ThermoJet MicroLite Stove

[Timothy Chauran]

Hi, I purchased one, too and after reading your post, poked around on their site a little bit and found this:

“Notice about Delivery: We were recently honored when BackPackingLight named the ThermoJet MicroLite Stove “the best overall (light weight and top performing) alcohol cooking system we tested.” Unfortunately, we had no advanced notice of the review and have been snowed under with orders. All orders are being processed as quickly as possible, but we cannot guarantee any delivery times at this point. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank all of our customers for their patience.”

[Sandra Warner]

I ordered one through mail on 16th. My check was cashed on the 27th. I’ve emailed him twice and no response. Glad I didn’t need this in a hurry! I have not received it yet!!!.

[Frank Ramos]

I ordered one before the review was widely publicized and it was shipped a bit late. But I did eventually receive it and it is all that was promised and I’m a satisfied customer.

I think the guy running the company is a one-man operation, perfectly legit, but not ready for a flood of orders.

[Steve Cain]

Yep, I was burned by this guy!

First, I placed my order on March 1st (before the review) and it was over two weeks in arriving. (He explained in an e-mail that he had a family emergency) But when I opened the package, the stove burner itself was partially crushed!!!

I spent the next 3 weeks trying to get him to respond to 5 different e-mails with no success. It was like he had dissappeared off the face of the earth! I finally complained to Paypal and BPL. A few days later he e-mailed me back using an “alternate” e-mail. (It was a yahoo account) He claimed that I must have his original e-mail address blocked or something and that he had respnded to every e-mail that I had sent. (Yeah….right!)

He has refused to replace the crushed stove for a different one and said that he is frustrated in dealing with me now (No surprise after I complained to Paypal and to BPL) and just wants his whole kit returned. He said he will credit my Paypal account once he receives it!

Anyway, I sent the whole kit back a couple of days ago. It remains to be seen if my account will ever be credited.

Bottom line: I’M NOT IMPRESSED WITH THIS PERSON!!! BEWARE!!!

[Richard Nelridge]

I suspect what is happening here is a growing pains problem. I had very good service from Tim Huggins of Synergy EC maker of the ThermoJet MicroLite. Tim answered several of my e-mails prior to and subsequent to my order of my MicroLite. I ordered mine on February 1 after the listing of the stove as a favorite item for 2004 by I believe Will Rietveld of BPL.

Tim was very helpful and forthright in his e-mail responses to me and he shipped the stove very quickly, and it was well packed, without incident.

I suspect that what is posted on the ThermoJet website is correct in that with the very positive review of their stove they are indeed swamped with orders and it will take them some time to catch up. Don’t forget that this is probably a small Cottage Industry type business and we can not expect the kind of production and turnaround of a large manufacturer in this business like a Patagonia, The Northface, or a Mountain Hardwear. These stoves take some time to prepare with all the components, holes, etc. It really is a nice little piece of equipment.

I know from my own experience participating in and selling my Fine Art photographs (many very large) through Art Shows and Art and Craft Shows, that I have to instruct my buyers that it will take time (frequently 2 to 3 or more weeks) for me to manufacture and ship orders due to my schedule and my available time.

This same problem just happened recently to BPL when they were in the process of moving and their server went down. I know when I placed my order for the Stix Pro Hiking Poles that I had concern for my order and my modification to the order. But I did get a response from both Ryan and Stephanie Jordan. BPL are a small group running the business and most or all of these people including Ryan have full time jobs. So as a result it may take some time to get back to questions and shipping of orders.

This again has taken place with all the Bozeman Mountain Works products which have been introduced and sold through BPL. We as buyers know that when we preorder, we are expecting the order to be filled some weeks to months from the time of our orders.

I think that at this point we have to be patient and to give Tim and whoever else at Synergy EC is making the ThermoJet MicroLite stoves to get caught up and ship them to all those that have placed an order. It is possible that Tim may be the only person making these stoves and he may have received hundreds of orders from the BPL review.

Rich Nelridge
http://www.nelridge.com

[Sandra Warner]

I received an email from Tim last night apoligizing for the delay. I should be receiving my stove either today or tomorrow and he thanked me for my patience. I figured he was back logged and I wasn’t to worried about it. I bet he had a lot of orders!

[Richard Nelridge]

Sandra,

Wondering if you have received your ThermoJet MicroLite Stove and if you are pleased with the purchase. I am pleased with mine.

[Sandra Warner]

Hello Richard,
Yes! I received it on monday the 11th. I’am very pleased with it!,can’t wait to get out on the trail and use it. Of course it’s pooring down rain right now in good old Washington State.
So I’ve been playing with it in my garage.It boils my 2cups of water in little over 4mins. I emailed Tim to let him know I was very pleasrd with it and thanked him for a great stove.

[Tim Cheek]

I paid for mine on 4/19/05, but haven’t received it yet. Anybody out there have some information on delivery of yours?

[robert courson]

I bought one last spring before I went section hiking on the AT. The stove was received in good fashion and the guy even wrote me a note saying he wants to hike the AT some day. Give the guy a break. He makes a wonderful stove and the price is right. I have never boiled water faster and have had no problems with the stove.

When I was done section hiking I let my friend use it (He was through hiking) and he too enjoyed the simplicty and efficiency of the stove.
Thanks for letting me add my 2 cents.

[Carol Brown]

Below, I’ve pasted in an “automatic reply” that is sent out by the ThermoJet folks if you send an e-mail to them. Sounds like they are working very hard to fulfill orders. CB

“Thank you for your interest in the ThermoJet MicroLite stove. If you
are writing to inquire about your order, please note that all orders are
processed and shipped in the order that they are received. We
currently have a 6-8 week backlog of orders.

All of our customers are equally important to us. Consequently, we
cannot accommodate requests to move an order ahead of others, provide a
specific shipment date, or similar requests for “special handling” of an
individual order.

We have posted this information prominently on our website to be
completely honest with our customers and avoid any misunderstandings. We
regret any inconvenience that this may cause.
Synergy EC”

[John austin]

I have been reading this forum and am wondering. Has anybody that bought this stove ever used a pepsi can alcohol stove? This is just a small energy drink can stove with a very nice wind screen potstand combo. There are many other stoves that will do this same job for alot less money. This really isn’t rocket science. I don’t want to make anybody angry or make anybody look bad i am just a little baffeled. look–www.minibulldesign.com These stove will be in your hands in 3 days no sweat and they work great.Same or better boil time.

[Tim Cheek]

Mine arrived today from Pittsburgh, so I got delivery in about six weeks.

Is it suppose to have a scribed line inside the burner to mark the one fluid ounce line? Mine doesn’t have one, but the directions reference one.

[Richard Nelridge]

My Thermojet MicroLite has the 1 oz scribe line (looks almost like a seam) that runs all the way around the inside of the burner. There is also a single mark at one location that appears to be a 1/2 oz mark.

[Tim Cheek]

Okay, thanks. I have emailed them and will wait for their advice before attempting my own fix. Looks like I could reduce the flow in the gap between the inner and outer skin of the burner, or puncture it, if I’m not careful.

I take it the scribing is just a “dimpling” of the metal, and not a mark?

[Richard Nelridge]

Hi Tim,

No it looks like a line drawn around the circumference of the inside of the burner (almost like a caliper or some other tool drew the line around the whole circumference of the burner). I think the burner is supposed to only accept 1 3/4 oz of alcohol so it is a bit above the middle of the burner. The mark that looks to be a 1/2 oz mark is a raised dimpling as if it had been implemented from the outer wall of the burner.

Hope this helps.

Rich

[Scott Ashdown]

I ordered mine prior to the review on this site from the United Kingdom and it arrived within a couple of weeks. I am really pleased with it and it is probably the stove I use the most – and I have lots of stoves!

Recently I went out with a friend, he had a swiss army style trangia that he used. He went to boil some water for a cup of coffee on his stove in a pan complete with lid. I can tell you that I boiled more than twice the amount of water faster than him in a pot without a lid on my Thermojet. It wasn’t a test or anything but even I was surprised by that result. A nice little stove and well worth the reviews it received here on BPL.

[Hector Agdeppa]

NIce try to gather some business. The point to the thermojet stove SYSTEM is that just that – it’s a burner, it’s a windscreen, it’s a simmer ring, it’s a stuff sack, and it’s a fuel bottle. And it’s very good quality. First – I haven’t seen anyone else out there come out with a simmer ring that operates and works like the Thermojet one. Whether or not you think it’s a good feature, it hasn’t been done before. Secondly, I can make pepsi can stoves and windscreens, but what if I’d just rather buy them? That’s ok. Also, looking at BPL’s reviews, not all stoves and windscreens are the same – there are a few systems tested that look, on their face, to be just like the thermojet, but none worked quite as well. Whether it’s the quality of materials, attention to detail, whatever – for many people, it’s arguably worth it to buy this product. And not to make you mad, but like I said before, everything you SELL on your site can be made just as well. I’ve actually purchased some of your products and I’ve made my own versions of your “elite,” “sketti,” and “minibull” stoves that work better w/o hot crimping the seams, etc. On the other hand, your idea of a permanent preheating wick is a great idea – something that no one else has done. Either way, don’t be so baffled.

[T. Sedlak]

0/5: It has been over 4 months and I have not yet received the stove or any non-automated reponse to emails.

Also, I think backpacking light should strongly consider retracting its original recommendations / editorial picks for this stove. Enough of us have written in not having received any stove after months! A responsible company should not be recommending controversial sellers (especially without at least a disclaimer of some sort).

[Steve Thompson]

Surprise! Mine arrived today, only a two week wait. Haven’t tested it yet.

Just finished checking it out on my patio. Boiled 1 liter of water with 1.5 oz of alcohol (yellow heet) in just at 9 min.

[ronald liljedahl]

The first time I ordered a Thermojet nothing happened for 3 months and then I received a refund with a note stating that the shipper had neglected to mail my stove. I took a chance and ordered a second time. I then received my stove about 3 weeks later. Go figure!

[ronald liljedahl]

The first time I ordered a Thermojet nothing happened for 3 months and then I received a refund with a note stating that the shipper had neglected to mail my stove. I took a chance and ordered a second time. I then received my stove about 3 weeks later. Go figure!

[John Gelack]

I ordered a Thermojet almost 10 months ago, but I have not received it yet. I e-mailed them a couple of weeks ago asking when I could expect to receive the stove, but there has been no response. I’ve pretty much given up all hope on ever getting my Thermojet.

[Scott Toraason]

Is anyone forwarding their complaints to the Attorney Generals office in that state?

[ronald liljedahl]

I took my Thermojet Microlight with me today while day hiking. The temperature was 32 degrees with snow on the ground and a light breeze. I put enough alcohol in the stove so that it was just under half full. I had a little difficulty getting the stove to light being this cold but eventually got it going. I used the windbreak that comes with the stove. I was so surprised that there was so little noise when the stove was running wide open. I then put 1 cup of water on too boil. I then every thing timed with my watch. At 2 minutes, the pot started groaning and at 3 minutes that water was boiling. I took the pot off and made myself a cup of hot chocolate. The stove burned for a total of 7 minutes before going out. Within a few minutes, everything was cool enough to put back into my back. I was quite pleased. I guess that it was worth the wait to get my first alcohol stove.

Ron L

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