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Post by cweston on Mar 15, 2024 6:07:53 GMT -8
I've used a Primus universal fuel stove for years--always with canisters. One thing I really like about my old Primus stove is that it is remote (doesn't sit atop the canister like a Jet Boil or MSR Pocket Rocket), which means it's more stable, and one can safely use a windscreen.
I see that REI has a remote model from a brand I'm not familiar with: OliCamp. Anyone know anything about this brand?
Or I could just buy an MSR Pocket Rocket like everyone else and save 4 oz.
(Old stove seems to have a fuel leak where the fuel supply enters the stove...so, possibly dangerous, and burning way too much fuel.)
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Post by trinity on Mar 15, 2024 7:44:11 GMT -8
I don't own any Olicamp stoves, but think of them as a legit brand, so I don't doubt this is a solid stove. My winter stove is a Kovea Spider, which I have been very happy with. Design and specs look similar to the Olicamp. If you buy from Flatcatgear, you can also get a nifty and very lightweight windscreen. But, since it is a remote canister stove, any fully enclosed windscreen will work. But unless you're using your stove in very cold temps (below about 20F) and/or really need the added stability, I'd personally go with a regulated canister top stove, such as the Pocket Rocket Deluxe or Soto Windmaster, along with an Ocelot windscreen from Flatcatgear. My PRD is what I take 95% of the time. |
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Mar 15, 2024 13:33:25 GMT -8
The Olicamp Ion has been my main canister stove for many years.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Mar 15, 2024 20:36:37 GMT -8
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 16, 2024 7:05:07 GMT -8
MSR offers a remote for their Pocket Rocket. I want one of these now. Good system for when I do more elaborate cooking than just boiling water. |
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Mar 16, 2024 7:57:17 GMT -8
MSR offers a remote for their Pocket Rocket. But it means paying another $40+ and an additional 6oz. That's a pretty steep price for an adapter. If you want a remote stove, you might take a look at Fire Maple stoves. Yes, it's a Chinese company but at least it's "real" in that they have brick-and-mortar stores in China and are sold in gear shops there. I have their "FMS-117T" (an older version) which has a wide flame pattern like the Monatauk Gnat that I normally carry. I think the current comparable model is the FMS-118, which is a little heavier (5oz vs 3.5 oz) but has a preheat tube, which I think is worth it if you're going to camp in cold weather. One with a pressure regulator may be better if camping often at altitude. |
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 16, 2024 10:06:05 GMT -8
If you want a remote stove, you might take a look at Fire Maple stoves. I tried to take a look but at least for me the site's images didn't work. So the Pocket Rocket, that I have already, is 2.6 oz. 6 oz/$40 for this kit so basically 9 oz total. The Fire Maple Blade 2 titanium is 4.9 oz/$60. I know MSR build quality and I will very rarely use this stove set up so less money for a known is nice. The Fire Maple is lighter, the pot sits lower and it has a pre-heat tube. If I go on a trip that the pre-heat might matter I would tend to take my MSR Dragonfly with white gas. But thank you for making me think about this. You tempered an impulse purchase. I'm just going to wait until I actually need a cooking stove instead of a water boiler. |
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Mar 16, 2024 12:13:06 GMT -8
The Fire Maple Blade 2 titanium is 4.9 oz/$60. This is the newer version of the FMS-117T that I have. It's essentially the remote version of my Gnat, plus a preheat tube. $40, 5oz. It's been around for a while. firemaplegear.com/collections/gas-stoves/products/fms-118-gas-stoveI'm a fan of MSR but the Pocket Rocket, not so much. YMMV. |
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Post by cweston on Mar 16, 2024 13:02:00 GMT -8
FYI, I just bought a Soto Windmaster. Pressure regulated is good for me because most of my camps are at high elevation. I only boil water for freeze-dried meals and coffee, so the canister-mounted stove should be an easy way to save a few ozs.
The pot I usually use is just barely too large for an Ocelot windscreen. I’ll see how this performs in wind before deciding what to do about that. I might kludge something up with the folding aluminum windscreen I’ve been carrying.
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Post by leadbelly on Mar 25, 2024 9:17:29 GMT -8
for quick and light, I used a Soto Amicus + canisters. It's reliable and easy to use. not ideal for larger pots. For larger groups, winter, I use an Optimus Nova+. Optimus Nova+ Melts snow like an XGK, but you can adjust the flame for cooking. |
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 25, 2024 13:08:31 GMT -8
Optimus Nova+ Melts snow like an XGK, but you can adjust the flame for cooking. For ages I used my XGK. It's strength is clearly a lot of heat for larger pot to boil or melt fast but once you get familiar with it is adjustable. You just have to patient if you are turning it down. I also have an MSR Dragonfly. That one you can fairly call adjustable. I guess the Lindal valve stoves have greatly displaced white gas stoves. I guess white gas is for very cold and certain expeditions now. |
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Post by leadbelly on Mar 25, 2024 15:37:24 GMT -8
Optimus Nova+ Melts snow like an XGK, but you can adjust the flame for cooking. For ages I used my XGK. It's strength is clearly a lot of heat for larger pot to boil or melt fast but once you get familiar with it is adjustable. You just have to patient if you are turning it down. I also have an MSR Dragonfly. That one you can fairly call adjustable. I guess the Lindal valve stoves have greatly displaced white gas stoves. I guess white gas is for very cold and certain expeditions now. i still have an XGK, 80s version with the brass metal burner. You can modulate the flame with the valve after you get used to it, but it's hit or miss; Optimus has a metal arm that fine-tunes the burn much more easily. White gas is a better fuel for cold weather IMO; I mostly don't use this stove in the summer because it's so much heavier. |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Mar 25, 2024 17:51:19 GMT -8
Pretty sure you nailed it for the limits on using white gas. I get a much lighter set-up with either the canister stove or the alky stove (mostly also a thing of the past, too, as fire restrictions mean it’s often not legal). Since I don’t do winter camping, I ditched the Whisperlites and never looked back.
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Post by trinity on Mar 25, 2024 18:04:46 GMT -8
I ditched the Whisperlites and never looked back. I haven't used my Whisperlite Internationale in a decade or two, but just can't bring myself to get rid of it. It was a gift from some dear friends back in the late '80s, one of my first real pieces of backpacking gear. |
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Mar 25, 2024 18:20:59 GMT -8
I ditched the Whisperlites and never looked back. I haven't used my Whisperlite Internationale in a decade or two, but just can't bring myself to get rid of it. It was a gift from some dear friends back in the late '80s, one of my first real pieces of backpacking gear. I still have mine, too. During the Sandy-related power outage, it did all of our cooking for two weeks. That just about doubled its cumulative use over a 20 year period. |
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