Jameshow
Veteran
I have that stove works well.
Cooking equipment for bikepacking
- Thread starter livpoksoc
- Start date
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I have that stove works well.
OP
OP
livpoksoc
Guru
- Location
- Basingstoke
Weird one. Just took the aplkit stove and a primus can with me with my lad so we could practice using it.
Had already practiced at home so know it works.
Anyway, screwed the Primus can in place (supplied by Alpkit too). Ignited the stove, and it lit up a huge open flame like a giant bunsen burner rather than the controlled stove flame. Managed to turn off the valve before I launched it about 20ft away from where we were sat. Let it go cold for 20 minutes and approached it with caution. Disconnected the can from the stove. All seems ok.
Tested it again and it was working fine.
Only thing I can think of is maybe when I connected it the valve wasn't 100% closed, so as it sat there for a minute a small amount of gas might have leaked out and caused the large flame?
Had already practiced at home so know it works.
Anyway, screwed the Primus can in place (supplied by Alpkit too). Ignited the stove, and it lit up a huge open flame like a giant bunsen burner rather than the controlled stove flame. Managed to turn off the valve before I launched it about 20ft away from where we were sat. Let it go cold for 20 minutes and approached it with caution. Disconnected the can from the stove. All seems ok.
Tested it again and it was working fine.
Only thing I can think of is maybe when I connected it the valve wasn't 100% closed, so as it sat there for a minute a small amount of gas might have leaked out and caused the large flame?
I no longer trust the small stoves that screw on the top of the gas canisters. 1st tour I had an MSR Pocket Rocket valve fail on me (filling my tent with gas ...) Failing to learn from my mistake (buying an MSR Pocket rocket) I allowed the store to replace rather than refund and next tour ended-up burning myseld quite badly as, whilst I'd turned the valve off, yet again the valve had failed and it had just turned the flame down to the point it's not visible!
Maybe a bit too much for bike packing (where I guess weight and size is more crucial rather than camping touring) but I now take a Primus Omnilite which is expensive but reliable and lasts (so far only used with gas).
Ian
Maybe a bit too much for bike packing (where I guess weight and size is more crucial rather than camping touring) but I now take a Primus Omnilite which is expensive but reliable and lasts (so far only used with gas).
Ian
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Send a message to alpkit customer service. I've had good luck with them in the past when I purchased a tent and the net had a couple of small holes in. They gave me a few options (exchange, full refund, or money back and keep and repair)
Like a "Bunsen burner" because that's what it basically is. Sounds like you did have the valve open, can't think of anything else. I've been using gas stoves for over forty years and think they are the safest stoves around. Had problems with petrol and meths stoves but not with gas.
OP
OP
livpoksoc
Guru
- Location
- Basingstoke
As in the flame wasn't a contained blue gas stove flame, it was a fireball. Reminded me of the old lynx flamethrower from schooldays but it wasn't pointing in any one direction, it wast billowing all around the place.
I have since retrieved the stove, and tested it several times and it lit, and turned off correctly fine so have to assume there was some gas in the air around the stove that went up or maybe the can was cross threaded or something.
froze
Über Member
- Location
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
The AeroPress coffee maker is too bulky and too heavy, plus it doesn't make espresso like they claim, all it is, is a filtered French Press. You asking about super lightweight stoves, but are willing to take an AeroPress? The lightest weight, and smallest footprint coffee making device is the GSI Ultralight Jave Drip maker, it's actually a pour over, and it works very well, I use it every time I go bike camping for the last 5 years and it still hasn't broken.
The lightest stove would be a White Box Next Generation alcohol fuel stove, it only weighs an ounce, I don't think there is anything lighter. The next lightest stove is a solid fuel stove called the Esbit Pocket Stove, it weighs about 3 1/4 ounces. I have the Esbit, and it works pretty good, but I prefer my Solo Windmaster stove, it weighs about as much as the Esbit, but I like it because I can control the heat better, plus is built to be wind resistant, it also has a flame regulator. I know this sounds crazy, but I carry both of the stoves, just in case I run out of fuel I can resort to the Esbit.
Stoves of any sort will require a windscreen, but don't buy those nice folding ones, all you need is take a sheet of tinfoil, fold it half length wise, about 2 feet long, then I folded the ends about a 1/8th of an inch over each other about 3 times on each side to give it a bit of rigidness at the ends. Of course, in high winds it could blow away, but a windscreen is more about not letting the heat escape, and by surrounding the heat you will use less fuel to cook with.
Securing a bike overnight is not difficult, some people don't worry about it. But I use a 6-foot-long, 5/8-inch-thick security cable with a Master Lock Pro Series combo lock, a combo so you don't accidently lose the key. While a cable is not the best thing for security, but you're sleeping near the bike, no one is going to be cutting it while you sleep. That cable and lock combo is lightweight and easy to throw in your pannier. People will steal bikes at campgrounds, one raining night my bike was locked to the park site bench, around 2am 2 guys came walking quietly near my campsite, their whispering in the rainstorm woke me up?! I heard one of the guys tell the other to check out the bike, he did, walked back and told the guy it was locked, so they walked away.
With canister fuel, not any canister fuel will work at any temperature, you have to know what weather you'll be camping in. a 100 gram fuel cannister will roughly do 12 boils, some of those small cannisters will say up to 20, if you use a windscreen you can get darn near 18 boils.
You can also buy anodized aluminum cookware, though I prefer stainless because it's more durable, plus it heats up more in the center faster and will burn food in that area. Walmart sells about the lightest stainless steel mess kit you can buy, it's the Ozark Trail Space-Saving 5-piece Cookware Mess kit, stainless steel, it weighs less than a pound, but I reduced the weight by not carrying 1/2-quart pot, nor the lid...but what do I do for a lid? Welp, I took the 6 1/2" plate, drilled a hole into the center, and then removed the knob from the lid and put it on the plate; by doing that I can store both stoves, my scraper, Ozark Trail all in one folding spoon, fork, cork screw, bottle opener and knife (the fork will separate from the rest so you can use your knife at the same time you want to use the fork), salt and pepper cannister, the GSI coffee thing, and my aluminum foil windscreen. I remove the knob and put it inside with the rest of the stuff.
The one thing that bothered me about that Ozark Trail mess kit is how the handle/clamp is attached to the fry pan, it seems too fragile to me, so I took some JB Weld and coated the attachment area with it, and now it's very rigid.
I also carry a stainless-steel cup I also got from Walmart, I can cook, or boil water in it.
Now, if you really want to save weight you can go stove less, just Google how to backpack without a stove to cook food with, I used the term backpack because bike camping gets less results. But you can save quite a bit of weight going stove less, you don't need a mess kit either. Some people will take stoves and a stainless, or titanium cup to boil water in, and no mess kit, they pour the hot water into packages of food they brought, but I don't do the freeze dried thing, it cost too much to make it worthwhile, and the food is so unfilling I would need to use two food packets, and at $9 to $12 a packet...no way am I paying $18 to $24 for a dinner, I could ride to a restaurant and eat for less money! You can google how to buy food cheap for backpacking, YouTube has a wealth of information on that subject.
The lightest stove would be a White Box Next Generation alcohol fuel stove, it only weighs an ounce, I don't think there is anything lighter. The next lightest stove is a solid fuel stove called the Esbit Pocket Stove, it weighs about 3 1/4 ounces. I have the Esbit, and it works pretty good, but I prefer my Solo Windmaster stove, it weighs about as much as the Esbit, but I like it because I can control the heat better, plus is built to be wind resistant, it also has a flame regulator. I know this sounds crazy, but I carry both of the stoves, just in case I run out of fuel I can resort to the Esbit.
Stoves of any sort will require a windscreen, but don't buy those nice folding ones, all you need is take a sheet of tinfoil, fold it half length wise, about 2 feet long, then I folded the ends about a 1/8th of an inch over each other about 3 times on each side to give it a bit of rigidness at the ends. Of course, in high winds it could blow away, but a windscreen is more about not letting the heat escape, and by surrounding the heat you will use less fuel to cook with.
Securing a bike overnight is not difficult, some people don't worry about it. But I use a 6-foot-long, 5/8-inch-thick security cable with a Master Lock Pro Series combo lock, a combo so you don't accidently lose the key. While a cable is not the best thing for security, but you're sleeping near the bike, no one is going to be cutting it while you sleep. That cable and lock combo is lightweight and easy to throw in your pannier. People will steal bikes at campgrounds, one raining night my bike was locked to the park site bench, around 2am 2 guys came walking quietly near my campsite, their whispering in the rainstorm woke me up?! I heard one of the guys tell the other to check out the bike, he did, walked back and told the guy it was locked, so they walked away.
With canister fuel, not any canister fuel will work at any temperature, you have to know what weather you'll be camping in. a 100 gram fuel cannister will roughly do 12 boils, some of those small cannisters will say up to 20, if you use a windscreen you can get darn near 18 boils.
You can also buy anodized aluminum cookware, though I prefer stainless because it's more durable, plus it heats up more in the center faster and will burn food in that area. Walmart sells about the lightest stainless steel mess kit you can buy, it's the Ozark Trail Space-Saving 5-piece Cookware Mess kit, stainless steel, it weighs less than a pound, but I reduced the weight by not carrying 1/2-quart pot, nor the lid...but what do I do for a lid? Welp, I took the 6 1/2" plate, drilled a hole into the center, and then removed the knob from the lid and put it on the plate; by doing that I can store both stoves, my scraper, Ozark Trail all in one folding spoon, fork, cork screw, bottle opener and knife (the fork will separate from the rest so you can use your knife at the same time you want to use the fork), salt and pepper cannister, the GSI coffee thing, and my aluminum foil windscreen. I remove the knob and put it inside with the rest of the stuff.
The one thing that bothered me about that Ozark Trail mess kit is how the handle/clamp is attached to the fry pan, it seems too fragile to me, so I took some JB Weld and coated the attachment area with it, and now it's very rigid.
I also carry a stainless-steel cup I also got from Walmart, I can cook, or boil water in it.
Now, if you really want to save weight you can go stove less, just Google how to backpack without a stove to cook food with, I used the term backpack because bike camping gets less results. But you can save quite a bit of weight going stove less, you don't need a mess kit either. Some people will take stoves and a stainless, or titanium cup to boil water in, and no mess kit, they pour the hot water into packages of food they brought, but I don't do the freeze dried thing, it cost too much to make it worthwhile, and the food is so unfilling I would need to use two food packets, and at $9 to $12 a packet...no way am I paying $18 to $24 for a dinner, I could ride to a restaurant and eat for less money! You can google how to buy food cheap for backpacking, YouTube has a wealth of information on that subject.
Badger_Boom
Veteran
- Location
- York
I've carried a Pocket Rocket in my webbing for cooking on exercise for years and have never had a problem with the valve or seals. Maybe you were just unlucky.
- Location
- Northern Germany
To be fair to the OP, I was the one who mentioned the Aeropress because I use one in my lightweight set up. I definitely concur with the bulk, but the weight really is a non issue, it weighs absolutely nothing. I don't use all of the Aeropress, only the relevant "press" parts of it. it's also the smaller Aeropress Go version.
I do have a GSI Ultralight Java Drip, but could never get on with it, the coffee was always weak dishwater no matter how I brewed it and it was a right soggy mess to clean afterwards. The Aeropress on the other hand makes a good strong cup of coffee and is exceptionally easy to clean afterwards, well worth the extra bulk in my kit and minimal weight.
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I am always very wary of cooking in the tent. I have seen empty gas canisters leak and ignite into an eyelash- singing fireball.
Even my trusty Trangia had a fuel boilover incident with German hardware store alcohol ( leftover rocket fuel ?).
Note ( Military arctic warefare tip) , if cooking in tent, always keep a knife handy to create a new exit.
Even my trusty Trangia had a fuel boilover incident with German hardware store alcohol ( leftover rocket fuel ?).
Note ( Military arctic warefare tip) , if cooking in tent, always keep a knife handy to create a new exit.
rualexander
Legendary Member
Sounds like flaring, can happen when some gas in the stove hose or connection/burner is still in a liquid state.
Was the stove burner upturned at any point after attaching the canister?
Profpointy
Legendary Member
I recall quite a (in retrospect at least) funny story from a caving holiday some years back. We had a continuously manned tent up the mountain at the cave entrance to relay information to "base camp" (which down by the road) and generally help keep things organised. We were chatting on the radio to those at the cave when suddenly there was a loud "whoompf!" then silence, major swearing, then a lot of "are you OK?" and then a second or later a slightly quieter "whoompf" from the direction of the hill - the sound taking a few seconds longer than the radio signal. After a bit there was the relief when those up the hill confirmed they were OK. What had happened was the top-tent had a little blue camping gaz stove for brews and it had run out of gas. The guy changing the tin had never used one before as being Australian they weren't that common back home where they mostly use petrol or kerro (paraffin). Looking at it he thought "Ah I see, you jam the new tin onto that spike to punch a hole in the can" (as opposed to screwing the base up so it punctures and seals in one action like you are meant to do). Naturally a load of liquid butane starts spraying everywhere. This would have been OK if it not had a lit acetylene caving lamp on his head to see what he was doing. I think he lost his eyebrows and singed his jacked but otherwise got away with it. The stove was destroyed and we found the gas can later missing the base so it was a proper explosion and he could quite easily have been badly burned.
To be fair to the guy, he was intelligent and capable but having never used one he made the wrong assessment of how it worked.
To be fair to the guy, he was intelligent and capable but having never used one he made the wrong assessment of how it worked.
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