Initial Report
Coleman Exponent XtremeCat Catalytic Heater
Date: October 5th, 2005
Reviewer Information
Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 51
Height: 6' 3" (1.90 m)
Weight: 210 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: The Coleman Company, Inc.
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: www.coleman.com
Manufacturer’s Specifications:
Weight Dry (burner head only) : 27.25 oz (772.6 g)
Weight Assembled: 40.53 oz (1149.1 g)
(burner, fuel tank, stabilizing ring)
Output: 800 BTUs
Burn Time: 13 Hours
MSRP: $26.99
US
Specifications as measured:
Weight Dry (burner head only) : 1 lb 10.5 oz (.75 kg)
Weight Assembled: 2 lbs 8.5 oz (1.15 kg)
Height (burner head) : 5.75 in (14.6 cm)
Width (burner head) : 5.12 in (13
cm) at regulator valve knob
Figure 1: The
Coleman Exponent XtremeCat and carrying case.
Initial Impressions:
There were two things that jumped to my attention immediately upon opening
the small retail box that the Coleman Exponent XtremeCat catalytic heater arrived in.
First, was the small size of the burner head. Second, when I lifted it out of
the box, was that this is a bit of a brick to carry. I have some experience
with using prior Coleman catalytic heaters in winter basecamp situations. They
have usually been very effective, but large, bulky and heavy things that would
never find their way into my winter backpack. My friends were willing to either
pack one of those older behemoths in their gear sled or, on one memorable
occasion, in a backpack. In the latter case, my climbing friends swore he would
never carry one of those things again. Of course, we ragged on him mercilessly
while he swore and cursed the weight all the way to the location of our
basecamp. This in no way affected our enthusiasm and ingenuity in finding
excuses to hang around inside HIS tent at night, which was a balmy 72 F (22 C)
inside when it was a brisk 0 F (-18 C) outside! Climbing friends are like that.
The Coleman Exponent XtremeCat may have brought the catalytic heater in to the realm of
being small and (relatively) light enough to be a reasonable backpacking item.
It is much smaller than the older models and is fueled by the smaller
backpacking type fuel cartridges, rather than the much larger and heavier
propane cartridges used in the previously available models. The output is less
at 800 BTUs compared to the 1100 BTUs of the larger models (I use the Coleman SportCat
for comparison, as this is the model my climbing partner has been using). I
suspect the lower output will actually be an advantage in smaller backpacking
type tents, as there may be less of a tendency to overheat the lower volume of
a backpacking tent.
The heater consists of a heavy metal burner head, comprised of a heavy silver
colored metal base and a heavy duty black metal screen, both of which serve to
enclose and protect the platinum catalytic element. Directly below the silver
base of the burner head is a black steel assembly, apparently a vent to allow
air to the bottom of the burner head. Below this is the support tube that
contains both the On-Off knob and the connector fitting for the fuel tank. This
part is referred to as the Regulator Assembly in the enclosed instructions. The
On-Off knob is quite large for such a small heater, and is rather pronounced as
it protrudes from the side of the base. The Regulator Assembly is covered by
black plastic and the On-Off knob is made of the same black plastic.
There is a large, black plastic ring that is intended as a stabilizing base.
The ring is supposed to fit snugly around the bottom of the gas cartridge. I
did not have a Coleman fuel cartridge handy, but I have a stock of Snowpeak
cartridges for my Gigapower stove. The cartridge fits the stove well and seems
to operate fine, but the stabilizing ring is a loose fit on it, offering no
real stabilizing effect. I will endeavor to locate some Coleman cartridges to
test the fit.
One of the primary departures from Coleman’s prior catalytic heater products
with the XtremeCat is the use of a backpack style butane/propane fuel
cartridge. This gives a significant weight savings over the more commonly used
larger ‘household’ propane fuel tanks. The fuel cartridge is installed simply
by screwing it onto the heater base, just as one would install the cartridge on
a backpacking stove.
Lighting the heater is simplicity itself. The On-Off knob only has three
possible positions: On, Off and Light. The On and Off positions are at the end
of the normal arc of knob travel, turn clockwise for ‘Off’ and counterclockwise
for ‘On’. When reaching the ‘On’ position a small detent can be felt. To light
the heater, the knob must be pushed counterclockwise past the ‘On’ position to
the ‘Light’ position. A subtle spring-loaded resistance can be felt when doing
this and, predictably, the knob returns to the ‘On’ position when it is
released. The instructions state to hold the knob in this position for 8 to 10
seconds while holding a lighted match close to the screen of the burner head.
When doing this, I experienced a brief flash of flame which danced around the
burner head for a moment and then extinguished. The instructions say to hold
the valve open for another 10 second and then release it. The burner warms up
slowly, but heat can be detected almost immediately and it gets gradually
warmer as the catalytic process kicks in. The XtremeCat is totally silent in
operation. The heater is not adjustable and is strictly an On-Off operation.
The included instructions and hang-tag make several references to
CAN1-11.3-M79. This is apparently a reference to a Canadian safety regulation
pertaining to camping heaters. Removing the hang-tag, which contains operating
instructions and various safety warnings, or using the heater without the
plastic base is a violation of this safety regulation according to the
literature.
Oh yes, Coleman also supplies a rather nice black nylon carrying case with the
heater.
Summary:
Likes:
1 – Quality materials used all around.
2 – Very easy to operate.
3 – Small (relatively) size.
4 – Very affordable price.
Dislikes:
1) Weight. The design is a huge advance over previously available options for
backpackers, but the heater is still heavy for its size. Steel seems to be used
extensively throughout the construction. One can’t help but wonder if lighter
metals, such as aluminum, might not be used in the Regulator Assembly and/or
the burner head in an effort to reduce weight. No doubt the use of steel
contributes to the heaters attractive low price, however.
The Coleman Exponent XtremeCat catalytic heater is an intriguing advance in making a
viable heat source available to winter backpackers.
Test Plan:
The Coleman Exponent XtremeCat will see use as the primary heat source during my winter
camping trips. My primary winter shelter is a Black Diamond Lighthouse tent and
I expect the heater will fit nicely in the tent vestibule. Items to be checked
will include:
- How quickly does the heater come up to speed in snow conditions?
- How quickly does the heater heat up my tent?
- What temperatures will the heater maintain relative to outside temperatures?
- Does cold affect the performance of the fuel cartridge?
- Is 13 hours of heat an accurate projection?
All the above will checked and noted, as well as any other items of interest
that arise during the test period.
