Four years ago, I was in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area cooking over a Coleman two - burner propane stove waiting for water to boil. It was cool, rainy, and there was a slight breeze. No matter how I moved the camp stove the wind seemed to affect my ability to cook, so I started to think about how I could make this situation better.
When I got home from that trip I came across alcohol stoves and I was immediately intrigued by how simple, and yet very effective they are. The big benefit to this style of stove is the fact that just short of crushing the stove flat it will still burn. There are no little parts to loose or break and no empty canisters lying around after my camping trips. I did find one flaw though. I could not find a stand that would be durable enough for four clumsy guys and was big enough to cook food to feed all of us at once. That is when I started to think about how I could design a stand to resolve all of my problems.
It took several generations and a lot of field testing to come up with what I call the Critter CR-1, which weighs about an ounce and is only two inches tall. The CR-1 resolves the problems that I had with commercially available options. Features like a low center of gravity, the teeth on the main support structure, and sleek design virtually eliminate tipping your food over while cooking and burning your hand from grabbing a hot stand. This design dissipates heat very quickly allowing you to cook and pack up in a very short amount of time all with the peace of mind that you won't burn your hands or your pack.
Whether you are a hard core hiker, canoeist, campground camper, biker, or a weekend camper, Critter camp stove stands combined with your favorite stoves make for a simple and easy cooking experience anywhere you are.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- The quest for an ultra-light cooking solution…
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- Overall Features:
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# PHOTOS: 8
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Thinking about submitting. There are suppose to be standards See here.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/authors.html
But being BPL there is a catch 22 when it comes to finances.
6. AUTHOR is paid upon article publication.
yet further down the page.
Backpacking Light doesn't normally offer financial compensation for contributors,
but we do offer complimentary memberships to all contributors, as well as complimentary Lifetime Memberships to regular contributors.
Okay, after careful consideration, I figured it out.
When ther article was being uploaded, the SSL Certificate warning popped up, which accidentally erased the 2nd half of the article. Sounds plausible to me.
But the copyright is expired also. Look at the bottom of the page.
Shambles.
Next week looks lame too. Grayson Highlands again, yet another New Balance review.
Where is the editorial calendar, Ken? I found an old thread that mentioned it, but the URL went to a page that hadn't been updated in years.
No editorial calendar since Addie left. But the weekly newsletter gives next weeks titles
"But the copyright is expired also. Look at the bottom of the page."
I tell them about that over and over, but they ignore me.
–B.G.–
The neglect is a real shame Bob. Found something else that is behind being updated
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/ULAZ.html
Thank you, Ken. I had the newsletter turned off.
+1 on that this "article" is pure ad …
Article Title Could have been more transparent on its intent –
From the title, I was hoping that the article would have a market review, or comparisons with alternatives to group cooking with alcohol stove such as an Esbit titanium folding stove without its tray (ala Lite Trail … in which the Cricket stand is very similar to), the TD Caldera, the now no longer available MBD group stove, the Trangia 28 stand, or the other many various stands that are available as DIY projects, or available commercially by cottage craftsmen, (etc).
(by the way, I've been in group cooking situations using alcohol stoves that have, one time or another, utilized the first four alternatives listed above and they all worked fine … the Caldera seemed to boil water faster utilizing a MSR 2 L pot … but that's a subjective, not a measured, observation … hmm, good basis for an article ;-)
Philosophy ? –
RJ in his editorial note says "I'm not impressed with most DIY solutions – arranging rocks, stabbing tent stakes into the ground …" From my perspective, this doesn't seems to be in alignment with the philosophy approach expressed in his video series “The SUL Wanderer” … (specifically where RJ fore goes a BushBuddy by arranging rocks into a small fire ring) or in his "SUL Mindset" series, that it emphasized less vs lighter mindset (and that had the rather provocative sub-title, containing: "One important goal of SUL is to take less stuff, not buy new stuff. If you have to buy new stuff, then I think that regardless of your pack weight, consider that you may have transcended away from the ultralight philosophy and into ultralight hypocrisy")
Opps! wait a minute I just realized this is a UL article not a SUL article: my bad (*smile*)
As with any folding stove, the weakest point is the hinge. This one LOOKS like a rivet of some kind. Is it field-replaceable? If not, why not?
The folding titanium Esbit tablet stove that BPL offered many years ago had this same problem. folks took to drilling out the rivet and replacing it with a bolt and nut.
I didn't see this as a commercial. Full disclosure was given early on that this had been a Kickstarter project that did not get funded and that the design was being presented for those who might wish to make their own, or something similar.
"Full disclosure was given early on that this had been a Kickstarter project that did not get funded and that the design was being presented for those who might wish to make their own, or something similar."
Actually, this is incorrect. The abstract says nothing about Kickstarter or anything.
–B.G.–
Bob –
Forget the abstract; read the article, especially the Editor's Note that leads off the article. Here is the second paragraph of same:
"Editor's Note
……..1st paragraph deliberately deleted……
Peter attempted to get this project funded on Kickstarter, but it didn't go. That doesn't mean the design doesn't have value, so we're publishing the design idea and prototype description here for the benefit of the BPL community. – RJ"
Mr. Bankhead, I'm sorry that you do not understand.
One cannot read the article without purchasing it. One would expect to read the abstract and determine whether it was worthy of purchase. In this case, the abstract doesn't do much that is accurate.
–B.G.–
I was not aware that one could purchase individual articles. That doesn't sound very cost effective to me.
I does sounds like an excellent reason to purchase a BPL membership so such maneuvers are unnecessary as all articles, reviews, and other site content is thereby always available.
"I was not aware that one could purchase individual articles. That doesn't sound very cost effective to me.
I does sounds like an excellent reason to purchase a BPL membership so such maneuvers are unnecessary as all articles, reviews, and other site content is thereby always available."
Mister Bankhead, if you choose to pour your own money down a rathole, then that is your decision. I've held a paid membership before, and I can see the general trend (downward).
–B.G.–
If Bob G was really on his game he would have noticed Ken's immediate summary before he had purchased it….oh wait.
I imagine Bob doesn't really need financial advice — of coarse maybe its time for him to purchase a new fast zoom camera lense??
"If Bob G was really on his game he would have noticed Ken's immediate summary before he had purchased it….oh wait."
Of course I read Ken's summary. I didn't just notice it.
"I imagine Bob doesn't really need financial advice — of coarse maybe its time for him to purchase a new fast zoom camera lense??"
Of course. And of course I have a new fast zoom camera lens.
What is your point, exactly?
–B.G.–
Simmer down Bob.
Point 1: Ken blessed us with his cliff notes within 10 mins of the article….only to have his post deleted. The joke was, "well if Bob just would have read Ken's review then he wouldn't have been hoodwinked….'oh wait' Kens negative summary was deleted"
Point 2: I am sure you are well able to forecast whether you will be better off buying the few articles you're likely to be interested in separately or dropping $25 all at once…and the horror if you end up wanting to see 7-8 articles in a year. The joke was "Then again, I could be wrong (with your interest in photographing wildlife), if it is time to buy a new lens (wouldn't be cheap right?), then examples of how to get the most mileage outta each $5 or $10 bill might be highly welcomed.
For what its worth, I was gonna right…"whenever Bob wants to read an article he just logs in under gross bob"
Ken,
OK…so how does one receive or find the weekly newsletter. First I have heard of it.
Thanks
" For what its worth, I was gonna right…"whenever Bob wants to read an article he just logs in under gross bob" "
That would be Cameron Kennedy.
–B.G.–
Ive always used a circle of wire mesh thats a little less than the ID of pot.
simple, cheap, readily available.
What the maker of this doesnt realize, is that the distance from the stove to the pot is critical on alcohol stoves. You want flame to cover the pot bottom, but not go up sides to be most efficient.
One size dont fit all.
Its not a very good idea IMO, and its frickin heavy too.
Hopefully BPL will see this as a learning experience. We still have expected standards of quality from this publication. And the bar is set above this one, certainly.
There are some amazing articles on BPL and honestly hope to see more stuff like this. How about thermoregulation in deserts and tropical rain-forests?
This, well… it is seriously under par.
Rather have one good article per week than 1 good and 1 mediocre "fill article".
Lite trail 1600 and a Monatauk gnat for group cooking. Even use the canister stand for extra stability.
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