UKC

What are the smallest/lightest or most common stoves used for solo mountain marathon / ultras?

Currently planning my first 2-day run although the route I have planned has a pub with excellent food close to my overnight camp!

The question comes as I work out how I'm going to fit everything into my rucksack (OMM 15l).

In reply to barrow_matt:

Primus Express - about £30 and packs down really small.

In reply to barrow_matt:

Hexi and foil.

In reply to barrow_matt:

Pocket Rocket.

This looked promising, but has sold out
https://www.alpkit.com/products/kraku

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Msr Micro Rocket
Optimus Crux or Crux lite
Brilliant little burners

In reply to barrow_matt:
My "Brew kit" (for alpine bivis, the LAMM this year and just taking down to the crag) is:
Alpkit Mytimug 115g - everything packs inside this
Coleman F1 Lite stove 76g - splits into 2 parts for storage (ditch the fabric bag!)
100g gas canister 207g (ish)
Lighter 18g
Foil windshield 18g
Alpkit Snapwire folding spork 17g
= 441g, plus a couple of teabags

In reply to barrow_matt:

I tried using fuel blocks, a bent tuna fish can with some holes in it and a titanium mug at the RAB last year. It was terrible. It took about 25 minutes to boil a mug of water and all my food tasted like the fuel blocks.

I think that fuel blocks are probably light but I would carry an army "stove" basically a light metal tray with legs and holes in it so the blocks burn efficiently.

I use lightweight gas stove normally, pocket rocket or similar, you could get away with a half full small canister if you aren't going to brew up much.

If you email me I will send you my kit list which details everything so you can see where you are going wrong/right.

15L bag is pushing it though, I think unless you have a very small tent and light sleeping bag you will struggle.

In reply to barrow_matt:

I'm currently using an Esbit stove http://www.survivalaids.com/titanium-solid-fuel-folding-stove with a home made windshield (kebab sticks, tinfoil and gaffertape) topped with a titanium mug. It's super light and all fits into the mug.

We used to use a pocketrocket and probably still would for the OMM if the weather looked really bad.

In reply to Monkey_Alan:









So do you use the mytimug as the pot to cook in and eat from? Sounds like a good system - I have the same stove and really like it. Did you make your own windshield or buy one?

In reply to barrow_matt:

Using the adventure foods dehydrated meals, I only needed to boil water for the meals and for brews. Carried almost identical kit to mcanuda except for a pocket rocket and a firesteel (always sparks!) and keep it packed in the original plastic box. Adds a few grams but makes sure my stove and sparky are fit for use.

In reply to mcanuda:


Yes, just the one pot/mug. The windshield is simply a strip of tin foil balanced around the stove, although I may in future add a paper clip to help it stand up on its own.

In reply to KevinJ:
Apologies. Correction to my last post. It was Monkey Alan's kit list I was referring to.

In reply to mcanuda:

I just put my cous cous and whatever else in a plastic freezer bag, pour the boiling water into the bag, let it cook and eat from that. No washing up to do then, and you don't have to carry one of those "heavy" foil packs that the dehydrated meals come in.

Thanks all for the responses, I'll take a look at the various options and see what looks the best option for me.

In reply to barrow_matt:

Could check out the Primus ETA Light too, 355g before you add gas/plastic spork, but includes igniter/cup/stove.

In reply to barrow_matt:

I've a Primus ETA solo. Excellent reliable piece of kit. Boils a brew in no time and good for boil in the bag stuff. Things tend to get a bit messy/burnt though when cooking in the pot supplied. Certainly not the lightest way of doing it stove wise but I would recommend. A lighter way a friend uses is an Alpkit kettle/pot/mug and an MSR micro stove combo and I've read reports of MM participants going ultra light by means of using foil takeaway dishes for pots and tin foil for stove wind breakers. Knowing my luck if I did this, my takeaway foil pot would spring a leak or burn through!

In reply to barrow_matt:

Our local Sports Direct store still has this

http://www.karrimor.com/karrimor-x-lite-ti-stove-2012-787169?colcode=787169...

for £20. It weighs just 48g. I have one and it works well.

In reply to barrow_matt:

I think the pocket rocket, I have a hexi stove as they can be lighter but they just aren't as quick by a long way..

In reply to barrow_matt:

Another vote for pocket rocket - find it great.

In reply to IainRUK:


Never in so much of a hurry at the overnight camp to think it a problem.

In reply to Stuart (aka brt):

No but you are in the morning.. and last week I was using mine out in last week out in the white mountains..

http://instagram.com/p/pH0geDtUSw/

It just took forever.. and in the OMM I normally want to be in bed and warmed up asap.. I found it really didn't work well with the alp kit mug, but was out for a 2 day run so didn't want to carry more than 15L.

then in the morning I want time for a brew and porridge, as it was I used 4 blocks in the morning for a barely warm coffee and warmed porridge..

In reply to IainRUK:

Oh well. Very different experience to mine then. Just looked at the picture. I use the Esbit cooker when out backpacking which looks like the flame is nearer the mug on my set. It's also shielded better.

For the last ten years I've used foil for MM's which because they're, well, foil, really let the heat through. Four blocks, with one being the spare.

In reply to G0rdrilla:


Except for the various problems that Primus shipped them with and that you burn your fingers most times trying to take the pot off the stove! http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=2993

Aren't DIY beer can stoves plus a stand/wind break and Ti mug generally consider the lightest usable stove combo these days?

In reply to barrow_matt:

Used the MSR PR and the Optimus thingy. Both excellent. Just bought a new sexy Fire Maple which is not only a dandy little thing but also Japanese which sates my inner Hipster.

Solid fuel, really?

D

In reply to Stuart (aka brt):

How does the weight of a solid fuel stove with 4 blocks compare to a Pocket Rock with a 100g canister?

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

The 100g canister is if memory serves me the net of gas. The total weight of a full one is nearer 200g,so a near empty canister is always the weight of six blocks of Esbit hexi. For MM's I use small foil tubs 10g each? So barely 90g on day one, about 45g day two (most events stipulate fuel/ability to make something warm to eat/drink).


It's probably worth mentioning that now I only do events with solo classes. If I was to partner up I probably would go gas.
More to go wrong if you go down the foil route so needs practice.

In reply to barrow_matt:

I have loads of home made meths stoves, they are ultralight and have the benefit of being a great way to burn a small tent down - which significantly adds to the challenge of the event and gives you "hard man" bragging rights in the pub afterwards.

I also have a pocket rocket which is considerably quicker and safer in a competition sized tent and gale force winds. I use that.

In reply to Moley:


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In reply to barrow_matt:

If I want something that works really reliably and easily it's a pocket rocket every time. Especially in poor weather.

Having said that I've had some lovely (and occasionally fairly midge free) evenings on the LAMM with one of these http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-cone-system quietly brewing up. Insanely light, immune to winds, not much to go wrong - I use an MSR titanium kettle sized one and the 16g stove, and have a nifty aluminium coca-cola miniature bottle from the US that holds up to 250mls of meths safely and weighs about 15g empty.

All the above is clearly much less painful than training, eating a sensible diet, cutting out beer etc

cheers

b