Optimus Stella +stove

[Joe Federici]

I'm looking to buy a cartrage stove for winter backpacking can't seem to find much inforation about the Stella. I'm sure that's because it's new but figured my best shop would be here.

It doesn't seem to have a pre heat tube so I wasn't sure how well it would do in the cold.

Link to the site.
http://w2.optimus.se/index.php?id=34

[Drowned Lemming]

I've only had a brief look at one, but it appears to use the Crux burner head mounted remotely – with no pre-heat tube.
For winter use, the MSR Windpro, Primus Gravity or Coleman Fyrestorm would be better choices – all have preheat tubes and allow the cannister to be inverted to give a liquid feed.
See the 'Selecting a Canister Stove for Cold Weather Backpacking Part II: Commercially Available Canister Stove Systems' in the 'Techniques' section.

I use a Windpro, as it's lighter (and to my mind) easier to set up than the Fyrestorm.

[Joe Federici]

how about the Coleman Xtreme. I've been hearing that's a great stove for winter and the price seems very good.

Only being abe to use one brand and kind of fuel does seem like an issue?

JFFF

[Drowned Lemming]

The Xtreme is an excellent winter stove – if you can get the cartridges. Despite anything that Coleman may say, they are not readily available in Europe (for which read 'unobtainable'), whereas the 'standard' screw thread cannisters are.
As you can't fly with compressed gas, local availability of cannisters is important for me.
The fact that Coleman have produced the Fyrestorm, which takes the 'standard' cannister may suggest that the future for the Xtreme cartridges is not too good…..

[Doug Johnson]

The Coleman Xtreme is a stellar stove- my first choice for a snow melting machine. Check out the review and numerous forums on this site for more info. But in my opinion, it is tops in winter.

True- cartridge availability is an issue in some places. But cartridge reliability is not- and they are light and easily recyclable.

[Douglas Frick]

>The Xtreme is an excellent winter stove – if you can get the cartridges.

And if not, a cartridge adapter (3.7 oz) is available. This allows me to travel knowing I can always use regular cartidges if I can't find Powermax fuel, and I know the money I put into the stove won't be wasted if Coleman ever stops making Powermax canisters.

[Brian James]

An absolutely top-notch stove for winter is the ClikStand. This can be bought from Scott Reiner at http://www.clikstand.com.

The Clikstand was originally designed as a lightweight solution for supporting a Trangia alcohol burner. It weighs 3.2 ounces and is really durable as a pot support. The only problem is that pesky alcohol burner, which is of course not much good in winter.

Fortunately, Trangia makes (well I think Primus makes it) a canister gas burner for their stove system. Install the canister gas burner (which is about 6.5 ounces but super robust, unlike the WindPro,) and you've got a wide, stable, roaring winter stove.

I originally contacted Scott Reiner of clikstand.com to ask whether he had tested the gas burner in the clikstand, which he hadn't. He graciously shipped me a clikstand with a couple of small cutouts to allow extra clearance and to allow for the gas hose, and presto! What it amounted to was an amazing, strong, and very lightweight winter stove solution.

The real weight savings come from the fact that the windscreen is integrated, and perfectly sized for the pot. On my kitchen scale (sorry I don't own a cool digital gram scale) the *whole system* (potstand/burner/windscreen) comes in at approximately 330 grams, which is around 11.5 ounces. Including windscreen! The system fits its' own pots (which I think are similar to or the same as the ones AntiGravity Gear sells) and I wouldn't like to use anything else. I even take it dayhiking!

I have been working on a review with photos. Let me say that I refused to buy a WindPro because they're too flimsy for my taste; the Clikstand with gas burner passes my Canadian Winter Ruggedness Confidence Test with flying colors. I have even put a full 14 litre stock pot on it; the stove didn't budge!

Look here for a full review coming soon; in the meantime may I recommend that you consider this setup for your winter stove.

[Drowned Lemming]

I like the lateral thinking of Clikstand + Trangia gas adaptor. I have both, so I'll be experimenting when I get home. The Trangia gas adaptor has a pre-heat tube, so is suitable for inverting the cartridge for a liquid feed.

[Joe Federici]

Would you have a link for the canister gas burner your talking about. I did some searching on the net but don't see to be finding what your talking about. I have used a trangia in the summer but now tend to use a brasslite.

thanks

[Drowned Lemming]

http://www.trangia.se/english/2925.original_accessories.html

They are very common in Northern Europe, but I don't know about their availability in the US.

[Joshua Mitchell]

Brilliant!

[Brian James]

RE: buying the canister adapter, I bought mine at MEC in Canada. You lucky 'mericans can use Froogle:

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=trangia+gas&btnG=Search+Froogle

I'll get some pictures up ASAP; it really is a sweet setup!

[Author]

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