Oh man, that stings (and probably literally, with JMT blisters). I once bought a pair of "bargain" trekking poles that snapped in half on the first real descent, so I feel your pain. Now I just accept that my gear budget is basically a donation to the "buy nice or buy twice" fund.

Six hours sounds like a personal best time for that trick.

Okay but what if you actually want it packed tight? I tried making fries last week with way too much space between them and they came out dry and overcooked. Crowding the basket keeps things from drying out too fast, especially with stuff like veggies or chicken wings. You just gotta flip or shake them halfway through.