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

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?

I have been using one for the last 10 years or so. I did have some problems at the start with getting a simmer and the setting creeping. So I stripped the valve assembly down – ie removed the valve from the base (carefully) and cleaned it. This meant wiping the end of the needle with a tissue and cleaning out the hole in the base with a cotton bud. Then I put a small amount of silicone grease on the O-rings and reassembled it. Ever since then it has functioned perfectly. Stable setting, simmers very low, provides full power, whatever.

Cheers

> 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.

These are all reviewed at BPL you know! Try:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/stoves_tents_carbon_monoxide_pt_3.html
for a brief overview.

And also here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_canister_stoves_review_summary.html

Dondo and Roger, those were very helpful – thanks. I read the early survey from 2005, and will read the recent survey when I have time later this week.

Dondo wanted to ask – if you are stowing the F1 in a Trek 900 Ti mug/pot with cup lid – do you still have to take it apart? And if you don't have to take it apart, there's no special setup other connecting to the canister and lighting up, correct?

Anyone know a link on BPL for cautions on use of a windscreen with canister stoves? Mostly common sense, but would like to take a quick look.

So I had started a thread a little bit ago on alky stoves and thought I had a fair grasp…Certain things in this thread have confused me. So I have questions! I'll try to provide the right details (Benjamin!) :)

I've been looking at solo pots. Currently I have a .9 L evernew which I have decided to return to REI. I don't need the nonstick (It scares me) and although it's width and shallow depth help boil water more quickly, it can't store a canister and stove (unless I'm missing something). I haven't tried with the smaller canisters, so that might change things…

Needless to say I've been looking at pots, specifically, the Brasslite .9 and the Snowpeak Trek 900. Joshua mentioned that the brasslite is a wider pot. The dimensions listed for the snowpeak pot are 5"diam x 1-1/2" Pan while the BL .9 is listed at 4.5 in x 3.5 in. Does this mean that the lid on snowpeak is a bit over half an inch larger in diameter than the pot? I've seen the pictures Joshua put up and it sure looks like the BL pot is wider..and why would he lie? :)

I was looking at the thermojet stove system (I saw it for the first time on the reviews mentioned earlier) and it says that it works for pots 4 3/4" in diameter which is MOST .9 liter pots. However, I'm confused about measurements now. Will this system work with either a BL .9 liter pot or a Snowpeak Trek 900? I like this system because it seems like a fine balance between a smaller stove and a Caldera system. I'm sure once I get settled on a pot I'll purchase a cone, but I'm into this setup for now. Any experience with this stove? It will be used for two people sometimes..

Hi EJ

> Anyone know a link on BPL for cautions on use of a windscreen with canister stoves? Mostly common sense,

In increasing order of relevance:

CO series part 3
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/stoves_tents_carbon_monoxide_pt_3.html

Selecting a Canister Stove for Cold Weather Backpacking
Part I: Stove and Fuel Fundamentals
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/selecting_stoves_for_cold_weather_part_1.html

Selecting a Canister Stove for Cold Weather Backpacking
Part II: Commercially Available Canister Stove Systems
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/selecting_stoves_for_cold_weather_part_2.html

Exploding Gas Canisters:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/exploding_gas_canisters_the_hazard_of_overheating.html

Bottom line:
* The warnings about windscreens given by some stove manufacturers are entirely driven by a paranoid lawyer, and NOT by the facts.
* Provided you make sure the canister never gets too hot to touch (about 40 C), you will be below the canister manufacturer's **operational** limit of 50 C.

Andrew,

The key is WHERE is a company measuring their pot and are they rounding the numbers to make it smooth for Americans?

Do you really think the people who manufactured these pots (Asia) targeted American units when doing the design? Nah… I suspect OD of the lip of the SP Lid (AKA the Maximum OD of the kit… eh, to that matter they might be including the handles) is what is being measured and I suspect that it’s closer to 127 mm (5″) than 120 mm (4.75″) and so they decided to round to 5″.

In addition, I suspect the manufacturers of the BL 0.9 are measuring the BODY (possibly the inside of the body) and actually it’s 115 millimeters = 4.52755906 in.

Both measurements are justified. SP is giving an idea of how compact (or bulky) the kit is for packing purposes. BL is giving how wide the pot base it so that you can pair it to an adequate stove.

I’m pretty sure the BL 0.9 is not the one to choose if you want to use a thermojet.

With it’s straight walls a MontBell Titanium Cooker #1 might be a better option than the Evernew (as it should offer better internal space verses the rounded bottom of the Evernew)… it’s width is listed 5.4 inches (again I don’t know if this is maximum OD or pot-base OD… i believe it to be pot base OD as they list a 6.7 for the lid)

See, if it weren’t for the handles the SP900 would slip into the BL0.9

You can see the SP Lid in the background.

For example, my Homemade Ti (Snowpeak) Windscreen (made from a SP Bowl) isn’t going to cause overheating.

Neither would a Jim Wood’s Style KiteScreen (really more of a portable windbreak).

Nor would my adaption of my Tri-Ti to a Titanium JW Kitescreen.

Obviously, I may need to adjust how close I put it to the Ti…

Thanks for clearing it up Joshua. That was very helpful. Your pictures before defintely showed me the difference in size, and this set brought the point home even more!

It's good to know that a manufacturer may be giving a measure that isn't comparable to another manufacturer..I guess this is nothing new for backpackers, I should have guess it applied to cookware..Glad I know about different OD's now..

I will check out the montbell pot. Hopefully I can find one locally, but I don't know… Guess I'll make a thread about which pots people use with their thermojet!

Thanks again!

Joshua,

That was super helpful. Which SP bowl did you use to make that wind screen? That's exactly what I had in mind. I'd like to use a Ti foil windscreen (like the BPL one that is out of stock now), but I'd like to make a bottom piece out of the bottom of a tin can or Ti bowl. What did you use to cut the bowl?

Tinny has a huge variety of alcohol stoves for sale – I'm going to ask him which would be the best lightest one to work with our cookware.

EJ>>Which SP bowl did you use to make that wind screen?

It’s just called “Bowl” on SP’s website, I always have a hard time finding it (AH! It’s just below the Mini Solo)… MSRP recently went up to 13.95, however a couple of places still have it at the “old” price of 11.95
Campmor – Snow Peak Trek Titanium Bowl (unfortunately their pic is of a MSR Alpine Bowl)
Prolitegear… er check that… they’re out… but they do have a sale on the Snow Peak GigaPower Titanium Stove (manual)

EJ>>What did you use to cut the bowl?

I used a Dremel for the longer bits (slots)… the one of the sizes in the MANUAL KNOCKOUT PUNCH KIT made a perfect center hole that slipped just past the burner openings and sat on the bottom rim.

FWIW – The SP Bowl makes for a sweet little 500 mL pot… it trumps the BPL500 in weight / volume* (it’s a better dimensioned pot) and in efficiency of heat transfer (wider is better)… it’s only downside is the lack of lid. However, one can easily one from foil. OR (here’s a little known secret) use the lid from a AGG 3-Cup Pot (I learned that from the TD guys… the AGG3C Caldera will fit the SPBowl nicely)

*I think it has more volume / weight than the Newer FireLite 550-SUL Titanium Cookpot… it’s certainly less expensive.

There are so many alcohol Stoves on Tinny's site – I'm wondering which model is the best combination of time to boil and light weight – I've asked him as well and will share his response. Super nice guy.

If I'd buy a stove from MBD, it would be the Mini Sith. I'm using very similar stove I made myself. I've tried many types of alcohol stove and I like this one most because:
• All features in single piece: It serves as a pot stand, has wick so no priming pan is needed
• Made of smaller diameter can, it can be used with small bowl / cup
• Closed top means I can remove the pot and place it back whenever I want, compared to open top sideburners (MBD Elite, for example)

There are some drawbacks, but I can live with them:
• it's hard to pour the fuel out if there is some left
• output can't be regulated for simmering
• can be hard to set up when there is not flat, solid ground

I have several of the MBD stoves and Tinny makes great designs. I mostly use a Mini Atomic with a Caldera Cone or a Stealth sideburner if I am using a regular windshield. His new wick burner designs look interesting since you can recover excess fuel.

I have a Vargo Jet-Ti burner and used it on 3 week-long backpacking trips this summer (Paria Canyon, UT, Yulomne River Trail, Yosemite CA, & Ruby Mtn's. NV).

Its a good and STURDY burner (as compared to the MSR Pocket Rocket)and has a decent flame pattern. It's easy to regulate the flame & get great simmering control.

I do wish MSR would bring the Pocket Rocket up to MSR's standards of sturdiness. I have two other MSR stoves, Dragonfly and Wind Pro. Both are great stoves.

Eric

Yeah… sturdy describes it… I forget which mag threw canister stoves off a cliff (SANS cartidge)… the vargo is the only one that survived…

I expect the new SP stoves to be nearly as sturdy… (valve assembly might be more delicate)