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Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Brunton Raptor Stove > Leesa Joiner > Initial ReportBrunton Raptor Stove
Initial Report March 12, 2005 Personal Information: Leesa Joiner leesaj@gmail.com Southwestern Maine 43 years old Female 5'7" (1.7 m) 150 lb. (68 kg) Product Information: Brunton 620 East Monroe Avenue Riverton, WY 82501 USA Size: 1.7 x 1.5 x 2.5 in. stove folded - advertised 1.7"x 1.5 x 2.5 in. stove folded - actual (4.3 cm x 3.8 x 6.3 cm) Weight: 5 oz. (142 g) - advertised 5. 2 oz (147 g) - actual From Website:
Initial Impressions: This is one tiny, powerful stove! I was almost disappointed when I first saw it - it didn't 'look' like much. The Raptor comes with a small, black nylon case that has an attached loop that can either be used to attach the case to a belt or a carbiner hung from a backpack loop. Once unfolded, the stove starts to look better - the pot supports open up and the Precision simmering control folds out. The stove appears well made, all parts are securely attached. The directions were clearly written and easy to follow. They contain not only operating instructions, but also warnings related to misuse. Once the fuel canister was attached the stove was ready to go. It was so easy to light - I expected to have to try a few times but it lit on the first try. The Precision simmering control worked very smoothly and the results of any adjustment were almost instantaneous. I was curious to see how fast I could boil a liter of water. I filled an aluminum 2 liter (2.1 qt.) pot, as I wasn't going to trudge through knee deep snow to get a smaller one. Although it was only about 30 degrees F (-1 C) outside there was very little wind. The stove lit on the first try, I adjusted it to the highest flame. I used bottled water that was room temperature (approx. 65 degrees F (18 C)) The water came to a full boil in 4 minutes and 32 seconds. The stove was very stable while the water was boiling, and didn't 'wobble' when I was removing the pot. My kids decided it was silly to waste the water so they dropped in a few eggs. I turned off the stove and let the pot sit. The water cooled fairly quickly because of the outside temperature, but the eggs were cooked perfectly by the time the water was cool. The stove is accurately represented on the website, which doesn't overstate the stove's qualities, it my opinion. I am looking forward to testing this stove over the next six months, I want to see how well it holds up to frequent use, longer cooking times and how versatile it is. Another question I will be looking to answer is how much fuel is consumed. Background: My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one-day hikes to two-week trips. My hiking experience began with my father when I was about six years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. While enjoying the outdoors with friends and family, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and camping, primarily in northern New England. Although I am not a lightweight backpacker, I am continually trying to 'lighten up' and primarily use a hammock for sleeping. Test Plan: I love to cook – especially outside! I dehydrate some of my own foods prior to a trip and then just add hot water and have some pretty impressive, filling meals. I also like to make meals from 'fresh' foods. I will use the stove to try different cooking methods from rehydrating foods using boiling water, to pan frying, to simmering. Besides the stoves ability to produce the desired flame strength, I will be looking at how easy it is to light, and how easy it is to control the flame. Considering our long winters, I am also concerned that the colder temperatures may considerably decrease the fuel efficiency. The size and weight are very impressive – especially considering the high Btu output (11,000 Btu). Over the next six months or so I will be participating in many outings in northern New England, including Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. I will also have the opportunity to take backpacking trips to Ohio and Georgia in the spring. In New England most of my trips will be on the northern portion of the Appalachian Trail and also some local trails. During the late winter/early spring I will be backpacking and snowshoeing in Maine and Vermont, with a long weekend spent hiking the Isaac Davis Trail in Western Massachusetts. Much of my late spring and early summer backpacking is somewhat spur of the moment. I have the summer off and we often look at the map and decide we want to head in a certain direction. Test Conditions: Living in Northern New England, there are at least 5 seasons, (not including Black Fly season, which overruns 3 other seasons) Currently we are in Winter – temperatures in the low teens (F) to well below freezing, with 42 in (107 cm) of snow on the ground. Once Spring/Mud season arrives, sometime between April and June, the temperatures rise to the mid- 40's to 60's F (4 to 15 C) along with rain and mud. During the summer, the temperatures rise to the 90's (32 C) (at least a few times), with cooler nights. Most of my outdoor adventures include hiking, backpacking and camping at elevations below 4000 ft. (1219m) As my children get older and more able to carry their own gear, we are attempting higher climbs. The terrain runs the gamut from improved trails to rocky and root filled to bushwacking. Read more reviews of Brunton gear Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Brunton Raptor Stove > Leesa Joiner > Initial Report | |||