review

Trangia 27-2 & 25-2 Ul Stove Kit Review

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Trangia27-2
Base stats:
– BTU:  7K (The Trangia burner)
– Weight:  36 oz (2lb 4oz) for the larger 25-2
– Weight:  29 oz (1lb 13oz) for the smaller 27-2
– Stove comparison chart

If alcohol fuel (and optionally, also multi-fuel) is more your thing than LPG gas canister stoves, but you want to cook with it and maximize heat efficiency with a really good wind screen, this set is very hard to beat.  Some of the most experienced backpackers swear by these cook sets as they work in horrendous weather conditions, maximize the limited fuel efficiency of the Trangia stove, run silently, and avoids the mess and hassle of setting up and putting away liquid fuel stoves. Continue reading →

Sven Saw 15in Review

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Sven Saw 15in

I have a few different portable saws.

This is by far the best one.

I wish there was a lot to say about this to help in making an informed decision, but there’s really not that much to say except that hatchets, other folding saws, and portable chains all tire me out a lot faster. The Sven Saw make pretty quick work of sawing 6″+ branches with minimal effort. And it doesn’t get stuck. Continue reading →

Snow Peak LiteMax Stove Review

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SnowPeakLiteMaxStove

Base stats:
– BTU:  11K
– Weight:  1.9 oz
– Stove comparison chart

I own quite a few of thee types of miniature gas canister stoves. And this would have to be my second favorite of all. It has some wind resistance from being blown out, which is nice, and the flame egress surface faces outwards to cover wider pots. It is also well suited for small pots and any cup designed for this purpose. Continue reading →

Quietstove Silent Cap for Primus OmniFuel Review

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QuietStoveForOmniFuelAndX2

Stove comparison chart

I have previously purchased the the Omnilite muter damper cap and while these units are heavy for their size, the Omnifuel muter cap is significantly bigger and heavier than the Omnilite muter cap. (I also have the muter cap for the SVEA 123R)

Also, this muter cap has has four legs on it, which does add to overall bulk when packed separate from the Omnifuel. The Omnilite muter can has no legs, so ends up packed much flatter when separated. Continue reading →

Optimus of Hiker+ Stove Review

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OptimusHiker+  IMG_8408

Base stats:
– BTU:  9,725
– Weight:  3.4 lbs (A bit of a beast)
– Stove comparison chart

The Optimus Hiker+  is probably among the most reliable stoves I’ve ever used.  While it may be true that many years ago, it was likely considered a backpacking stove, these days, most folks, me included, use this as a car camping, or home emergency stove, and it works well in that regard.
Continue reading →

Snow Peak Titanium Multi Compact Cookset Review

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SnowPeakTitaniumCompactCookset

What a great two person cookset for the backpacker who likes to spend a little extra time to cook up better food than your basic rehydration.

Apart from these, I also own the trek combo pot set (basically the trek 900 nested in the trek 1400), and while that set is nice because the hybrid summit also nests inside, the trek combo lacks a little in diameter. This isn’t a problem for stews, but it’s a bit of a problem for breakfast since the larger pan is still too small to place whole slices of spam in it. Continue reading →

Primus Service/Maintenance Kit for OmniFuel Review

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PrimusOmnifuelRepairKit

Stove comparison chart

This is a must have and a good service kit.

However, it should include the multi-tool. spares are pretty useless if the multi-tool breaks. Okay, that’s an exaggeration as you can take apart an Omnifuel using a leatherman, but brass damages easily, the the perfect fit of the multi-tool to the key components of the Omnifuel allows for less damage. And the leatherman doesn’t have the clearing thread used to clear the jets. Continue reading →

Snow Peak Mini Solo Hybrid Summit Cookset Review

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SnowPeakSummitHybridIMG_8513

In the last 3 years now, I’ve amassed so many stoves, pots, pans, cups, and other assorted backpacking cooking paraphernalia, and experimented with all of them both at home and on well over 30 backpacking trips and maybe 6 or 7 car camping trips that I’m starting to get pretty good at knowing what is needed for different types of trips, what’s overkill, and what’s not enough.  Continue reading →

Lightweight Folding Stool Review

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Black Military Tactical Lightweight Folding Camp Stool

I was expecting this to be smaller than it actually is.

While it’s still small enough to fit in a backpack, I wouldn’t have minded if it was smaller. Still great for a little sit down. No comparison to my camp chairs that allow leaning back and are about the same weight, but still, this fits into flat spaces and I imagine it will come in handy once in a while.

Garmin GPS V Review

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Garmin GPS V Waterproof Hiking GPS

——EDIT——-
August 2014

One of the very first reviews I ever wrote in the US was in 2004 on epinions, about this GPS V. I found it, and am therefore posting it here.

The Garmin GPS V deserves a 2014 mention because I’ve had quite a bit of experience with a variety of other GPS’s in the last decade and am still really stunned at the reliability of my Garmin GPS V. Continue reading →

Helinox Chair One Camp Chair Review

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Helinox Chair One Camp Chair

I now have three backpacking chairs, they all wei about the same, or, at least, close enough to be negligible for me. I would likely select a different chair for different types of trips.

When hiking alone, I’d probably go with a competitor’s chair that has the same seat height.  When hiking in a small group for extended trips, I’d probably go with a competitor’s chair that sits lower. Continue reading →

ESEE 6 Fixed Blade Knife Review

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ESEE Knives 6P Fixed Blade Knife

If you’ve read my other reviews on camping knives, you know well that I don’t know much about them.

For me, a camping knife needs to be just sharp enough to do camping chores and be able to baton/split wood, and maybe do some occasional hacking and maybe just enough chopping so that I can snap a branch by stepping on it. Other than that, I don’t know or care much about the type of steel used, how well it holds an edge, etc. etc. Most camping knives fit that bill… Continue reading →

Optimus of Sweden Nova+ Stove Review

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IMG_1058

Base stats:
– BTU:  9,725 (on white gas)
– Weight:  15 oz with pump (not including bottle)
– Stove comparison chart

2013 November:  I just picked up the Nova+ at AnyMountain.  There have been some bad reviews of the Nova+ but so far, I can’t find a real fault with it.  Since I already own the Primus omnilite ti (and now a few others), I can compare the two.

[NOTE:  Since this review, I have gathered a few more.  Check the Optimus Polaris Optifuel review for more comparisons with this Nova+. https://somecampingstoves.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/optimus-polaris-optifuel-801408-campinghiking-camp-stove-w0-4l-fuel-bottle/ Continue reading →

Optimus Vega Review

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OptimusVegaIMG_0817

Base stats:
– BTU:  12,500 in liquid LPG mode, 4,750 in standard LPG mode
– Weight:  6.28 oz
– Stove comparison chart

I’ve purchased quite a few gas canister stoves in the search for that perfect one, and also have gotten into  alcohol stoves, liquid fuel stoves, and wood stoves.  Sort of a strange hobby, but comparing these stoves in actual usage is the only real way to understand them.

The Optimus Vega, among LPG stoves, is my first choice when heading out and planning on doing a fair bit of group cooking, while still keeping weight and pack space at a minimum.  Rafting weekends are ideal. Continue reading →

Soto Pocket Torch Review

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SotoTorch

The fact that this only works with the transparent disposable lighters doesn’t bother me much since they’re readily available all over the place.

The jet works really well when the disposable is brand new, but even before the halfway point the jet starts to reduce strength significantly, and by the halfway point, it barely works. Tried a few lighters and its been consistently weakened at the same point, so i now have less confidence than before Continue reading →

Soto Windmaster + 4Flex Stove Review

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SotoWindMaster IMG_0774 copy

Base stats:

– BTU:  11K
– Weight:  2.3 oz
– Stove comparison chart

Truly the best of the best of compact stand-alone LPG gas canister stoves.  It has become my goto.

While it’s too bad that it doesn’t fit in a cup along with a gas canister and utensil, which would be ideal, this gas canister based unit has one incredible advantage in addition to the wind resistance, and two small negatives. Continue reading →