Product Information

Tester Information

Backpacking Bio

I learned camping and hiking in Boy Scouts, tramping Washington’s lowland forests, and eventually took up backpacking as a singular pursuit and found a home away from home in the Cascades and Olympics. Now living in northern California, most of my hiking is in the Sierra Nevada with trips ranging from overnight to weeklong excursions. I favor high, alpine settings. My total pack weight for three-day summer trips, including food and water, is roughly 25 pounds (12 kg); longer trips see pack weights ranging into the mid to upper 30s (17 kg).

Product Overview

About the prettiest backpacking stove I’ve seen, the Fyrestorm Ti is a remote-burner style liquid fuel stove with a trick up its sleeve: it can use white gas and automotive gas from a pressurized pump-style bottle AND it can draw liquefied butane-propane fuel from an inverted Lindal-valve canister. To accomplish this trick it comes with both a white gas fuel bottle and pump AND a canister stand. The remote-burner stove burner connects to either one via a flexible fuel hose and the Fyrestorm is a two-valve design giving instant and accurate flame control at the burner.

 

 

 

Caption: Fyrestorm Ti offers two fuel options.

Product Packaging

The Fyrestorm Ti ships with the burner assembly including fuel hose, a white gas fuel bottle and pump, a bottle cap, the canister inverter stand, a folding aluminum windscreen and reflector disc, a stow sack, spare parts and instructions in three languages (English, Spanish and French)

 

 

Caption: The Fyrestorm Ti kit is nothing, if not complete!

Design Summary and Evaluation

As noted, the Fyrestorm comes with a familiar-looking white gas bottle with screw-in pump and with a tripod canister stand that inverts a Lindal-valve isobutane-propane canister. The fuel bottle pump and the canister stand both sport fuel valves and connect to the burner’s flexible fuel hose with threaded connectors. The canister stand legs collapse for storage.

The Fyrestorm’s burner has a second, flame adjuster valve. The burner head is wide for a wide flame and even heating, and has a generator tube for vaporizing the liquid fuel. There’s no priming cup, so familiar to white gas stoves. The burner has an internal needle for clearing the fuel jet. The burner’s three serrated pot supports fold for storage.

 

 

Caption: The Fyrestorm’s wide burner has a generator tube, a valve and no priming cup.

Design, Materials and Construction

The Fyrestorm Ti is made primarily of metal, with some plastic used in the pump. By my count, steel, brass, aluminum, magnesium and of course, titanium are all used in its construction. Titanium forms the burner and the pot supports, instead of stainless steel as used in the other Fyrestorm model. The cast magnesium burner and cartridge stand legs are powder-coated black and the aluminum fuel bottle is painted red. The aluminum fuel valve and pump knobs, and the brass fuel connections are all knurled for a good grip. The fuel adjustment valve handle is a folding wire type.

Heavy gauge aluminum foil forms the windscreen and reflector disc, with the windscreen perforated for airflow to the burner. The stow sack is heavy coated nylon packcloth. Operating instructions are both pasted to the fuel bottle and attached to the canister stand.

All fuel connectors come capped to fend off dirt, grit and moisture. The flexible but stiff fuel hose is sheathed in stainless steel mesh.

The Fyrestorm includes a small bag of replacement parts and the necessary illustrations to identify and use them. There are a dozen or so o-rings and a spring, ball and check retainer for the pump.

 

 

Caption: Spare parts are provided for most simple repairs.

The Fyrestorm Ti is nicely assembled and finished. I especially like how the burner and canister stand legs click into place like a Swiss watch. The canister fuel valve was so stiff initially that I had to use pliers to open it the first time. The three valves are all loosening up with use and I’ll watch to see whether this process continues. The fuel cap screws smoothly into the fuel bottle but screwing in the pump is quite a fight. It’s stiff and difficult to line up correctly to ensure I don’t cross-tread the plastic pump body. I’m hoping this too loosens up with use. The aluminum fuel bottle is made stoutly to shrug off pump pressure.

Initial Prep

No special steps are required use the Fyrestorm the first time, other than deciding on the fuel. I confess needing to read the instructions for white gas mode, in clear violation of the Guy Code.

Set Up, Fire Up

Fyrestorm setup warrants separate descriptions for the canister and white gas versions.

Canister. The simpler of the two configurations, canister setup involves attaching the burner to the canister stand by screwing in the hose coupling, opening the burner and stand legs, then screwing a canister onto the stand. The burner is placed atop the reflector disc, then the windscreen assembled and wrapped around the cookpot to give a snug fit. A notch in the windscreen accommodates the hose and valve handle.

To light the stove, close down the adjuster valve at the burner, open the fuel valve on the canister stand and light the burner. Adjust the flame as desired using the valve at the burner (refer to the Performance section for more discussion of canister mode flame control).

Coleman recommends using only Coleman 3250 butane/propane fuel, which I will gladly do once I find some in my area. In the meantime I’m using what brands of Lindal-valve fuel canisters are available. Thus far, performance has been flawless regardless of brand.

 

 

 

Caption: An inverted canister delivers liquid fuel to the Fyrestorm’s burner.

White Gas. White gas setup begins with filling the bottle about 2/3ds full, inserting and screwing in the pump assembly and pumping roughly forty times, while covering the pump knob’s air hole with a finger. After attaching the burner by screwing in the threaded hose connector, the burner legs are opened and the burner placed atop the reflector disc. Next, the burner’s adjuster valve is fully opened (important!), the pump fuel valve is opened and the burner lighted. The initial flame will be yellow and tall but once vaporization is achieved and the stove has settled down to a steady blue cooking flame, output can be adjusted using the adjuster valve. The instructions suggest increasing fuel pressure at this point with more pumping. Finally, the windscreen and pot can be put in place.

Coleman recommends their brand of liquid stove/lantern fuel, and note that unleaded automobile fuel can be substituted, at least in the U.S. (Canadian unleaded evidently has incompatible additives). I have no problem finding Coleman fuel and have also used Crown brand with good results.

 

 

Caption: Fyrestorm Ti in white gas mode.

Bureau of Weights and Measures

In the following table, I present the component weights and complete field weights for the white gas and canister versions (with container but sans fuel). (While the field weights include stow sack and windscreen, they can certainly be left at home at the cost of greater fuel use.) I also present some key dimensions.

Key Measurements at a Glance

* Includes windscreen, reflector disc and stow sack.

The test Fyrestorm Ti closely matches Coleman’s weight specifications.  

Performance

With white gas or automotive gas, Coleman rates the Fyrestorm at a maximum output of 10k BTU and 75 minutes burn time using the supplied bottle (I’m presuming these times are based on maximum output with a full bottle). With canister fuel, Coleman rates output at 14k BTU and a 45-minute burn time, presumably with a Coleman 220 g (7.8 oz) canister, running at full blowtorch.

I measured performance by bringing one liter (34 fl oz) of water to boil, primarily to document the differences between the two fuel modes. I used an MSR Blacklite coated aluminum pot with lid that’s about 6.5 in. x 3 in. (17 x 7.5 cm). I used the Fyrestorm’s windscreen and reflector disc to maximize efficiency and counter the wind effect. I established actual time to boil with a thermometer with a wired remote probe. These performance numbers shouldn’t be used to compare against other stove test results, and the use of other fuel formulations could affect results.

* Time from lighting to achieving a steady blue flame.
** Time from lighting to achieving a boil, verified by thermometer.
*** Includes startup fuel and fuel consumed after shutdown, but not the fuel lost upon disconnecting the fuel line.

Test conditions: Starting water temperature, 66 F (20 C); air temperature, 82 F (28 C); wind conditions: moderately breezy; conducted outdoors at sea level.

It’s clear that canister mode uses significantly less fuel and can heat water moderately faster (probably a lot faster if I’d let it run wild). White gas mode has significant disadvantages in this test because the total fuel consumption includes the preheat fuel and the fuel lost after shutting the stove down, neither of which contributes to cooking. The difference would be definitely lessened in continuous cooking, as compared to this on/off mode cycle.

(Because we recall our seventh-grade science, we note that heating the liter of water a total of 80 degrees Celsius required 80,000 calories.)

Flame control: The white gas flame at full-tilt covered the pot bottom and curled a bit up the sides. The adjuster valve easily and quickly turns it down to a steady simmer. By contrast, the new canister had to be throttled back--way back--to prevent the flame from completely enveloping the pot. With a new canister there’s not really what I’d call a simmer mode, at least not without manipulating the fuel valve a wee bit at a time (I never set the adjustment valve higher than the minimum for the boil time test). A larger, wider pot will take better advantage of the canister-mode performance.

Packing and Carrying

Whichever mode is chosen, the Fyrestorm components fit into the supplied sack with room to spare (except the fuel). The smallest pot I own that can store the burner, and canister stand is 6 x 3.5 in. (16 x 9 cm). Adding the windscreen requires something larger, and tall but narrow kettle-style pots simply can’t store the burner because of the hose.

 

 

Caption: Burner and canister stand in a 6-inch wide cookpot.

I tote white gas bottles double-bagged in an outside pocket in case of a leak. For packs with no spare external pockets, I sometimes remove the pump and screw in the storage cap for a more dependable seal (of course, that means storing a wet pump somewhere). The bottle goes near the bottom so any leak doesn’t drain onto other contents.

Isobutane-propane cartridges are available in at least three capacities and several shapes, so the user can match the cartridge(s) to their needs and their backpack. The most common 220 g (7.8 oz) size stows fairly easily, while the large 440 g (15.6 oz) canister can prove a challenge. The little 110 g (3.9 oz) cartridges, especially the narrow ones, can even slide into a mug.

Initial Conclusions

Canister performance is fast to light and robust in performance. The Fyrestorm starts easily and quickly settles into an even cooking flame once the generator heats up and complete vaporization is achieved. The flame is clean and no soot forms on the burner or pot stands. New canisters don’t allow for a low simmer flame, but once some fuel is spent I can dial most any flame level I want. Upon disassembly some unspent fuel vents, evidently having accumulated in the hose or fuel valve block.

What’s obvious is the superior performance from inverted cartridges when they’re nearly empty. Whereas vaporization can be difficult to achieve from upright cartridges (for several contributing reasons) the inverted cartridge delivers liquid fuel to the bitter end, maintaining a strong cooking flame that’s not much affected by air temperature. This trick really seems to work! (Nerd note: liquid fuel delivery should minimize fuel fractionizing and burning off the propane before using up the entire cartridge.) Finally, I get to use up that bagful of nearly empty cartridges I’ve been accumulating!

White gas mode is the touchier of the two, especially at startup. Beyond the obvious filling and pumping, tweaking is required to achieve a steady cooking flame. I found it tricky to sustain the startup flame without fuel spilling down the burner assembly and pooling underneath (keeping the area clear of flammable debris is critically important).

White gas startup requires strict adherence to the following technique. Whenever I stray from the formula I get a very high and sooty yellow flame, with liquid fuel spilling down onto the ground. In a nutshell:

·                     Fill the bottle only to the fill line (16 fl oz/473 ml, about two-thirds full).

·                     Pump forty strokes. (Can’t remember that count? Think Lizzie Borden.)

·                     Open and close the adjuster valve a few times to clean the jet then leave it FULLY OPEN.

·                     Open the fuel valve and light the burner.

·                     When the initial yellow flame turns blue, pump the bottle an additional twenty to forty times.

Overfilling or over-pumping the bottle will create the giant yellow flame. Under-pumping will create the giant yellow flame. Not cleaning the jet or setting the flame adjuster valve to anything else than wide open will create the giant yellow flame. Because one does not want the giant yellow flame, following these directions to the letter is the key to a cooking flame in less than a minute.

 

 

Caption: Without correct use, you too can get the giant yellow flame!

Once warmed up and vaporizing well, the white-gas mode Fyrestorm is a steady performer, happily chugging along in a manner familiar to white gas stove users. Intermittent pumping while cooking maintains the flame as gas is used, and fine adjustment at the burner is instantaneous. Damping the flame down to a simmer is simple because the adjuster can’t inadvertently shut the stove off. When it is time to shut the Fyrestorm down it’s done at the fuel valve, leaving a good deal of unburned fuel in the hose which has to vent off. It takes a couple of minutes to completely die out, and some of this excess can be burned off by keeping a lighted match next to the burner, reducing the stink of hot, unburned fuel. Some fuel also leaks out when the hose is disconnected.

White gas mode leaves soot on the burner and pot supports (from the preheat cycle), so it’s best to bag it to keep pack items clean.

Unexpected fuel loss. I’ve found it’s possible to lose an entire bottle of white gas when pressurized fuel leaks past the main fuel valve and out, onto the ground. I’ve had this happen twice now, and make a point of cranking down the valve quite a bit when closing it. I’ve also taken to bleeding off the pressure when stowing the bottle, unscrewing the cap until it’s released. Note that an unpressurized bottle will still develop a good amount of pressure sitting in the sun.

In either fuel mode, the fuel valve functions as an on/off switch while the flame adjuster does just that—adjusts the flame from low to high. Flame response to the adjuster is instantaneous, with none of the time delay and “tweakiness” familiar to remote stoves with a single valve. Because the flame adjuster doesn’t have an “off” position a low, simmer flame can be achieved without inadvertently shutting the stove off, and the wide burner provides heat across a broad area, better for cooking. There is a significant time delay when shutting the stove down, as fuel in the hose is spent. I find it best to open up the flame adjuster to help the shutdown process along. The stove is a quiet performer too, a relief to anybody accustomed to the roar of burner-plate type white gas stoves.

Test Plan

Field Test Area: California’s Sierra Nevada (and possibly the northern California coast).

Test Area Description: California Sierra Nevada, mountainous, 7k-11k feet/2.5k-3.3k meters elevation, heavy forest to treeless alpine. Weather conditions should range from late spring stormy to mid-summer clear and hot and could include wind-driven rain or snow.

I hope to answer the following questions:

* Steadiness—How stable are various pots and pans on the Fyrestorm (note width and height)? Will they slide easily? How stable is the canister stand (especially with a mega 440 g cartridge)? How flexible is the connecting tube? How effective is the windscreen?

* Cooking—From simmer to blowtorch, how adjustable is the flame in the two modes? Can I brown without carbonizing? Can I simmer without sticking and burning? Can I do tricky things like caramelizing sugar? How about poaching? I won’t try every meal in every possible pot, but will note which pots seem to work best with various dishes.

* Auto gas—I’m not a fan of using automotive gas in camp stoves, but will try at least one fill to gauge general performance and note whether it makes a yellow flame, smokes or clogs.

* Snowmelt—How well does each mode work for snow-melting, and how long will it take to gather a liter of drinking water?

* Weather—How does the Fyrestorm work in wind and rain? Can it be blown out?

* Wear, Tear, Repair—How will the Fyrestorm hold up to general use? I’ll note any burner warping or heat damage and any changes in the operation of the valves or the pump. I’ll observe the finishes and fasteners for damage or loosening, and will document any repairs or use of replacement parts.

* Gas, or Gas? By test’s end I hope to have evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the two modes and develop a preference.

My sincere thanks to Coleman and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to participate in this test!

Rick Dreher