Field Report
Vargo Triad Titanium Stove
Date: March 27th, 2004
Reviewer Information
Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 50
Height: 6’ 3” (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA
Backpacking Background:
I’ve been camping since my teens. My outdoor activities include
backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross
country skiing. I have expanded my backpacking to include winter
mountaineering, back country skiing and ski backpacking. I have received winter
mountaineering training with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. I actively
study ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months,
my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or
tarp for warm weather, and a small four season tent for winter trips. Most of
my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear
and techniques.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Vargo Outdoors, LLC
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.vargooutdoors.com
Manufacturers Specifications:
- Diameter (burner): 2.36 in (60mm)
- Diameter (opened): 3.35 in (85 mm)
- Height (collapsed): 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Weight: 1 oz ( 28 g)
- Fuel: Denatured Alcohol
- Fuel Capacity: 1.75 oz (52 ml)
MSRP : $29.99 US
Stove Specifications as measured:
- Diameter (burner): 2.36 in (60mm)
- Diameter (opened): 3.7 in (94 mm) note: This is true diameter as extrapolated
across the stove body. Measuring ‘point to point’ across the leg tips give a
dimension approximating 85mm.
- Height (collapsed): 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Weight: 1.16 oz (33 g)
- Fuel Capacity: 1.75 oz (52ml)
The Vargo Triad Titanium Stove:
The Triad Stove consists of a grey, titanium, disc shaped body, which itself is
comprised of an upper and lower section which appear to have been pressed
together, with the upper half fitting over the lower half. The upper section
has a ring of 28 very small holes just inside the radiused outer edge. The
center of the upper body is occupied by a concave depression. There is a small
hole, approximately 1/8 in (3 mm) in diameter, with a series of eight very
small holes surrounding the center holes. Peering inside the stove, I can just
barely see a filler material of some sort. The web site data refers to this as
being cotton.
One of the most obvious and notable features of the Triad Stove are the folding
legs. There are three leg assemblies, each of which consists of a top and
bottom leg. Each leg is held to its mount with a rivet which doubles as a pivot
so the leg can be opened or folded against the stove body. The leg assemblies
are spot welded to the stove body. The design is such that the legs fold flat
against the top and bottom of the stove body, making for a very compact
package. When fully opened, the legs splay outwards until they rest against
their mounts, making for a very stable design.
Field Experience:
Before getting in to the meat of the report, I must address a problem that
was experienced with the Triad stove which bears mentioning. Frequently, during
the priming process during the first few field tests, the stove would flare up
briefly. The flame would grow pretty dramatically until it enveloped the cook
pot. After a few moments, the flame would slowly settle down into a proper
burn. The source of the flare up turned out to be alcohol fuel being forced out
through the seam around the bottom of the stove body during the prime.
We were instructed to return the stove to Vargo Outdoors for servicing. When
the stove was returned, I noticed that the repair appeared to consist of a bit
of sealant (silicon?) smeared around the bottom seam to seal it. The result was
a much reduced tendency to flare, but it was not completely eliminated. The
field notes should be read with the above in mind.
Oct. 23-24, 2004
Catskill backpack
Terrain: several miles of bushwhacking through deciduous forest, changing to
thick spruce and balsam as we gained altitude, with occasional scrambling over
rocky pitches.
Weather: Saturday, Sunny and cool, with temps averaging around 45 F (7 C).
Sunday dawned in thick fog, with temperatures below 32 F (0 C), as evidenced by
the icy skin on our water and the heavy hoar frost gathered in the evergreens.
We were fortunate enough to find a very respectable campsite at about 3400 ft (1036
m), facing east and with an exposed view down into the valley. An old,
deteriorated fire ring and convenient cooking rocks were handy. Naturally,
after setting up camp, cooking a hot meal was the first order of business. I
set up the Triad on a flat, level rock, filled it with fuel and primed it,
sprinkling a little extra fuel on the top of the stove to help the prime along.
I used my 'stock' windscreen, as there was a breeze coming through the exposed
overlook. I also used my small bottom reflector, which I normally find helps
the prime in cold weather. I placed the MSR Alpine Kettle on the Triad as soon
as the prime was ignited, as this puts the priming alcohol to work as it starts
heating the pot and the reflected heat should speed up the priming process. It
took several minutes, but the stove primed and ignited on the first attempt.
Unfortunately, I experienced a pretty significant flare-up at this point, which
lasted approximately one minute. The fuel seemed to be forced out through the
stove's mating seam, and this appeared to be the primary source of the
flare-up. After a few moments, the flare burned itself out and the Triad
settled down into a proper burn. I had put about 2.5 cups (.6 L) of water in
the kettle. As the Triad seems designed to prefer the longer, continuous burn,
I boiled enough water for a big mug of hot chocolate and dinner. Once boiling,
I pour off the water needed for the hot chocolate into the waiting mug, and
then place the kettle back on the stove with the remaining water. Into this
goes my dinner , in this case rolled barley, which needs to be boiled for
about ten minutes or so. When the barley was ready, I put my chili mix in the
pot and heat it up with the barley. The fuel lasted just a bit longer than
needed to finish cooking.
The Triad did a complete burn in this process, consuming approximately 1.5 oz (44
ml) of alcohol in the cooling temperatures. There were no detectable traces of
alcohol remaining in the stove.
The following morning was essentially a repeat of cooking dinner. I used the
same setup with the windscreen and reflector. The Triad primed slowly, but
easily, experienced another flare-up and then settled into another long steady
burn. This time, I underestimated the amount of fuel needed and the stove went
out before the water boiled. A quick refill and prime got me going right away,
but I had to waste about 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel, as the stove must have a
certain minimum level of fuel in it to prime, so I ended up with a much longer
burn than needed the second time around. I learned that, when in doubt, it is
better to overestimate the fuel needed with the Triad. Overestimating may waste
a bit of fuel, but underestimating will waste much more if the stove must be
reignited.
Note: The Triad was sent in for sealing after the above trip. All the following
tests were performed with the sealed stove.
December 28-31, 2004
Location: Adirondacks State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, Deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails.
Weather: Mixed: sunny, snow and even some rain. Day temperatures were around 25
F (-4 C) and night temperatures hovered around 16 F (-9 C).
This multi-day trip was my first attempt to use the Triad in a true winter
setting. The stove was used to boil a pot full of water to make oatmeal and a
large mug of hot chocolate for breakfast. Morning temperatures were generally
around 20 F (-7 C). For this burn I would fill the fuel bowl to about the 1/3
point. The Triad would run out of fuel within moments of the water coming to a
boil. I was still using the MSR titanium kettle, which has a rated capacity of
.9 L, filled nearly to the brim with water scooped from a nearby brook. The
water temperature was probably just above freezing, as we had to chop through a
thick layer of ice to reach it. For dinner, the process was repeated but I
would fill the fuel bowl to about the 3/4 point. This allowed the stove to burn
for an extra five minutes or so. After pouring off the boiling water for my hot
chocolate or tea, I would pour my food mix into the remaining water. The extra
fuel extended the burn time sufficiently to bring my meal to a boil and cook
properly. As there was plenty of unfrozen water available, there was no need to
melt snow for water. The amount of alcohol fuel needed to melt snow in any
significant volume is substantial enough to make it impractical.
I used a canister stove as a backup on this particular trip as I had no
experience with the Triad in these colder conditions. The cartridge stove was
used to boil the day's packed water, usually two quarts (1.9 L). I could have
accomplished this with the Triad by tripling the amount of alcohol I carried,
by my calculations. As I used 8 oz (.24 L) of alcohol fuel for cooking for the
entire trip (three dinners and two breakfasts), theoretically I could have
satisfied all my water needs by carrying 24 oz (.7 L) of alcohol. As I like to
have an additional mug of tea at some point in the evening to rehydrate and
warm up, I would likely carry an additional 8 oz (.24 L) of fuel on a hike of
this duration, bringing the total fuel supply up to 1 qt (.95 L).
While watching my fellow backpackers cook their meals, two differences in using
white gas versus alcohol in cold weather became evident. First, the Triad is
quiet! There is none of the roar associated with white gas stoves. Second, the
Triad takes approximately twice as long to boil a given volume of water as a
white gas stove. This required a special kind of patience as I watched my companions
wolf down a hot meal and I waited for my first pot of water to boil.
The net result of my observations essentially confirmed what I already knew.
The lower energy content of alcohol compared to either gas or white gas limits
its usefulness in cold winter conditions. On an overnight trip, the alcohol
stove is quite usable and even has a considerable weight advantage over the
typical white gas setup. However, once the trip is extended to several days or
more, the advantage swings over to the white gas stove, simply on the merit of
having to carry less fuel. If snow must be melted for water, the advantage
swings even more heavily towards white gas.
Comments on the folding legs:
Let’s get one thing right out of the way: The Vargo Triad is a very clever
design. It is very light and folds up to a very small package. Finding a place
to store it is a breeze.
All is not perfect, however. From a design standpoint, the lower, fold out legs
make a very stable platform. The same can be said for the upper legs (actually
the pot stand) except that the diameter of the points is large enough that many
of the smaller pots I sometimes use will not work on the Triad. The upper legs
simply open too wide to support them. The pots I have that are affected are my
Snowpeak 3 Piece Titanium cookset and my Snowpeak 750 Titanium pot. The MSR
Alpine Kettle is just barely (and I mean just barely) wide enough to fit
on the stove. The fit is so close that great care must be taken to ensure the
kettle is perfectly centered, or it will slide off the stove, causing a spill.
On the other hand, a flat wide kettle, such as the aluminum Optimus Alpine
Kettle is perfect for the stove, so much so that I would consider modifying my
cooking arrangements to suit this excellent match.
I should mention that the fit of the legs is not consistent. Several have a
firm enough fit that, once either folded or opened, the leg stays in that
position. I find this is ideal, as it makes the Triad very easy to set up or
store. Several legs, unfortunately, just hang loose and swing wherever gravity
dictates. These legs require constant fiddling until the stove is either opened
or stored in the desired position. File this observation under 'minor nuisance'.
Harriman State Park
January 17 -18, 2005
Weather : 15 F, light to no winds. The campsite was in a sheltered pine grove
on the shore of a frozen lake.
This trip was done as an ultralight (for winter) overnight ski trip. The Vargo
Triad fit nicely into this concept, being so light and self contained. The
Triad was used to cook meals and melt a limited supply of water. The stove
performed as expected. I followed my usual routine of boiling a full pot of
water to be split between a mug of tea and my Lipton dinner. This time I filled
the stove to the 3/4 line and lit it. Once it primed it flared for a moment and
then settled down to a normal burn. All else went well, but I was the last to
eat dinner again! As my water supply was low, I used melted snow to make my
evening cup of tea. This required a full burn with the stove priming bowl
filled to the 1/3 mark to make a 12 oz (.35 L) cup of boiling water from snow.
I repeated the process for breakfast. The stove did not flare during the prime with
the lower fuel volume.
February 19-21, 2005
Location: Adirondacks State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, Deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails.
Weather: Mixed: sunny, snow. Day temperatures were around 20 F (-7 C) and night
temperatures were around -5 F (-21 C).
The Vargo Triad continued to perform as before, in spite of the much colder
temperatures. The same, long boil time was experienced and I experienced
several more flare ups, even though I tried to avoid them by using less fuel. I
used the stove to make breakfast and also tea at night, supplementing my Svea
123R white gas stove. I enjoyed eating my meals with the group, but I also
wanted to see how the stove performed in these very cold conditions.
I was able to get water from a nearby stream after chopping through the ice.
The water was right at the freezing point, as it would start forming ice
crystals while walking back to the shelter! The stove did not seem adversely
affected by the colder temperatures, aside from the previous comments regarding
alcohol fuel in cold weather.
General Field Observations:
The Vargo Triad has proven to be a capable little stove. Small, very light and
self contained other than the need for a small windscreen. It seems to be
surprisingly unaffected by cold weather, although it is probably safe to assume
shorter burn times and less fuel would be needed in warmer, summer weather. Conceptually,
it is nearly perfect. In practice, it suffers a bit in the details.
From a design standpoint, there are two items that might benefit from a bit
more thought. First, the design requires a minimum amount of fuel, a bit over 1
oz (30 ml) to initiate a burn. This means fuel must be wasted if I want to,
say, boil only a cup of water for some tea or hot chocolate. The amount of fuel
needed for a minimum burn might be reduced if the central bowl were deeper. This
point became less of an issue as I adapted my cooking practices to the longer
burn times. I simply boiled enough water for two cups of hot chocolate or tea,
for instance. I would pour the hot water into a 16 oz (.47 L) capacity vacuum
bottle for use later. Second, the pot stand is too wide to accept smaller pots.
This eliminates some obvious cookware options when I am trying to put together
an ultralight kit. I am forced to go to a larger pot, which seems counter to
the lightweight concept behind the stove.
From a construction standpoint, the stove could benefit from a little attention
to detail. This is most notable in the legs, which would be much more user
friendly if they would stay in position without flopping around loosely. I
might also make a suggestion regarding the stove body. The body consists of two
parts, a top and a bottom. The bottom fits into the top, leaving a seam on the
bottom of the stove. It is through this seam that the alcohol fuel leaks during
priming. The fuel runs out the seam and onto whatever surface the stove is
standing on, sometimes creating a rather large, uncontrolled flame. Application
of sealant reduced the flaring significantly, but did not eliminate it. Also,
as the stove continues to be used, the effectiveness of the sealant seems to be
diminishing.
I have built several alcohol stoves of my own design over the years. The
design I settled on and still use is very similar to that of the body of the
Triad, with one notable difference. I press the upper and lower halves
together, but with the upper half pressed inside the lower half, just
the opposite of the Triad. In addition, I leave the outer wall a bit higher
than the top of the stove, forming a small wall around the burner holes. The
result is that any alcohol forced out of the seam is simply contained on top of
the stove and just feeds the prime. Having the seam on the bottom allows the
fuel to run onto whatever surface I’m cooking on, building an ever growing
circle of flame for a few moments until the stove settles down. It can be a
little unnerving. This is one stove that will never be used in my tent
vestibule, regardless of the weather (caveat: Every stove manufacturer I am
aware of advises strongly against using their stoves inside a tent).
Summary:
Likes:
1 – Very clever, self-contained design.
2 – Titanium construction is light and strong.
Dislikes:
1 – There has got to be a way to eliminate the seam leak and flaring.
2 – Can all the legs be tightened enough so they don’t flop around?
3 – I would prefer it if the stove could hold smaller diameter pots. This would
likely compromise the stability of larger pots, though. I guess one can’t have
everything.
In spite of the negatives, I really like the concept behind the Vargo Triad.
The cleverness behind the design cannot be denied. I really like the idea that
the stove supplies its own stand and pot stand, eliminating the need for extra
bits to be carried around. I also really like the way the Triad folds up and
all but disappears into my galley kit when not being used. With a bit of
refinement, this could really be a top notch item.
The ‘big burn’ requisite demanded by the design of the stove is easy enough to
adapt to, especially during colder weather when lots of hot water is a good
thing to have around. I suspect this may be somewhat less desirable in summer
weather, but time will tell. With the recent arrival of spring, I will be able
to see how the stove performs in warmer weather, where alcohol stoves tend to
come into their own.
