NEWLY RESTOCKED · SHIPS IN 24 HRS — FREE U.S. SHIPPING OVER $75 — LIFETIME FIELD WARRANTY — MFG. KELLY KETTLE CO., CO. MAYO, IRELAND · EST. 1890
$114.99
MODEL · KKU-TRKKRKT / 20 OZ · SOLO COOK KIT · PACKS TOGETHER

The small
kettle
that also
cooks.

Pick this one when you want the compact Kelly Kettle plus the cooking pieces. The Trekker Kit boils 20 oz for coffee or food, then the hobo stove insert turns the fire base into a twig-burning stove for the included pot and pan.

How it works
Cap. 20 oz 0.6 L · solo boil
Height 10.6″ 270 mm
Weight 3.3 lb 1.5 kg full kit
Boil 3–5 min full kettle · dry fuel
Fuel $0 found on the ground

Which Kelly Kettle is this?

QUICK DIFFERENCE

Same found-fuel chimney. Different job. Trekker is the compact cook kit; Base Camp is the big water boiler.

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Trekker Kit: compact cook system

Best when you want one smaller kit that boils water and gives you the pieces to cook over the same twig fire.

  • 20 oz / 0.6 L kettle
  • Hobo stove included
  • Pot, pan, grill, cup included
  • In stock now
Bigger sibling

Base Camp: big water boiler

Best when volume matters more than pack size: group coffee, cabin backup, fishing camp, and family emergency hot water.

  • 54 oz / 1.6 L kettle
  • Largest Kelly Kettle size
  • Water boiler first
  • Currently sold out
See the Base Camp →

Trekker Kit is the small cook system: kettle, stove, pot, pan, cup.

§ 01 · FIELD REPORT

Filed from the Kelly workshop in County Mayo — the same found-fuel kettle idea, packed as a compact solo cooking system.

The Kelly Kettle has been built on the shore of Lough Conn in County Mayo by the same family for well over a century. It was sold first to anglers who needed hot tea on windswept banks, and later to half of continental Europe's outdoor clubs. The trick is the chimney: feed a small fire through the center and it boils water in minutes using whatever's lying around — sticks, pine cones, bark, dry grass.

The Trekker Kit is not just the smaller kettle. It is the compact cooking setup: 20 oz kettle, fire base, hobo stove insert, pot, frying pan/lid, grill, gripper, cup, and bag. Choose this one for solo trips, kayak days, scout kits, truck kits, and small camps where pack size matters.

"No fuel to carry. No canister to run out of. Just the kettle, the ground, and a match."

Anatomy of a self-fueling kettle.

§ 02 · EXPLODED VIEW

Four stainless components. One very old idea. Every part is field-serviceable and built to outlive the buyer.

Trekker Kit Kettle exploded view N 54°03′ W 09°17′
A · 01

Water jacket

Double-walled stainless shell that cradles 20 oz of water around the chimney. Small enough to pack, fast enough for coffee, soup, or a freeze-dried meal.

A · 02

Central chimney

The hollow core acts as a rocket stove — fire draws upward, stays hot, stays lit in wind and rain.

A · 03

Fire base

Vented stainless cup that holds your kindling. Keeps the flame off wet ground and concentrates airflow.

A · 04

Cook set

A rubber plug with a metal whistle baked in. Seats in the spout and alerts you the moment water hits a rolling boil — before any steam gives it away.

Four moves. Zero fuel. One hot kettle.

§ 03 · OPERATION

The whole procedure fits on a postcard. The Trekker Kit is a field kitchen, not a gadget — boil first, cook next, pack it all back together.

STEP 01 / 04 →

Fill the water jacket

Pop the stopper, pour up to 20 oz of stream water, tap water, or canteen water into the kettle body. Seal.

STEP 02 / 04 →

Light what you found

A palmful of twigs, cones, bark, or dry grass goes in the fire base. One match. No pump priming. No cartridge to thread.

STEP 03 / 04 →

Seat the kettle

Drop the kettle onto the fire base. The chimney pulls flame up through the middle. Feed more sticks from the side as needed.

STEP 04 / 04 →

Wait for the whistle

Three to five minutes with dry fuel. The whistle lets you know before the steam does. Pour. Brew. Get moving.

See it work.

§ 04 · IN THE FIELD

One kettle. A handful of sticks. A few minutes. Shot unedited so you can see the whole thing, chimney-to-whistle.

In the field · Kelly Kettle chimney · found-fuel demo Silent autoplay · tap speaker for audio

Four fuels. All already at your feet.

§ 05 · COMBUSTIBLES

You never pack fuel for a Kelly Kettle. You pick it up as you walk. Here's what the chimney eats.

F · 01 PRIMARY

Sticks

Pencil-thick, snap-dry. A double handful will carry a full boil from cold.

Burn time
~4 min
Availability
Ubiquitous
Prep
Break to 4″
F · 02 HOT & STEADY

Pine cones

Resin content makes them burn hotter than sticks. Free kindling in every conifer zone.

Burn time
~3 min
Availability
Seasonal
Prep
None
F · 03 WET-WEATHER

Bark

Birch is the classic — even damp, the papery outer layers light like tissue and get things moving.

Burn time
~2 min
Availability
Forested
Prep
Peel
F · 04 STARTER

Dry grass

Fast flare for the first catch. Pack an alternative tinder if you're headed somewhere green and wet.

Burn time
~30 sec
Availability
Open ground
Prep
Dry on body
Tested in all weather. The chimney design shelters the flame from wind and rain that would flood a canister stove. Confirmed in everything from Irish coastal drizzle to alpine sideways snow.

The full solo kitchen. Packed into itself.

§ 06 · IN THE BOX

Kettle, fire base, hobo stove, pot, pan, grill, cup, gripper, and bag. You add water, a match, and whatever fell off a tree.

Kit · As shipped Kit contents
ITEM · 01

Stainless steel kettle

20 fl oz Trekker kettle with fire base — compact stainless body for fast solo boils.

SKU · KKU-TRKKRKT
ITEM · 02

Hobo stove insert

Drops into the fire base after boiling so the same twig fire becomes a wood-burning cooking stove.

SKU · KK-HOBO-S
ITEM · 03

Cook set

16 oz pot, frying pan that doubles as a lid, two-piece grill, and gripper handle for moving hot cookware.

SKU · KK-COOK-S
ITEM · 04

Cup + carry bag

12 oz camping cup with folding handles and silicone CooLip, plus a drawstring bag for keeping the kit together.

SKU · KK-CUP-BAG

Field applications.

§ 07 · USE CASES

Where the Trekker Kit wins: smaller pack size, more included cooking pieces, and enough hot water for one or two people.

Use case Why it works Group size Rating
Car Camping Coffee, oatmeal, soup, and a small pan meal without packing canister fuel. 1–2 ●●●●● ESSENTIAL
Fishing Driftwood on a gravel bar means coffee first, then the hobo stove insert handles the pan. 1–2 ●●●●● ESSENTIAL
Emergency Kit No expired fuel canister hiding in the bin. Boils water and cooks small meals from found biomass. Solo / backup ●●●●● ESSENTIAL
Canoe / Paddle Compact enough for a hatch or dry bag. Any landing becomes a coffee stop and small cook station. 1–2 ●●●●○ RECOMMENDED
Backcountry Heavier than a pocket burner, but no fuel to carry. Trade-off worth it on long trips. Solo ●●●○○ TRADE-OFF

The Trekker Kit, unpacked.

§ 08 · GALLERY

The kettle, cook set, hobo stove, cup, and bag — the pieces that turn sticks into hot water and dinner.

Kettle detail
Kettle on fire base
Kettle in use
Kettle landscape
Kettle detail
Kettle pouring
Kettle packed
Kettle whistle

Full specifications.

§ 09 · DATA SHEET

For the gram-counters, the base-weight builders, and the people who check the numbers twice.

Capacity 20 FL OZ 0.6 L · solo boil
Height 10.6 IN 270 mm
Packed weight 3.3 LB 1.5 kg full kit
Material 18/0 STAINLESS non-reactive · food-safe
Fuel BIOMASS sticks, cones, bark, grass
Time-to-boil 3–5 MIN dry fuel · full kettle
Includes 8+ PIECES kettle · cook set · stove · cup · bag
Origin IRELAND Co. Mayo · est. 1890
Warranty LIFETIME normal field use

Common questions.

§ 10 · FAQ

Answers to what we get asked most. Email us for anything we missed.

Is it hard to light?+
No. The chimney draws air up through the fuel, which is exactly what a fire wants. If you can light a fireplace, you can run a Kelly Kettle on the first try.
Does it work in the rain?+
Yes. The flame lives inside the chimney and the fire base keeps the embers off wet ground. Start with dry tinder; once it's going, a steady rain won't shut it down.
How long to a full boil?+
Three to five minutes for a full 20 oz kettle with decent kindling. Damp fuel or very cold water can push it longer, but the chimney keeps the fire moving.
Can I cook on it?+
Yes — this kit is built for it. After boiling, the hobo stove insert turns the fire base into a wood-fueled stove for the included pot and pan. The two-piece grill helps stabilize cookware or cook over coals.
Is it legal in a fire ban?+
Varies by jurisdiction. The fire is contained in a steel cup, which is generally more controlled than an open fire — but check local rules. Ranger stations and fire-district websites are the source of truth.
Will it rust?+
It's stainless steel. In normal use, no. Let it cool, wipe the soot, store it dry. Kelly family kettles 30+ years into service still work fine.
Who's it for?+
Solo campers, kayak and canoe people, scouts, truck-kit builders, and anyone who wants hot water plus a small cooking setup without carrying fuel canisters.
Kelly Kettle Base Camp stainless steel 54 oz kettle
Also from Kelly Kettle

Need the big group kettle?

The Base Camp is the larger 54 oz Kelly Kettle for car camping, fishing weekends, cabins, family emergency shelves, and group coffee. Same no-canister found-fuel chimney — scaled up for more cups at once.

54 oz / 1.6 LGroup sizeStainless bodyNo fuel canisters
See the Base Camp View product details
§ 11 · CHECKOUT

Boil water, then cook dinner.

Choose Trekker when you want one compact kit for coffee, soup, oatmeal, and small pan meals — without packing canister fuel.