New Vargo Hexagon Wood Stove…Opinions?

I know it says there is the access door for air flow, but to me it looks like the fire is going to have a hard time breathing.

It looks like every other panel has a gap on the bottom.

Personally, as much as I like some of my other Vargo products, I'd MUCH rather have a Caldera Cone Tri Ti W/Inferno conversion for woodburning with its high efficiency of combustion and great heat capture to the pot.

The Vargo does not have the recirculating hot air feature found on the Calera cone Tri Ti Inferno and the Bush Buddy nor does it capture heat to the pot nearly as well as the C.C. Tri Ti.

I'd go with a Ikea cutlery caddy instead.

Looks interesting but I agree with Christopher that it looks like the fire can't breathe much. There are holes in the bottom but those will eventually get clogged with ash so I wonder if you have to keep the door open all the time of O2.

Looks like a more square copy & paste version of a Caldera Cone. Knowing that the Caldera Cone itself (or Ti-Tri for that matter) ain't perfect for burning wood (hence they made the Inferno insert), I much rather use any of my other wood burning stoves. I can see Vargo coming out with a Inferno insert copy in the future ;)

What does the Ikea cuttlery caddy weigh?

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30011832

The IKEA cutlery caddy woodstove mod weighs about 3oz. I like the one I made:

A significant advantage of the bushbuddy is that it contains the fire entirely, can be placed on a table, and can even be lifted. Better for LNT (no burn ring or ashes that be easily scattered) and for safety and ease of use.

Otherwise, I would want to see a test burn of this, but it may work fine. I would also wonder about getting soot all over everything including my hands when I folded it up.

Found a review of the new Vargo wood stove here:

http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/Product%20Review%20-%20Vargo%20Titanium%20Hexagon%20Wood%20Stove.htm

I think that Brian rushes things into production without enough field testing. First generation Triad was junk, Decagon has been called a useless hockey puck by more than one person. Now even this has the slots being modified. I'd stay away, and spend my money on some tested gear like the Caldera Cones or Bushbuddy.

Mike B.>
The Tri Ti has an OPTIONAL 2 peice circular ground protection plate that is secured W/two hook-type tent stakes.

No, it's not a table top WOOD stove but it can be used as a table top alcohol or ESBIT conversion.

I like that it folds flat. The weight is good.

It looks like they need a way to raise the pot more. I like the flame to be a little more focused. there is not a lot of room for the flame to to reach its apex.

I only recently came across the Vargo Hexagon Wood Stove. Must have been snoozing when it was introduced. My first thoughts were.. weight looks good, finally a wood stove that doesn't take up a bunch of pack space or have to be stored in a pot, and setup looks straight forward (no messing with tent stakes or playing pre-dinner jenga). Hey and price looks pretty good too.

After a bit of searching I came across two threads related to the stove. This thread was one of the two and I was surprised to see how everybody seemed so negative about it given that it appears to have some pretty obvious advantages compared to the competition.

The second thread that I found was under the trips reports section on BPL. Under the thread: 3rd Annual BPLer's Gathering of Gear Geeks. There are some photos of a wood stove burn off in which it would appear that the Vargo Hexagon Wood Stove held its own against the likes of the bushbuddy, and ti-tri. Actually it came in first in terms of time to reach a boil. Check it out if you haven't already. I realize that there are a lot of factors involved in how each stove will function (wood used, skill of operator, etc) but it seems to me that there is some evidence that this is a relevant option in terms of wood burning backcountry stoves.

I am looking to strike up some debate here. I do not own any of these stoves but have been eying the bushbuddy and the ti-tri for a while but have been unwilling to pull the trigger given the relatively high cost and in my opinion poor storage options. Given the results of the BPLer's Gathering of Gear Geeks burn off do any of you original posters feel differently?

Have a good one.

Jeff

I've picked up a few in thrift stores and found that some are made in Thailand, others in China. The Thai version I have is a bit lighter and came out at 2.6 for the bare shell vs. 3.0 for the Chinese version.

Jeff,

I was one of the guys who posted photos from the BPL gathering at Henry Coe SP. The Vargo was up against a Caldera Cone, Bush Buddy, Backcountry Boiler, Ikea Stove, and maybe one other. It was hardly a controlled test though, more for fun. Different operators, different wood sources, starting fuel, and unmeasured amounts of beer consumption :) There was also no wind or rain that day (though some light snow). Some took longer to get their fires started than others, and in the end everyone got their water to boil.

I've had really great luck with that Vargo Ti Wood Burner; it's well thought, for what it is – a simple wood burner. With an appropriate pot, it's fairly efficient and quick to provide a boil.

Regarding Henry Coe, I'm very selective about my fuel selection/sources (I brought dry wood on that trip) and have extensively practiced fire-making skills – this helped a lot. All the stoves there are good choices and have their places, depending on need.

But yes, it's a nice little item. It's light and packs flat, which was the selling point for me. Storing it in its little case, I slip it in my pack's platy pouch. I'm a canister stove user, mostly, but do take the Vargo along to satisfy the pyro in me, when I can.