Caldera cone vs. Zelph Starlyte and windsreen

The Caldera Cone can fit all inside the pot if you get the Sidewinder, Fusion or Fission versions.
In my testing (at low altitude) the Starlyte (both standard and modified) have proved more efficient than the 12-10 stove. (Things may be different at altitude) However, in many set-ups, they have a much slower boil time.
Different windscreens will give different amounts of protection from the wind, as well, which you should take into account. The Caldera Cone gives very good protection. Combined with the Starlyte stove, the Caldera Cone Keg-F manages to maintain the Starlyte's efficiency, but also speed up its boil time so that it is even faster than the 12-10 stove. I don't know how it will do at high altitude, but at lower elevations, at least, it's looking to me like the perfect combination.

If you order a StarLyte stove it comes with a 4"x22" EZ-Fold corrugated aluminum windscreen that fits inside the Foster's 2 cup flat bottom pot. Order by the end of the day and I'll include a free cone shaped windscreen for use with a Kmart grease pot. The windscreen fits in the grease pot. I leave tomorrow morning to go on adventure with my wife, so no shipping until after April 11, 2013

I'm absolutely in love with the Starlyte stove! In my opinion it's best alcohol stove. It's 14 gram and extremely efficient. And now it's not only unspillable which is a BIG advantage for alcohol stove (you can lit it and then play hockey with it – amazing!), but it also can retain remained alcohol in it. No need to measure. No need for measuring cup. After you done with boiling/cooking, just put a piece of aluminium foil on it. Let it cool, it will be fast, then close with the lid. Unbeatable.

Caldera cone is extremely stable. Much more stable than any canister stove. With Ti versions you can burn wood. Folds to nothing and is very light. Worth each cent!

The combo is an absolute winner. Stability, unspillability, UL, with Starlyte you don't need the stakes. It's just simple and clever setup. for me difference between 7 and 10 minutes is nothing. Anyway, if you need something really fast go to canister stoves.

Take both.

Everybody has a different set of stove priorities. You just have to know what your own priorities are and how you intend to cook.

Some stoves will be lightest on weight. Some will be fastest. Some will be most efficient. Note that efficiency leads to less fuel carried, and that leads to lighter fuel weight. Some will be best on simplicity. Some are best on versatility with different pots. Some are the cheapest. Some are best for durability. Some are best for compactness. Some work better at high elevations.

No single alcohol stove will be best in all categories.

–B.G.–

Bob, what are some of the alcohol stoves that work better in higher elevations? Can you point us to threads that have the comparisons?

May be a dumb question, but with the screen on top of the Starlyte, do you pour the alcohol through that? Does that make it hard to light?

i dont have a Starlyte (yet), but yes, you pour it on the screen. The stove is filled with wicking material which absorbs the alcohol, so lighting is not a problem. There are a few videos on youtube to check out.

I have both the starlyte and the 12/10 ti tri. I personally like the regular starlyte with Zelph's titanium windscreen better. You can even use the starlyte with a ti tri windscreen – just shin the stove to 1" below the bottom of your pot. Both companies give excellent customer service. Dan with Zelph's was especially great!

The starlyte seems to be slightly more efficient, lights easier, and saves the unused fuel in the stove itself. It also fits inside a smaller pot. The titanium windscreen (which also burns esbit and firewood) setup is lighter than the caldera cone ti tri setup because you use a fosters can. It's about 5 oz for the pot w/lid, ti windscreen, stove, stand, pot grabber, fuel bottle, stuff sack, aluminum storage can, lighter, and firewood stand. You are limited to 24 oz however.

The advantage of the ti tri is the ability to use a WIDE variety of sturdier pots, yet you are limited to only one size pot per appropriate sized windscreen.

Hi, David,

I’m not sure if I completely followed you. Do you have any photos? A photo of the two set ups side by side would be ideal.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

No photos at this time. What specific questions do you have?

The starlyte setup is on youtube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5P7t6F5CtIA .

A great discussion on the starlyte is on whiteblaze – http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?91643-Titanium-Windscreen-is-for-wood-alcohol-stove.

The caldera ti tri sidewinder setup can be found at trail designs – http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-sidewinder

Hi, David,

I didn’t quite follow you when you said

The advantage of the ti tri is the ability to use a WIDE variety of sturdier pots, yet you are limited to only one size pot per appropriate sized windscreen.

I’ll check out the video and the forum discussion when I get a chance. I have a Ti-Tri.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

You buy a caldera cone ti tri to specifically fit a .5L pot, a 1L pot, a 1.5L, 1.6L, 1.9L, 2L, etc. pot. There are also sizes for wide or tall pots. When you buy a windscreen for a particular sized pot, the windscreen will only work with that sized pot. i.e. – A windscreen for a .5L pot will not work for a 1L pot.

The zelph woodgaz titanium windscreens are designed to work IN THE ALCOHOL OR ESBIT MODE primarily with flat bottomed fosters cans because the can must go down inside the windscreen. There is a little bit of wiggle room, however – an inch or two. In the woodburning mode the stove will work with a wide variety of pots because the pot sets on top of the windscreen. If, on the other hand, you choose to use an aluminum windscreen (no wood burning), you could use any reasonable-sized pot.

Hope this helps, Hikin Jim.

PS – I like your blog. Been following it for over a year. Glad you are back!

OK, I think I get what you’re saying. There are a lot of options with Ti-Tri in that there are a lot of pots that are supported, BUT once you buy you’re kind of locked into that pot. I get it. Sorry to be a little slow. I’m working seven days a week until the end of April. I’m a little brain dead right now.

I have however, found with the titanium of the Ti-Tri, that it’s strong enough to support a fry pan. See Wood Fired Cooking on a Ti-Tri

PS – I like your blog. Been following it for over a year. Glad you are back!

Thanks. It’s good to be back. I have to admit I have a lot of fun experimenting all the variants of various types of stoves. :)

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

Regarding the TD Caldera Cone being only being usable with the pot you got it sized for. I've never done this in practice, but it seems you can use the cone with a smaller, as long as it's narrower and not taller. The cone can be wrapped more narrowly, and held in place with paper clips. The stove would need jacking up if the smaller pot were also shallower.
I don't think it would be ideal, but it should work for someone occasionally wanting to use a smaller pan along with their main one.

Regarding the TD Caldera Cone being only being usable with the pot you got it sized for. I’ve never done this in practice, but it seems you can use the cone with a smaller, as long as it’s narrower and not taller. The cone can be wrapped more narrowly, and held in place with paper clips.

Yeah, I guess. Sounds like a bit of a hassle though.

I’ve got the Ti-Tri Sidewinder with a 1.3L Evernew UL Ti pot. It’s light enough that I don’t mind carrying it on solo trips, but it’s plenty big enough for two. If I’m out with more than two, then it’s time to switch to a gas stove.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

I’ve been able to do some interesting cooking with the Ti-Tri. I even did an omelette at last year’s GGG at Henry Coe State Park:

HJ
Adventures In Stoving