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Ursa Design Clikstand S-1 Complete Cook Set
Long Term Report - January 18, 2005
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: January 18, 2005
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Ursa Design
Model: Clikstand S-1 Complete Cook Set
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: http://www.clikstand.com
Listed weight, Clikstand: 3.2 oz (91 g)
Listed weight, Windscreen: 1.1 oz (32 g)
Listed weight, Trangia Burner: 2.4 oz (67 g)
Measured weight, Clikstand: 3.3 oz (94 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Measured weight, Windscreen: 1.1 oz (32 g)
Measured weight, Trangia Burner: 2.3 oz (65 g)
MSRP: $51.95 US
Features (from web site) [return to top]
- The Clikstand S-1 is a lightweight, collapsible, high performance pot-stand designed for use with alcohol burners or solid fuel tablets. It is precision Made in the U.S.A. from the highest quality tempered stainless steel for a lifetime of service. The S-1 has been optimized through extensive testing to provide excellent performance and ease of use in the field. It's three point design provides a stable, wobble-free platform for any size cook pot on any surface. When collapsed it will easily fit into a shirt pocket or small cook pot. It is ideal for backpackers, bikers, canoeists or anyone who needs an ultralight, reliable, compact stove. Weight: 3.2 oz. (91 g). Made in U.S.A. - Patent Pending
- Unique Windscreen designed to be used with the Clikstand S-1. It improves the performance of the S-1 by blocking wind and reflecting heat onto the cook pot. It rests on the small tabs that protrude from the corners of the S-1 making it very easy to use. When not in use it can be rolled up and placed inside of a cookpot or wrapped around a fuel or water bottle. Windscreen is made from ultra-thin tempered stainless steel for lightweight and durability. It is suitable for cookpots from 4.2-5.5 inches (108-140 mm) in diameter. Height: 2.5 inches (64 mm). Weight: 1.1 oz. (32 g). Made in U.S.A.
- Alcohol Burner made by Trangia® of Sweden. Trangia stoves have been used throughout the world for decades. They are loved for their ease of use and excellent performance. They have no moving parts to wear out or break in the field making them 100% reliable. No pressurized gas stove can make that claim! Trangia will never let you down. To use, simply fill with alcohol and light - that's all there is to it! No hoses, no valves, no pumping! Includes cap with o-ring and simmer ring/ extiguisher. Burner Weight: 2.4 oz. (67 g). Made in Sweden.
- An Evernew 0.9L Ti Pot was also delivered along with the Complete Set, to assist in testing.
Description [return to top]
Clikstand has some of the best close-up photos of gear I have seen on a website. Any details I may have missed in my descriptions should be readily answered by simply visiting their site.
The Complete Set, as listed on the web site, consists of the Clikstand S-1, windscreen, and Trangia burner. Ursa Design was kind enough to include an Evernew 0.9L coated Titanium (Ti) pot for this test, as both the Clikstand and windscreen are said to be optimized for this particular pot size.
For more detailed descriptions of the individual components, as well as photos, please see my Initial Report.
Field Information [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly. Almost all of these outings included a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures from lows around 30 ºF (-1 ºC) to highs around 95 ºF (35 ºC). Elevations ranged from sea level to approximately 2,000’ (610 m). My experiences with the set are basically the same as found in my Field Report.
It did occur to me that I didn’t use the stove too many times over the course of a weekend trip, and that the Trangia might be able to hold enough fuel for all of those uses. This would eliminate the need to carry a separate fuel bottle in those cases where using up all of my fuel would not be a safety concern. With all this in mind I endeavored to determine just how much fuel I could put in the stove and still have it function, and how much cooking time I could expect from it. I measured 4 oz (120 ml) of fuel into the Trangia, which filled it to just below the burner outlet holes and burned for a little over 32 minutes – or, just over 8 minutes per ounce (30 ml). With 4½ minutes being enough to boil 16 oz (480 ml) of water – or at least get it hot enough for boil-and-dump or tea/cocoa – that gets me 7 uses on a single fill-up with a little to spare. Hmm… lunch and dinner Friday; breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday; breakfast and lunch on Sunday… that adds up to 7 for me. Figuring that I normally have lunch Friday before getting out, that leaves plenty to get through a weekend, even if the water is exceptionally cold or the weather is particularly windy.
I rarely used the simmer ring, as the majority of my cooking involves dumping boiling water into food, or dumping food into boiling water, and letting it sit for a bit. I also found that using the cap as a simmer ring made it very difficult to snuff out the stove when I was done and conserve fuel. I learned while testing the AntiGravityGear Mama’s Kitchen cookset that using a cozy after heating the water allows it to keep cooking without using more fuel. I use a cozy for this reason, as it simplifies cooking by eliminating the use of the cap as a simmer ring and lets me use it purely as a snuffer.
All in all, I like this set enough for it to become my only cookset for all solo use, and primary choice for any others.
Things I was looking for:
- Ease of use. This would be for all of the various components.
- Interchangeability. Can I easily swap out the windscreen, stove, or even fuel, to create another viable cooking system?
- Boil times for a given (identical) quantity of water in each pot on each stove, with each windscreen. Variables will include quantity of water, amount of fuel used, and type of fuel used, assuming I can track down some Esbit. This will help to determine which combination will be best for each situation.
- Efficiency. What different arrangements do the most with the least weight and/or the least fuel – preferably in the least time (time being least important, as I am generally not in a rush while in the field)?
- Effectiveness of the windscreen. Tested with different pot diameters. How adjustable is the windscreen, and how well does it pack into the set?
- Cleanability. This refers to all components.
- Packability. I generally carry a cut-off 1-gallon (~4-liter) plastic milk jug, which serves as a wash basin. I try to carry my cookware inside this basin, to have all kitchenware in the same place.
My findings:
- Ease of use. The Trangia is as easy to use as any soda-can stove I have ever used, albeit slightly heavier, and the ability to snuff it and save fuel is very nice. The windscreen seems about as basic as one can get. The stand itself goes together relatively easily, with a little bit of practice.
- Interchangeability. I have found that I prefer the functionality and sturdiness of the Trangia, but the lighter weight of a soda-can stove. In general: any combination is functional, but the Clikstand set has been designed to work together and does so very well.
- Boil times. On average, I got a little more than 8 minutes of burn time from each ounce (30 ml) of fuel, and between 15 and 20 seconds per ounce (30 ml) to boil water. I did not notice any significant, consistent differences between combinations. I never did manage to get my hands on any Esbit.
- Efficiency. I realized that I am not enough of a gram-weenie to care about carrying a few extra ounces of fuel around, so have not done a major analysis to trim my set to the bare minimum. I have what I need, can use it effectively, and can carry it with no real difficulty.
- Effectiveness of the windscreen. The windscreen has only one size. Any smaller and it would not fit around the Clikstand, any larger and it would not rest on the tabs. It packs easily inside the Evernew pot.
- Cleanability. All parts are hand washable, although I will not submerge the Trangia, nor wash it without the cap in place.
- Packability. Both the Evernew pot (with the Clikstand set) and the smaller AGG pot/cozy fit easily within my little basin, although not at the same time.
Things I like [return to top]
- Light.
- Compact.
- Good use of space.
- The ability to put the stove out and conserve fuel. This also lets the lazy side of me get away without calculating exact fuel needs before a short trip.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- If I had to mention something here, I would wish that the Trangia was just a little lighter. That’s it. Really.
Backpacking Background [return to top]
My family started car/trailer camping when I was about 5. I spent 17 years in the Army Reserve fine-tuning my packing methodology – when I got out, I was down to a fairly respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load in my ALICE pack. Advancing age, arthritic knees and a car accident have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices, experiment with tarps and hammocks, make some of my own gear, and take a closer look at my ‘toys’ with an eye for multi-use and light weight. I now have a sub-30 lb (14 kg) 3-season load, and should be able to reduce it to 20 lb (9 kg) – before food, fuel and water – without much more effort.
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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