Product Information
Manufacturer: Ultralight Outfitters
Manufacturer URL: http://www.ultralightoutfitters.com
Year of Manufacture: 2005
MSRP: $14.00 USD for stove, stand and windscreen
              $14.00 USD for the Good Cook Safecut Can Opener
Country of Manufacture: USA
Listed weight: 3.8 oz (108 g)
Actual weight:  3.4 oz (96g) including Fosters beer can
Materials Used: Wire for the stand, sheet of aluminum for the windscreen, and an empty 24.5 oz (725 ml) beer can (supplied by me).

    From the Website:

The lightest weight solution for backpack cooking that really works: Simple, Sturdy, Safe, and Packs up easily.

This kit includes:

• Silicon Rubber Lipguard
• Stainless Steel Tray for solid fuel
• Stainless Steel Stand
• Stainless Steel No-fold Windscreen
• Lexan Spoon (that fits the pot perfectly)

The Cook Pot

The cook pot is made from an empty jumbo (24.5 fl. oz.) beer can. This empty can is perfect for a backpacking cook pot!

• It is large enough to make a meal for one person.
• It is easy to hold so it can double as a drinking mug.
• It has a non-stick coating on the inside.
• It is a 100% recycled product.
• It is readily available and inexpensive to buy and replace.
• It weighs one ounce, which is incredibly light!

The Stove

The stove is a stand and fuel tray for burning solid fuel pellets. Solid fuel is the lightest weight fuel for backpacking. Solid fuel is also the safest and most reliable fuel for camping. It can't leak. You can't spill it. The stove has no jets or valves that can get damaged or plugged.

The Windscreen

The windscreen is made from stainless steel, and is pre-formed into a cylindrical shape that stands around the cook pot and stove while cooking. When the stove and windscreen are packed up for travel, the windscreen wraps around the cook pot and protects it from being dented. You never have to fold or unfold the windscreen.

The Insulated Drinking Mug

When the stove and windscreen are packed up, they create a double walled shell around the cook pot. This turns the cook pot into an insulated drinking mug that is just right for holding and warming your hand while enjoying a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate. A lip guard made of silicon rubber fits around the top of the can, and makes sipping hot liquids comfortable.

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Product Review:
    For my test series, I received the Beercan Stove kit (see Product Description above)  and the Good Cook Safe Cut Can Opener (available from Ultralight Outfitters or at most grocery stores).  The stove kit came inside a box that had picture directions on how to unpack, pack, and use the Beercan Stove.  I will cover set up and packing in a moment.  These instructions were adequate enough for me to remove the stove kit and assemble it without difficulty.  The Safe Cut Can Opener came with simple to follow instructions.
    I was required to supply my own Foster's Beer can to make into a pot.  I easily removed the top of the beer can with the Safe Cut Can Opener.  The Safe Cut is designed to cut into the side of the can lid and leave the can with a smooth top edge where the lid used to be.  The included silicon lip guard needed to be stretched over the top of the new pot.  The new pot was comfortable to drink from with the lip guard in place.
    The Ultralight Outfitters Beercan Stove is designed to boil up to 20 oz (600 ml) of water.  This water can then be added to an instant meal in a bag or the ingredients can be put into the pot and eaten.  My preferred method is the former as it simplifies my clean up to crumbling the bag my food was in and putting it inside my trash bag and bear container.    I can then let the pot dry out and store the stove kit.  I normally heat approximately 20 oz (600 ml) of water to cook my meal and make a small cup of tea to drink with dinner.
       Ultralight Outfitters recommends the use of Esbit fuel tablets.  Another type of solid fuel is the trioxine tablets used by the military.  These are often found at military supply stores.  The Esbit tablets can be purchased from Ultralight Outfitters and outdoor recreation stores like REI or Sports Chalet.  I have used alcohol stoves in the past, but I always worry if the alcohol will leak out of its container and contaminate items inside my pack.  With a solid fuel tablet, I do not have to worry about leaking fuel.  I can remove the tablet from its individual wrapper, set it in the fuel tray, and light it.  The Esbit tablets burn completely and do not leave a mess.

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Product Testing:

    The Beercan Stove joined me on an extended trip into the Mojave National Preserve.  Elevation was between 3000 ft (900 m) and 4500 ft (1400 m).  Temperatures ranged from 35 F (1.5 C) to 65 F (18 C).  During this trip, I experienced winds in excess of 20 mph (32 kph) while trying to warm water for tea.
    I found the Beercan Stove to fit nicely into my daypack.  I had several long day hikes in the cold desert and wanted to be able to warm some water for tea with lunch.  I stowed the stove near the top of my pack with two Esbit tabs slid inside the pot.  When it was time for lunch, I pulled out the stove, found a flat spot to set it on (which I found to be very important especially when the pot is near full), and set up the stove.  The stand slid off the outside of the pot/windscreen with only minimal effort.  I set the wire stand on the flat surface and separated the fuel tray from the pot.  I then set the fuel tray/pot combination onto the wire stand.  I placed an Esbit tab onto the fuel tray and lit it followed by placing the windscreen around the stove and a piece of aluminum foil on top of the pot for a lid.  This was done in a very mild breeze and I had 20 oz (600 ml) of water boiled in about twelve minutes.  I dropped a tea bag into the pot once the Esbit tab burned out.  After waiting about five minutes for the tea to brew, I took the stand and wind screen and slid them over the pot to form the insulated drinking mug.  By the time my tea had completed brewing, the windscreen and pot had cooled enough to handle without wearing gloves.
    The next use of the stove was at base camp with a temperature of approximately 40 F (4.5 C) with winds over 20 mph (32 kph) as a test for less than optimal conditions.  I set the stove up on a table with no wind protection except for the provided windscreen.  I filled the pot with 12 oz (355 ml) of water (enough for a cup of tea or a single person backpacking meal).  I placed and lit the Esbit tab.  The flame from the Esbit tab danced around quite a bit, but managed to bring my 12 oz (355 ml) of water to a slow boil.  The only mishap was when the aluminum foil I used for a lid blew off halfway through heating the water.  I speculate that a full pot of water would not have been able to reach even a slow boil under these conditions.  As the Esbit tab went out, I dropped a tea bag into the pot of water and let it brew for 5 minutes.  The pot continued to sit on the table as my tea brewed which resulted in a lukewarm cup of tea as the stove and pot cooled very quickly.

    Overall, this stove is great as a single person stove for ultralight or light weight backpacking in my opinion.  It packs down easily, sets up easily, and uses a convenient fuel source that is not a spillable liquid.  The pot is easily replaceable by finding a convenience store that carries the recommend beer can and using the SafeCut can opener.  When the stove is in the stored state, it seems to be resistant to crushing inside my pack.  The wire stand and fuel tray have stayed strong even after repeated heatings.  There is some discoloration on the wire, but it seems to have retained its strength.  I have concluded that the stove is usable even with winds if care is taken in stove use location and usage of wind breaks.   The inside of the pot rinses easily with water after making hot tea inside.  The bottom of the pot and fuel tray have become blackened.  This residue does not come off and I assume it is just discoloration from the heat.

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Testing Conditions:
    Long term testing locations include sections of the Pacific Crest Trail near the Mexico border and local San Bernardino National Forest.  Elevation will range from 3000 ft (900 m) to just under 11,000 ft (3300 m).  Expected terrain will include cross country through dense forest and rock scrambling and desert environments.  Anticipated temperature range will be 32 F (0 C) to 70 F (21C).

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Things I will continue to look for:

So far, the stove is easy to pack.  Will this change as the stove is heated up and cooled down from use?
    The stove is still easy to pack and store.
Will it be very important to find a flat, level surface to use the stove on?
    I have found that a flat spot is important especially once the pot is on the stand and it is full.
Ease of set up in the field.
    It only takes me about a minute to set up the stove and get it going.
Will this stove work with other fuel beside Esbit?
    I have not tried any other fuel besides Esbit.
Will the wire stand hold up to the heat generated while boiling water or will it become soft and bend?
    The wire stand and fuel tray holder have not bent or deformed at all due to heating or softening of the metal.