Canister Gas Stoves – Recommendations Too Efficiency

I got a regime annotation recently, below.  I responded individually, but at that topographic point were approximately skilful questions, so I idea I'd expand but slightly together with plough it into a weblog post.

Hi Jim, 

It was swell coming together you lot at the GGG at Henry Coe [State Park].  Just wanted to inquire - what's your electrical flow best (good fuel efficiency, depression CO emissions, depression weight, etc.) sit down on exceed canister stove, together with your electrical flow favorite remote stove (the Kovea Spider or other)?  Been narrowing downwards stoves together with cooksets together with genuinely appreciate your advice.  And for remote stove, what do you lot operate for your windscreen, a Caldera Cone or other?

Remote Canister Stove Recommendation
The remote canister stove is easier for me to respond because I receive got such a clear favorite:  The Kovea Spider.  It's a really compact, durable design, together with it's a blueprint that but makes sense.  It tin hold upward run alongside the canister upside downwards for mutual frigidness conditions use.  I genuinely similar this stove, but, unfortunately, I don't receive got carbon monoxide (CO) numbers for it; that's beyond the ambit of my capabilities.

The MSR WindPro is also really good, but the WindPro is non nearly every bit compact.  For a larger grouping (more than three), I powerfulness pick out the WindPro since it's wider pot back upward bridge volition back upward a footling fighting bigger pot.

The Kovea Spider, left.  The Kovea Supalite, right.  Both first-class stoves.

Upright Canister Stove Recommendation(s)
And every bit for upright canister stoves, what would I recommend?  There are an awful lot of skilful ones.  In terms of efficiency, it's to a greater extent than often than non to a greater extent than well-nigh how you lot operate the stove (see below) than it is well-nigh the stove itself.  I plough over off to similar the Kovea Supalite ( 56g/2.0 oz depending on the version).  It's reasonably light, reasonably compact, together with has skilful pot stability.  You tin larn lighter, but I recall the pot stability is ameliorate on the Supalite than anything lighter that I've seen.  The absolute lightest is the FMS-300t which is 45g/1.6 oz, but it has problems alongside clogging at the jet.  I can't recommend it (yet) fifty-fifty though it has approximately prissy innovative blueprint features.  I've read that the Optimus Crux has high CO, so you lot powerfulness avoid that if you lot desire to gear upward inwards the vestibule.  I to a greater extent than often than non am non a fan of the MSR PocketRocket fifty-fifty though it's really popular.  I much prefer the newer MicroRocket.  The MicroRocket is a fighting to a greater extent than compact than the Supalite.

The MicroRocket is peculiarly compact -- it volition lucifer inwards a 550ml mug pot with a canister of gas.

Canister Stove Efficiency (Best Practices)
As for efficiency, alongside canister gas stoves, both upright together with remote, it's typically to a greater extent than well-nigh how you lot operate the stove than it is well-nigh the stove itself -- at to the lowest degree alongside the major stove brands.  All bets are off alongside "no name" stoves that i tin purchase off of eBay for shockingly depression prices.  Caveat emptor.

However, alongside something similar a Caldera Cone alongside a gas stove, that's approximately other matter.  See the special department on the Caldera Cone at the end.

So, what are those skilful practices that Pb to efficiency?  Well, here's my list:

• Turn it down.  High estrus = inefficient.  This is the publish i fault of canister stove users -- they plough things upward every bit good high.  Low estrus = efficient.
• Pick a sheltered spot.  On exceed of a stone powerfulness hold upward convenient, but it's going to hold upward windier upward there.  Go behind the rock, together with laid the stove on the ground.
• Use a windscreen (yes, fifty-fifty on an upright type canister stove, but non a total 360 marker windscreen) -- hold upward careful to cheque the canister oftentimes alongside your hand.  If it feels hot, accept immediate steps to cool things down.  See Canister Stoves together with Wind before you lot operate a windscreen.
• Use a lid.  Tighter plumbing fixtures is better.  Escaping steam = escaping estrus = inefficient.
• Use a wider pot.  Tall, skinny pots air current upward having flames become upward the sides, wasting heat.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 broad pot catches that heat.
• Use a estrus exchanger pot.  Usually the estrus exchanger weighs to a greater extent than than the sum of fuel you lot save, but if you lot genuinely desire efficient, a estrus exchanger is the means to go.  If on a trip you lot foreclose having to comport a minute canister, a estrus exchanger tin genuinely salve weight overall.
• Use a darker colored pot (minor compared to the others)

Windscreens -- Upright Canister Stoves
Yes, operate a windscreen alongside an upright canister stove.  Just do NOT operate a total 360 marker windscreen AND hold upward genuinely careful.  See Canister Stoves together with Wind.

Windscreens -- Remote Canister Stoves
For remote canister stoves, you lot tin operate a total 360 marker windscreen safely.  Indeed this is i of the many reasons people operate a remote canister stove fifty-fifty though it's heavier than an upright (the other brain reasons are pot stability together with improved mutual frigidness conditions performance).  With the Kovea Spider, I receive got but been using a patently heavy aluminum foil ( 36 gauge) windscreen from MSR.  It's their criterion windscreen for their remote canister together with white gas stoves.  Works great.

A Kovea Spider stove alongside a criterion MSR windscreen.

The Kovea Spider alongside a Caldera Cone
But tin the Kovea Spider hold upward used alongside a Caldera Cone?  Now that is an interesting question.  As a affair of fact it can.  Here's a Spider alongside a total pinnacle Caldera Cone together with an MSR Titan Kettle.

A total pinnacle Caldera Cone alongside a Kovea Spider inside

The stove fits within well.  The pot sticks upward well-nigh 1cm or so -- non a problem.  In terms of efficiency, I recall you lot could do really good alongside this laid up.  You would desire to hold upward really careful to move along the open fire low.   An aluminum cone could melt if you lot turned the estrus upward high.

Of course of educational activity at that topographic point are unlike styles of Caldera Cone.  Here's a Sidewinder manner cone alongside a 1.3L Evernew pot.  This is a titanium Ti-Tri cone.

Sidewinder Ti-Tri (titanium) Cone alongside an Evernew 1.3L pot alongside a Kovea Spider within

 A sidewinder cone is a shorter cone which is intended to hold upward rolled together with stored within the pot (I genuinely similar the sidewinder design).  The pot so does stick out more.  Still, this would hold upward a really effective windscreen, together with the blueprint of the vents, which command air menses together with channel hot exhaust upward the side of the pot, would growth efficiency.

You could of course of educational activity accept the pot supports off the Spider to salve weight, but so you'd receive got to figure out a means to suspend the pot at the right pinnacle to a higher house the burner.

Thanks for the questions; I promise the answers are satisfactory,

HJ