111t wrote:Two things that are good about the ledmark configuration (and indeed the trangia 25/27 systems.) The burner is not in contact with the ground. This prevents conductive heat loss and allows the use of a preheat tray beneath the burner. Secondly the ledmark and trangia 25/27 windscreens completely enclose the flame. this maximizes the heat transfer to the cooking vessel which is also protected from the wind. The shortcomings of alcohol as a fuel are minimized by the design of these integrated cooksets as opposed to the ultralight burner/pot support which is optimal under ideal conditions, as far as bulk and pack weight. The increased efficiency of integrated pot/windscreen design will eventually pay for the added weight, in fuel savings. Additionally, in difficult conditions, the lighter weight options may fail to boil water.
Hi, Paul,
Well, I definitely like the Ledmark set. Very tempting, although I'm not sure I can justify it just yet with she-who-must-be-obeyed. We do have a very small place now, so I'd better hold off.
There is one ultralight rig that works pretty darn well in the wind. It's a bit more frail than the Ledmark set, but it really does work well: The Caldera Cone. I took mine out this weekend for a little backpacking.
The whole kit fits into an old stuff sack I've got. The Sierra cup is there as a size reference.
Inside is a standard MSR Titan Kettle, into which the other components nest.
Open up the Ziploc container, and inside is a Pepsi can type stove optimized for use with the set. Note windscreen rolled up inside the container.
Here, I've taken everything out of the Ziploc container: measuring cup, eyedropper (for recovering unburned fuel), 4 fl. oz bottle of denatured alcohol, and of course the burner.
The cool thing about the Caldera Cone is that the windscreen
is the pot support.
A closer look at the Ziploc everything goes into. I use the Ziploc as a bowl.
Around the Ziploc container, I've got a cozy made out of Reflectix. I boil the water on the stove, put whatever I'm re-hydrating in the Ziploc, and then let everything steep.
Here I am ready to make Top Ramen
Starting to boil
And, after lunch
A satisfied customer.
I'm still attracted to the Ledmark which would do the same thing but be a whole lot tougher, but the Caldera Cone is really light. I've got a Trangia 25 and a 27. I've got a Meta 50 somewhere in our storage unit too. I've also got a Clistand that I just bought. Better hold off a bit on yet another alcohol stove.
Other than being a bit frail, but not overly so, the other down side of the Caldera Cone is that you have to buy the specific windscreen for your particular pot. Each windscreen only fits one pot. The MSR Titan kettle that you see in the above photos is a decent size for my needs (0.85 L), so I'm not unhappy with it, but with my windscreen, I can
only use the Titan kettle.
HJ