for a 3-pack if you are willing to wait 8 to 12 weeks for it. Otherwise it's about $35 for a 3-pack.

[knotdonne]

[Viva "Signature Cloth" brand...]

Well, Interblog, I can't thank you enough. Have been looking for melt-blown masks and am grateful you found a substitute.

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I may go for titanium if no other option pans out, even at twenty bucks per each set of three. Gulp.

Some brands are sold out, or not available until late August or September, because of our current supply chain disruptions.

Edit: For titanium not originating in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore, current street prices seem to be around $10 per piece. The preppers and new-to-camping-because-everything-else-is-closed folks cleaned out much of the supply when the pandemic hit. It's only $20 for a 3-pack if you are willing to wait 8 to 12 weeks for it. Otherwise it's about $35 for a 3-pack.

Have you considered wooden utensils. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and reusable.
Carol

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by tallytwo1994

Have you considered wooden utensils. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and reusable.
Carol

The only kind of which I'm aware is bamboo, which is the most over-sold substance on the planet (I'm very familiar with multiple species - I've got a forest of it growing in my back yard). It's either disposable (in which case it's no good for steak) or it harbors bacteria.

[InterBlog]

Two follow-up notes on cutlery:

(1) Beware - many (or most?) products advertised as "titanium" are not titanium metal. They are anodized aluminum. The word "titanium" is being used as a color reference and/or a subjective marketing term.

(2) Having done more research, I'm wondering if "aircraft aluminum" might be sufficiently durable. The spec is Aluminum 7075-T6. I had an older singleton spoon which I thought was titanium, but upon inspection, that's what it is. Sea to Summit actually stamped the spec right on it.

Sea to Summit makes a number of products including this one pictured below which is NOT stamped with that same reference but which contains the words "hard anodized". I bought this one set to test its durability.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by AKNate

We use titanium. We have a set of four and it is plenty for us.
. . .

Could you please provide a link for this product? IB's recent comment suggests that the term "titanium" is being used loosely to describe color etc..

If you have pure titanium cutlery, a source would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

. . .
. . . The spec is Aluminum 7075-T6. I had an older singleton spoon which I thought was titanium, but upon inspection, that's what it is. Sea to Summit actually stamped the spec right on it.

Sea to Summit makes a number of products including this one pictured below which is NOT stamped with that same reference but which contains the words "hard anodized". I bought this one set to test its durability.
. . .

Your post sent me out to the van, to confirm that I bought this exact set probably a decade or so ago. Very durable and handy to keep in the tow vehicle. We have an older stainless set from Early Winters [Seattle?], with the fork and spoon handles nesting in the handle of the knife.

Here is a stainless set -- 2.2 oz. not bad: https://www.amazon.com/UST-Stainless...268005&sr=8-38
Sea to Summit polypropylene -- 1.1 oz.-- https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Ca.../dp/B07BD2TWWV

Thanks,

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Could you please provide a link for this product? IB's recent comment suggests that the term "titanium" is being used loosely to describe color etc..

If you have pure titanium cutlery, a source would be appreciated.

Thanks,

I am trying to get more info on this, to confirm or deny what is factual.

There are numerous review claims on Amazon that multiple offered "titanium" products are actually anodized aluminum as evidenced by the fragility of the products.

And it is true that I could probably use my female hands (half the strength of male) to fold in half the set that I bought on Amazon, if I wanted to do that. Looking at the product I bought, by common sense, if it had been cast out of stainless steel instead of whatever alloy it is, I would NOT be able to fold it. Without getting into the minutiae of compressive vs. tensile strength yada yada, bottom line is that I don't think I should be capable of folding titanium implements with my bare hands. Ergo, I and others are inferring that these products cannot be titanium.

However, none of us has a hand-held XRF analyzer sitting on our desks with which we can confirm that conclusion. Direct evidence is preferable to circumstantial evidence if it is attainable. I'll post back if I can find definitive answers.

EDIT: Part of the challenge is that manufacturers appear to be coating the titanium instead of leaving it raw (why? appearance or functional reason or both?). That creates confusion and questions.

One way to approach this is to go to a reputable source and work backwards to find what is, and what isn't. For example, if REI says that a product is titanium, hopefully they have done their research and vetted the product. Sea to Summit is a reputable brand - ditto.

It's worth noting that Sea to Summit's ask for titanium is $10 more expensive than their corresponding aircraft aluminum (titanium is extremely expensive to machine). But it's also worth noting that their hopefully-authentic product is apparently coated, and the one reviewer of this product doubted it was titanium, and at any rate, complained about the coating wearing off in their food, which speaks to the issue of using titanium generally:

https://www.rei.com/product/150379/s...-and-knife-set

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

....
Here is a stainless set -- 2.2 oz. not bad...
Sea to Summit polypropylene -- 1.1 oz.....

How interesting - I had never heard of glass-reinforced polypro, which is what the second one is. I can predict why it was developed: because of the burring issue that I mentioned above. Clip regular polypro with a steak knife and you have a burr on the side that will proceed to scratch the inside of your mouth / lips. I wonder does that glass reinforcing work? Because the GSI brand "regular" (?) polypro that I bought is far too soft to be used for cutlery - I wasted my money on that adventure (see post 1684).

The aircraft aluminum S to S set I pictured above is 1.3 ounces, so not much heavier than the glass-reinforced polypro.

Ultimately I don't really care what utensils are made of, as long as they are both durable and lightweight. Price is nice but a tertiary concern.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the REI link. The single review says the coating wears off.



If I needed a new set or two, I would buy the SS set linked earlier . . . a fair deal for $8.97 IMO. If you end up with any burrs on the edges, a small file would take care of them . . . no prob.

. . . [very cool . . . ]

[AKNate]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Could you please provide a link for this product? IB's recent comment suggests that the term "titanium" is being used loosely to describe color etc..

If you have pure titanium cutlery, a source would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Our set is made by Brunton. Brunton My-Ti 3-Piece Titanium Flatware Set Unfortunately it looks like Brunton has gotten out of that business and just does compasses now. Looking around Amazon, it seems there is a lot of imitation stuff out there, as others have noted. I would look at price (should be high), a reputable brand that says it’s 100% titanium, and a reputable retailer. Amazon can be fine if the seller is actually Amazon, but be very wary when they’re only doing the fulfilling for another seller’s product. REI or other outdoor retailers are a good bet.
Here’s a picture of one of our spoons in our Airstream eating an affogato and a vanilla ice cream topped with some lemon olive oil we got at a Harvest Hosts.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by AKNate

. . .
Here’s a picture of one of our spoons in our Airstream eating an affogato and a vanilla ice cream topped with some lemon olive oil we got at a Harvest Hosts.
. . .

Hey . . . not fair . . . posting a photo like that and not serving a tasting sample!



Is that oil available by mail order or website? What a weird and appealing combo!

Oh . . . and thanks for the titanium feedback . . .

Possibilities: https://www.amazon.com/titanium-flat...anium+flatware

Thanks,

[AKNate]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Is that oil available by mail order or website? What a weird and appealing combo!

It looks like they sell it online. https://shop.chacewaterwine.com/Meyer-Lemon-Olive-Oil
It is a bit weird sounding, but really good.

[OTRA15]

Thanks,

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by AKNate

Our set is made by Brunton. ... Unfortunately it looks like Brunton has gotten out of that business and just does compasses now. ...

How interesting. And yes, that's a reputable brand. My undergrad degree is in geology. Compasses were not called compasses when I went to school - they were called Bruntons. There was no other brand worth considering (things are a bit different now that we have GPS).

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

How interesting. And yes, that's a reputable brand. My undergrad degree is in geology. Compasses were not called compasses when I went to school - they were called Bruntons. There was no other brand worth considering (things are a bit different now that we have GPS).

Someone at the Tate Compass Company assembled a bunch of compasses backwards. That is where the saying started "He who has a Tate's is lost."

[OTRA15]

John, thanks for the laugh . . . not sure anyone else got it . . . or maybe they have a Tate's compass too?

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

John, thanks for the laugh . . . not sure anyone else got it . . . or maybe they have a Tate's compass too?

I wasn't going to dignify it.