Bushwalk Australia

Just found this stove and only at 210 grams it's pretty light, would be a nice stove to take when your allowed to use fires to cook your meals and or boil some water, what you guys and gals think.

Must be other options, I know you can make one, but at 210 grams probably not that light.


http://www.vargooutdoors.com/Hexagon-Ba ... Wood-Stove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7yBedWcetc

http://adventurefriends.com.au/vargo-st ... ood-stove/



Cheers.

Hi John.

I have one and its great. You've linked the stainless steel one. The titanium one only weighs 116g from memory. Either way a great little stove. I did a small write up with photos in the equipment section. I carry it at all times now. I use it as a windshield and place my starlyte alcohol burner inside when in areas I can't use as a wood stove.

Cheers

Mic

Edit- here you go

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8515&p=112468&hilit=+vargo+stove#p112468

Perhaps an ikea cutlery holder stove would interest you? There's plenty of info on google about them

I made one a few weeks ago and its going well, weighs around 120grams from memory

Would you be able to use this stove even when their is a fire ban on when open fires are not allowed or just where open fires are not allowed, but not in a fire ban

Probably the most stupid question I have asked here, but what the hell :p

Cheers.

I suspect the answer's right there in front of you, John. "Fire + Ban =???"

Quote from Tasfire
"On days of Total Fire Bans, all outdoors fires are banned except electric stoves and barbecues, and gas stoves and barbecues provided they are cleared of flammable material for at least 1 metre. Other barbecues and portable stoves including those that use wood, charcoal or other solid or liquid fuel are banned. Work practices such as grinding, welding and cutting metal in the open are not permitted. "

This means you can use your small gas stove as long as there is a clearing of 1 metres aound it but not your trangia(liquid fuel) , or any of the liquid burning stoves ie msr style stoves, or a wood burning stove.

Roger

That may be the case in Tasmania, but in Western Australia a total fire ban appears to means exactly that. FESA goes on to say in respect to cooking ...

If you are in a public space or park you must only cook in an area sign posted for the purpose. You can only use an electric or gas appliance that has an enclosed flame.

Andrew

John Sheridan wrote:Would you be able to use this stove even when their is a fire ban on when open fires are not allowed or just where open fires are not allowed, but not in a fire ban

Probably the most stupid question I have asked here, but what the hell :p

Cheers.

Generally during fire danger season, on days which have not been declared total fire ban days, having a fire for 'utility' purposes (i.e. cooking) is within the law (dependent on council regs). However, most national parks and state forests ban fires for the entire fire danger season anyway.

Aushiker wrote:That may be the case in Tasmania, but in Western Australia a total fire ban appears to means exactly that. FESA goes on to say in respect to cooking ...

If you are in a public space or park you must only cook in an area sign posted for the purpose. You can only use an electric or gas appliance that has an enclosed flame.

The law is the same is SA, fire ban means fire ban.

Aushiker wrote:That may be the case in Tasmania, but in Western Australia a total fire ban appears to means exactly that. FESA goes on to say in respect to cooking ...

If you are in a public space or park you must only cook in an area sign posted for the purpose. You can only use an electric or gas appliance that has an enclosed flame.

Andrew

Wow, those are very strict regulations. Here, fire bans usually mean that you must use a "chemical" stove with an on/off valve. Open fires, wood stoves, meths stoves, etc. are banned, but gas and liquid fuel stoves are not.

Sometimes though, when things get really bad, they'll close an entire National Forest. They literally will post rangers along any highways passing through the forest. You aren't allowed to even pull over off the road.

HJ

Hi guys,

I bought one of these stoves a fortnight ago and have to same I'm fairly impressed, I'd give a 4 out of 5. It is a little smokey and you do have to continually feed the fire.

I've tried it out 3 times now once with Metho trangia burner and twice with wood as the fuel.

My experience from the weekend using wood was the following.

The weather was a high pressure system, with a little bit of wind and sunny.

I Boiled 1 Litre of water - started with 500ml got it to a boil and then gradually added to it until it was a litre of boiling water. (this seems to work faster and better than starting with one full litre of water in the pot).

We used this water for our morning cup of coffees.

Then we cut a 200g baked potatoe into quarters and put it into al foil. We cooked half the potatoe in the coals in 20 minutes for morning tea.

Then with 500ml of warm water we added 10 cocktail frankfurts and more water to cover them. 1 Litre pot practically full.

Then had the trangia ss frying pan on top with 1/2 a chopped onion, cooking on top slightly.

Frankfurts were boiled. Success

Finished cooking onions on the flames after taking the pot off.

Then I let the flames die down and put the other 1/2 potatoe in for cooking. 20 minutes later cooked. I took them out and then just left the stove to burn the rest of the fuel out for another 20 minutes. Then poured 2 litres of water on the remaining embers to make sure all the embers were well and truly out.

Points that I have learnt:

McDonalds Serviettes torn are great fire starters ( and a lot better than just newspaper).

Sticks should be no thicker than your thumb so they burn up fairly easily.

Semi-wet wood still burned up fairly easily. We had a big wet storm the night before and everything still burnt reasonably well.

Bark works really well to keep the fire going and the flame up.

A few good breaths into the firebox seems to help things along. Maybe the next generation of this design could be slightly bigger to allow more fuel and air into the mix. It can also get quite smokey at times.

10 minutes of firewood collecting (from my backyard with a eucalytp tree) or 1/2 a plastic shopping bag equals 3 hours worth of fuel.

Stack the sticks in a teepee shape as they seem to burn better.

We used the stove inside an existing wood BBQ firebox, otherwise I would recommend an al foil bake tray underneath to catch any possible burning embers that fall out of the stove.

I would only use it in a designated wood fire area and only on low risk and no fire ban days and not an overly windy day.

So after cooking up some coffees, potatoe, frankfurts and onions I'm really happy with this stove.

Has anyone cooked anything interesting with their stove ? I've noticed on Youtube a guy who has even cooked a steak with his stove.

Whats other peoples impression of using this stove ?

Thanks
AnotherWalker.

Glad to hear it works ok, have not had a chance to buy mine, so thus have not had a chance to try it.

From the youtubes and you it seems to work pretty good and the weight is Awsome for what it does, from what I UNDERSTAND IT'S THE lightest wood stove going, might not be as efficent as those gasifiher double shell ones, but it works and makes up for it with the weight.

Cheers for the review.