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From: Kent Forrester, 08/05/97
Email: forester@msumusik.mursuky.edu
Name of Gear: Lightweight stove and utensil kit
Manufacturer: Home Made
Charles, here's an idea for a stove kit you might want to try. I put it together today, tested it on a cup of soup, and it worked great. Orginally I was going to eat cold on a trip to the Sierras this summer, but this stove kit is so small and light that I've decided to take it with me.
Here's what you'll need:
€ a 7 oz. Sterno stove kit (includes an aluminum pot support).
€ matches
€ bandanna
€ two pieces of aluminum foil (to use as windscreen and "lid"
for the cup)
€ Lexan spoon
€ a 16-oz.stainless steel cup.(Campmore sells one that weighs
3 oz.)
The whole kit only weighs 11 oz. and fits snugly into the stainless steel coffee cup.
Anyone who is packing light ought to consider it. One of its major
attractions is its small size. I shoulder a 4,000 cubic inch pack (a
Gregory Reality) on up to 6-day hikes, so all my gear has to be not only light, but also small, small, small. The Sterno-in-a-cup fits into a space 3 3/4" high, with a diameter of 4".
It's true that it takes about 10 to 12 minutes to bring 14 oz. of water to a light boil, but who's in a hurry in the woods anyway?
Light the alcohol and by the time you've set up your tent and puffed up your sleeping bag, your hot water is ready. No white gas, no gas bottles, no pumping, no balky stoves, no flareups in your tent. What's not to like?
As you might guess, I eat simply on hikes, and I eat only one hot meal a day. So it's perfect for my soups,ramen noodles, coffee, and the like.
Of course, if you wish, you can pour the hot water into those freeze-dried meals and eat as heartily as you eat at home.
You might challenge your readers to try to come up with a cooking system that is smaller, lighter or more convenient. (No fair trying to cook ramen noodles over a wood fire. Also, I've tried the Nuwick 44-hour candle in a can that Campmor sells. As you might know, they claim to be able to cook with it; I tried to cook with 3 wicks lit and couldn't bring water to a boil. So though it might be a wonderful idea to use one's candle lantern as a stove, it's also not possible.)
I know it's unlikely that anyone will find a cheaper setup. The Sterno and the cup together only cost a few dollars.
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From: Charlie Bonsall, 12/26/96
Email: cabonsall@sltrib.com
Name of Gear: Sierra Zip Wood-Burning Stove
Manufacturer: ZZ Corp.
For years I have used backpacking stoves using various liquid or compressed gas fuels. Several years ago my father gave me a little Sierra light weight stove which uses an AA battery to drive a little fan and burns any handy solid material.
When I received it I considered it kind of a useless little gimmick. But for some reason I used it one time and was amazed. I now use it
exclusively. I have cooked entire meals using just a few pine cones, twigs, leaves, dry reeds, candy wrappers, etc. It weighs about the same as any light-weight stove like the Coleman Peak (or less), but you do not have to carry any fuel. It never fails to start (I do carry a couple fire starter sticks in case all natural material is wet), it never leaks ignitable fuel, it is so small and contained that it is as safe as (or safer) any other small stove, and it is easy to control the heat through an integrated baffle. The battery will work to drive the fan even if it has weakened to the point of only giving a dull clow in a flashlight, so it must use very little current. In fact, I use my old flashlight batteries in it.
The only disadvantage I have found is that it does blacken the utensils some. This can be limited by assuring that cooking is done over hot coals and not placing utensils over fuel that is just starting to burn.
I have never seen this stove recommended, evaluated, or even mentioned, in the backpacking literature and on the WWW. I encourage you and any readers to try this handy stove.
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From: Ed Geary, 08/04/97
Email: turtle@tlcorl.com
Name of Gear: Sierra Zip Wood-Burning Stove
Manufacturer: ZZ Corp.
......... I love that stove. Fuel does not have to be dry. I live in Florida and occasionaly end up camping in a tropical storm. I use fire starter sticks and they generate enough heat to get wet pine cones burning.
It usually takes about a dozen pine cones to boil a quart of water in about 5 minutes. My preferred method of water purifying is boiling and a gallon size zip lock bag full of pine cones is enough to fill canteens (approximately 2 gallons of water) and water for dinner.
Also, I use pine cones that squirrels have knawed on, leaving the "cob" - it leaves less of a tar residue on my pot.
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From: Tim caines, 02/01/98
Email: timc@centuryinter.net
Name of Gear: Sierra Zip Wood-Burning Stove
Manufacturer: ZZ Corp.
Weight: 15 oz
Cost: 39.99
Conditions: 3-Seasons - Moderate Conditions
Usage: Lightweight Backpacking
Super stove! You can gather fuel as you
walk and the same AA battery will run it for 3-4 days. It is approved for no-open-fire areas in most areas. Combines
the positives of both a campfire and a stove. The only real drawback is the soot on your cooking gear - small price to
pay for something so light weight that works so
well.
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From: Celgreebj, 02/02/98
Email: Celgreebj@aol.com
Name of Gear: Sierra Zip Wood-Burning Stove
Manufacturer: ZZ Corp.
Weight: 15 oz
Cost: 39.99
Capacity: 3-4 people per stove
Conditions: 3-Seasons - Moderate Conditions
Usage: Hiking and Backpacking
The Zip stove is a wood-burning backpacking
stove that uses a AA battery powered fan to
burn twigs, pinecones, and charcoal picked out of the firepit into a blast furnice heat (like a forge). At 15 oz. for
unlimited fuel it is a bargain on longer trips. It nests inside my MSR pot when not in use.
I carry two charcoal briquettes and a firestarter for rainy camps, but seldom use them.
The stove must be fed often while cooking, but enough fuel can be picked up in seconds while scouting for a tent site.
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From: Paul Atkinson, 11/17/97
Email: 113064,3204
Name of Gear: MFS3288 Multi Fuel Stove
Manufacturer: Primus
Review Type: Cooking (Stove)
Weight: 470g
Capacity: Output 2,800w
Cost: £69.99
Conditions: 4-Season Mountains
I saw this stove advertised as the only true multi-fuel stove available and thought - what?
It comes ready to burn on White gas, Kerosene, Petrol, but best of all Low Pressure gas cannisters! The product itself comes complete with a pump to pressurise the fuel you are using but alas without the fuel bottle although the thread is standard.
I was amazed to find that you could actually switch between the fuel bottle and the gas cartridge without the flame going out - amazing! Also you can simmer on this stove, a rarity on multi-fuel stoves. It also has a built in pre heating system which was invaluable high up in the English lake District.
It also folded which made it ideal for carrying in my too small rucksac!
One gas cannister lasted about 2 hours, good even for a stove purposely built to run on gas.
All in all I think Primus have come out with the best all round stove I have ever used.
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From: Kotcher, Peter, 5/10/98
Email: kotchep@ibm.net
Name of Gear: Backpack DLX stove
Manufacturer: Peak 1
Weight: 6.8oz
Cost: $30.00
This piezo-electric lighting stove weighs 6.8 oz and costs $30.
It burns blended fuel cartridges (butane/propane). Peak 1 sells two sizes:
3100 containing 100g fuel in a 6.8 oz cartridge, and 3250 containing 227g
fuel in a 13 oz cartridge.
This stove has worked well for me over the past 9 month in temperatures
ranging from 25 to 80 degrees F. It has consistently been easy to light. It
has a fuel preheating system which gives consistent burning and I have not
had flaring. It has boiled a liter of water in less than 4 minutes when
turned on full blast. It adjusts to a low simmer. I tend to use my stove
only to boil water when camping and I've found that the small cartridge
serves me well for weekend trips. Tipping is a potential problem when using
the small cartridge and I've found that the canister is gripped nicely by
the MSR Trillium (2.9 oz, ~$15). The trillium is not the lightest way to
solve the problem I'm sure. My experience with the stove has not involved
noticeable altitude.
At present I use the Evernew 1.2 liter titanium pot (5.7 oz) as it easily
holds the stove, the small cartridge, lexan spoon, and backup matches. This
makes a light highly functional package.
Manufacturer's Specs:
Three-position pot support adjusts to different pot sizes.
Electronic Ignition. Performance based upon 3250 fuel canister.
Weight: 7.3 oz (206 g)
Full Weight: 20.3 oz (581 g)
Output: 12,000 BTU
Burn time: 54 minutes (continuous operation on high)
Boil time: 3 min., 0 sec. [one liter, covered pot, indoors (20 deg.C)]
Water boiled per fuel canister: 18 liters (same conditions as above)
$40.00
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From: Bill Wilson
Email: bplifetek@aol.com
Review Type: Cooking (Stove,Pot,etc.)
Name of Gear: Complete Cook Set for 5 Days @ 15 oz.
Weight: See breakdown of weight in review.
Reviewer's Height & Weight: 6-2, 185#
Conditions: 3-Seasons - All Conditions
Usage: Lightweight Backpacking
Message: Total Weight: 15 oz
1. Peak 1 Micro Stove (5.5oz)
2. Peak one 3100, 3.5oz of 70%butane/30%propane mix canister(7.0oz)
3. Two cup aluminum measuring cup/pot with handle, with aluminum lid (2.0oz)
4. Windscreen that fits around cup/pot made from MSR aluminum windscreen material (0.5oz)
This set up will boil 16 pots of water, enough for 5 day pack trip for myself. I have used this setup for years, it works
great for me. Light and simple.
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