Vargo titanium 2 – piece stove set

Having an interest in ultra light hiking I had to have a stove that is super light weight. I can not carry much as I am not very strong in this mode of travelling. Yet preparing a chai is so important that I don’t want to be depended on the weather but I don’t want to carry a sturdy stove either. So, like finding a perfect bento box, this was another thorough online search.

I found one: the close to ideal combination is the Vargo Hexagon wood stove (116 grams) and the Triad Multi Fuel stove (30 grams). The Hexagon wood stove functions as a windscreen and pot holder when the Triad is placed into it.

Downsides

The downside is that finding fuel for the Triad Multi Fuel stove is a challenge. Ethanol in pure form, tablets or gel isn’t easy to locate and once found, it is heavy to carry. Ethanol gel comes in 200 gram tins in Slovenia. To prepare a drink one spoonful is enough, for a meal you need about 3. Bottles of ethanol come in a liter in Hungary and 500 ml in Italy. But since the Triad is so light it doesn’t hurt to carry it, along with a minimal amount of ethanol. Ethanol gel seems so stick to the surface of the stove and needs good scrubbing to remove it.

The downside of the Hexagon wood stove is at the same time it’s strongest feature: it’s thinness. This stove is so light that when I stepped on in the darkness I didn’t feel I was trampling it! It got bended but luckily I could shape it back.

Another weak point is that the sides are not holding together well, and when I am cooking I need to push the sides back into each other so the stove won’t open itself.

It needs some security in the form of stones or a log to lean the pot against in case I prepare a full meal. The stove isn’t very big and therefore not sturdy enough to balance a 1 litre pot full of food.

I find it sometimes a task to make a fire at the end of the day. Being tired, having set up the tent and then to find twigs and start a fire is a lot more work than simply turning a gas stove switch or lighting some ethanol.

Positive

The fact that I carry a stove that hardly weighs anything and that needs twigs to burn is the best feature. I always loved fires and using what nature provides is in my opinion the better outdoor experience.

The Hexagon stove needs to have some air to flow underneath its base, either soil scooped out or by elevating it. I carry a little shovel to do this (originally meant for digging toilet holes).

The size of the Vargo Hexagon wood stove (7.6 x 12.7 x 10 cm / 116 grams) is similar to the Bushbox Pocket stove (11.5 x 9 x 9 cm / 260 grams) but the fact that it hinges together and that there is no need to assemble it, leaves you without sooty hands.

This stove needs no cleaning nor spare parts. I use paper, small twigs and kindling material to start the fire: nothing that I carry especially for this purpose. Both were ordered online and so far, I am content with especially the Hexagon wood stove.

Of course, I could also use no stove at all. That is the lightest of all. Making a camp fire, however does need much more patience, effort and wood than using a small wood burner. A fire is naturally bigger and I would feel much less offended if I were someone who would see me using a wood burner. In my view a wood burner is much less of a danger (but caution keeps necessary).

This particular wood burner design will not longer be manufactured, instead an improved version is continuing.

---

The comments on this post do not correspond. My weblog is full and I had to overwrite this post.