Recently, I reviewed the Sidewinder Ti-Tri Caldera Cone and the BushBuddy Ultra. Today, I thought I'd do a quick comparison of the two.


Please join me as I compare a Sidewinder Ti-Tri Caldera Cone vs. a BushBuddy Ultra on today's Adventure in Stoving.

HJ

You do nice reviews, Jim.

Thanks, Ringtail.

People have been exceptionally kind in providing me material with which to do my reviews. There's no way I could review such a variety of stoves without help.

In this case the Ti-Tri Sidewinder Cone was provided by Randy N of Colorado and the BushBuddy was provided by Christian D of Ohio. Both stoves are good stoves and were a pleasure to use although I think the Ti-Tri came out ahead, particularly for non-wood use. Both stoves are now in the US Mail en route to their respective owners to whom I give my thanks.

HJ

You have my list of stoves. PM me if you want to review any of them.

Thanks again for your good work.

I'll second what Ringtail said. Your reports are always informative. I may not always post up, but I read them all.

Thanks, guys.

I appreciate that last comment since sometimes when no one says anything I wonder if the report is going into the internet equivalent of the dust bin.

HJ

HJ writes stoves up?
Duane

I also read them all. I have even poked around the stoving site a good bit.

Thanks, Ben.

See anything missing? Ideas for improvement? Always happy to try to improve if I can reasonably do it. I live in an apartment, so lab type benchmarking is out, but if there's a subject that isn't covered or something like that, please let me know.

HJ

Jim,

I cannot think of anything else you could cover for a guy like me. I am not yet backpacking at elevations above 12000ft so my Jetboil serves me well.

Also, I do not really have the room to store multiple stoves, so again, the Jetboil seems to be where its at for me, for now at least.

Once I get above 12000ft, I may look at having to get another type of stove, but that would mean some other personal possession has to go in order to make room....

12,000 feet? I haven't heard of a "ceiling" for the Jetboil. There's no reason that I can think of that you can't use a JB above 12,000 feet. The piezoelectric ignition might fail, but hopefully you bring a lighter and matches anyway, yes?

HJ

The isobutane/propane fuel mix is very inefficient in really cold weather, which is what one should expect on the tops of very high mountain.

At least, that is what I have read. If I am wrong then I would sure like to hear about it.

On the other hand, the lower pressure at higher altitudes enhances performance (the ability of the liquid gas to vaporize). Canister have performed well at altitude on many occasions. On the one occasion when I was at altitude for an extended period, we used liquid fuel stoves because of easier logistics.

It is my understanding that the colder the iso/butane mix, one part of the fuel burns, leaving the other part of the fuel in the can.

I become more confused about this as I read more and more on the subject. I have seen video Jetboil used on Everest above 17000ft, which confuses me even more.

All I REALLY know is that mine has been reliable and convenient for me so far.

I believe that is correct, which is why a canister should be your bed partner (as opposed to other potentially more desirable options) when temperatures plummet. As the environment cools, liquid fuel stoves are more and more practical. With white gas, I don't have to worry my pretty little head with all the variables inherent with canisters - and I am a definite fan of canister stoves in more temperate conditions. I don't think I will be cooking at 17,000 feet anytime soon.

Thanks, oldranger. That is basically what I thought I had learned so far. I do hope to be camping at those elevations within the next year so I want to gather as much knowledge as I can before hand.

OK, so here's the deal, in step-by-step form:

1. Choose good gas. For weather below 50F/10C, don't get butane. Get a propane - isobutane mix. I've got all the major US brands evaluated on my blog: What's the Best Brand of Gas for Cold Weather? Above 50F/10C, it typically doesn't matter what brand you buy.

2. Know your limits. Propane-isobutane mixes work reasonably well down to about 20F at sea level. Want to know why? See Gas Blends and Cold Weather Performance. Canisters get colder as you use them which can negatively impact performance. See item #4, below, for how to compensate for canister chilling.

3. Adjust for Altitude. The higher you go, the lower the outside pressure. The lower the outside pressure, the colder you can operate a canister gas stove. You gain approximately a 2F degree colder advantage per 1000' of gain (about 1C per 300m gain).

4. Use good technique. Basically, start with a warm canister and keep the canister warm. I've got a "best practices" write up on my blog: Cold Weather Tips for Gas Stoves.

There in a nutshell is how to deal with cold weather and adjust for altitude for canister gas stoves.

HJ

Super-groovy and succinct, Jim! Thanks for the links.

Wow, I don't get that kind of feedback every day. lol.

HJ

Wow, Jim, you really are a stove freak. But, I sure appreciate all the unbiased info when looking at stoves.

Who, me?

HJ