Good points Lori, and Glenn, and .....I think the OP has no camping or backpacking experience and it is showing. Of course he's going to make a mini n. k.e device to boil our water...but that would cost more than we'd want to spend on a trendy stove <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I agree with everything lori, glen, and earthling are saying,

However one might do well to remember that good gear doesn't make it to market. Gear that can be sold to people makes it to market, if it happens to sell because it's good, that's only a happy accident for us. Lots of gear sells because it looks good to the inexperienced, and I'd be willing to bet that's where the biggest segment of the market is. Y'all know the type - the ones with the giant packs, huge mountaineering stove, and patagucci coat that you pass 3 clicks in on the trail
with their stove roaring away under an expresso machine.

Well... I have camping experience, but not really any backpacking. So you're right there. Generally when camping I use a Colman propain stove. It is much to heavy to even be considered for backpacking, but it works well if you when moving long distances you have a car or are flying...

We are targeting this thing at people other than backpackers (disaster relief, beachgoers, uses in cars and buildings, etc), too. Backpackers are just one group we would like input from.

It is possible the device won't be suitable for backpackers, but I'm conducting this survey to find out if we could design a device that would be useful to people like yourselves.

Again, thanks for your input, guys. It's all much appreciated.

Good point phat...

If it turns out Spensor and I can't design a stove that is functionally better than existing ones, we might take the Apple approach and instead make on that is trendy and try to get novices to buy it for the looks.

Probably not, though. We're both more the engineering type than the marketing type. But an interesting idea none the less.

You really wanna make a stove I'd buy? I'll tell you exactly what to make. Google for
SVEA 123 - the original - and make one of those, but out of titanium instead of brass. I'd
pay good money for a pumpless white gas stove made out of titanium so it was light <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Or for that matter you could always copy the borde bomb in titanium <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yes, also a Trangia out of titanium would be great also. I have a brass one that the cap is split in several places. So now instead of trying to snuff and save unspent fuel, I just let it burn out and put in a ziplock. I tossed the screw on lid. Heavy and useless.

Ahh, that is the joy of school. There were no marketing people to influence your design. You just tried to design the best device possible and hoped you had answers for all the crazy questions that professors come up with to frazzle you. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

“Yes, also a Trangia out of titanium would be great also.”

Titanium just doesn’t appear to have the heat properties for an alcy stove. The Vargo Ti stoves have been busts and always are at the bottom of the performance list.

yeah, TI alcohol stoves have been done (the triad, etc.) They just don't work as well
as aluminum.

You want a lighter triangia, make any one of the myriad of good pop can designs. no market
because it's so easy to do that. Dont' wanna make one yourself? buy one from tinny...

If your purpose is a simple design for emergency situations (for instance), many wood gas or biomass stoves have been DIY or industrially designed and sold in India and other developing countries. Have a look there...