When I was younger, I found this stove while digging, and frankly, never looked it up. I really enjoyed it, so when I started my ultralight thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, I chose it — knowing nothing of its history. I took the stove all 2,192 miles, in 2019.
Here's the honest:
I started in February, and my year got temps between 9 and 110°F. My first true frustration came at Blood Mountain. The vendor had added water to the alcohol, and in the cold weather, it could never prime well. I did envy the ease of canister stoves. However, that's not the fault of the stove.
What I did enjoy was a trade-off: filling the stove, placing it into the heart of wet kindling, and retrieving it in the morning when the fire was done. That's the honest trade. It's so light, it looks cool, its use is versatile, you can't break it.
The human part of people adding water happened more than once on trail. I switched to using Quick Heat fuel line cleaner. So… the stove gets a 5 in my book... But sourcing fuel is clutch. so that you're not .)
5 for ULTRA-LIGHTIING. ...if you're going. car camping... this stove will frustrate you- stop as the gas station, buy some logs of wood.
-City, NoBo 2019.