Trail Designs Ti stoves

I've wondered why it appears (at least in some postings I've seen in BPL forums) that folks with a sidewinder designed for a pot smaller than your 3 cup pot (for example, the short Evernew UL 600ml pot) seem to forgo the inferno option, and instead use only the sidewinder cone for that small pot.

Is it perhaps because using an inferno & grate with a sidewinder designed for a smaller pot (that is, a pot smaller than your 3 cup pot) results in a fire box that's a bit small to be practical?

Or perhaps because including an inferno with a sidewinder designed for that smaller pot would take up very limited space, even rolled in the sidewinder?

Maybe there are other reasons, like cost? Or cutting grams? Or the simplicity of using just a sidewinder cone vs the fiddle factor of assembling the inferno?

Just haven't read of anyone using an inferno with the sidewinder for a pot that is smaller than a three cup pot, and wondered why not.

I thought a stove is single use.

Is the Caldera Cone how you get so much additional warmth out of your famed Megalite with overfill, and so much additional strength out of your Moment DW? I think I get the multi use claims now.

I thought a stove is single use.

I'm inclined to agree… "multi-fuel" would be accurate.

But I've used the Sidewinder/inferno with all fuels and it really does excel at each one of them. But regards to wood alone, I really like the Emberlit Mini the best… easier to stoke, and the disassembled stove is super compact. It's just plain fun to use, tho a bit messy with the soot as is the case with any wood stove…

Make a set of these crossover bars and convert any Ti cone into a wood burner.

http://www.siegestoves.com/order-stove.htm

Stephen,

As I mentioned in my 1st post this stove is "multi use" in the multi-fuel sense. Ya run out of alky or ESBIt and wood is your backup fuel. So, multi use, as i said, "…in a sense."

But I take your point, in the strictest interpretation a stove CAN be single use – just as a stove only.

But with wood (and no pot on top) it can be a "contained campfire", a lot less subject to the wind and fewer sparks flying around as a result. Still cheery and giving warmth. ("White man build big fire – no can get close. Indian build small fire – get close and warm."

Jus' sayin'…

Yes, it's multi fuel.

I would still disagree on that it "CAN" be multi-use, as the cone itself defeats the purpose one would want to have a fire in the first place…for warmth and light. The cone would still be doing its job of containing said heat and light, only allowing for a small amount of light and heat to escape from the top…and primarily directed upward. You would be far better off making a fire without a cone around it to take advantage of the side radiating heat and light.

KJ

In the "fire" mode, the cone can be left half open and radiate a lot more heat and mesmerizing light toward the happy hiker :)

Dan

Never thought of it in that way! Good thinkin'!

KJ

The only problem with small fires is that they require more tending because the little sticks burn much more rapidly than big ol' logs. Easier to collect fuel, though!

Nice thing about the Emberlit (and some other port-feed stoves) is that 3 or 4 long sticks can be fed into the firebox as the ends are consumed. Still requires tending, but less "processing", i.e. sawing or breaking to length, batoning and the like… just shove-n-burn.

I'll have to try the cone open technique. I don't mind feeding the fire. I just gather more twigs than I would just for cooking and I'm sitting next to it anyway. I'm more likely to have a fire in the cone even when I camp somewhere where there's already a fire ring. Although I do enjoy a "real" fire now and then.

Port feeding a stove is tedious work and requires the most attention, has the least amount of visual eye candy flames ;) Just not my preference. Others enjoy it.

Stack wood vertical for long burns, light from top.

Dan, yer a genius. I never thought of opening up the cone to use it in a reflector style manner and get more warmth.

Thank you sir. Now I know why I visit this site.

Eric, wood is my goto fuel. Yesterday, I purchased a slightly used Ti Caldera Cone GVP for Foster pot just so I could modify it for use with wood :) Can be used with different size pot bottoms.

I agree that it is multi-use:

1- the ultimate stove
2- little but efficient LNT campfire

In the campfire mode, we don't remove the outer cone and I think it works great to provide warmth and cheer for two-three people. In fact we decided on a larger pot size (1.3ltr) partly because of this second purpose! It gives out plenty of heat and ambience, and you can even move it from place to place while it's burning, the sides of the inferno floor that stick out are cool to touch.

It can also be placed near your tent and the outer cone will contain sideway flying sparks (just orient the handle opening away from the tent). It burns so hot that you can feed it thick short cuttings of wood which will last longer.

In fact I'm totally in love with our Sidewinder, it's one of the best things I own hiking gear or not.

It's a old post but this is my idea of using a TD as multi-fuel and/or multi-use: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=38016