Sick as a dog so, show me you Bivi / Bikepacking / Adventure racing gear…..

I’ve spent part of the afternoon conducting solid fuel experiments … I’ll put my finds on the WRT blog later. Many lessons learnt 😉

Stove looks nice Bigface!

My cheap, but small solution. I got my pocket rocket clone off Ebay (about £10). The pots are the Gelet Ascent I (again about £10) and use a C100 gas bottle (£5). Saw somebody else with them stacked up this way a couple of years ago and stole the idea, I mean “came up with it myself”. I had to modify the stove a bit to get it to fit in the pan. but the couple of times I’ve used it, its been great.

I use the Titanium Esbit stove with the solid fuel. 13g and £7 from BPL I’ve been very pleased with the results. However I’m taking delivery of a caldera cone in the next few weeks for a slightly more efficient system. I like the idea of the windshield creating a nice stable and sealed burning chamber.

Plus, meths is considerably cheaper to buy. I prefer the genuine Esbit tabs as they are non toxic but they work out at nearly 50p a go.

Has anyone got any experience of the PHD ultra vest? At 150g it looks incredible but it’s by no means cheap especially as the 800-fill version usually comes up in their sale at £80ish. I somehow managed to justify buying the beautiful Minim Ultra sleeping bag but I’m struggling to get my head around the gillet to match.

M u s t r e s i s t.

Zero points for the turbo-flame above 😉 OTT heavy for lighting gas stoves. Rob a piezo ignitor from an old ciggy lighter, they weigh about 5g.

Daren’t go on the Phd website … within minutes I’m designing outragous sleeping bags, costing hundreds 😉

The expensive part is the down, so the lighter they get- the cheaper they get. Or so you would think!

John:- I was looking at those pots today, think I may go for the Alkit one?

For anyone interested, you’ll find what I believe maybe the worlds lightest stove over on the WRT blog

http://welshridething.blogspot.com/

Luckily, I also think it may be the cheapest 😀

how did those legs not fold under the weight of the pot/water?

Nope, surprisingly sturdy. Might be a different story if you started to angle the legs down towards 45 degrees though.

awesome, I think you win a prize 🙂

That’s a little chap.. I think the gelert folding stove still could be handy if you run out of the fuel tabs you could put sticks and bits in it. May give it a go tomorrow and see if it works better…

What the total number confirmed for WRT so far? My 2 are in the post so you should see them monday/Tues?

@Bigface, of the top of my head I think there’s 30 odd confirmed which is about right for this time in the proceedings. Always get a mad rush in the last 2 weeks when people get a reminder 😉

oh bugger well reminded! must get mine in the post…

Stu – I’ve just emailed you re: WRT

Got a pass sorted off “fun police” 😀 cost me 2 weeks in France leaving the Wednesday after though which I will probably need 😯

So time to get into bivving big time 😯

You know you’ll have fun.
Stu ‘n I will be out next month 11th,12th,13th and i expect to be out at least once in april.
Join us.

I have the PHD minimus down vest, I think it weighs about 150g is ridiculously warm and snug, I used it on a winter bivy trip along with a 3 season go lite quilt and it was great, instant warmth and toasty to sleep in!

I will definately try to join you and Stu soon on a trip I am definately getting the bug for it if you hadn’t noticed, I’v even gave up a Mayhem entry as I did it last year.

I can’t remember if this has been posted on this mahoosive thread but here’s another version of the can stove http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/gear-features/make-your-own-meths-burner/6227.html

good link that ta

Stu aka still s8tannorm has been teasing us with his version of this on his blog.

Stu/Flatfish

any idea what time you’ll be heading off on the 11th? – I wouldn’t mind tagging along – as long as the pass renegotations go to plan!

James, the Minimus is the 240g 800-fill vest, the ultra is the 150g 900-fill stripped down version with only a half zip.

If you have the Minimus, what sort of size will it squeeze down to?

Cheers Anthony

Right then what am I doing wrong.

i’ve just made myself a beer can stove with top and side jets.

Lights up Ok, after a short while I can see flames coming out of the jets.
So far so good.

But when I stick my Ti mug on it burns for about 20 to 30 seconds then goes out?

I’m using meths from a DIY store. Is that right?

[/url]
2011_0220beercanstove0015[/url] by singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
2011_0220beercanstove0014[/url] by singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr

Come on nerds I know you’ll be able to tell me what I’m doing wrong. 😉

Stu your jet holes area bit on the big side. Think pin hole size rather than knitting needle 😉

Also tend to find with 2 sets of jets the top ones will light up first, side ones should follow along later. Putting your mug straight on top will often put the top jets out and bring the side jets in earlier … I’m thinking your mug’s putting the top jets out but the side jets aren’t chiming in due to the size (massive pressure loss through the top jets). Nowt wrong with your fuel, any meths’ll do.

Drink more ale and do it again.

Right then I best get drinking. 😆

I’ll try with smaller holes and just in the side to start with.

Or do you need the top holes to light the side holes?

If you’re planning on sticking your mug straight on top then I wouldn’t bother with top jets. I’d put 8 holes in, about 10mm down from the top … and I’d be using a drawing pin to put ’em in with too 😉

Just tried again with pin holes and now it won’t even light from the jets. 😕

Stu … you have got some feed holes at the base of your inner wall have you? When the things lit, try warming the outside of the stove with a lighter and see if that starts it going.

Sometimes it can take 3-4 minutes for the things to start blooming.

Yep feed holes in bottom.

I’ll try again tomorrow.

I found with the double wall design like yours tha. You had to have to let the meths heat up for about 30 sec before the jets started and you could put anything on top. Also let the jet burn for a little while before plonking the pan on top. Make sure you hole are drilled cleanly too your look pretty rough as well as big.

caldera stove to copy £66 to buy 😯

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/trail_designs_caldera_keg_f_stove_system.html

@TheBrick you are right about allowing the meths to warm up at first I had a good number of frustrations with the “pop” stove going out all the time.

The best design for meths stove is http://www.jureystudio.com/pennystove/ IMHO

thats a good link there 7hz, loads of good info 😉

Gents,

I’ll take your outdoorsmagic stove thread and raise you a stove forum![/url]

Haha awesome work slackmann99 😆

That’s the most geektastic thing i’ve ever seen. 😆

Fantastic.

all this talk of meths stoves got me thinking what does everyone use to transport the meths?

Sigg fuel bottle
Hip flask 😯
35mm camera case (minimalist)
other??

and how much would you carry for a 3 day/2 night trip such as WRT?

For an over-nighter I’ve bought a airline shampoo bottle from supper drug. 75 – 100 ml ish I think.

Longer than that I use a small squeeze top drinks bottle like this

or if I need more or less a full bottle I’ve also used a small bike water bottle to carry weeks worth (used about 2/3, two meals a day + cups of tea). Mounted under down tube in separate cage.

All of these containers have a nice easy controllable no spill method of pouring which for an idiot like me is important, especially if shaking.

Not saying these are the best methods, but they worked for me, I’m careful where and how I pack my meths.

I use the green version of fruit shoot. 😀