Best solo and dual lightweight Ti cookware and light stoves (gas and alcohol)

I’ll take the solo cooking question.

For solo ‘cooking’ that’s nothing more than boiling water (e.g. one cup to rehydrate breakfast cereal, two cups to rehydrate Mountain House freeze-dried dinners for two, etc.) — I highly recommend the FireLite 550 — paired with an alcohol stove. The pot is just big enough for your water-boiling needs, and also to house your stove, fuel, windscreen, lighter, small towel and even a foldable titanium spork.

If you want the same arrangement with canister stove, then I recommend the Snow Peak 600 single-wall titanium mug with a homemade lid. This mug is the smallest mug that will meet your water-boiling needs and house your cansister fuel, lighter and towel.

This is my solo cookset:

Included in the photo are:
10cm IMUSA aluminum mug (under $3 at Walmart) weight: 2.4 ounces
homemade foil lid that I wrap around the fuel bottle when traveling
nalgene fuel bottle (this is not ideal–I'd instead recommend one of the platypus little nippers or a "re-used" soda bottle
REI titanium folding spork
3M scouring pad (also used as a pot grabber as the handle on the mug heats up)
Mo-Go-Gear Firefly stove/stand (windscreen wrapped around fuel bottle)
bic lighter

Here's another thread about the IMUSA mug: http://www.practicalbackpacking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3447
It's not sexy like titanium, but it's light and cheap and it gets the job done. It is big enough to easily fit a whole one of those Lipton/Knoor noodle packets.

Edit: oops, I guess I overlooked the fact that you were asking about titanium cookware specifically.

EJ,
I found 600ml to be too small for my solo kit as I usually make ramen or other large reyhdrated meals, so my Snowpeak Trek 900 is my solo kit, and the Trek 1400 is my dual kit.
I use my smaller Snowpeak cups as just that, and not as mugs.
To answer your specific questions..
1. Snowpeak Trek 900; large enough to be a pot, small enough to drink out of as a mug, lid holds 300ml and doubles as a frypan/inverted warmer, markings on the side, removable handle, compatible Caldera Cone, etc.. (If you are going as a group of 3, or plan elaborate meals, nest the 900 in the 1400; you will have two pots and two additional serving plates for a total of 4 serving containers.

2. MSR Pocket Rocket minus the case. Simmers better than a Snowpeak Gigapower (I've had two of the latter and the valve always creeps open- verified by SP rep). Either the 110 or 250g canisters fit in the 900 and 1400.

3. Caldera Cone, windscreen and pot support in one. Not 'authorized' for use with iso-propane but I do it.

4. The lid from the Trek 900 or 1400 (solo, or dual). These lids are deep enough to use as frypans, serving bowls, second plates, etc..

5. Again, the Caldera Cone fits this purpose; I store it inverted in a plastic cup, in the pot, for protection.

6. My cleaning kit is 1/2 a kitchen scrubbing sponge, an eye-dropper bottle, and a hand size synthetic towel for drying.

Everything, the canister, stove, and cleaning kit all fit in the 900. I carry folding chopstics and a BPL long handled Ti sppon.

Hope this helps even though it does not mention the items you already have..

1. If you are willing to do just boil-in-bag meals (use a cozy to help them cook) a 600ml mug is certainly sufficient for solo cooking. 600ml is, I feel, too small though to really comfortably cook a meal within the mug itself. If you really want to go that route then 900ml is definitely the better option.

2. I don't think you'll find a canister stove plus small canister that can fit within a 600ml mug. However, I've certainly put stoves like my Brunton Crux inside an MSR Titan Kettle with a small canister.

3. Alcohol stoves offer a much wider range of selction. I'd take a look at the Caldara Cones if you really want to create a light and very fuel eficient solo cookin system.

Cleaning out a pot just take a bit of kitchen scrubber, those plastic scrubbies we all have, and use that.

** Ken **

>>2. I don't think you'll find a canister stove plus small canister that can fit within a 600ml mug. However, I've certainly put stoves like my Brunton Crux inside an MSR Titan Kettle with a small canister.

Ken, a Brasslite 600ml mug easily fits a Snowpeak 110 gram canister plus a Coleman F-1 Ultralight. The trick is to put the two pieces of the stove at the bottom of the pot and place the canister over it.

>>2. I don't think you'll find a canister stove plus small canister that can fit within a 600ml mug. However, I've certainly put stoves like my Brunton Crux inside an MSR Titan Kettle with a small canister.

I can fit my SnowPeak Gigapower canister stove, a 110g SP fuel canister, BIC lighter, and small towel all inside my SnowPeak 600 ti mug. The mug doesn't come with a lid, although it's very easy to make one.

Alky stove(s)> I own a Vargo Triad combo alky/ESBIT titanium stove and am very interested in getting a FeatherFire alky stove for its flame control feature & fuel saving ability.

Canister stove> My lightest canister stove is a Vargo Jet-Ti part titanium burner that is very light and strong (much stronger than an MSR Pocket Rocket).
My other canister stove is an MSR WindPro W/remote burner.

Eric

I use a MiniBullDesigns Stealth with a BMW Firelite 500 cup and a Ti foil windscreen.

2.7 oz.

Add in a Platypus Lil' Nipper and I'm good to go.

I can boil enough for a freeze dried meal or a very large coffee.

In the winter I use a Coleman Xtreme in the winter, regardless of if I'm solo or not.

Doug, which cookware do you use in winter with your Xtreme?

We have the double burner Xtreme model for car camping – unfortunately it's quite heavy.

And BTW, where can I pick up Lil Nippers Platypus bottles and tips for alcohol stoves? Heard of a feeding frenzy on BPL recently.

In the winter I'm always melting snow so I use an MSR 2L ti pot and then I use my Firelite 500 for drinking, oatmeal, scooping water for freeze dried meals, etc. I love the combo. The Xtreme is heavy but is absolutely fail-proof in low temps and very effecient. I love this stove.

Lil' Nippers are next to impossible to come by, which is the reason for the frenzy. Good thing that a simple disposable water bottle works just as well. :-)

Anyone know where I can get the MiniBullDesigns Stealth? Kevin wrote in a recent review that it was discontinued, but could be ordered from "Tinny."

Also anyone know where I can find Lil Nippers bottles and Ti Foil for a windscreen?

Doug – you use the single burner Xtreme, right? The double burner works great and is super stable, but it's a very heavy sucker with very thick metal legs.

Thanks again everyone, I'm almost done updating our cooking systems.

I was going to pick up the MSR Pocket Rocket as a light nesting butane stove – it's very similar in weight and size to the Vargo Jet Ti and Coleman Exponent F1 Ultralight. Can anyone share their experience with these? I've already heard very good things about the Pocket Rocket, while I've never read comments on the Vargo Jet Ti or Coleman F1 Ulralight.

*** Coleman® Exponent® F1® UltraLight™ Stove
Item Number: 85280

* Fully adjustable heat up to 16,400 BTU's, 3 min. 40 sec./1 liter boil time.
* Serrated pan supports fold away for compact storage.
* One 220 g cartridge will last up to 0.83 hours on high / 2 hours on low.
* Operates on resealable butane/propane cartridge (cartridge not included).
* Weight: 2.7 oz.
* Limited lifetime warranty.
* Fuel cartridge not included.

*** Vargo Jet Ti

Description

The Vargo Jet-Ti Titanium Stove is one of the lightest iso-butane stoves available (2.7 oz. 76 grams). But don't let its small size and feather-light weight fool you. The Jet-Ti was called "The World's Toughest Ultralight Stove" by Backpacker Magazine. The Jet-Ti doesn't sacrifice weight for performance or durability.

Consumes 4.538 oz of gas per hour gas consumption. Legs swivel in for compact storage.

pad
pad
Specifications

* Sturdy one-piece titanium legs swivel in for compact storage
* Output: 9,000 BTU/hr
* Manual ignition
* Boils a liter of water in approximately 4 minutes
* Precise flame adjustment for simmer or boil
* Compatible with Brunton, MSR, Snow Peak and other popular fuel canisters (sold separately)
* Includes attractive nylon carrying case
* Size: 2 3/4" (height) x 3 1/2" (top diameter)

*** MSR Pocket Rocket

Weight w/o Fuel 3 oz.
Dimensions 4 in. x 2 in. x 2 in.
Fuel Type(s) MSR IsoPro™/Butane
Avg. Boil Time 1 liter – 4 min.
Fuel Capacity 227 grams
Burn Time 1 hour

This compact and powerful butane stove is the lightest MSR stove ever made. Made with high quality stainless steel, aluminum and brass, the PocketRocket is durable and maintenance free. Simple in design, this stove requires no preheating, priming or pressurizing – just twist the control valve and light. It quickly delivers a steady, hot flame that users can adjust to simmer or boil. Serrated pot supports prevent pots from slipping and fold in for packing. Designed for use with MSR IsoPro™: Premium blend fuel for maximum efficiency, the PocketRocket also fits other threaded butane canisters. Great for overnight climbs, light multi-day alpine ascents or expedition high camps. Includes a compact, super tough carry case. Fuel not included.

“Ken, a Brasslite 600ml mug easily fits a Snowpeak 110 gram canister plus a Coleman F-1 Ultralight. The trick is to put the two pieces of the stove at the bottom of the pot and place the canister over it.”

You could do that with a Giga-Ti, but the lid would sit a bit cockeyed.

That’s okay though as there’s another solution… basically you pack some other stuff into the cup and put the canister on top. Nice little package that way.

PS – I’m beginning to believe that my BL600 has surpased my SP600 in the ‘favorite little pot’ category.

EJ,

I haven't used any of these personally, but BPL did a test of some cannister stoves some time back, and I know the Pocket Rocket and the F1 were part of that, and I think the Vargo was as well.

Personally, I was particularly impressed with the F1. For the same price as other stoves like the Snow Peak and the Pocket Rocket, it was slightly lighter, without it being titanium. At 2.7 ounces, it's a tough stove to beat from what I've been able to gather.

Do a BPL search for cannister stoves and those test results should show up.

Tom

Joshua,

How do you like the Coleman stove? Have you also used the Pocket Rocket or Vargo Ti?

Which butane canister is the lightest, most packable? The small Giga or MSR canister?

Is there a good Brasslite solution for 2 (both in terms of cooking volume and 2 serving pieces) – best dual solution I've seen for my wife and I is the Trek 900 Ti – large mug/pot big enough to cook in and cup on top so that you have 2 serving bowls.

EJ,

I’m presuming some those questions were directed at me as I don’t believe the other Josh on these boards posted.

1) I actually own the SP Giga-Power Ti Auto… I want to get a F1 and a pocket rocket and a Vargo Jet-Ti and the new SP Micro Max – Titanium GST-110A… however, I don’t have that much in my allowance yet.

Am I completely satisfied with my GST? Yes. Would I buy something else instead? No. However, if I was concerned about cost I’d probably re-do things and grab an F1 from the Coleman Friends and Family Store (let me know if you don’t know what that means)

2) I’ve yet to find any significant (to me) difference between canister manufactures.

3) I own the Brasslite 0.9L (900 ml) Titanium Mug and it’s a great pot. It’s lighter and wider than the SP900, but doesn’t have measurement markings. However, this is easily remedied with something like a Buy Ziploc Twist ‘ n Loc Containers & Lids, Medium Online at … as it also give you a nice ‘extra’ bowl (especially with cozy.

FYI – Technically, I got it as part of the Trails Designs Tri-Ti kit, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same pot.

EJ:

I have played with all three stoves, and all are fantastic. None has any fatal, deal-breaking flaws. Of the three, I ended up with the Gigapower — which is more a reflection of my own wants/needs rather than stove superiority per se.

As stated elsewhere, I crave light weight, compactness, and simplicity for my solo "cooking" — which is really just boiling water.

The PR will not fit horizontally inside a Trek 700 (never mind the even smaller SP 600 or FireLite 550). So you can't store both fuel canister and stove inside the pot.

The F1 will fit, but to me anyway, I find it a bit tedious to set up. First it comes in two sections — and in order to fit both fuel and stove inside a small pot, you have to take it apart and reassemble each and every time. No biggie — but what I find a bit irksome is that when you position the pot stands "just so", screwing the two parts together almost invariably messes up the pot stand positions — so you have to loosen a bit, reposition, then tighten a bit — sometimes more than once or twice! I'm sure this gets much easier with practice, but I don't have the patience. Again, not a fatal flaw, and heck, it may not bother you at all (as it does me).

The SP Gigapower comes in one piece, and it can fit horizontally inside the Trek 700 as well as the smaller pots like SP600 and FirLite 550! There is one CAVEAT though! At the closed position, the stove's wire valve is perfectly aligned and compacted on some stoves, or it can jut out at different angles on different stoves! All are different. If you buy the SP, buy it at a store where you can open up different ones and try them out. Having the valve jutting out is an annoyance IMO.

Hope this helps.

Hi Benjamin,

That was very helpful. Only problem I have with the Gigapower is that I read in this forum and heard from friends that the Gigapower has problems simmering (poster on this forum said it was confirmed by a Snow Peak rep). Most of the time we just want to boil water, but sometimes we want to be able to cook. Have you had this issue?

As mentioned, I only boil water. However, the stove output is adjustable and I know it works because due to my narrow pot, I never turn the stove on full blast; but rather, I moderate it some. I have never noticed the valve turning/adjusting by itself — it keeps to the output I set.

Having said the above, I have not actually simmered sauce or anything like that…

>>The F1 will fit, but to me anyway, I find it a bit tedious to set up. First it comes in two sections — and in order to fit both fuel and stove inside a small pot, you have to take it apart and reassemble each and every time. No biggie — but what I find a bit irksome is that when you position the pot stands "just so", screwing the two parts together almost invariably messes up the pot stand positions — so you have to loosen a bit, reposition, then tighten a bit — sometimes more than once or twice! I'm sure this gets much easier with practice, but I don't have the patience. Again, not a fatal flaw, and heck, it may not bother you at all (as it does me).

Ben, I can't remember if you held on to your F1, but if you did try this:

Hold the base with your left hand and the burner/pot stand arms with your right. Line up the little tabs on the arms with the groove and give the burner a full turn. Place the index finger of your left hand against the arm marked "1" while turning the burner the rest of the way. Arm "2" will stay in the groove and arm "3" will be held in place by a tab.

Once you've done this a few times, it requires only a few seconds and no thought.

Having tried a number of the lighter canister stoves I prefer the F1 because of the power it puts out. Most of the time I find I don't need the extra power, but in very windy weather it's nice to have. Windscreens with any canister stove are, of course, very helpful. But even when using a screen, the extra BTUs of the F1 really can make a difference.

Hi Dondo:

I have returned my F1 stove already, but thanks for the tip. Folks looking out and helping each other — that's the best thing about this forum. :)

I use the Coleman F1 ultralight with an older version of the GSI anodized cookset. I usually carry only the 1/2 quart pot with a 110gm canister. For longer trips with 2 people I will carry a 220gm canister. I am a boil only chef and use freezer bag cooking for my meals. The Coleman F1 is a great little stove. The setup process takes only a few seconds and I don't find it cumbersome at all. I've seen the F1 at Sport Authority for less than $30. Can't beat that deal.

With the 110gm canister everything packs very nicely in the 1/2 quart pot. The 220gm canister also packs nicely in a 1quart pot.

I took the F1 with a 220gm canister on a 6 day trip cooking for two people and still had over an 1.5 ounces of fuel left over at the end of the trip. I don't have the number of liters heated but we used it for morning coffee, breakfast, dinner, and even cooked 8 trout in a fry pan over that week. I was amazed at the efficiency but I also was very careful to conserve fuel by using the flow at a moderate setting, keeping wind at bay, and using freezer bag type cooking. I used that same canister for a couple additional meals after the trip and still have .6 ounces left.

As for canister weights, I found the Snow Peak Giga 110gm canister weight one ounce less than a MSR 110 canister.

Very happy with this system.

BT>>> Of the three, I ended up with the Gigapower — which is more a reflection of my own wants/needs … I crave light weight, compactness, and simplicity …

Honestly, I bought it because Titanium is cool.

EJ>>Gigapower has problems simmering … Most of the time we just want to boil water, but sometimes we want to be able to cook. Have you had this issue?

BT>>As mentioned, I only boil water. … stove output is adjustable and I know it works because due to my narrow pot, I never turn the stove on full blast… Having said the above, I have not actually simmered sauce or anything like that…

1) Ben's right, you can't ram full-bore at a small mug/pot, you have to turn it down. Down winds up being the equivalent of full-bore for the small mug/pot.

2) As a Result of #1 (and the fact that Giga Power doesn't turn down quite as far as some others) There's no way on God's green earth you're going to be able to simmer in a small mug/pot (SP600, BL600 or anything similar). Down as far as you can go is still pretty high for the mug/pot.

3) You should be able to pull off a decent simmer with an actual POT. Are you going to whip up a gourmet pan sauce? No… but that's because you're not carrying a sauce pan… you're carrying a pot.
Note, I would say the BL0.9 is wide enough to be considered a true pot for trail 'cooking', however it is still more tall than wide so you'll want to keep an eye on what you're doing. The BL is noticeably a bit wider than the SP900 which gets you just that more range-ability out of the stove).
Basically, IMO, the suitability of trail-simmering with the GST is more a limitation of pot dimensions than with the stove itself (well and a limitation of what can reasonably be expected on the trail… no gourmet pan sauces). For simmering, the GST is actually has a nice burner flame pattern (given an adequately sized pot) because it throws the flame more horizontally which spreads it over the bottom rather than concentrating it like the PB or F1 does (truthfully that whole horizontal thing just occurred to me as I was typing this…)

Since you're already state that WE sometimes like to cook… I presume you'll be carrying a POT (BL0.9 or otherwise)