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 to find 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

The Fyrestorm Ti is a remote-burner style liquid fuel stove that 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 inverter stand. The remote-burner stove burner connects to either fuel supply via a flexible fuel hose. The Fyrestorm is a two-valve design with one valve at the fuel source and the second, flame control valve at the burner.

A detailed description and performance test results are presented in my Initial Report:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Cook%20Gear/Stoves/Coleman%20Fyrestorm%20Ti%20Stove/Rick%20Dreher/Initial%20Report/

 

 

Design Summary and Evaluation

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). 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 (iso-pro) canister. Whether using canister or white gas, there’s one valve at the fuel supply, which connect to the burner’s via a flexible fuel hose. The burner has a second, flame adjuster valve, and sports a wide burner head for a broad flame and even heating. A generator tube vaporizes the liquid fuel, and there’s no priming cup, so familiar to white gas stoves. The fuel adjuster valve is self-cleaning, and the combination tripod legs and pot supports fold for storage.

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, and the flexible 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.

Key Measurements at a Glance

* Includes windscreen, reflector disc and stow sack.

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

Set Up, Fire Up

Fyrestorm setup differs between the canister and white gas modes.

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).

 

 

Caption: Why granite kitchen counters became popular.

 

White Gas. White gas setup begins with filling the bottle about 2/3 full (16 fl oz/473 ml), installing the pump assembly and pumping roughly forty times. 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 burner’s adjuster valve. Finally, the windscreen and pot can be put in place.

Packing and Carrying

I pack the burner and canister stand (if taken) in a ziplock bag and carry it in my cookpot. The bag keeps it from rattling inside the pot and keeps any carbon buildup from dirtying other items. The foldaway handle doesn’t stay folded, an annoyance that takes up a bit more space, and the stiff fuel hose also takes a share. The windscreen and reflector disc go into the cookpot sack, beneath the pot itself. For white gas mode, I keep the pump in the depressurized white gas bottle, and the bottle in double ziplock bags in an outside pack pocket.

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.

Field Report

I’ve had the Fyrestorm on two solo (1- and 2-night) and four, two-man (1, 2 and 4-night) trips. I’ve also day-hiked with it twice, using it for snowmelt water and a hot lunch. Trips have been in the Sierra Nevada, including the Tahoe Sierra and the Hoover Wilderness. I’ve used it even more around home and on family trips, where it’s easier to experiment.

Field Conditions. This test featured great weather right to the end, and no rain. My trips been at elevations ranging from 5,500 feet to 10,000 feet (1,700-3,050 m), and cook-time temperatures have ranged from about 40 F to 75 F (4-24 C). Wind has varied from dead calm to a strong breeze. I don’t notice a difference in how the stove responds to air temperature or altitude variations, other than perhaps some extra zeal from the canister mode when it’s warm (especially if the fuel has been in the sun). Wind makes the stove harder to light, especially if the windscreen is up (ironic) and a windbreak to back up the windscreen helps in those conditions. It’s usually simple to build a windbreak from rocks or downed wood. The remote burner design is fairly low to the ground, making the stove easy to shelter.

Field setup is now routine, taking five minutes or less, including retrieving the packed parts, finding a suitable cooking spot (level and protected from wind and flammables), assembly, pumping (white gas mode) and lighting. Completely threading in the hose takes the most time. White gas mode requires more fiddling, of course. Once a cooking flame is achieved, the pot goes on and the windscreen is fitted. I sometimes have difficulty in routing both the fuel line and the valve handle through the windscreen. It’s also easy to move the burner by moving the fuel supply, in part because the fuel line stiff and rather short. I also sometimes find the burner legs closing as the burner gets dragged around or the pot is slid across it. The legs have loosened with time (see below for more).

My in-the-field cooking has been with 1.5 and 1.0-liter titanium pots. The 1.5 is a great size for the Fyrestorm and the 1.0 is a bit small, so the flame tends to travel up the sides. They don’t have handles, so I can wrap the windscreen fairly close without worrying about burning off handle insulation. Even with smooth-bottom pots, the pot supports grip them well so they don’t slide easily.

What’s Cooking? The Fyrestorm’s wide burner accommodates “real” cooking technique, particularly browning, sautéing and simmering. I’ve cooked some of my favorite dinners with it, including beef & vegetable stew, salmon and potatoes, salmon in rice pilaf, mac and cheese, and various dry soup mixes. Some are one-pot meals that requires browning and simmering, others use two pots--browning and storing one set of ingredients in one, then preparing the starch or soup base then mixing them together. Just to prove to myself it can be done, I even caramelized sugar (now what?).

Aluminum no-stick pans are much easier to cook in than bare titanium, but I like titanium’s strength and weight, so that’s what I carry. I have to stir constantly when simmering, to prevent sticking and burning. Still, the Fyrestorm’s wide burner and good control makes the job much easier than welding-torch style stoves.

 

 

Caption: Bringing noodles to life at 10k feet.

 

Snow-Melting. I’ve melted snow using canister-mode and the 1.5 L pot, and find the Fyrestorm very good at this pesky task. The wide burner makes it easier to avoid singing the pot, and the canister’s vast flame output makes quick work of springtime snow. The windscreen clearly speeds the melting process, and I didn’t have any problems with condensation dripping on the burner and threatening the flame.

Fuel Consumption. I’m backing off my notion that a medium 220 g (7.8 oz) cartridge can easily supply two people for five days (four each, breakfasts and dinners). This may be the case if they’re careful and eat simply, but I’ve found it’ll only go four. It’s definitely the case that fancypants cooking uses the fuel up reasonably fast, especially if one skips using the windscreen (tempting when I’m tired). I’ll crawl far enough back out the limb to say that a big (440 g/ 15.6 oz) canister should support two for a week.

A Necessary Modification

The Fyrestorm burner legs eventually became so loose that I rigged a wire to keep them locked safely open. Without the wire they tend to close in use, threatening to dump the cookpot. The looseness is either from wear or from the tensioning spring losing temper and lacking sufficient strength to keep the legs in place. Whatever the cause, the simple wire closure has been 100% reliable.

 

Caption: A piece of stainless steel wire locks the legs open.

 

Wear and Tear

Other than the loose burner legs and scratched paint, the Fyrestorm is in very good shape. The canister fuel valve is still too stiff for my liking, although it’s loosened up some. I’ve not had to use any of the spare parts. I still find the burner’s reflector/windscreen to bends easily when stowed. The windscreen and reflector disc are looking a bit ratty, but despite a small hole in the disc they still do the job.

I’ve not lost any of the protective caps that cover all the hose connections, and they are all clean and thread together easily.

Conclusions

The Fyrestorm Ti is an easy stove to like. I like the design and the materials, and enjoy cooking with it. It’s definitely a cook’s backcountry stove. The dual-fuel options makes it attractive to globetrotters, who should all be able to find fuel. Although I’ve proven to my satisfaction that it’s up to the task of snow-melting for drinking water, I’ll leave it to the expedition set to determine whether it’s up to the task for extended periods, for larger parties.

As has been the case throughout this test, canister mode is my favorite. Although it’s a little tough to throttle back the flame with a fresh canister, I’ve learned to live with this little quirk. I’m amazed how effective the inverted canister is in wringing a canister to the bitter end, with no meaningful loss of performance. It’s actually quite a surprise when the stove goes out, as there’s little warning.

Hits

Beautifully made.
Very complete packaging, including spare parts, white gas bottle, windscreen and stuffsack.
Two major fuel options, and both are liquid-feed.
Powerful yet flexible performance.
Immediate flame control.
Built-in cleaning.

Misses

Tweaky white gas startup.
White gas tank susceptible to emptying when stored with pump and burner, under pressure.
Relatively short and stiff fuel line.
Loose burner legs need help.
Foldaway valve handle doesn’t stay folded when stowed.

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

Rick Dreher