[pct-l] comparative stove weights

[kdpo at pacbell.net (Ken Powers)]

Hi Dave,
Marcia and I have used a GigaPower Snow Peak stove on all our triple crown
hikes and a few others. The PocketRocket wasn't on the market when we bought
it. The two stoves are very comperable. I like my Snow Peak because the
stove in its plastic box fits inside my cup. The triangular PocketRocket box
does not fit. We have had zero problems with our stove in over 8000 miles.

We have compared the total weight of carrying canisters and stove to
carrying alcohol and a soda can stove. When we totaled the weight we found
the difference was so close that it probably didn't matter. Remember that
this is for our style of cooking and for two of us. We found a soda can
stove not convenient for boiling water for two. We have also watched how
much fuel we use in our cooking. We can make the smaller Snow Peak canister
last almost 4 days. Yes, sometimes we are carrying a full canister and a hlf
full canister. But we even considered that in our weight comparisons.

We have always used the small Snow Peak canisters. But the REI people have
told us that any canister will fit and work fine.

The isobutane canisters don't like to burn well on cold mornings. We have
gotten around that by putting the canister in my sleeping bag early in the
morning. That heats up the canister and it burns like it should - even at
12,000 feet in the snow or frost.

You can ship up to 4 of the smaller canisters in one package if it goes
ground. (Who would want to carry 4 canister anyhow?) We have had postal
clerks ask for MSDS sheets; tell us we couldn't ship them; etc. We have
ALWAYS prevailed. Snow Peak told us their product ships under consumer
commodity class 2.1, UN 1075  DOT-E 12274. That is where the postal clerk
goes to see how to label the box and how much fuel the box can contain. We
have never had a clerk ask us to open a box.

The fuel canisters are not available in most re-supply towns north of
Ashland. We had Snow Peak ship fuel to our re-supply points. It cost a bit
more, but they did a good job. We also found a few canisters in hiker boxes
and left along the trail.. But obviously you cannot rely on that source.

I'll be glad to answer any other questions about our stove or fuel.

Ken
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Plotnikoff, David" <DPlotnikoff@mercurynews.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 11:20 AM
Subject: [pct-l] comparative stove weights


> Greetings (and happy holidays) from a longtime list lurker and section
> hiker.
>
> As part of my planning for next year's section hikes (Peavine Creek to
> Willamette Pass), I'm re-examining a lot in my packing list, including
> stoves. I've had good luck with MSR Whisperlites over the years, but am
> looking at other options. (I took a fair amount of ribbing from the thrus
in
> Sierra City last year over the weight of the whisperlite. You'd have thunk
> I'd had a cast-iron skillet lashed to my pack...)
>
> In addition to building the Cat and Pepsi stoves, I'm also considering the
> MSR Pocket Rocket or the comparable Gigapeak gas stove. (My stripped down
> whisperlite with 6 oz of fuel is 20 oz. The Pocket Rocket with its
smallest
> cannister may be a tad less than half that.) Being unfamiliar with this
fuel
> type, I was hoping someone could tell me:
>
> What's the true weight of the smallest possible cannister these stoves
will
> accomodate?
>
> Are the gas stoves now standards-based so the cartridges are
> interchangeable?
>
> Short of shaking the can and guessing, how can I estimate how many boils I
> have left in a can?
>
> And, finally, any other pro or con experience that might help me make an
> informed decision.
>
> Nine months of planning and scheming is how I stay sane between my times
on
> the trail....
>
> Many thanks.
>
>
> David Plotnikoff
> San Jose Mercury News
> (408) 920-5867
> dplotnikoff@mercurynews.com
>
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