Brasslite Testimonials
Hi Aaron.
Thanks so much for your excellent products! My order arrived 1 week ago. Now
that I have had a chance to play with my new stove, I believe it is worth every
penny!
You are obviously a very skilled craftsman, who cares greatly about what
you create and sell. I am completely blown away by the exceptionally high
quality of your stove. To me, it looks quite fragile. But of course it is
actually very sturdy. I am getting VERY good burn and cooking times. The TrailBaker-----WOW!
I had my doubts at first, but it works fantastically. The first time I used
it, I surprised my wife with a hot spice cake. She was so impressed that she
actually approved of my latest stove acquisition! Now that is definitely a
first.
Just to let you know, instead of cutting the TrailBaker chains, I tied them
off with a piece of copper wire at the correct length. I did this so that
should my current pot become damaged or lost, I can still very easily use
the baking pan in a different pot. Thanks again Aaron. I will definitely be
telling all my hiking buds about your products. If you can, please keep me
updated about any new items you come up with.
I did have trouble adjusting the simmer ring at first, even with a hot stove.
But when I looked very closely, I realized that the ring was actually in contact
with the priming pan, causing it to jam. I simply pulled the ring a little
closer to the top of the stove, and it now works perfectly. The fuel bottle
is a bit of genius. It is so convenient to have 1 bottle that not only stores
fuel, but also includes an integrated 1 ounce measuring chamber!
Sincerely,
<pAuL>
Dear Aaron,
I have been using my Brasslite II-D for several years now and love it. I live
in the Northeast of Brazil where I work on social projects in several isolated
mountain villages. I use my stove on an almost daily basis and I marvel at its
simplicity and ease of use. Here in Brazil one can purchase alcohol at any gas
station, but the state has not one good outdoor sporting shop---if I used a
different stove I would be eating cold food by now. THANKS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL
PRODUCT!!
John K
Sobral Ceara´
Brazil
Hi Aaron,
I was wondering if you could add a link back to my blog http://SectionHiker.com
on the testimonials page of your website. I just wrote a review of the Brasslite
that you might like to reference.
http://sectionhiker.com/2008/03/10/brasslite_alcohol_stove_review/
There are a plethora of alcohol stoves designs available today
for lightweight backpackers. However, one of my favorites remains the Brasslite
Stove (Turbo II-F 1.4 oz.) which is completely self-contained and includes
a built-in wind screen/simmer control, base plate and pot holder. Most other
alcohol stoves require a separate windscreen and base plate. I have also found
that the Brasslite is easier to light in colder weather than any of the other
alcohol stoves I own, which I attribute this to the stove’s all-in-one
design. One of the most important properties of an alcohol stove is its thermal
conductivity. In order to produce heat, an alcohol stove needs to vaporize
its fuel by boiling it and turning it from a liquid into gaseous form. The
thermal conductivity of the complete stove system influences how much energy
is required to vaporize the liquid fuel and stoves it stands to reason that
stoves with multiple components are less thermally conductive than ones that
are fully integrated like the Brasslite. The Brasslite holds 1 oz. of fuel
and will burn for 10 minutes. Denatured alcohol or HEET (pure methanol) are
its recommended fuels.
Philip Werner
http://SectionHiker.com
Aaron
Just got home to Fresno from a week in the Sierra. My first trip(s) above 14,000
ft, and the Brasslite was a reliable companion. My friends and I (they toted
a JetBoil and an MSR Whisperlite) ended up strolling over Russell, Whitney,
Langley, White Mtn Pk, and Muir. The highest I lit the Brasslite was at Trail
Crest, adjacent to Mt. Whitney, at 13,600 ft., where it boiled 1/2 qt. of water
in 5:30. The owners of the the JetBoil and WhisperLite were as awestruck as
I was. Granted the JetBoil cooked faster, but at about 5 times the weight and
twice the setup/breakdown time. I was worried that the stove would take some
getting used to, but I only lit it once before this trip to get familiar with
it -- another testament to its practicality/ease-of-use as well as reliable
performance. In the end, I have no failures to report -- thanks for the amazing
product.
Neal Banta
Aaron
I though you might like to know of our experience with the stove on our first
use. We just returned from the Sipsey Wilderness in northwest Alabama. Temperature
was in the low 40's each morning with highs in the high 50's. Wind was mild.
The stove performed beyond our expectations. Lighting was easy. The boil time
was as stated 5-6 minutes for 2-1/2 to 3 cups. I must admit you were right about
the flame. Its HOT and hard to see. However, the windscreen made it easier to
control. One minor mishap. We used a rock that wasn't as stable as it looked
and had a spill. Most of the fuel remained in the stove and did not ignite and
the water spilled harmlessly on the ground. The only thing red was my face.
Overall, a splendid example of simplicity and usefullness. We cannot wait to
try it again. Good job and a fine product.
Thanks.
Jesse R Browning
Dear Sir,
I have recently purchased your Turbo II-D and believe it's the best alcohol
backpacking stove ever designed and built. (Although I have not yet had a chance
to put it to the test.) Congratulations to you and members of your staff! I
would highly recommend the stove to all hikers I run into on the CDT this summer.
And the word of mouth travels fast.
Nicholas
Hi Aaron,
Received the stove and have had it out on two backpacking trips. It works great!
A huge weight savings over my Snowpeak for an overnighter and it is somehow
just "cool" to cook (aka, boil water!) on a simple alcohol stove.
Thanks for making a super product... well engineered, small, strong and something
I'll have for a long time.
Richard
Hi,
Used a turbo stove (the larger one) for my lunchtime soup & tea on a 10
day hike in the Austrian Alps this summer - the light weight meant that it wasn't
too much of an indulgence to carry the non essential but very comforting gear.
It was a holiday, after all. Very pleased indeed - thanks. Now that I know how
little fuel it uses, I'd like to get one of the smaller dispensing bottles;
is there a UK stockist, or should I buy from you? (I've tried the endurancekit.uk
site, but it's not opening up.)
Regards, Jem
Aaron-
I just returned from a bike tour in northern Minnesota and wanted to pass along
how delighted I am with my Turbo II-D. It was so easy to use and worked beautifully.
I did freezer bag cooking, fried eggs, flipped pancakes and baked brownies with
the Trailbaker. The ti cooking pot you sold me worked perfectly for boiling
water. But contrary to a previous e-mail, I was able to use a Primus Litetec
hard anodized aluminum fry pan with no problems. The nonstick surface with a
few drops of olive oil made cooking and cleaning a breeze. I also found a small
plastic fuel funnel made adding fuel to the stove a spill-free process. Great
product- thanks much!
Nancy Bradbury
Aaron,
Hi. Just wanted to say you build a great stove and I am enjoying using my Turbo
II-D everyday. I received it for Christmas this year and am extremely impressed
with the quality and craftsmanship. This makes the coldest days at work outside
more enjoyable knowing I can pull off a hot meal quickly. A great product that
hopefully I can hand off to my son when the time comes. Keep up the great work
and I look forward to seeing the future products from your excellent line of
stoves!
Thank You,
Chris Banks
Supervisor
Citizens' Conservation Corps of West Virginia
New River Gorge National River
Hi Aaron
I just thought I'd let you know how thoroughly impressed I am with my Brasslite
stoves. I have a Turbo I and a Turbo 2F, I mainly use the Turbo 1 with a Snow
Peak solo pot and aluminium wind shield. The stove is SUPERB. I am amazed at
how hot it gets, it seems much more efficient than the Trangia burner and at
a fraction of the weight. For a quick brew when solo walking it is the best
I've come across. So many other ultralight stoves have the problem of how to
support your cooking pot, but the Brasslite's integral stand solves the problem
perfectly. My compliments on the design and build quality too.
All in all I'd like to thank Brasslite for a superb little stove, perfect for
lightweight and ultralight camping.
Regards,
Simon Sheffield
United Kingdom
Aaron,
Just thought I'd let you know that your Turbo II-D design is tough. My 12-year-old
son and I were camping; I was teaching him, among other things, how to cook
with your stove. It was very windy; we were camped under a stand of hickory
trees. Sticks and hickory nuts were falling off the trees quite regularly. I
commented to my son, "One of hose better not fall into our dinner!"
Five minutes later (and, fortunately after our dinner was complete and the stove
had burned out) a large stick -- with leaves and two hickory nuts -- fell out
of the hickory tree and landed -- bullseye -- directly in the hole on top of
the Turbo II-D. The thing must have fallen from 50 feet up. The only visible
"damage" was a small dimple on the bottom of the stove (from the impact
of the stick) and a small bend in the very edge of the flame opening. I have
"unbent" the flame opening, and the dimple on the bottom simply gives
my stove more "character." If I had been using a "soda can stove,"
I'd have been stoveless for the remainder of the weekend. At any rate, I just
wanted you to know that I appreciate the sturdy construction of your stoves.
Mine has now withstood a hickory stick bombardment.
Sincerely,
Guff Abbott
Dear Aaron,
I just picked up my Brasslite Turbo I at the post office. I have to say this
is one of the most elegant little stoves I have ever seen. The initial impression
is of a miniature Svea. I can't wait to get home and try it out. I think it
will do a yeoman's job with my Trek 700 pot. Cheers, Ken
Aaron:
I live in Gulf Breeze, Florida along the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. We sustained
a near direct hit from Hurricane Ivan about one week ago. Thankfully, we only
had minor roof damage and pool damage. Until this past Monday, we were without
water, phone and electricity. For about 5 days, my Brasslite Turbo cooked food
and heated water for an improvised shower for my wife and I. The local Lowes
store was out of propane and Coleman fuel, but had plenty of denatured alcohol
on the shelves!!! Just wanted to let you know that your little stove ROCKS!!!
It sips fuel and heats A LOT of water. I rigged a windscreen/pot support out
of left over 2 x 4's and was able to heat several large kitchen pots for hot
shower water. I must admit, I was a little disappointed when the power came
back on and I had to put the stove away! Happily, backpacking season is just
around the corner. Thanks for producing a rugged, bomb-proof piece of equipment
that can be counted on when the chips are down! Please feel free to use this
letter in your testimonials section.
Warmest regards,
James (Eric) Buckelew
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Thanks for the heads-up re: the new stove. I wanted to take a few moments to
thank you for your product, the Turbo-F. I used this stove exclusively on my
Appalachian Trail thru-hike this year (March 9 - July 11, 2004). In preparing
my gear for the hike I had decided to use my "pepsi can" stove but
I was a little concerned about if the stove would be durable enough for a 2100-mile
trip. Lucky for me you started producing the Turbo F early this year. The stove
works great and is very well built, and is lighter than my "pepsi"
set-up. I left for my hike with no worries that my stove would survive the trip.
I do take issue with the notion that the stove is "strictly a solo stove"
as you say. I thru-hiked with my mom (yes, the entire AT) and the Turbo F was
the only stove we used. We used dehydrated dinners and "cozy cooked".
The stove, combined with this method of cooking, is very well suited for long
distance hiking. We filled the stove with fuel, boiled one liter of water, added
it to our meals, and then let the cozy cook it. It took about one ounce of fuel/day
to cook dinner for two people, and we ate separate meals. I wondered if it was
worth it to buy the Turbo F when I had several "pepsi" stoves I made
virtually for free. In my opinion, on a long distance hike the sturdy construction
of the Turbo F is worth every penny. It will have a spot in my trail kitchen
for years to come. I don't mean to gush but I just wanted to let you know what
a positive impact you had on my thru-hike. Thanks a bundle.
Endorphin, AT GA->ME '04
aka MileMonster
Aaron:
Do you recognize the stove in this picture? Brice took his Turbo I also and
was very pleased. Take care, Bob
Click to enlarge (Photo courtesy of Bob Arnold)
Well, Aaron, I have to say that my recent Lost Coast epic provided some of the
most challenging conditions, between the wind and rain, and very cold creeks
(high 30s water temps) in which I've ever used an alcohol stove. I took the
Turbo F. I was really happy with the performance. I've also been playing around
with windscreen designs and have dialed it in so that I'm using as little as
0.5 to 0.65 oz of fuel to boil a pint of cold water, even in high winds. Great
design and thoughtful engineering - kudos to you. - Ryan Jordan (
www.backpackinglight.com)
Hello Aaron,
I just got my Turbo 1 and I'm amazed at how beautifully it works. It's truly
a wonderful design that works much better than I could have imagined. I am also
amazed at the workmanship. I've recently taken up soldering and am currently
attempting to make some of your older stoves which you give instructions for.
Your directions are excellent, but I have a long way to go in perfecting my
skills. Thanks again for a wonderful product.
Frank
The Turbo II-D arrived today in good order. Thanks much for the sale pricing;
hope you did well with these over the Holidays. It's fun to see how this has
evolved from the first run of stoves. I've astounded a lot of backpackers with
the little Micro and its ability to get a couple of cups of water boiling on
a minimal amount of alcohol. By comparison, this is almost
a car-camping stove.
I'm going to try using it with the Outback Oven (not an ultralight item)
to see if I can actually bake with it set on the minimum simmer. Most of this
requires about 40-45 minutes of baking time, but the efficiency of the oven
is such that it really doesn't need a lot of additional heat input once it's
up to temperature. The real test, of course, will be to see if the stove can
keep going that long. The results of the first few trips with the OutbackOven
were good enough (brownies, foccacia bread, etc.) that the heavy packers I
travel with have volunteered to cart the thing along if I'll do the cooking
with it. That works!
David
Aaron,
Filled up the new Turbo II-D and my old Turbo II with 1/2 oz. of denatured,lit
'em up with a pot of water on each and sat back and watched. By Jove!....I think
you've got it!!!! Nice, strong, electric blue colume of flame. This should make
the Turbo II-D a much better stove for folks who only want to have one stove
for all thier solo and couples camping. The more concentrated flame will make
the II-D version more efficient with a smaller pot than the old II was. Can't
wait to see the superultralight Turbo F. Please let me know as soon as they
become available. Loyal Brasslite Customer,
Gregory "Glow" D.
Hi Aaron,
It was good to meet you at the ALDHA Gathering. Thanks for the Turbo II-D stove.
I've just tried it for the first time so I thought I'd let you know how I got
on.
I took it on a two night trip in the Scottish Highlands in clear but cold
weather. The temperature was below freezing when I used the stove, the lowest
being 26F. I used a foil heat reflector and windscreen. I used a methanol/ethanol
mix, sold in the UK as methylated spirits. Initially I didn't put enough fuel
in the priming pan and it took a couple of attempts to get the stove to light.
I ended up dropping a light match into the stove - something I often do with
the Trangia when it's cold. However once I added more fuel to the priming
pan the stove lit quickly. It took 8 minutes to boil a pint of water - about
the same
as the soda can stove I have and almost twice as fast as a Trangia. I used
8 ounces of fuel, about the same as I would use in a Trangia. The stove simmered
quite well and much better than the Trangia.
I'll review the stove in the Handbook - positively! I'll also do a direct
comparative burn test with the Turbo II-D, Trangia and soda can stove.
Best wishes,
Chris
Chris Townsend
Mountain & Wilderness Writer & Photographer (Author of The
Backpacker's Handbook)
Auchnarrow, Grantown-on-Spey, Moray, PH26 3PL, Scotland, UK
http://www.auchnarrow.demon.co.uk
Dear Aaron,
The Turbo II-D is here, and it's awesome! Even using our generic Wal-Mart hiking
cookpot and no windscreen, I boiled 2 cups of water in under 5 minutes -- with
only 2 "caps" of fuel. Plus, the stove only weighed in at 2 3/4 ounces
-- unreal! Now I can't wait to get this baby on the trail. Thanks a bundle for
making such a terrific stove at so reasonable a price -- $57.00 delivered right
to my door. This is EXACTLY the backpacking stove my wife and I have been looking
for.
Thanks again, and keep up the stellar work.
Sincerely,
Guff A.
Aaron,
Thanks for the stove and the Trailbakers. I assume you got the check I sent
for the shipping. I had a chance to try both this weekend and I found the simmer
on the Turbo II D exceptional!! Good Job! The Trailbaker was fun to fool with
and baked my muffin. I plan to do Quiche, cobblers and apple crisps. It will
be a boon to my daily fare.
Mary H.
Hi ya Aaron,
I used the Turbo II on my last hike and have some feedback. I hiked for 5 days
with a mate of mine and we used it for:
1 cup of coffee in the morning, 1 rice meal in the evening + frying onions,
garlic, sun-dried tomatoes,
1 cup of coffee in the evening
This meal system was used every day. This required 900 ml of fuel. If I was
a little more careful pouring in fuel, it could have been less. The simmering
capacity of the stove is fantastic - better than anything I've seen because
with all vents blocked, it simmers at just the right temperature to keep rice
boiling. At 50% open, it's perfect for frying. The simmering response time is
not really an issue for me. This excellent simmer control is much better than
say the latest MSR Simmerlite which, even though it simmers, emits far too much
heat and therefore wastes fuel. With the fuel tank full, we got 30 minutes of
total burn time with your stove using the vents in various positions. Also,
unlike shellite, the food does not end up sticking to the bottom of the billy
because it has been seared on.
The way I see things, your stove is lighter than a shellite stove but uses
more fuel. Thus, eventually, over a long trip, the shellite would catch up
in total weight of stove + fuel. However, my calculations reveal that it would
have to be a ridiculously long trip and in practice, the Turbo II + fuel will
always be lighter (assumes the meals I have above, using fuel for lunch would
change things a lot). If the simmer control on the MSR Whisperlite was a lot
better (i.e. it could emit less heat at lowest possible simmer), it might
beat a Turbo II over 5 days. Gas might be more competitive in theory, but
I hate those bloody gas cylinders as you can never tell how full they are
and they loose pressure when emptying.
The Turbo II is also big enough that you can pour fuel straight into the
tank without your special little bottles. This is good because we needed more
fuel than the biggest one and plastic can break/wear out I suppose.
I can think of one tiny improvement. With the vents fully open, the stove
emits what looks like too much flame as it creeps up the sides of our billy.
We never had all vents open for this reason. Thus I assume there might be
1 or 2 too many? Anyway, this is a very minor criticism. I also think that
a cooking pot that is a lot wider than what I can buy would be much more efficient
- something like a frying pan with deep sides but that's another story.
In summary, the Turbo II is a winner and we'll be using it on all our trips
from now on except when we take more than 2 people or are in the snow.
Peter S.
Australia
I'd just like to say that after using both Esbit, and the Brasslite Micro on
the trail, the Micro kicks ass. Esbit sucks. In my direct opinion.
Why? Because the Micro boils water in less than 4 minutes and the Esbit takes
longer. (Using the Antigravity gear 3 cup pot with 2 cups of water at an altitude
typically at 9000 feet or so). I also would have to use a whole tab of the
Esbit, half wouldn't burn hot enough. And the fuel for the Micro is easy to
find in a small trail town - I found HEET at most general
stores. Esbit smells bad.
I also like the Micro better than the soda can stoves because it operates
under pressure. I found my soda can stove tests (at home) to be too inconsistent,
varying greatly with pot stand distance and air flow. Plus the Brasslite flame
is green sometimes when it picks up a bit of copper :)
I had made the mistake of listening to someone else and sending my Brasslite
stove home and using Esbit instead because it was lighter than carrying the
HEET or alcohol. Big mistake. I had a friend order *another one* and had it
mailed ASAP to a trail town. (Thanks Aaron).
Seraphina
Dear Aaron,
Your Turbo I is a great stove. Things I liked about it:
1. You can take it on planes..I wrapped mine up in my fleece zip-lock bag cozy,
shoved it in a titanium cup (which also holds the windscreen I made out of aluminum
roof flashing) and threw it in my checked luggage. No fuel smell so no problemo!
Voila! I had something to cook with when I arrived although I had trouble finding
Heet in Northern California. Found out it's sold in some hardware stores. Used
denatured alcohol the first few days.
2. It's easy to use in hotel rooms. I had very up-end hotel rooms in San
Fran. and used it to make myself soups and hot drinks which saved me a small
fortune.
3. It was wonderfully quiet in Yosemite's backcountry..I even had a young
mule deer continue her browsing thru my campsite as I was cooking dinner.
4. It's very well made..I find it get's almost too hot for my .9 Ti-pot so
the simmer shield closed halfway is perfect.
5. The simmer shield works so well I was able to scramble my eggs slowly
so they didn't come out hard and nasty..a very big plus.
I am now sure of both its abilities and mine so will pretty much use it exclusively
from now on. After all, why settle for second best! Thanks so much for your
hard work. I think you have a wonderful product.
Another addition...I just got back from an overnighter and had to cook in
winds over 20mph..using my windscreen, I had no problems. It's certainly easier
to fill using the spout and I like the fuel measuring capabilities. I'm getting
a feel to the amounts needed to do the required task without fuel waste.
-Linda V.
Aaron,
I received the Brasslite Turbo II yesterday, and did a test burn on it today.
My unscientific test was performed with 1 ounce of denatured alcohol burning
under a Peak1 2.5 cup stainless steel pot, with lid, filled with 2 cups of cold
tap water. I made a windscreen to fit around the pot, just under the swinging
handles and perforated about .75 inches up from the lower edge all the way around.
The windscreen was quite a bit too long, but I didn't want to cut it down to
length yet because I'm trying to find the right pot size and don't want to rule
anything out yet. so the overlap probably reduced airflow a bit.
I lit the stove and it immediately began putting out good heat. I put on the
pot and the windscreen and waited. I casually estimated start time at about
8 minutes past. The water reached a rolling, lid shaking boil at about 14 past.
Pretty good really. I had overestimated my fuel, so it took a few minutes to
burn off.
I figure that the boil time was maybe twice what a Whisperlite could achieve,
but quiet and the stove weighs almost nothing compared to the sheer mass of
a whisperlite. The big advantage of the whisperlite and similar stoves is the
ability to take on 2 liter pots full of water in really crummy conditions. But
dang, for most uses, I could definitely use the Brasslite. So color me impressed.
I am looking forward to trying the Turbo II under real field conditions,
but based on what I have seen, it should do fine. I really like how quiet,
small and light it is, and the construction is excellent. Good job.
Andrew "Iceman" Priestley, AT'95 GA>ME
Aaron, I just received my Brasslite Micro. OMG what the heck did I wait so long
to buy one for? I am in love with this stove. It works PERFECT with my current
wind screen and my grease pot. And light? I thought the Trangia was light (compared
to my white gas stove - relax guys!!!) but this - ahhhhhhh this wonderful little
beauty is as light as a feather but would put a cutting torch to shame! I just
can't believe how fantastic this little stove is!
-Jodi
Aaron:
I just spent a week hiking a section of the PCT between Big Bear City and Tujunga
Canyon. Instead of my trusty Snow Peak Gigapower, I put the Brasslite Micro
in my Snow Peak Mini-Solo Titanium cookset.
My previous experience with alcohol stoves was very nearly disasterous. I
made a "photon" stove as described and tried it out on my concrete
patio. Apparently, I didn't get the epoxy to seal quite right, and a jet of
burning alcohol shot out at the wooden post supporting my wooden patio cover.
If I hadn't beed prepared with a bucket of water, I probably would have burned
down the house.
So it was with some anxiety that, in spite of a successful patio test, I
set out on the hike with my new Brasslite Micro. As per the instructions I
made the refector and windscreen (and carried extra foil in case these fragile-
looking items gave out. I also made a pot cozy, not following your guide,
but copying one of the Anti-gravity Gear models that I saw at an REI.
In short, your stove gave amazingly flawless service for something this simple
and lightweight. The craftsmanship is clearly that of a jeweler -- elegant
and visually flawless. I carried 20 oz. of fuel, and used a little over half
of it in the six nights and seven days. That's boiling a little over a quart
of water each day.
I realize that you've just introduced the improved Turbo versions. If I can
talk my wife into less luxurious backpacking, more like a thru-hike than a
comfortable lake-side base-camp, I would certainly buy your Turbo II for that
adventure.
I wish you continued success, and hope to see the continuous improvement
in your products that I'm already seeing.
Steve S.
Aaron:
Wow, what an elegant conception..and it works! I took it out on the back porch
(40F) and boiled 2 cups of water on an ounce of fuel (yellow Heet) to make the
morning coffee. I love your simmer invention..thank you so much..I'll write
more when I've taken it out on the trail a few times..Lin
Aaron:
In prep for our PCT hike, I’ve been running tests involving the Brasslite
Duo and other alcohol stoves. Bottom line: I simply could not be more pleased
with the Brasslite Duo. It is wonderful. Let me explain why…
You remember that I got a custom stove (with wider lip and no
pot stand) from you so I could play with the pot stand height. Part of my
reasoning was having a wider stand for pot stability, in that we use a 6”
wide pot and use 1.5 quarts at a time. I can’t recall the height of your
standard pot stand, but what I ended up with is a height of 3.25“ above
the flat surface, or 1.75” above the top of the stove. It’s probably
not exactly what you are using, but I can’t recall your pot stand height.
I got the shortest boil times with this height.
Having made myself a super folding pot stand the correct height
and a new windscreen of aluminum roofing sheeting, I picked the worst case
scenario – probably as bad as anything we will hit in 3-season hiking
– and ran more tests. The Brasslite Duo blew away all other stoves. Outside
temp was 32*, the water was from a huge container with a large chunk of ice
floating in it, and I purposefully kept the fuel bottle outside during the
tests (32*). I was trying to bring 1.5 quarts of this ice water to a full
boil. All conditions were aimed at the weaknesses of alcohol stoves.
Well, to all the original critics on BPL that said to stick
with a gas stove if I wanted to heat that much water under these conditions,
I say “Try a Brasslite.” I have gotten the Brasslite Duo to rapid
boil that amount of ice water in 11:45 minutes, which I think is spectacular.
I had originally gotten a time of 12:30, but the new pot stand height and
new windscreen broke the 12 minute mark, which – for alcohol, and 1.5
quarts of ice water – is just terrific.
My only regret is not having the funds to purchase another custom
stove from you to have as a back-up, in that we’re out 2-3 months at
a time and I fear something happening to my wonder stove.
Anyway, I wanted to let you know how great I think the Brasslite
Duo is.
Bob
Have just received your package in the mail.... all I can say is WOW !
I've collected, repaired, reworked, designed and built small backpacking and
camp stoves for the past 38 years, so I guess I know a little about the subject.
This isn't a mere alcohol stove, nor a bit of homespun craftsmanship. Jewelry,
and minor work of art? No, the words Faberge Egg come to mind as an apt description...
I tested it last night and am anxiously awaiting my next opportunity for field
trials. You have here a fantastic product!
Thanks Ed G.
Dear Aaron,
The stove arrived day before yesterday and, seeing as the stove was shipped
on 24 March per your e-mail, the USPS really outdid itself! Seriously, though,
I am well pleased with it. I have given it a test burn and it works just as
described. The workmanship is excellent; the stove looks almost machine-made
(and if you have some knowledge of technological history, you know that machine
production was originally supposed to approximate the best of hand work). I'll
be glad to recommend you to anyone who inquires about the stove. It has been
a pleasure doing business with you.
Sincerely yours,
John C.
Hello Aaron:
I found your website quite by accident as I was interested in alcohol stoves.
My previous experience of cooking at campsites over the years has included
every thing from old one burner pump up coleman stove, two burner coleman,
fish cookers, dutch ovens etc. I have never been a backpacker till now.
I decided to make one since you had such detailed instructions.
The parts were ordered from the webs you gave plus some local stuff too.
It was a real challenge for me and a friend of mine at work who is an excellent
welder and solder person. After several trys we finally got the hang of it
and made about five of them since I had the material anyway. It is amazing
what they will do. I had them at work and people would say HEY-come look at
this as I was boiling water in a 2lb.coffee can.
I have used it several times at home and in the woods-works great!!! Am planning
on taking it to Idaho in Oct. for elk hunt. I have ordered one of your 8oz.bottles
which I have been needing.
I would recommend to anyone reading this if you are thinking of building
it yourself to save money---FORGET IT-----the material cost more than a stove,
plus it is very frustrating even for an experienced person to do this.
Thanks Aaron
Harold in Tennessee
Hi Aaron,
I have just recieved my Duo and I have to say that it greatly exceeds my expectations.
So far the stove has outperformed its spec. both in terms of boiling times and
fuel consumption which is contrary to most other stove manufacturers claims.
I am interested in the new filler screw and the smaller bottle. Fuel economy
is so good that I will rarely need the 500 ml bottle. Please could you let me
know the cost of both including shipping to the U.K.
I do hope that you manage to solve the simmering problem, that would really
make it the stove of stoves! Although I hope you manage to solve it without
necessitating buying a completely new stove.
Kind regards,
Ian C.
Cambridge U.K.
Aaron,
Just came back from six days on the AT going south from Hwy 76(Ga) to Neal's
Gap using the stove you so rapidly sent me. The stove was everything promised.
Light, efficient, and elegant. We never got below 3000 feet and the temperature
was usually below zero when we cooked(Georgia had a cold snap). High winds(gusts
to 40 mph) except for one night. Used a wind screen and reflector as per your
instructions. Everything worked like a charm. Impressed the heck out of two
guys from the British Isles(Scotland and Northern Ireland)at the Blue Mountain
shelter.
When I saw the fuel bottle, I had to laugh, as it is the same bottle used for
one of the pour-on cattle dewormers(I'm a retired agricultural agent). If I
can only make one suggestion, it would be that you change the little round bolt
that fits in the fill hole to one that has more of a wing nut/flattened oval
shape(I'm sure there is a name for that style of nut, but I'm not a hardware
person). It was sometimes difficult to hold the little screw with cold numbed
fingers.
Thanks for a beautiful little stove.
Pete
Aaron:
After getting the package today I could not wait to tear it open. I felt like
a kid at Christmas. I immediately set up my small camp in the back yard to try
out this stove. Aaron you have a hit with this stove. I have enjoyed the simplicity
of alcohol stoves for many years and wanted an ultralite version. The only problem
was, all I found were stoves that were ultralite but did not have the quality
of the heavier commercial models. This stove is a quality, truly ultralite stove
and it really works very well. Often on weekend trips I only carry a titanium
cup to cook in and the stove fits in it nicely. I am very pleased with it and
would not hesitate in recommending it to all who want to lighten up!
Thanks for ending my search,
Rick
Aaron:
I received the BrassLite yesterday and played with it last night. I have built
a couple of Photon Pepsi stoves and had been using a Turbo-V8. I had melted
the outside rim of my best Pepsi stove, and this is more efficient than the
V8 - so .. I like the Brasslite a lot - can't wait to get it out in to the field
and use it. The filler bottle is great - takes the guesswork out of filling
and eliminates spillage.
Dennis
Hi Aaron,
Brasslite Duo has landed!
I have just taken delivery of the above and am pleased to advise that it has
arrived in purr-fect condition. Early comparison tests against my Trangia set
suggest a 100% improved efficiency in fuel consumption. With the Brasslite,
20 mls of methanol will give a boiled cup of water for tea and a bowl of water
sufficient for one meal as against just the cup from my Trangia. There is also
an added bonus in that if I still want to use my Trangia gear I can just substitute
the Brasslite for the existing burner at a 65 gram reduction in weight. In all
probability I will eventually ween myself from the Trangia set keeping only
the bowl and kettle. The only down side I see is that I’m going to have
to take more care at ignition as there is a bit of fire risk. Many thanks again
for my great Christmas present.
Lucky Luc
Mandurah, Western Australia
Hello Aaron;
Amazing product and oustanding craftmanship. A+ on this item for lite weight.
I was amazed at the ease of use and performance. I will highly recommend this
product to others. Thanks Aaron...
Dr. David C
Hello Aaron,
Is it too late to get 2 Brasslite Micros by Christmas? if not I will order 2
of them for presents, thought about it this past weekend while going from Stecoah
Gap to Fontana Dam...it was an all day and into the night snow hike and we stopped
at a shelter for hot chocolate...of course using the Brasslite you made for
me....e-mail when you can.
also thanks again for the simmer ring
Robert
Hello Aaron;
Thank you for clarifying my confusion. What I would like is the stove you make
that I do not currently possess. It sounds like that would be the New Duo! I
appreciate your offer and the stoves you make. They are just great. Please continue
to keep me informed of any new products you manufacture.
Thank you.
Donald
Aaron -
Stove, etc. arrived today (Sat) in fine shape. I did a couple of quick tests
this evening, will do more as time permits. I did get a proper B-D syringe to
measure with and found the Stabil bottle markings are right on the money. That
setup makes life a lot easier than the separate (unmarked) 1 oz bottle....
Conditions:
Altitude 2200' Barom. pressure: 30.15 Calculated boiling
temp: 208.5
Air Temp: 66f at beginning of test, 59f at end. Water
temp. before heating 73f.
Temp. measuring device was a Taylor Digital Cooking
Timer/Thermometer (which is apparently not satisfactory). Tests performed
outside in still air conditions.
Pot 1 - 2 qt aluminum pot with cover, approx. 6.25" diameter
Pot 2 - 600ml Sno Peak cup with aluminum foil cover.
16 oz of water for all 3 tests. Aluminum foil reflector used, no windscreen
used.
Pot 1 with 22 ml fuel: time to achieve boil 313 seconds, time to max temp.
(206 measured) 333 seconds. Time to burnout 488 seconds (8:08)
Pot 1 with 52 ml fuel: time to achieve boil 285 seconds, time to max temp
(206 measured) 305 seconds. Time to burnout 972 seconds (16:12). Simmer
ring was placed on the stove for approximately 2 minutes during this test.
Pot 2 with 22 ml fuel: time to achieve boil 375 seconds, time to max temp
(208 measured) 395 seconds. Time to burnout 457 seconds.
The water was at a rolling boil before the thermometer registered its max
temp, which in 2 of the 3 tests was below the calculated boiling temperature,
so I think that this cooking thermometer has both time lag and accuracy problems.
I'll do more tests, but the results seem to be very close to what you and
Sgt. Rock found and what was expected (given the variations in altitude and
amount of fuel used between your tests and mine). I was pleased to see that
the performance of the 2 oz Solo was not affected to a great extent by the
variation in fuel (22 vs 52 ml); the trend is there, just as Sgt. Rock
reported, but the performance with a 'light' fuel load is still very good.
As both you and Sgt. Rock suggested, the onfiguration of the pot seems to
be a critical factor in performance. At least this time I was able to get
the Sno Peak to boil - I'll play with the windscreen also as that was the
other factor that limited performance the first time.
Thanks again for the excellent customer service.
Scot
Aaron:
Your bottle looks great. I would definitely like one. I looked up the Sta-bil
bottle but thought it was a bit crude. The bottle that you found looks like
a higher quality product.
This weekend a friend from CARRYING A GOOD THING TOO FAR and I took a short
backpack into the Sierra. We were on the west slope just below the crest at
about 8700 feet. The weather was cold but mostly clear. On Saturday afternoon
we got a little snow from some passing clouds. The nighttime temperatures were
in the high 20's.
On this trip we decided to test our new alcohol stoves. We carried a Cat stove
that Donn had made, a Sgt. Rock Ion stove that I put together last Wednesday,
and both of your Brasslite stoves. The Brasslite's both performed perfectly
and I will be using them next year, when I don't have to melt snow for water.
I' really pleased that you found a better fuel dispensing system. Our experience
last weekend, dealing with multiple alcohol containers, and pouring, and spilling,
in the cold wind was the object of much discussion of alternate methods and
possible stove modifications. We have also decided to pay what it costs for
Everclear, and get away from the health hazards of handling denatured alcohol.
With this new fuel bottle the Brasslite moves even farther ahead of the competition
than before. What a design. It's the tops in ultralite cooking. I believe you're
due for more than the usual 15 minutes of "flame".
Please let me know how to get your new fuel bottle.
Red Leader
Aaron,
The stoves (Solo and Duo) arrived in good condition and I left work early to
go home and try them out. Both worked great and I was able to match yours and
Sgt. Rock's results. I'm looking for a fuel bottle that is graduated, has the
proper nozzle type, and is "bomb proof", in order to eliminate the
"filling bottle" ordeal. I'm planning one more trip before the snow
flies and look forward to CARRYING A BRASSLITE TOO FAR.
Some of us are getting together for a potluck dinner and photo sharing this
weekend. We have several "gear head" members and I'll be demonstrating
both stoves. Perhaps you'll be getting some orders next Monday.
I thought you and Judy might enjoy a look at our club web site
www.cagttf.org
We've been going since 1987 and have a roster of around 200 from all over
the San Francisco Bay area.
Denis (Red Leader)
Don't know if I mentioned it, but I managed to catch your stove
at the A16 clinic Glen was conducting at the West Los Angeles store. Glen
dropped by the studio (I'm an advertising photographer) earlier in the day
to get some shots done of the G4 and the new G5 to submit for the Backpacker
Gear Guide.
The clinics he'd done at the other A16's had really exceeded all expectations.
In San Diego, the corporate guy had put out 40 chairs, but was mumbling that
this was probably overkill, since "the usual turnout for these things
is around 20 people." The actual crowd count was 145, and the poor corporate
guy spent the evening at the copy machine trying to get handouts done for
everyone.
I didn't count the attendees at the LA store, but it was a packed house --
standing room only. There were several home-made stoves available to look
at. One guy brought a stove made of Red Bull cans with a bent-wire pot holder,
and there were several soda-can stoves there. But I think the BrassLite was
the hit. Took me a while to get to it, because there were just too many people
weighing it in the palms of their hands, peeking and poking at it. I was impressed
with how really well-made it is.
Again, great job!
David S.
I just got one of the Brasslite Solo stoves.... The weight of my brasslite stove
is 1.2 ounces, including the simmer ring. It is
very well made and my initial tests are very positive. I have fired it up a
couple of times here at home and it has a very even flame pattern, burning 100%
of the fuel in the chamber even with the simmer ring in use. With only some
crude tests done this week, it is quick to pressurize and boiled 20 ounces of
water in my Snow Peak Titanium pot in approximately 4 minutes with less than
a fluid ounce of fuel. I tested the stove and pot support with up to 20 pounds
of weight on it and it stood up with no problems. I am planning on posting an
owners report on www.backpackgeartest.org as soon as I get it in the field for
some use. I am going to be on the AT this coming weekend so look for an initial
report very soon after that. The report will include both field and shop test
results.
Dennis G.
Wow, what a month.
This JRTC rotation was a hell of a training exercise. It was the most realistic
training exercise I've done in 17 years. Unfortunately two pilots in my Regiment
lost their lives on the last night.
Here is the article.
It wasn't fun at all, the only good things were the Brasslite stove I took
always performed, and my Hennessy Hammock I only got to use on the last two
nights.
So now I'm back with a ton of e-mail to sort thru. Site updates should start
again with an update on the Brasslite review and the beginning of a review
on the Clark Jungle Hammock.
-Sgt. Rock
Hi Aaron,
Yes, I did receive the stove in the mail on Saturday. I had a chance to do a
short test run with it and I am impressed. Should you have demand for a larger
model stove, (something that can boil 2L of water) I would purchase that one
too.
Thanks,
Tad
Aaron -
I hope you like making those stoves... I have given two out of my five A16 clinics,
to just under 200 people total. If what the A16 people tell me is right, another
400 - 500 will be attending the last three. Your stove is a big hit - probably
generates the most interest of any item. I have your website listed on the materials
I hand out at the clinic. I don't know how much of the interest will translate
into sales, but people love the stove.
--Glen (Glen Van Peski of
GVP Gear)
