Initial
Report
Vargo Triad Titanium Stove
Date: October 16th, 2004
Reviewer Information
Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 50
Height: 6’ 3” (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Width at shoulders: 21” (53 cm)
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 rips 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 stove arrived in one of those small boxes that I would swear is empty,
until I opened it. The Vargo Triad Titanium Stove was inside buried under
packing paper and attached to a simple cardboard hang tag. The stove was
attached to the hang tag by its own legs, which were inserted through three
holes in the hangtag and then folded to hold the stove on the cardboard tag.
The back of the hang tag gives general information and instructions for the
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.
Fig. 1: The Vargo Triad Stove opened and ready to go.
Overall fit and finish are good, but the stove appears to be mass produced.
However, it has faults which are indicative of casual hand construction and it
shows in the detailing, or lack of it. Some of the spot welds have rough edges
and there is even a small 'welding burr' on one of the spot welds. The legs
vary from being loose enough to just fall open or closed as I handle the stove,
or being snug enough to hold in what ever position I move the leg to. The
center hole has a group of eight smaller holes around it, and these are off
center enough that several of the holes actually cut into the larger center
hole. Fortunately, all these details are strictly cosmetic, although the loose
legs can be annoying.
And we have ignition:
Naturally, the first thing I want to do with a new stove is set fire to it!
So, setting the Vargo Triad Titanium Stove up in my laboratory (aka: kitchen),
I set it up for the first burn. The first thing I noticed was that one of the
lower legs swings out a bit farther than the other two, so the stove does not
sit quite level, but the effect is minor. Next, I tried my various pots for
fit.
The spacing of the three support tips proved to be too wide for some of my
smaller pots, such as my Snow Peak 650 and my Snow Peak Trek 700. My Snow Peak three piece cook set, which has radiused corners, is just wide enough to sit
properly, but requires careful positioning. This is the pot I used for my first
burn, which I used to cook lunch. I also tried my MSR Titan Kettle, which is
just wide enough to fit, and my Primus Alpine Kettle, which is an excellent
match, being very wide and flat.
Fig. 2: the Triad provides a
wide, well disbursed flame. The Primus Alpine Kettle is shown in this photo.
I have done three burns as of this writing. I used approximately 1.13 oz (33.4
ml) of alcohol for each burn. The prime took about three minutes each time,
even the last burn which was done while the stove was still warm. Each burn
(from completed prime to exhaustion of the fuel) lasted about twenty five
minutes. Boil times for 1.5 cups (.35 L) of water averaged about 6 minutes.
These times were obtained by waiting for the stove to be in full burn after a
completed priming period before placing the pot on the stove.
The Vargo Triad Titanium Stove is a snap to prime. The fuel is poured into the
center depression, which allows the fuel to flow into the stove, filling it.
When about 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel has been poured in, the fuel becomes visible at
the bottom of the depression. This fuel becomes the primer. The stove seems to
prefer at least 1.13 oz (33.4 ml) for priming. Lighting the stove is as simple
as putting a match to the fuel visible in the center depression. After about
three minutes, flame starts to sputter out of the outer ring of holes and then
it ignites continuously at the outer ring. The stove burns with a gentle, well
distributed flame.
Other considerations:
On my final test burn, I attempted to blow out the flame. This was easily
accomplished with a good, strong puff. On the one hand, this is good from an
efficiency standpoint, but it means a windscreen will be an important accessory
in the field.
Next, I tried recovering the remaining fuel in the stove. The hang tag says
that the fuel can be poured out of the stove, using a leg like a pour spout. I
tried it and it does work, but it is a bit messy. In addition, the cotton wicking
material inside the stove seems to retain a considerable amount of fuel.
The Vargo Triad Titanium Stove, being made of titanium, seems to be very
ruggedly made. It appears as though it should be able to take a great deal of
punishment. The size, when folded, is very compact and fits easily into the
bottom of my titanium mugs, both single and double wall.
Summary:
Things I Like:
1 – Small and compact design.
2 – Light weight.
3 – Titanium construction.
Things I don't Like:
1- Lack of attention to detail and finish. There is nothing significant enough to
effect the function of the stove, however.
The Vargo Triad Titanium Stove is a cleverly designed, very lightweight,
compact little backpacking stove. The solid, rugged construction should
contribute to a long life in the field. The fold-out design makes for a very
stable base. All-in-all, a pretty neat little stove.
Test Plan:
The Vargo Triad Titanium Stove will be my primary stove for the next six
months, so it will get a great deal of use in a wide variety of conditions,
including winter camps in the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. Particular
attention will be focused on the stoves overall effectiveness, especially as
the weather gets colder.
