Vargo Triad Titanium Stove:
Initial Report
Product
information:
Manufacturer:
Vargo
Year of manufacture: late summer 2004
Website: http://www.vargooutdoors.com/
Weight: 1 oz.
(28.35 gm.)
Weight as tested:
1.12 oz. (31.75 gm.)
MSRP: 29.95
USD
From
the website:
Made from
ultra-lightweight quality titanium, the Triad by Vargo is a long awaited
advancement in alcohol stove design and functionality. The Triad offers the
following features:
>retractable top and bottom legs
>compact design
>dual fuel capability (fuel tabs can be burned on opposite side of holes)
>easy to clean and maintain
>reliable performance
Weight: 1.0 oz. (28 grams)
Burner Diameter: 60mm
Diameter when pot support is open: 85mm
Fuel Capacity: 1.75 oz.
Collapsed height: 27mm
* The Triad is designed to burn Denatured alcohol (found in most painting
supply stores etc.)
[NOTE: the Vargo website also has the results of a in-house test, that seem
pretty much accurate to me thus far, as well as some useful performance tips.]
Product description:
The stove arrived
mounted on a handsome card hang piece with instructions on how to use it
printed on the back. Indeed in my opinion it looks much more professional than
their website, and exceeded my expectations based on what I had read about it
online. It looks to be well made, sturdy and did not appear to have any logos
or any writing on the stove itself. The stove folds down to about the size of a
hockey puck, and is made of dark gray titanium with a rough finish. When set up
it holds a 6 inch (15.24 cm) wide pot fairly stably, and it looks to be
perfectly sized to hold a mug for boiling water. The small legs open and close
smoothly, grip the pot well, can easily support the pot filled with 1 L (33.81
fl oz) of water, and the bottom ones should be extended for stability when
using the stove on a hard surface and retracted when used on soft soil or sand.
My take on the Stove:
I received the Stove
from mail in perfect condition. Just from looking at it, I'm impressed with the
Stove. It is solidly constructed, well designed, and is pretty much what I was
expecting after viewing the Vargo website. One point immediately in itÕs favor
is itÕs compact size, folding down to a little smaller then a hockey puck.
Lighting it up for the first time as an alcohol stove novice, I found it
difficult to pour directly into it with a bottle of drugstore rubbing alcohol
(I actually used rubbing alcohol on the advice of a sales person at a local
store. Big mistake apparently rubbing alcohol leaves everything a sooty mess
and doesnÕt burn quite as well Š as I found out. All my future tests will be
with the stuff from the paint store) and plan to use a toiletries style squeeze
bottle with it on my trips. The stove lit up relatively easily but it took 2-3
min to warm up (probably because of Titanium is not very conductive). However
once the stove lit up it resembled a blowtorch but seemed to lack the punch of
an expedition stove. Despite the impressiveness of the flame, it was easily
blown around by the breezes in my backyard, which makes me believe itÕll need a
windscreen even in sheltered campsites. Boil time with 1 cup of lukewarm tap
water, on a 20 C (68 F) day, with mild breezes and without a windscreen seemed
to be spot on with what was advertised, 5-6 min to a bubbling boil. However I
was unable to heat the water much beyond that, with the stove completely
running out of fuel within 15-20 min. I think that if I had used a windscreen
with it I might have been able to get better fuel efficiency without the wind
fanning the flames. IÕd definitely classify this as a solo stove, however more
experienced users might be able to push this to 2 or maybe 3 people with luck and
a lot of skill. However the Vargo website claims that the stove requires 1-2
uses to Ņbreak it inÓ, so what I have reported this far may not be
representative. Overall IÕm impressed with the design of the stove, but wonder
just how effective itÕll be as the temperatures begin to drop.
Test Strategy:
As an newbie to
Alcohol stoves I plan to report on all aspects on the stoveÕs performance in
and of itself and when compared to both canister and liquid fuel type stoves.
As well I plan on reporting on the efficiency, reliability, heat output, ease
of use, and durability of the stove over the next six months. As IÕm headed
back to school, IÕll probably use the stove mainly to boil water on day hikes
and on one or two overnight trips this Fall. In the winter IÕll likely take the
stove along on cross-country ski and snowshoe trips to see how well it
melts snow and boils water. I plan to encounter nearly every type of weather,
including using the stove in forests, meadows, and in hilly and rocky areas
through Southern Ontario. Temperature will likely range from 30 C to -15 C (86
F to 5 F).
Personal information:
Name: Rob Patterson
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Height: 5 feet 9 inches (1.6 m)
Weight: 150 pounds (68 kg)
Email address: robpatterson5@g... or robpatterson5<at>
gmail <dot> com
Local: Southern Ontario, Canada
Date: September 1, 2004
Backpacking
Background: I'm
an avid Canadian backpacker, and have hiked extensively through Canada. IÕm a
frequent day hiker, and normally covers 10-12 km (6 to 7.5 miles) a day. I also
Skate Ski competitively, along with using classic cross-country skies to access
otherwise inaccessible trails in the winter. Beyond that, I am an occasional
whitewater canoeist. During the last five summers I have collected over 200 days
of hiking and canoeing, in isolated wilderness areas. As well as working sales
in a high end backpacking shop. I tend to be a mid-weight backpacker but am
trying to par down my load. As the Canadian woods in the summer can get pretty
buggy, I've always used a tent, tenting it into my 80L (4700 cu in) backpack.
Because of school most of my trips happen over the summer, but I make up for
this in part by spending at least half of it camping.
