Titanium Billy Cans [Size: ML]

We have three different sizes:

• 800ml — $79
• 1200ml — $109
• 1600ml — $119

The best Billy can is the one hanging over the fire.

Which size Billy can is best?

You might be wondering what size Billy can is best for what application, regardless of whether you are looking at one of our titanium ones or any others on the market.

The best way to explain it is this.

If you are just looking at boiling water, and that is it, the smaller the billy can, the faster that is going to happen for you.

So the recommendation would be the 800ml or the 1200ml.

If, however, you are looking at cooking pasta, rice, stew, or whatever else, then the 1600ml is the one you cannot go past.

This is not just for the fire, either. I have used the 1600ml more on gas burners than I have in the fire. Whereas the smaller ones usually end up in the fire boiling water while you are enjoying the warmth of the fire and the serenity with the people joining you around it.

Everyone camps differently.

What I have found is that I tend to use a smaller one for the fire and the 1600ml on the gas burner. Occasionally, I will use the 1600ml on the fire as well, depending on what we are doing, but mostly it is on the gas burner.

If I need to cook two things on the gas burner, I usually pull out the 1200ml as well, because if I am using two pots at camp, the 800ml is usually not big enough to accompany the 1600ml.

If I could only take one Billy Can with me, I would choose the 1200ml.

If I were taking two and not three, I would choose the 800ml and the 1600ml.

Why titanium?

Titanium is something that has always been considered premium.

When I first started camping, I used to think, why spend that much on titanium when there is aluminium and steel to choose from?

And why spend that much on a billy can?

Well, the old saying “buy once, cry once” is where I ended up.

After going through so many billy cans in my earlier years of camping and four-wheel driving, I learned a few things.

Sometimes I would forget about the billy can. It might be too close to the fire, or it might in fact be inside the fire. All the water boils away, and all that is left is the metal.

With a steel billy can, you can get away with that. But after a few times, you will notice that even though it is stainless steel, heat does something to it. Eventually, rust can start occurring.

And you do not want to drink tea from a rusty billy can if you can avoid it.

I think that is why aluminium cans were a thing. But with aluminium cans, if you leave those in the fire, they will simply melt away.

Aluminium can also react more with certain foods and liquids, especially acidic things like lemon or tomato-based sauces. From the research I have done, it is generally at tolerable levels, but for general camp cooking, I would rather use stainless steel or titanium.

So the safest option really is stainless steel or titanium.

Easy to use, easy to clean

Titanium, I have been using for about four years now.

Although I have had stainless steel billy cans for just as long, if not longer, and they have actually survived pretty well, I have found the titanium cans are so easy to clean.

And it does not matter how hot the fire is. Nothing is ever going to happen to your titanium billy can.

If you have burned some stuff you tried to cook, or you ran out of water in your can, it's no problem.

I often cook pasta in it. Rice on occasion. Spaghetti bolognese sauces, like those jars you can get pre-made from the shopping centre. They are great with a bit of pasta, always a good hit with the kids, easy to cook, and keep everyone happy.

But sometimes that stuff can accidentally burn on the edges and get stuck to the billy can.

On a titanium billy can, no problem.

I just put a bit of water in it, put it in some intense heat, and pull it out. I have even put it in dry and absolutely incinerated everything inside it.

The next day, I do not know why, but perhaps because the metal walls are so thin, you can almost simply bash all that burnt stuff out. The vibration from the tapping knocks it more or less all out and makes it a lot easier to clean.

Final word

Wherever you camp, often or seldom, you can expect this billy can to be part of your kit for a very long time.