“What was the problem with the Vargo?

Also, can you elaborate a little bit on why I would need two stoves to work one ti in cooler weather?”


This is for the Vargo Triad. The 2nd stove, that helps, is a tea candle stove http://zenstoves.net/TeaLight.htm . A very small one is ¼ filled with alcohol and then lit. Then push it under the Vargo stove. After a while, the Vargo stove’s jets will fire.

Some of the problems with Vargo:
1. As phat pointed out, it takes a while to heat up,
2. It can’t be filled fast because of the small hole. This makes it so easy to spill the alcohol over the edges.
3. When it is ‘filled’ the alcohol needs to be above the hole so you can light it with a match. This means that if lesser burn time is needed, lesser alcohol can’t be used, unless you use the priming stove such as explained above, to light it.
4. Another method (though very risky) to light an under-filled stove is to douse the whole stove with alcohol. Bring the match close and watch the whole stove flame up. This sometimes catches the main alcohol on fire. But if the stove is too cold, then you have to douse it again. What I’m trying to say is this baby needs some preheating and priming.
5. I don’t know why, but sometimes some of the jet holes don’t work.
6. Unused alcohol can’t be drained out as claimed, unless reclaiming a couple of drops is considered.
7. If it’s overfilled, get ready for some flame spitting.
8. It is sooo much easier to blow out than a regular pressurize pepsi can stove. This is a drag when you think your meal is cooking.

My favorite is open jet alcohol stoves. Just pour the fuel in the center and light. It sort of looks like ebay item# 220358666700
Some more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove

May everyone find their alcy stove zen

-Barry