Testing backpacking gear usually means taking it out into its environment - the outdoors. However with some products it's worthwhile also using them together in a more controlled situation. Yesterday I spent several hours doing this with camping stoves for an upcoming feature in Spring issue of The Great Outdoors magazine (I must remember to call it now that it's changed back from TGO). Although it was a sunny day I chose a shaded spot as I didn't want the warmth of the sunshine to affect the test. As it was, the shade temperature was just 7 C. The water, from my kitchen tap, was 6 C.
Testing the stoves involves finding out how easy it is to set them up with cold fingers, how quickly they boil a set amount of water and how much fuel they use in doing so. I also tried a few stoves with pots with and without heat exchangers to see how difference this made, if any. I'm now writing up the results.
Quick boils use up a lot of fuel. What I would like to know is what is the minimum amount of fuel needed to get a boil from a stove. An attempt at getting a boil from using a relatively more efficient low to mid setting on gas and white spirit stoves would be useful.
ReplyDeleteQuick boils do use up more fuel with canister stoves. In my experience the minimum amount of fuel needed is around 10% less than if the stove is run at full power, depending on the stove. Figures from fast boils are useful for comparison. Stoves that use less fuel for a fast boil use less for a slower boil too. Doing a comparative test is difficult though as turning each stove down the same amount is just about impossible.
DeleteWTF? A complete blog post from Chris Townsend with no mention of the Cairngooms?
ReplyDeleteWell, you would be hard pushed to find anyone better to post about the Cairngorms.
DeleteHas the Troll Muppet (or is it Simon from Leicester? Pipe up with your name now) ever been to the Cairngorms, or is it more a case they only do overnight trips to the Brecon Beacons? So such a fine mountain range is beyond their mental capacity to understand how good it is.
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