[pct-l] Re: cook pots

[ilja at cs.caltech.edu (Ilja Friedel)]

Hi Edmond,

On Tue, 4 Nov 2003, Edmond Meinfelder wrote:

> Ingesting any heavy metal is toxic in sufficient amounts, including
> aluminum.

Aluminum (Atomic Number 13, Density 2.7g/cm^3) is not a heavy metal by any
of the (many, many, sometimes conflicting) definitions listed under
http://www.iupac.org/publications/ci/2001/november/heavymetals.html
Actually, it is a fairly light metal.

> I have never seen a non-anodized aluminium pot sold with the intention of
> cooking.

Trangia sells those. We've used to have cast aluminum pots. (Don't know
where they are now.) Usually Aluminum gets a protective cover of oxide
fairly quickly. On the other hand vinegar plus copper pots are a dangerous
mixture too.

> The cookset from Dancing Light Gear I am considering is an aluminium pot
> that does not have a hard-anodized surface. However, my spoon is lexan and
> my foods are not highly acidic.

The concentrations cited in your article (given to mice) correspond to
eating an aluminum pot on a thru-hike. Somebody around here who managed to
do this? I have used mine for about 30 days now, sometimes for two people.
It has scratches, but still weights about the same as when I bought it.
Might be worth checking from time to time.

Ilja.