Ultimate Travel Set
I’ve mentioned in other posts about the benefits of setting up a space to have tea at home, and how preparing ‘gung-fu’ tea in a relaxing atmosphere is a great way to unwind at the end of a long day. However, it’s also very rewarding to enjoy your tea while camping in the mountains, hanging out at the beach, or having a picnic in a park. While the logistics of transporting teaware, kettle, etc. to a suitable outdoor location may seem daunting to some, it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
This is one of the treasures of my collection. I found this at a hypermart in Tsao Tun (Nantou County) back in 1999, before the big earthquake there. It’s unique in that it contains everything needed for making tea anywhere, including a stove, butane fuel, and kettle. Most sets on the market only have the teaware, which means you also need a separate stove, plus a kettle, which makes it impractical to use too far away from the car.
As this photo shows, this set has a 1.8 liter kettle, small camp stove, butane fuel can, teapot, pitcher, six cups, and a small box for storing tea leaves. The only thing you need to add is a water source, and you’re in business. I’ve taken this set on 4×4 rallies, motorcycle trips, and it’s even been to the U.S. twice. If I think there’s even a remote chance of needing to make tea, I put this in the car when we go out. On some camping trips, I’ve used the stove to cook dinner - we made soup once in the kettle, and on another trip tried popcorn (failed experiment).
Set up is quick and easy. Just hook the butane can to the stove and you’re ready to boil water. The case can double as a tea tray if needed, and you’re good to go.
It’s not the most elegant teaware, but it most certaintly gets the job done. I’ve actually replaced all the original stuff except the pitcher - not always easy to find the right size cups or teapot to fit the case! If I want to have a more formal outdoor tea, I’ll take my bamboo travel box, and use this to support it. See Miaoli Tea Party for a sample of what I’m talking about.
