Kovea Camp 5 and butane gas adapter TKA-9504

[gmrza]

I am looking at getting a Kovea Camp 5 as a second stove, and was wondering what experiences forum members have had with this stove, and with the Kovea TKA 9504 adapter (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/KOVEA-Adapter-Butane-Nozzle-Type-Gas-stove-TKA-9504-/270774375864) which can be used to connect cheap butane cans to the stove.

My intention is to have the Camp 5 as a second stove to my MSR Dragonfly. The idea of getting the butane can adapter is that it would allow me to use the cheapest possible fuel while car camping - this may prove even cheaper than shellite, given that 4 cans of butane can be had for between $6 and $8. My reasoning for wanting a remote canister stove is for the ability to (more safely) use a windshield, and to have the option of using an inverted canister - which I understand does work with the Camp 5.

My main concern about the Camp 5 are that it looks a bit like a blow torch, rather than a stove, in terms of flame pattern - with it producing just one hot spot, rather than spreading the flame. I am also wondering a little about the stability of the Camp 5. - I would probably not be using it for heavy cookware - the Dragonfly would still be able to duty for anything heavier.

Any comments on experiences with this stove would be appreciated.

Geoff.

[marangaroo86]

Hi GMRZA I have this stove and adaptor.
I have been meaning to post a review.
So far very happy with the stove
Be warned it dose have a very narrow flame.
works well with inverted canisters
The adaptor allows the use of cheaper and lighter gas for summer use to.
I have had no stability problems , but I do take a lot of care.

THANKS
Marangaroo86

[gmrza]

Hi GMRZA I have this stove and adaptor.
I have been meaning to post a review.
So far very happy with the stove

THANKS
Marangaroo86

Do you mind me asking where you got it? From looking around, it looks like the best option is on eBay.

[marangaroo86]

Do you mind me asking where you got it? From looking around, it looks like the best option is on eBay.

Yes Off Ebay
THANKS
Marangaroo

[gmrza]

I've had a couple of requests for reviews of the Camp 5. In order to put the review in a place where it is easy to find, I decided to collaborate with Hikin_Jim, to put a review up on his blog. It can be found here: http://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2012/01/kovea-camp-5-remote-canister-stove.html

[hikin_jim]

I've had a couple of requests for reviews of the Camp 5. In order to put the review in a place where it is easy to find, I decided to collaborate with Hikin_Jim, to put a review up on his blog. It can be found here: http://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2012/01/kovea-camp-5-remote-canister-stove.html

And he's done a good job of it. My thanks for the contribution.

I'm particularly appreciative since this is a stove not commonly seen in the US.

HJ

[gmrza]

I've had a couple of requests for reviews of the Camp 5. In order to put the review in a place where it is easy to find, I decided to collaborate with Hikin_Jim, to put a review up on his blog. It can be found here: http://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2012/01/kovea-camp-5-remote-canister-stove.html

And he's done a good job of it. My thanks for the contribution.

I'm particularly appreciative since this is a stove not commonly seen in the US.

HJ

Talking about stoves not commonly seen, I queried with GMA Elemental whether they had any plans to import the Camp 5 into Australia. This is the response I received:

Unfortunately we don’t have any plans to bring this stove into Australia – each stove costs us over $5K annually to keep the AGA approvals current, and as such we can only justify distributing a select range of Kovea products.

The closest we keep here in Australia (with a fuel hose setup) is the Moonwalker stove – it’s a bit heavier but is very sturdy and has an excellent reputation for reliability and power here in Australia.
http://www.gmaelemental.com.au/product- ... =TKB-0211G

The only other thing is you can jump onto eBay or some outdoor stores in Korea – you may be able to get one sent over from overseas.

Be aware, however, that if you do this and something goes wrong there is no AGA approval to fall back on – you would be entirely on your own.

What I found interesting, on taking a look at the AGA's website is that renewal of a certificate costs $280 per annum for AGA members and $450 for non-members. (See http://www.aga.asn.au/fee_gas.)

Then I took a look at the November 2011 AGA Product Directory at http://www.aga.asn.au/product_directory. There is no mention of Kovea or GMA Elemental in the directory. Now, as far as I can tell, there are other organisations that certify gas products, like SAI Global - whose database I searched as well, but got no results. I can't imagine though why GMA Elemental would mention the AGA if they used another organisation to certify the products they import.

Any thoughts?

[hikin_jim]

I wonder if GMA Elemental has either a parent company or a subsidiary that would deal with AGA? In other words, perhaps they're listed under another name? I'm just guessing.

I wonder where he got that $5,000/annum number when AGA lists a cost of $450/annum. Perhaps there is more to it than just a fee? Maybe a certain amount of testing is required in addition to the fee?

HJ

[hikin_jim]

And by the way, if you weren't aware of it, Geoff does a pretty good job behind the camera.

There's some nice work in that blog post from Geoff's lens.

HJ