Optimus Vega Remote Gas Canister Stove
Tester
Information
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Name:
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David
Wilkes |
E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.com
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Age:
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47 |
Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
Gender:
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M |
Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
Weight:
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197
lb (89.40 kg) |
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Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions the Northwest has to offer. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me.
I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not
including consumables, to under 30 lbs (14 kg).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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Katadyn Products Inc. |
Year
of Manufacture:
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2013 |
Manufacturer’s
Website:
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http://www.optimusstoves.com |
MSRP:
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US$ 94.95
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Stated Weight:
| 178g (6.28oz) | Measured
Weight:
| 180 g (6.35 oz) Stove 38 g (1.35 oz) Wind Screen 20 g (0.7 oz) Storage sack
| Stated Dimensions:
| 130 x 70 x 65 mm (5.12 x 2.76 x 2.56 in) |
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Image
courtesy of Katadyn Products Inc. |
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Product
Description:The
Optimus Vega stove is marketed as a 4 season lightweight remote
canister stove. In addition to packing small and being touted as having
the lowest profile in its category. The stove features a turbo/ 4
season mode where it burns the liquid fuel from the canister vs. the
normal “efficiency” mode where one of its claims to fame is that it can
be used to simmer. Included with the stove is a windscreen precut so it
can be adjusted to two sizes.
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Initial
Report
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May 28 2013
Specifications from the manufacturer:
Boil time
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as little as 3 min/L in 4 Season
Mode and 4.5 min/L in efficiency mode depending on climate etc.
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Burn time
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up to 160 min at max. output (230
g canister) in efficiency mode
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Dimensions
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130 x 70 x 65 mm / 5.12 x 2.76 x
2.56 inches
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Kit includes
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complete stove, windscreen,
storage bag
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Power
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3,700 W / 12,580 BTU in 4 Season
Mode and 1,400 W / 4,760 BTU in efficiency mode
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Technology
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Gas (Butane, Propane, Isobutane)
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Weight
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178 g / 6.28 oz
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The Optimus Vega is referred to as a remote
canister stove. That is, it is stove that uses a pressurized fuel
canister and instead of having the stove mount directly on top of the
more traditional canister stoves, it utilizes a fuel line to separate
the canister from the stove, hence the “remote” description. While this
design may not be as compact as some more traditional canister stoves,
it can provide some advantages that I will go into in more detail
below. One feature this configuration allows is the ability to invert
the fuel canister so that it utilizes the fuel from the canister in its
liquid state rather than the gas (more on this later in the report).
The stove is compatible with the very popular (at least in my area)
screw on fuel canister that contains a mixture of Butane, Propane,
and/or Isobutene. Note that there are various manufacturers of these
canisters and they all do not use the same mixtures, so one canister
may perform a little different in a given stove and conditions than
another. I have to mention that after using a few different brands I
cannot say that I have noticed any significant difference in them
during normal use. In my area the availability of a particular brand
varies from shop to shop and only one place in town that I know of
sells Optimus fuel. Most readily available in my town are two brands of
fuel; one containing an 80/20 mix of butane and propane, and other uses
a propane and isobutene blend (I don’t know the ratio). These are
probably what I use most during the test since they are what I already
have on hand.
As
mentioned above one feature of this stove is its ability to use the
fuel canister upright or inverted. But why would I want to do this?
Well there are two primary reasons; hotter flame and/or cold weather
performance. The fuel in most canisters consists of a mix of fuels.
Propane while a very good fuel requires a very sturdy canister making a
100% propane canister too heavy to be desirable for backpacking. Butane
and Isobutene do not require as sturdy a container making them
preferable for backpackers however they tend to not vaporize when cold
(approaching 0C/32F) so they do not work well in cold conditions. By
combining the gases, in cold conditions, the propane can be used as a
propellant for the liquid fuel. Note: when these gas canisters are used
upright in cold conditions they tend to burn off the propane leaving
the liquid fuel unusable (at least until it warms up). Hence using a
mixed fuel canister inverted is useful in cold conditions. A second
reason for using the canister inverted, is that by delivering liquid
fuel to the stove, which is then vaporized by the heat of the stove
itself, it attains higher pressure and thereby can produce a hotter
flame (referred to as the “turbo mode” of this stove).
Another
feature of remote canister stoves is the ability to use a wind screen
and thereby improve efficiency, especially in windy conditions. With
more traditional canister stoves where the stove mounts directly on top
of the canister, putting a wind screen around the stove can be very
dangerous as the reflected heat from the stove can overheat the
canister. As I understand it, the canisters are made such that the
bottom should expand when it overheats (probably toppling the stove and
maybe providing an unpleasant warning). However there is still a very
real danger that the canister can explode. All of the attached canister
stoves I have used come with strenuous warnings to not use a wind
screen. Since I have found using a windscreen can greatly improve a
stoves performance, it is the thing I dislike most about the direct
mount canister stoves.
One advertised feature of this stove is its
ability to simmer. I have used a number of different stoves over the
years, utilizing different fuels and designs (I am kind of a stove nut)
and I have learned that most stoves either boil water fast, or they
simmer. It has been rare in my experience to find a stove that does
both well. So one of the first things I did with this stove (after a
full inspection and photos), I used it to simmer brown rice in a thin
bottomed titanium (Ti) pot (the pot more responsible for me burning
meals than any other). To my surprise it not only brought the water to
a boil quickly, but then simmered the rice to completion without a
single burned grain. Something to note about this stove is that it has
a wider flame radius than some of the canister stoves I have used, so
it distributes the heat better resulting in less of a hotspot. This is
especially important for very thin pots like the ultra light Ti pots.
One
of the things I noticed when setting up the stove for the first time is
the steel jacketed fuel line. Like my other remote canister stove the
stove is connected to the fuel valve by way of a flexible steel
jacketed fuel line. The design allows a strong heat resisting but still
flexible fuel line, but they tend to retain some bend after being
stored coiled up and can make positioning the stove while setting up
difficult. So I make it a habit of straighten it out before I connect
the fuel canister. The canister screws into a fitting at the end of the
fuel line. This fitting includes a green coated wire valve control and
has markings indicating what direction to turn the valve for
opening/closing. The fitting also contains two folding wire feet that
when deployed stabilize the canister in the inverted position (a
feature my other remote canister stove is missing). The three legs/pot
stands of the stove are attached to the stove via central pivots (top
and bottom) allowing them to be easily collapsed and deployed.
Something I immediately noticed is that the pot stands extend all the
way to the center of the stove. The design looks like it will support
pots of various sizes including my small GSI soloist.
One
feature of canister stoves is they can be very easy to light. First
time I lit it I noticed it takes almost a full rotation of the valve
before the fuel began to flow. Once the gas was flowing, as expected it
was very easy to light by a quick strike of my flint/steel fire
starter. The flame was easy to adjust and the stove went out almost
immediately after the valve was closed (when using the canister in the
inverted position, like other liquid gas stoves there is a significant
delay between adjusting the valve and the stoves response). One thing
stressed in the documentation is to light the stove with the canister
in the upright position and then invert the canister if needed. This
helps to avoid flair ups and spilling liquid fuel on the ground. I
tested out the inverted canister (turbo/4 season) mode and found it did
greatly increase the flame and as expected the delay between adjusting
the valve and the stoves reaction was significant, but no more so than
with other liquid gas stoves I have used.
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Field
Report
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Aug 20 2013
Usage - Goat Rocks Wilderness (Washington Cascades) trail name unknown – solo 2 day backpack
- Mt Adams climb – 2 days, 2 people
- Goat Rocks Wilderness, Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) Logout and trail Maintenance trip – 3 days, 4 people
Comments: The
stove fits well in my small titanium pot as well as my larger group
cooking set. Setting up the stove for use could not be simpler: spread
out the feet, screw on the fuel canister, put the wind screen in place,
and light. As the commercial says “so simple a caveman could do it”. The Mt Adams trip ended up being only the two of us, I was hoping for a
larger group. As it turns out my climbing partner had some very strict
dietary restrictions so we decided that we would both use the same
stove but cook our own meals (basically all we did was boil water for
breakfast and dinner). Due to the unseasonably warm weather we had a
plentiful source of running water so we did not need to melt snow. The
cooking for my solo trip was similar, just boiling water. For the PCTA
Logout I got a bit more adventurous. The first night’s dinner was
French Onion soup (boiling water added to a concentrate that my
daughter made for me, her own invention) followed by Zataran’s Red
Beans and Rice (bring to a boil and simmer for 10min). The second
dinner was Israeli couscous with chicken broth, dried vegetables, and
dried Italian salami. Breakfast both days was oatmeal (real rolled
oats, not instant. Boil and simmer for 10min). As
for fuel utilization; on the PCT Logout trip I brought along one
partially used large canister (8.1 oz / 230 g) and a brand new small
canister (3.53 oz /100 g) as a backup. As it turns out I made 4 meals
(2 dinners & 2 breakfasts) plus hot water for morning coffee
(twice). After the first dinner I started to wonder if the two
canisters would be enough. While heating water for coffee the first
morning I had trouble keeping the stove lit, I inverted the canister (I
had left it out overnight) and was sure it would run out before I
finished making breakfast. By the time the second day's dinner was ready
I could not believe I was still using the same canister, but was sure
it could not still have enough fuel for the morning (the second night I
kept both canisters in my sleeping bag)…I was wrong. I returned home
with some fuel (very little) in the large canister and the backup
canister completely unused. As mentioned above, on the PCT trip
I left the stove out overnight the first night. Since the forecast was
for the night time lows to not get below 50F (10C), I was not too
concerned about the canister getting too cold. However in the morning
there was a noticeable reduction in the pressure so I inverted the
canister (I love that feature). While the stove was in use with the
canister inverted I noticed a small layer of frost on the valve. This
evaporated soon after I turned the stove off and never seemed to affect
the valve. As with every other stove that utilizes liquid fuel (as
canister stoves do when the canister is inverted) and the valve is
remote from the stove, there is a significant delay between adjusting
the valve and the stove's reaction. Having experience with this I was
able to anticipate it and it was not a problem, but I recall that there
was a bit of a learning curve for me when I first started using this
kind of stove. So
far I really don’t have much to complain about with this stove. It is
light, packs small, is easy to set up and easy to use. So far it has
been reliable and requires virtually no tending or maintenance. It
boils water quickly but also simmers. My large 2.5 L pot fits well on
the stove and is very stable and my small .5 L solo cup also sits well
on the stove. My one complaint so far is that the neon green paint on
the wire valve handle has chipped…OK, so that is kind of silly, as it
is entirely cosmetic and probably the result of the way I am packing
the stove. But what kind of reviewer would I be if I did not find
something to complain about? |
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Long
Term Report
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Oct 15 2013
Usage: One abbreviated 15 mi (24 km) weekend hike of the William O. Douglas trail Central Washington
My
schedule allowed for only one weekend trip with this stove during the
LTR phase. I wanted it to be a good one so I decided to do a trip I
have been thinking about for a while now. I put my pack on and walked
out my front door headed for where the William O. Douglas trail passes
about 2 miles (3 km) from my house. After about 15 mi (24 km) of mixed
terrain, pavement, gravel, dirt, basalt, etc. with my feet hurting I
called it quits and had my wife pick me up. So sadly I don’t have much
to add to my previous report besides some final observations.
While
packing for this last trip, knowing I was facing a long day of walking,
weight was a factor. While this stove may not be nearly as light as my
lightest stoves it cooks much faster and is far more versatile and
reliable. It is also as light if not lighter than most of my other
stoves and fits well in my solo pot. With those considerations I had no
problem with including this stove on this outing. The features of this
stove, packs small, reliable even in cold weather, cooks fast as well
as actually simmers, and light weight makes this stove my current
favorite. About the only drawback I have been able to find is one that
is common with all canister stoves and that is the canister.
With
that in mind I am looking forward to using this stove for some snow
camping this winter and fully expect it to be my primary stove for the
near future.
Likes:
- Lightweight and packs small
- Easy to assemble/dissemble
- Fits
all my pots
- Feet to stabilize the inverted canister
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Dislikes:
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This concludes
my report. I would like to thank the folks at Katadyn Products Inc. and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
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