If you don’t know the history of the FBC Cozy, in 2006 I started developing a fabric cozy that was lightweight, compactable, non-bulky and could be washed. By the end of 2006 I finally had a prototype I was mostly happy with. It was 3 layers of fabric and a lot bigger than they are now but it worked and I had figured out the 3D part in my mind for sewing them.

Me using it on a late fall hike in the mountains that year:

I still crank them out though – In 2007 when I took them live I had no idea if I would even sell 1 one of them. But sell they did. The first venue I took them to was the PCTA Trails event in Seattle in March of 2007. It was first “trails fest”, of which many more came after:

We sold a few that day and then they went live on the website and the orders started coming in. At this point I have shipped cozies all the way around the globe to nearly every country that has mail service and to every state in the US.

So want to see many of the versions I have made? Be forewarned…there are quite a few! I picked a number of photos for the gallery, including custom work I did. Want to see fan photos of their cozies on the trail? Head here.

~Sarah

If you are looking for a manly color, this camo is the one for you! And did I say LIMITED RUN? So chop, chop – get that order in before this thing pulls me away from my sewing machine again:

~Sarah

In use last weekend with my MSR Quick 1 Ti pot set:

It is a multi function tool made by Soul Trampers that I can see real potential for – in a way that the manufacturer nor Jason had seen. It is listed as a “pot holder, camp towel, stuff sack for your pot and organizer – and even use as a pillow (if one stuffs it)”.  And what was that potential that I saw? As a sturdily built (yet still light) washable pot cozy. That was the first thing that crossed my mind as I pulled the first one out. Almost all pot cozies sold are made of reflective bubble wrap, which while they work are neither stylish nor do they hold up over time. Bubble wrap ones are also quite bulky and while wipe able you can’t toss it in the washing machine to remove stains and odors.

Last weekend I took the one in the first photo with me to try it out while hiking. I didn’t have the sharp edge of the pot’s handle digging into other things in my pack, I used the back side (the waffle part) to wipe out my pot after boiling water and even used it to dry my hands on. Nice and multi purpose indeed.

Back to the pot cozy use – this is where I will be doing more testing in the near future. For one pot meals at altitude it is just what I needed!

~Sarah

Find the new recipe over on TrailCooking.

Everything laid out, ready to go. Using our GSI Soloist, a ReHydrate Spoon and a Groovy Acorns FBC Cozy:

The dry meal weighs in at 3 1/2 ounces:

The quart freezer bag put into the cozy and ready for the water:

Bringing the water to a boil, then let it sit for a minute:

Add the water, stir well and let sit in the cozy for 10 to 15 minutes:

For the eggs we used 1/2 a package of Mountain House scrambled eggs with bacon.

~Sarah

So cruise by the Trail Cooking Store to see them!

~Sarah and Kirk

As I was working out today I had a memory flash of fabric long forgotten. I have a habit of buying fabric that calls to me, with the thought that eventually I will find a project for it. So I dug around when I got back and I found it….heat reflective silnylon.

I sewed up a couple prototypes quickly and was quite happy with them. We have taken them into full production and hope to have them live on the website in the next 24 hours. These cozies are lighter than the traditional ones (though I wouldn’t call the traditional FBC cozies heavy by any means!) A normal pint size FBC Cozy is 1.2 to 1.3 ounces. The new silnylon ones weigh in at 0.7 to 0.8 of an ounce.

This is THE cozy for those wanting to cut as many corners on weight and bulk as they can. We have decided to go with the smaller pint size (a shy 8″ by 8″ in size when closed). This size will fit a pint size freezer bag perfectly but will also fit a quart freezer bag, where it is a meal for one. (Say no more than 1 1/2 cups water added.)

In testings with the regular FBC cozies the new heat reflecting ones retain about 7° to 10° more heat after 15 minutes. This is a big deal particularly for those hiking in high elevations.

Pricing is being determined and as soon as we figure out everything the new cozy will be going live.

*UPDATE* The cozies are live now.

~Sarah

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

In a quart freezer bag:

1/3 cup couscous
1 tsp diced dried onion
1 Tbsp freeze dried celery
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium)
2 tsp blue cheese powder
1 packet Frank’s Hot Sauce (or similar)
1 7-ounce foil pouch chicken
1 burrito size whole wheat tortilla

Add 1/2 cup near boiling water to freezer bag, along with chicken. Seal tightly and place in a cozy for 5 to 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Spread mixture on tortilla and slather on some Frank’s Hot Sauce.

Serves 1.

Getting the water boiling.

Getting the ingredients ready:

Into the cozy they go:

Lunch time!

~Sarah

One can substitute diced dried sweet cherries or dried sweetened cranberries as well.

Pomegranate Chicken Rice

In a sandwich or quart freezer bag:

1 cup instant rice

2 Tbsp freeze-dried pomegranates

1 Tbsp diced dried shallots (or onions)

2 tsp roasted chicken gravy

Also take:

1 5-ounce can chicken breast or 3-ounce pouch

2 Tbsp shelf stable Parmesan cheese

FBC method:

Add the chicken with broth and 1 cup near boiling water to the dry ingredients in your freezer bag. Stir well, seal tightly and put in a cozy for 15 minutes. Stir well and add in the Parmesan cheese.

Insulated mug method:

Add the chicken with broth and 1 cup boiling water to the dry ingredients. Stir well, cover tightly and let sit for 15 minutes. Stir well and add in the Parmesan cheese.

One pot method:

Bring 1 cup water and the chicken with broth to a boil in your pot. Add in the dry ingredients and stir well. Turn off the stove and cover tightly. Let sit for 15 minutes, in cooler temperatures use a pot cozy. Stir well and add in the Parmesan cheese.

Serves 1 large appetite.

~Sarah

Her recipe requires a little work at home but is great for learning how to dehydrate food.

Shepherd’s Pie

2 lbs lean ground beef, bison or venison
8-ounces (half a bag) of frozen mixed veggies (used small cut)
2/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt or seasoned salt, pepper, and dried onion flakes to taste

You will also need:

2 pouches of “just add water” instant potatoes (I use Betty Crocker roasted garlic) (The Idahoan brand can be used as well)
Directions for the at home prep:

Brown ground meat, then drain any remaining fat.  Mix in veggies, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings, then put into a casserole dish.  Bake covered on 350° for about 25 minutes.

Spoon the “pie filling” into the dehydrator trays lined with parchment paper.  It usually takes about 12 – 16 hrs to fully dehydrate (dry at your meat setting, usually 145*).  You’ll have to check it about halfway through and maybe mix things around a little so they dry evenly.  It seems like the green beans take the longest.

Once the meat mixture is dried and cooled, separate into 1 cup servings and pack in quart freezer bags.  This rehydrates at about a 1:1 ratio.

In a second quart freezer bag, add 1/2 cup of instant potatoes.

In camp:
Add 1 cup of near boiling water to the meat mixture.  Seal tightly and let “cook” in a freezer bag cozy for about 15 minutes or until meat is tender.  Pour potato flakes over the meat mixture, then add an additional 1/2 cup of water (less if you have water left over that wasn’t absorbed by the meat).  Stir and enjoy! (Or you can prepare the potatoes in the second bag and then top the sauce with them.)

Note: Don’t package the meat mixture and potatoes together!  The potatoes will magically absorb most of the water and you’ll end up with soupy potatoes and crunchy meat…

Enjoy,
Diana (of the Dunes)

Thank you Diana! And of course this recipe can be prepared either FBC style, using an insulated mug or done in your pot. All up to you – this sounds delicious!

~Sarah

That version had 3 layers (the model now has 2) so it weighed in about double of the current model. It did work though – in fact, it worked better than I hoped. I tested it in sub-freezing temps that trip, alongside a traditional cozy made of Reflectix. In the end it worked better – it stayed just as hot, in some cases hotter. Add in that the cozies were crushable and washable? Even better.

That was all it took for me to get going and get a final version that looked good/weighed less. Within 3 months I had them on the market

An early set – I made these for the Pacific Crest Trail Fair where I was a vendor in early 2007:

I still sew each cozy personally – I cannot imagine anyone else doing them. They were my baby – I was so happy to see in the end that I could create what I could picture in my mind! I didn’t care if I never sold one – all I cared was that I had done it

When Backpacker Magazine talked about our cozies in the December 2007 issue (Be An Ultralight Gourmet) my heart soared so much. It was that feeling of having someone see your work and saying “well, that is cool” and really meaning it.

In two years I watched my idea circle the world – we have sold cozies to hikers in every European country, to Asia to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If there is a form of postal delivery, a cozy has crossed the customs line in many countries

As always, if you have photos of your cozy in action (ok,ok….sitting there looking pretty) while on a trip, we always love to see them!

So how are we celebrating our 2 year anniversary of the FBC Cozy? Well, if you don’t own one and you place an order before October 31st,2008 for a cozy (any size) we will add in a complimentary GSI ReHydrate long handled spoon (see spoon in above photo). To get the deal when you check out, leave us a message in the message box and mention the “2 Year Deal”. If for some reason you forget to do that or it doesn’t work for you, well, just drop us an email afterward within a couple hours of ordering. We will tuck the spoon in your order.

So hopefully to many more years and many more limited edition prints!

~Sarah