Initial Report

Initial Report: AntiGravityGear Universal Stove Accessory Pack

Date: September 23, 2005

Tester Information:

Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77 kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western West Virginia, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

Last year I finally acted on a long time interest in backpacking, starting out slowly by day hiking, researching backpacking productsand techniques, purchasing gear, and doing a few overnight trips, including one solo. This year I’ve turned into a “weekend warrior”, taking a number of short trips, and hoping to take a longer trip this fall. I hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system. For a two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg), and I’m striving to lighten that a bit.

Product Information -

Manufacturer: AntiGravityGear
Year of manufacture: 2005
Date of Delivery: September 17, 2005
Listed weight of kit: not available
Kit weight as delivered: 2.5 oz (71 g)
Manufacturer Website: http://www.antigravitygear.com/
MSRP: $7.95 US

Components:
Fuel bottle, (no listed weight; measured weight: 1.1 oz or 31 g)
Windscreen (listed weight 1.1 oz or 31 g; measured weight: 1.2 oz or 34 g)
Primer pan (no listed weight; measured weight: 0.2 oz or 6 g)
Measuring container (not listed, but included over fuel bottle in kit ; measured weight: less than 0.1 oz or 3 g)

Measurements:
Fuel bottle: 7 in (18 cm) high x 1 3/4 in (4.5 cm) diameter
Windscreen: 4.5 in (11.5 cm) high x 26.5 in (67 cm) long (listed height 4 in or 10 cm)
Primer Pan: 3.25 in (8.5 cm) diameter x 3/16 in (0.5 cm) high
Measuring container: 1.5 in (4 cm) high x 1 7/8 in (5 cm) widest diameter

Features:
Light weight components
Fuel bottle available in blue or green
Flip top on fuel bottle with 8 fl oz (237 ml) capacity
Windscreen folds flat or wraps around fuel bottle for storage
Primer pan to help stove reach maximum temperature faster
Measuring container lists tsp/tbs, ml, cc, fl oz, and dram

In addition to the Universal Alcohol Stove Accessory Pack, AntiGravityGear was kind enough to include a beverage can style alcohol stove with an additional measuring container for me to use in testing the kit. The stove is approximately 2.5 in (6.5 cm) wide by 1 3/5 in (4.5 cm) high, and weighs 0.4 oz (1 cm). I requested and received a green fuel bottle, which is made of a squeezable translucent plastic, somewhat sturdier in feel than a typical soda bottle, with a flip top lid. The fuel bottle does not have graduated markings to indicate the fuel level in the bottle. The windscreen arrived folded into 1/8ths, and appears to be made of aluminum flashing. The sides are rolled to avoid sharp, dangerous edges. The primer pan has three small indentations that serve as "feet" for stability, and raised edges on the inside and outside. The center of the primer pan is an open hole approximately 1 3/8 in (3.5 cm) wide. The small measuring cup is similar to those sometimes provided with liquid medicines.

The kit came packaged with a small piece of paper with a caution warning that the use of the product is at the user's own risk and that the user agrees to hold the manufacturer, distributor and retailer harmless in the event of damage or injury, and that the user should read safety instructions appropriate to the stove being used. The paper further cautions that the kit is intended only for use with a beverage can type alcohol stove. An additional small piece of paper included lists warnings and cautions for the primer pan and stove, and includes directions on using the primer pan. A larger set of directions provides information and cautions on using the alcohol stove and an additional hold harmless agreement.

I also received a personal thank you and business card from George "Tin Man" Andrews, whose nickname is engraved on the bottom of the provided alcohol stove.

I noticed some slight scratches on the bottom of the primer pan. No other flaws or irregularities were noted. The smooth and thin edges of the windscreen are particularly impressive.

Instructions for use of kit:
The primer pan directions state to fuel the stove and then add 15-20 drops of alcohol to the primer pan, then to place the cooking pot on the unlit stove. The alcohol in the primer pan is then lit, and will warm and ignite the fuel in the stove.

No specific directions were provided for using the fuel bottle or windscreen, but the alcohol stove directions caution to refuel only from a small measuring cup and not from the main bottle. The stove directions also advise to leave 3/4 to 1 in (2 to 2.5 cm) clearance between the edge of the pot and the windscreen for optimum performance and to leave the screen open a bit in hot weather to allow less reflected heat and more airflow.

Background Information -

As I researched stoves when I first decided to take up backpacking, the alcohol stoves intrigued me. Here was something that was very inexpensive, light, and using a less volatile fuel than white gas. I talked my husband into making my first alcohol stove with a couple of aluminum cans (1 Pepsi can and 1 Heineken beer can), and used this stove for several trips. I found it wasn’t very suitable for group trips though, and since I assisted with some of these, I decided to purchase a canister style stove. Each type has advantages of its own, however, I have seen the “light”, and as I’ve struggled to trim a few extra ounces, the alcohol stove and “freezer bag” meals have become my preferred method of “cooking” on the trail.

I made a new “SUPER CAT” alcohol stove for my last few trips, and I really like the simplicity and lightness of it, but the windscreen I made with a folded piece of foil with a few holes punched in it isn't very durable, and a primer pan might save the forest from mishaps that have occurred when alcohol leaked out while the stove was lit. Yes – alas, twice I have caught some nearby leaves on fire as I used my alcohol stove. Once when I was priming the pop-can stove, and the second time when I accidentally knocked over the “SUPER CAT” stove while trying to add the aluminum foil windscreen. (It isn’t quite as bad as it sounds, since I stomped out the fire the first time & drowned it with water the second – no real danger of catching the woods on fire either time, although I really felt stupid each time.) So I'm really looking forward to some increased safety and longevity with this accessory kit.

My backpacking cookpots are those from the GSI anodized aluminum boiler set.

Preliminary Findings -

Packed in cook kit I checked out the fit of each alcohol stove I have with the primer pan, and found that the AntiGravityGear and my other beverage can stove both fit well, due to the inside raised edge of the primer pan fitting into the concave bottoms of these stoves. The "SUPER CAT" stove, with its flat bottom, tends to slide around on the inside raised edge of the primer pan and tip into the flatter portion of the primer pan. The diameter of the windscreen is quite a bit larger than the diameter of my pot set, and taller than the bottom of the handles on either pot. I will need to take some measurements and trim a notch in the proper place to allow the handles of the pots to fit through the windscreen in order to make it fit my pots efficiently, and will most likely need to add a paper clip to my kit for fastening the edges of the windscreen together when in use. I was able to fit all the components inside either my small or large anodized aluminum cookpot, and stow either pot with the accessory pack and a few additional items such as matches, lighter, disposable viscose cloth wipe, and a scrap of sponge inside the mesh storage bag I use. However, due to the height of the fuel bottle I can't store it inside the large pot and then cover the large pot with the smaller one as a lid, as I often have been able to do in the past with the shorter medicine bottle I usually use for fuel.

Test Plan -

Field Information:
I will be testing the AntiGravityGear Universal Alcohol Stove Accessory Pack primarily on overnight and weekend backpacking trips in West Virginia or nearby bordering states, possibly with some testing on day hikes in similar locations. West Virginia trails I would be traveling and camping along would vary from the mountainous eastern region of the state with elevations from 2500 to over 4000 feet (762 to over 1219 meters), to the river valley corridors in the eastern, western and central part of the state, with elevations from 550 to 1000 feet (168 to 305 meters). Temperatures will likely range from lows in the 20 F (-7 C) range to highs up to 80 F (27 C), with a variety of weather conditions from bright and sunny to possible snow or sleet. So far my plans include a weekend trip in central West Virginia next weekend, a trip in the mountains of eastern West Virginia in October, and a trip during early November, location undecided as of yet. My pack weight will likely vary between 25-32 lb (11-15 kg) over the course of the test for backpacking, and at least 5 lb (2 kg) for dayhiking.

Testing Plan:
I will be taking the AntiGravityGear Universal Alcohol Stove Accessory Pack on each backpacking trip I take during the test period, and perhaps a few camping trips and day hikes to make certain I give it a thorough test. I will be using it in varying temperatures with my original beverage can stove, the stove provided by AntiGravityGear, and hopefully with my "SUPER CAT" stove, although if I feel this will be unsafe I will abandon testing the "SUPER CAT".

Primer pan with SUPER CAT and AntiGravityGear Stoves

During the course of the test I will be observing and reporting on the following issues:

Durability – Have all the products held up well? Has anything broken or torn? Have the windscreen or primer pan become excessively bent even if I have taken reasonable care to store them carefully when in my pack? Has the fuel bottle developed leaks?

Usefulness – Have I found these items contribute to the success of my cooking system? Do I like the fuel bottle better than the simple medication bottle I currently use for fuel? Can I easily see through the colored material to see how much fuel I have left? Do I miss having graduated markings on the bottle itself, or do I find I can judge about how much fuel to put in the bottle for a weekend trip without needing to measure it? Do I find the markings on the measuring cup help me use the correct amount of fuel better than my old method of just pouring it from the bottle and trying to not pour too much? Do I end up needing to add ventilation holes to the bottom of the windscreen, or will propping it up a bit with small twigs or pebbles provide adequate air intake?

Pack life – Is it easy to carry the AntiGravityGear Universal Alcohol Stove Accessory Pack? Are any of the components difficult to pack securely and safely?

Personal impressions – Is there anything about the accessory kit that I particularly like or dislike? Do I plan to continue to use all or some of the components after the end of the test period?

Preliminary Likes –

Light weight of components
Smooth edges of windscreen
Larger capacity of fuel bottle compared to my former fuel bottle

Preliminary Concerns –
"SUPER CAT" stove may not be stable when used with the primer pan
How difficult will I find cutting the notch for my pot handles in the proper place to be?
Will cutting the windscreen result in sharp, unsafe edges or will I be able to duplicate a smooth folded edge where I trim the windscreen?

Thanks to AntiGravityGear and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Universal Alcohol Stove Accessory Pack.

Read more reviews of AntiGravityGear gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant

Reviews > Cook Gear > Cooking Accessories > AntiGravityGear Stove Accessory Pack > Pam Wyant > Initial Report

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