Field Report

Field Report–Brasslite Turbo II-F with extensions

Personal Information:

Name: Laurie Corbin
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 6" (1.7 m)
Weight: 135 lbs (61 kg)
Email: mslimpsalot@yahoo.com
City, State: Cumming, GA
Date: December 6, 2004

Backpacking Background:

I began backpacking and hiking in college and, after a hiatus, returned when I could no longer ignore the call of the outdoors. I am a four season backpacker and avid dayhiker who tries to get out three to four times a month. Because of an old ankle injury, I have been forced to adopt the lightweight approach to backpacking. I hike mostly in the Southeast U.S.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Brasslite
Manufacturer’s Website: http://www.brasslite.com
Year: 2004
Weight per Manufacturer: 1.7 oz (48.2 g)
Actual Weight: 1.6 oz (45.3 g)
Width of stove plus extensions per manufacturer: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
Actual width of stove plus extensions: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
Height of stove per manufacturer: 2.25 in (57 mm)
Actual height of stove: 2.3 in (58 mm)
MSRP: $30 USD

Field Testing:

When I first received the stove, I tested a bit out on the deck and confirmed that with 0.5 oz (14.8 ml) the stove boiled 16 oz (0.24 l) of water in 5:04. The product information with the stove claimed it would boil the water in five minutes so I felt comfortable with their information. I used my 0.9 L (30.4 fl oz) pot in 66 degree F (13 C) weather.

The first field use came in early November on a two day Appalachian Trail trip in Tennessee. The stove fit nicely inside my 0.9 L ( 30.4 fl oz) titanium pot with room to spare for the lighter, soap, windscreen, and scrubber. I usually wrap the stove in a Handi-Wipe inside my pot so it doesn’t rattle around. The stove was used for dinner and breakfast and was used for boiling water only. The evening temperature was about 48 degrees F (9 C) and I tried to use 1 fl oz (30 ml) of fuel (the fuel capacity of the stove) to boil 16 fl oz (0.47 L) of water for tea and dinner. The stove burned for 8 minutes and did not come close to boiling the water. I had to add more fuel and try again. This time I was able to bring the water to a boil in an additional 4 minutes. Not a great start for the stove. However, in defense of the stove, I have had trouble getting the fuel into the opening of the stove using the bottle provided by Brasslite. The fuel bottle has a flip top spout and my aim is pretty lousy so all the fuel may not have gotten into the stove. The morning meal was just boiling water for coffee. The temperature was at 34 degrees F (1 C) and I used 0.5 fl oz (14.8 ml) of fuel to boil the cup of water for the coffee. Again, it did not quite get to boiling before the fuel ran out and I used almost boiling water to make the coffee.   I had trouble getting the fuel into the stove again so for the next trip I’ll have to rethink the fuel input strategy. (I have cooked several meals at home on the stove to become more familiar with it. I have decided to use a small plastic cup used for taking cold medicine to add the fuel. It has markings at ½ and 1 fl ounce (14.8 ml and 30 ml) and allows me to add the fuel without spilling.)

My initial test considerations were durability, temperature control, cold weather use and efficiency. The built-on pot stand was very stable (mine has the custom stand extensions). I had no trouble with tipping when I added ingredients to the pot of water or when I had to stir. The flame from the stove does burn up and around the small 0.9 L (30.4 fl oz) pot so I have to be very careful when I reach for the pot handle. The manufacturer recommends that the user partially close the ports by rotating the simmer sleeve to control the flame size. I don’t consider it a big problem so I have not tried closing the ports. I may consider this in the future if performance suffers in the colder weather ahead. The stove has proven quite durable and has been stepped on by me at least once with only my foot suffering damage. There is no sign of sagging or warping from the heat or weight of the pot. The only signs of normal wear are the slight burn marks on the outside of the stove.

As for temperature control, my only attempt to use the simmer sleeve was not terribly successful mostly due to operator error. I brought a pot of water to boil, added oatmeal and then attempted to simmer the oatmeal. This required me to remove the pot from the stove, remove the windscreen from around the stove, and then reach in with a stick to push the small lever on the sleeve to make it rotate and close the ports. By the time I had all this done, the stove was out of fuel. I will attempt to be a bit more efficient in my future efforts.

During the trip, I boiled water for breakfast when the temperature was about 34 degrees F (1 C). I kept the fuel bottle in my sleeping bag the night before as I usually do. I slipped the stove into an inside pocket for a few minutes prior to cooking to warm it and then added the fuel. I placed the stove on top of a double folded layer of aluminum foil and it lit with no problems. The ½ fl ounce (14.8 ml) of fuel did not bring 8 fl oz (0.24 L) of water to boil but it was close enough that I did not bother adding more fuel and heating it any more. I will have to learn how much additional fuel is needed in colder weather. I will attempt to track the fuel use and burn times as the weather turns colder so I can better gauge efficiency of this nifty, little stove.

Overall, I am quite pleased with this stove. It is small, light and fits nicely in my mess kit. I believe the filling problems will be solved by using the small medicine cup to fill the stove. I intend to take this stove along on winter trips in addition to my liquid fuel stove as a backup. I have prior experience with alcohol stoves and have not found them to be very efficient in cold weather. Therefore, I do feel the need to have a backup stove with me. I will continue to watch the stove for signs of wear and will try to do more testing of the simmer sleeve.

Likes:
1) Light
2) Small
3) Built in pot stand
4) Simple to operate

Dislikes:
1) Small fill hole for fuel



Read more reviews of Brasslite gear
Read more gear reviews by Laurie Corbin

Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Brasslite Turbo II-F > Laurie Corbin > Field Report

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