The BRS-3000T. It's Light, But Is It Any Good?

I completely support and enjoy all forms of esoteric gear discussions on BPL. However the main point of poor wind performance seems a bit of a straw man here. I assume that good wind protection is a basic UL presumption for using any stove.

Well, to me, the main point is that you really really need wind protection on this particular stove.  It’s fairly important on all stoves, but it’s absolutely essential on this one.

The flame is kind of interesting on this stove though.  It’s oddly low velocity.  Even if well sheltered, if there are strong winds, at least some currents will get into the stove, and fuel economy will suffer.  It’s an odd little critter.  Adequate though, I think, for a lot of people.

HJ

Not only is a good windshield an excellent wayto protect your stove from the wind, but it also improves the heating efficiency even indoors, significantly imho.
Bottom line: I never operate without a fairly close windshield around the pot.
Cheers

Yup, I agree. Most UL people believe in smaller systems. A typical basic kitchen system includes a least some sort of spoon, a pot & lid, a stove, fuel, and a wind screen. All components should be safe to use. All components should be reliable. None of the parts can be removed without some form of detriment: fiddle factor, inconvenience, safety, time, etc. Even with two people, you can eat in shifts.

I think that Jim has demonstrated an important issue to consider when using the BRS -3000t: it is sensitive to the wind.  Yes, you need to use a windscreen when using a stove.  The problem is that common sense isn’t.  If you look at user videos of canister top stoves, rarely do people use windscreens.  Yes, some of it to show off the stove, however; I have seen enough people using canister top stoves in the field to know that windscreens are not often used.

My observation is that even among ultralighters, a windscreen is not a given.  To tell the truth, [insert somewhat embarrassed look here] I didn’t use a windscreen on my JMT section last summer.  I had a WindMaster (which has some innate wind resistance), and I cooked behind a rock — of which there are plenty in the Sierra Nevada — if there were any significant breeze.

Hopefully my post if nothing else drives home the idea that this stove, the BRS-3000T, really really just has to be sheltered from wind.

Now, is it a good stove or is it a bad stove?  Well, every stove is a series of trade offs, and which ones are important to a given individual are something of a matter of preference.  I personally don’t care for a stove whereupon my pot is so tippy; neither do I like a stove so grossly vulnerable to wind.  In my experience, there are times where it’s just not that easy to shelter a stove

However, in deference to @cameronm and @bearbreeder — if it works for you, why not?  I’m sure many people will put up with whatever drawbacks may be ascribed to the BRS-3000T in order to have the “reward” of a stove so light, compact, and cheap.

Just shelter it from the wind.

HJ

The Windmaster is pretty tippy.  I usually try to position a large rock on the other side to prevent the pot from tipping in that direction.  Also helps in sheltering from wind.  This is my favorite stove at the moment.

Here are some photos from a few weeks ago that demonstrate what I normally do, which is to make a wind break with ‘found’ materials. Not as efficient as a wind screen, but it helps a lot. As you can see from the close-up photo, pretty good flame spread… good enuf for me, anyway.

(BTW, using straight n-butane at about 15°F)

@retiredjerry I actually haven’t felt that the WindMaster was all that tippy.  Even though the pot supports are small, they’re pretty grippy.  Of course, I’m mostly using a 1.3 L pot.  Bigger pots might have more issues.  The WindMaster is *way* more stable than the BRS-3000T; no comparison.

@bobmny10562 nice flame pattern.  Nothing to worry about there.  Looks good from a heating the pot standpoing; looks good from a don’t warp the pot support stand point.  Bob, you say “straight n-butane.”  Are you refiling your own canisters?

HJ

…. refilling your own canisters?

Yes, using the transfer gizmo I first saw on your blog… tabletop stove fuel cans from an Asian market.

Bob’s in-the-field action photos beat all theory.
Cheers

Agreed that a windscreen is pretty essential for this stove, even if for nothing else than respectable efficiency.  With a windscreen and a low setting, I’ve gotten JetBoil-level fuel efficiencies with a Fosters/Friskies pot, but the boil times are much longer.

As Bob showed of course, you can do ok with just a windbreak.  Straight butane at 15F – great work, Bob!

I used the BRS stove on our CT trip this past summer.  Overall it worked well for the trip, but generally we used it inside of largish pyramid tent, so wind wasn’t as much of an issue.  Also used a windscreen of sorts at times when it was very windy (always made sure it wasn’t too tight/close around the canister).

However, and I’m not sure how it happened, but one of the pot holders is slightly bent now, despite always putting it back in it’s pouch and putting that inside the pot for storage.

Jim’s testing may hold a clue or two.  I used a somewhat largish, widish pot on it, but not ridiculously so.  Cooked for two.

@arcturusbearv3-0

Justin, it sounds like you may have had the same thing happen to you that happened to me.

If so, you’d be the fourth occurrence, including me.  I just wrote up another incident on my blog:
BRS-3000T Failure #2.

Do you remember anything about wind conditions?  How long was the duration of your burn?

I don’t suppose you’d have any pics of the pot support that bent, would you?

HJ