NEW: LiteTrail Titanium Solid Fuel Cook System – sub-3 oz

Looking pretty sweet Jhaura!

Is the windscreen tacked at both ends or is there a connector system? If there is, would like to see a photo of how it connects together.

No handles on the pot + a high wind screen. Thus going to be very hard to pick up by hand if the pot is full. Thus need to factor in additional weight for a pot grabber, probably taking the true total weight of this setup closer to 4 ounces. (at least for those who are not willing to wait for things to cool down, or if you are using the first half of your 14g esbit cube and want to save the rest for the next meal)

No tray on the wing stand. Exactly how easy/hard it is to get a used half-piece of esbit to stay on top of the stand where the tray usually sits? Or, what about for those of us who use the 4gram esbits rather than the 14 gram esbits? Without the tray, can they fit on there and stay on there while in use?

Why the cord and the loop on the sack? It looks like the sack is tape bonded along the seam lines for the cord, so anybody who did want to hang it could just use the cord. (btw, very nice to see a stuff sack that is tape bonded!) (also btw, very nice to see somebody out there making stuff sacks for cooking systems with a true round bottom!)

Any field testing been done with this set up or are you just winging it? I don't get how it will work without a fuel tray.

sorry, had to pun.

lol. good one ken.

See, this is what happens when you get a bunch of SoCal guys that move to Humboldt County ;)

Hi @JohnAbela! Thanks for the comments.

1. Windscreen uses a single paperclip (included). Because the windscreen is so short, only one is needed. We didn't tack it because there is some extra length in it to offer some gap adjustment.

2. Potholder: Because the windscreen is short, there is plenty of room to grab the upper half of the pot with a bandana or Lightload towel. So adding an addtl oz for potholder would maybe apply if you don't already carry one of the before mentioned items.

3. I've used this stove for the last 5 years and it works fine without the bowl. Just plop the tab up on the center of the stove and let it come to rest where it may. The ground protector will do its thing on the bottom. The 4 g ones are the same, just sit it in there. The Esbits burn just fine whether they are sitting horizontal or resting diagonally.

4. Cordloop is for hanging closer than you could when the string is pulled tight. The weight is miniscule and it can easily be cut off. It's 3/8" grosgrain, not webbing. Stuff sack is all sewn, but very small seams and super clean. Thank you for recognizing that round bottom stuff sacks rock!

Hi @kthompson. Haha, good pun indeed! I've been using it like this for 5 years and it works fine. See comment #3 above. The fuel tab burns, the water boils and it is within range of other solid fuel holders.

Thank you all for your comments and feedback. Keep it coming :-)

Here's a couple untouched up images that show a little more about the windscreen for John:

Awesome little cook kit you've put together Jhaura!

I have the old BPL ti wing stove and a BPL Trappers mug that I pair with a foil windscreen. Mine isn't as integrated as your LiteTrail kit, but it does the job.

very nice is the ground protector attached to the stove or separate?

me likey :)

@Eugeneius thank you for the comment. Yes it's very integrated. I wanted to make a complete solution that a new ULer (who didn't have time to MYOG their own) could just grab and go.

@mtwarden the ground protector is a separate piece of ti foil. Because the stove folds up, the gp needs to be separate.

I agree with Ken. The missing fuel tray is a big flaw.

I've tried to use one that had a missing fuel tray, and it is unacceptable. How do you stand an Esbit tab up vertically? Please answer that. If your answer is that you never use an Esbit tab vertically, that tells something.

If you produce another kit with the Esbit burner with a fuel tray on it, then it might be worthy of purchase. Not before.

–B.G.–

@–B.G.–,

Thank you for taking a look at our cook system.

I'm sure you would agree that fact trumps personal opinion? And the fact is that in the absence of the tray the water boils, just like it does with a tray. It doesn't matter if the fuel tab is neatly horizontal for the purpose of the stove to be accomplished — which is to simply boil water (within general specs of grams of fuel and ounces of water).

The ground protector contains any liquid-goo that may arise during burn and provides a support for the bottom of the tab.

I don't stand the fuel tab up vertically, but simply "lean to" it resting on the center of the stand; been doing it like that for 5 years with no problem. That's fact too. I suppose a video of side by side comparison would be useful. I'm leaving Tuesday for the JMT for 5 days and will put something up when I get back.

We can offer the kit with a tray'ed option very easily and may do so if many users want that option. However, it is "worthy of purchase" just like it is. We know that not everyone will want what we offer.

I appreciate your input and value your comments, I'd like to hear what you like about it too.

Best,

Jhaura

BTW: What about the absence of the fuel tray did you find "unacceptable" with the one you tried?

I don't see how the absence of a miniscule tab tray would noticeably impact stove use or esbit performance. I've propped my mug on small rocks and used esbit to do small coffee boils with no ill effects. Would you believe it or not the water boiled despite not using a tray! ;-)

Oh, the things we can get caught up on here sometimes.

I have some local friends that are figuring out how to reduce kit size and weight for short bikepack trips, this kit is exactly the kind of thing I would recommend to them without having to send them to different sources to find a pot, windscreen material, stove, etc. Whatever gets you out the door and onto the trail simply and with minimal effort and investment is a good thing.

Esbit is messy enough. I like the tray to contain and burn off that little bit that liquifies. Plus the tray is such a tiny percentage of the kits overall weight, I'd rather have it. Can just plop a used tablet in the tray and not have to try and lean or balance it on anything, If it is easy to use I am more inclined to use it.

You could leave off the cord lock and the grossgrain tab IMO.

This kit looks nice. It is odd that there is no tray but it if works then why not save the weight? :D

Bob Gross… You are way too pessimistic. I've wanted to say this for quite some time. You come into peoples posts, have some kind of subjective opinion, and you talk down to people. Who are you? You're not even a member (yes I know you once were and stopped because of "spam" that I have never received). Why should we all think your opinion matters when you share this snotty, pompous, "I've done it all and you're wrong" attitude? I'm not trying to say that I'm perfect but at least I don't come smash every persons idea and tell them that it is basically not worth buying. I know you wrote UL articles back in the 80's but please do us all a favor and keep them to yourself… I'm sure they are quite depressing.

–D.R.–

EDIT: Please PM if you would like to discuss my above post. I would like to avoid hi-jacking the sellers thread if possible.

Hey Daniel: I've got no dog in this fight. I use a canister and wind screen.

I read B.G's post and frankly I think that you're overreacting. Moreover, I've often found good and solid info in B.G.'s posts.

Internet postings are inherently weird: they lack the usual cues that enrich face-to-face encounters that allow us to recognize humor, sarcasm, empathy, encouragement etc. Most of all, we can't instantly go back and clarify our meaning. In a bad mood I sometimes insult a co-worker, but try to make it good instantly in a real world encounter once I see I've gone wrong. On the internet our words stand without cues and sometimes come off badly.

I'd like to see this in alcohol, I imagine you could do it right?

You could throw a little "Cat Can" stove in there and have the option of esbit or alcohol. The Traildesigns stove is also a good little alcohol burner.

Cheers to the cottage industry — cool cook kit and product.

"BTW: What about the absence of the fuel tray did you find "unacceptable" with the one you tried?"

One Esbit burner had lost its fuel tray, and I tried to use it. Trying to set up a partial Esbit cube for burning was impossible, because a partial cube tends to be rather rounded. Trying to set an new Esbit cube into vertical position is also impossible. Sometimes, if you have something serious to heat, you can use two cubes vertically. However, I can't see how that would work at all without the fuel tray.

So, eventually I discarded the broken Esbit burner and got a new one just like it with its fuel tray intact, and that is what I continue to use.

I think we are in agreement that it is possible to use one without a fuel tray. My point is that a complete one is better than an incomplete one.

I have a close friend that travels some very long European trails, so I had initially thought of purchasing your product for the friend. Then, after I stared at the photo long enough and I read Ken's remarks, I realized what was there. If I still bought your kit for my friend, I would get it, then pitch the incomplete Esbit burner out and substitute a complete one, then give it. I think the complete ones cost about $15, so I don't know what the incomplete ones go for.

–B.G.–

"I like the tray to contain and burn off that little bit that liquifies. Plus the tray is such a tiny percentage of the kits overall weight, I'd rather have it."

I agree. In fact, I lay a tiny piece of aluminum foil inside the fuel tray as a liner. Some brands of Esbit cubes melt faster and leave behind a black sticky mess, and the aluminum foil just keeps it cleaner. Some brands of Esbit burn cleaner. Some people have not experienced all of the Esbit brands. Try the pink ones some time.

–B.G.–

Great, thank you all for the feedback and comments.

We will offer it both ways at no additional cost. I'll order some tray version ones asap and then update the site with that option, so you can choose which one is best for yourself.

Best,

Jhaura

Cool. I'll keep my eyes open.

Will you sell the wind acreen seperately?

I've already got an Esbit titanium stove, so I don't want to repurchase it. I'm interested in getting some of these items separately, depending on the cost.

The nesting feature is a huge plus–what if there were a couple metal tabs (or an elastic string) that clipped the lid onto the cook pot, eliminating the need for a stuff sack? That might add simplicity and ease of use without sacrificing weight. And what about a small towel for wiping the residue off the pot bottom? You could add a tiny piece of UL towel cloth and still easily be below 3 oz.

my little pot gets filthy burning Esbit (and wood), the stuff sack would be nice to keep that way from your other gear

I'm assuming the little cuben stuff sack would be up to double duty for a rock bag during food hanging?

Waiting on trayed stoves to come in, for now, here is each item listed separately:

550 mL Titanium Cookpot with Lid

Titanium Foil Windscreen

Cuben Fiber Stuff Sack, Round Bottom

Best,

JW