And the final test of a wood burning stove in winter conditions, this time the BushBuddy Ultra - my first wood burning stove - enters the fray. Conditions were similar to the previous tests, the temperatures were -12°C and it was snowing and windy.
My BushBuddy Ultra weights 134 g, and the TT 1100 pot it can be nestled in is 141 g including the lid, plus the orange packsack which is 18 g, all together a mere 293 g. However, in comparison to the Ti-Tri Inferno and the Bushcooker LT II the BushBuddy only can burn wood, whereas the other two can burn alcohol and Esbit. With my 6 g MYOG Top Burner stove I have a good back-up, though, and the Ti-Tri Gram Cracker should also work just fine with it.
What I like is that it fits into the pot, is small in size and thus doesn't use a lot of space. The Inferno is great, though I really dislike needing to carry the caddy. Good thing that a smaller Inferno is available nowadays, one which fits into the pot, as Roger showed. Anyhow. That should be it with testing wood burning stoves in the snow for a while, maybe that I revisit the Bushcooker LT II and use proper dry wood for a test, but that won't be too soon as I don't have it with me here in Vaasa. I hope you found this interesting and educating, and that it shows that given good fuel using a wood burning stove can be a real alternative for melting and boiling snow/ water in the winter.
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Those cotton balls work well Hendrik, I assume the black smoke is from the vaseline balls. I will be interested to know which stove you choose for your next winter trip.
ReplyDeleteRoger, I don't think the black smoke is from the cotton & vaseline balls, it must be from the bark or wood in there. I noticed it too, though I don't really have a good answer what it is. The vaseline soaked cotton balls are excellent, you just need to open them up a bit and off they go.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually not yet sure which one I take for my winter trip in February. I lean towards the Inferno + an alcohol or Esbit back-up, but the BushBuddy Ultra was the fastest and needs less fuel. Decisions, decisions!
The black smoke is probably from the tar in the wood. What kind of wood did you burn?
ReplyDeleteScots pine and Birch,they both have al lot of tar in the wood.
Cheers
Niels
Hei Niels, Its both pine and birch I was burning =) Thanks for the explanation!
ReplyDeleteSilly question maybe, but how do you find dry wood in winter, when the ground is covered in a meter of snow?
ReplyDeleteMark, the lower branches of the trees are usually dry and dead and thus can be used. Later in the season - March/ April you also already find dead, dry twigs on the snow - these are from branches which broke off under heavy snow loads during the earlier winter months. And then of course the secret weapon of hiking in Finland, the woodshed at the camping place!
ReplyDeleteHaha - yes, I'd forgotten about the woodsheds! Isn't Finland wonderful? (At least in that respect!)
ReplyDeleteGood points about the lower branches.
Another quick question or two (as I'm thinking about getting the BushBuddy):
Do you find having a fire-based stove a disadvantage when it rains? I mean, I would feel a little uncomfortable cooking too near the tarp or tent.
Secondly, you seem to be using the BushBuddy rather than the Caldera Cone. Aside from the caddy issue, is there another reason you prefer it?
Thirdly (last one!), what about soot? Does the stove get coated and spread soot around the inside of the pot when you store it?
Mark, Finland is awesome ;)
ReplyDelete1. Not really, to be honest. Yes, gas stove is more comfortable and faster. But I'm usually not in a hurry and would just look for a nice place under a big tree to cook, so I stay dry and away from the tarp. and I like that it is lighter and more environmentally friendly.
2. I like that it is simpler - I only have one part (ok, two!) instead of the four (six with stakes) of the Ti-Tri + Inferno. And Fritz just is awesome - check his interview to see what I mean!
3. The BushBuddy doesn't get any soot, really. After the fire is out and I let it cool down for a moment, I can turn the BB over and drop the ashes.
So the only soot is on the outside of the pot, and you can wash this at home. I keep the pot in a cuben sack and thus don't need to worry about soot in the rest of the pack.
And if you have more questions, no problem ;)
Re: Fritz - you don't get much more cottage industry than that!
ReplyDeletethanks for the answers. Fortunately I have an unused PayPal balance :)
Looking forward to your review in the future, Mark. It is a very fine piece of kit, something that will give you pleasure a long time!
ReplyDeleteTalking of reviews - did you see the special Germanic item in my final post from Utah?
ReplyDeletehttp://backpackingnorth.blogspot.com/2010/06/utah-part-4.html
Talking of reviews - did you see the special Germanic item in my final post from Utah?
ReplyDeletehttp://backpackingnorth.blogspot.com/2010/06/utah-part-4.html
Put something on those bare hands!!
ReplyDelete