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

Long Term 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: April 4, 2005

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

Long Term Testing:                    

I've used the Brasslite stove for the past six months and have grown to like the light weight, the ease of finding fuel and the small size. The stove functioned well in cold weather despite my initial misgivings. After mastering the art of filling the stove (plastic tubing on the spout), I found that I could boil water in about five minutes regardless of the temperature. The key for me was using a windscreen to keep the heat near the stove and warming the stove and fuel before use. The stove was used on five outings with temperatures ranging from 60 F (15 C) to 20 F (-6 C). I normally put the stove, fuel and in some cases, the pot in my jacket for a few minutes to warm them before I started to cook. At night, I kept them in the foot of the sleeping bag and found this made a big difference in my boil times. If I forgot and left the stove out, it would add an average of a minute and a half to my five minute boil time for 16 ounces (473 ml). I do have to use more fuel when the temperature is below freezing (32 F, 0 C) and find that 1 ounce (30 ml) of fuel doesn't quite boil 16 ounces (473 ml) of water. Since the stove only holds one ounce (30 ml) of fuel, I usually boil about 8 ounces (237 ml) of water for the coffee and then add the oatmeal water after refueling. I haven't found this to be a problem for me. I use a 0.9 L (30 fl oz) pot. When I use a larger pot, my boil times decrease because the same amount of water in the larger, wider pot is not as deep in the pan and can be heated faster with less fuel.

The stove shows no evidence of wear and tear and has held up well in spite of the fact that I did manage to sit on it. (I suffered more damage than the stove.) The simmer sleeve works well and I normally prepare oatmeal for breakfast and simmer with no problems. The sleeve is snug but not so loose that it will not hold position. The extensions increased the stability of the pot on the stove and I did not suffer any tipping incidents. I was always careful to set up on flat surfaces and to properly seat the pot on the stand. I have to be careful when moving or handling the pot on the stove while it is burning. The flames come up and around my 0.9 L (30.4 fl oz) pot and singe my fingers. A larger pot reduces this problem and makes for cooler fingers but means packing a larger pot.

Durability: This stove has proven to be a workhorse and a tank. It has been dropped, sat on and packed improperly and is still in pristine condition. It is stable and reliable and everything I could ask for in a backpacking stove for a solo hiker. The added pot extensions allowed me to use it with a larger pot on occasion with any tipping.

Temperature Control: While the simmer sleeve does not offer the control of a liquid fuel stove, it does lower the operating temperature of the stove allowing me to cook oatmeal or rice dishes and saving fuel, as well. I simply remove the windscreen and very carefully move the simmer sleeve (while holding the pot on the stove for stability) with a stick.

Cold Weather Use: As long as I kept the stove and fuel fairly warm, this little stove really cranked out the heat. It lit easily in temperatures near 20 F (-6 C) and burned well. I wouldn't hesitate to use this in cold weather and I quit carrying my back-up stove.

Efficiency: Once I figured out how much fuel to use and how to adjust the windscreen, I could usually get the stove to perform well. In cold field conditions, I couldn't quite get the performance that Brasslite claims but I could come close. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to use this stove in cold weather.

Summary:

Overall, I am quite pleased with this stove.  It meets my needs as a solo hiker concerned with pack weight and packability. I was able to boil water every time. While my hiking partners were fighting to prime their balky gas stoves, I could just light and cook

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

Dislikes:
1) Small fill hole for fuel        


        

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