Journal
Notes from the bench and the field.
Materials, prototypes, tests. Written as it happens, kept when it's useful.
Why 5052-H32 aluminum
The first material decision on the NS-K01 wasn't the waxed canvas or the oak handles. It was the aluminum alloy for the cooking surface and…
First campsite dispatch: why the kitchen finally works
I'm writing this at 8,400 feet in the La Garita Wilderness, coffee getting cold because I keep stopping to look at what Barron built. Three days ago…
The Field Kitchen prototype: first cook session at 9,200 feet
We drove to 9,200 feet with the Field Kitchen prototype mounted on a rough-terrain cart, packed into a truck that probably wasn't the ideal delivery…
Oak handles vs. aluminum: the ergonomics argument for natural material
The NS-K01 Field Kitchen has twelve touch points—handles, carrying grips, deployment levers, and accent trim where your hands make contact. Every one…
The rail system: why modular matters for a camp kitchen
The NS-T01 Field Table's most important feature isn't something you see at first glance. It's the aluminum T-bolt rail that runs around the perimeter…
Waxed canvas sourcing: finding a domestic supplier worth building with
The waxed canvas cover on the NS-K01 needed to be 12oz waxed duck cloth. Not cotton twill (too light), not synthetic (doesn't age well), not nylon…
Notes from winter field test #1: what held, what didn't
Three days at 9,000 feet in South Park at 14°F night temps and bright 38°F days. This is the test I wanted—not ideal conditions, not controlled…