Educate me on Titanium backpacking stoves

[TRD1911]

So i'm still slowly upgrading my backcountry gear. While making changes I've been keeping in mind that I want to make changes that encourage my wife to come with. This includes a floorless shelter and stove combo. I've already picked up a Cimmaron from Seek Outside and now doing research on stoves to increase comfort and dry out cloths at the end of the day.

My questions are for those with experience on these items; Do you prefer a box stove or cylinder and why? Any issues with smoke/CO building in the tent?

I'm also open to any suggestions on brands and designs. I've looked at the Kifaru and the Seek outside but if there are better options out there then I'm all ears.

[MtnMuley]

I have the SO medium stove for my Cimarron and it's fine. I like cylinder stoves better though. Pitch your shelter slightly off the ground and you shouldn't have any smoke/CO issues. The Kifaru Smith cylinder stove or the Ti Goat  Vortex stove are both good choices.

[TRD1911]

I have the SO medium stove for my Cimarron and it's fine. I like cylinder stoves better though. Pitch your shelter slightly off the ground and you shouldn't have any smoke/CO issues. The Kifaru Smith cylinder stove or the Ti Goat  Vortex stove are both good choices.

Why do you prefer the cylinder stove? Seems like the box stove may be more useful for cooking/warming water.

[Mtnwalker]

Same boat here, just bought a cimarron a few weeks ago, no stove yet. From watching videos on youtube I had decided on the SO stove vs the cylinders but interested to hear some input that may change my mind. The SO just looked like an easier system

[MtnMuley]

Like I said mine works fine, but I prefer cylinder stoves because I think stoves that are round and roll the heat when properly dampened, burn longer. Just my 

[TRD1911]

Interesting. I didnt really think of it that way with the round shape rolling heat

What I've gathered so far with my (limited) research -

cylinder pros - significantly lighter, pack smaller

box stoves - sturdy and flat surface to cook on, thicker material radiates heat longer.

Has anyone had issues with their cylinder stove getting crushed while packing? It seems like in all the videos and reviews of the cylinder stoves there are huge dents in the cylinder and gaps around the pipe fitting.

[Tim in Wa.]

Liteoutdoors makes a good stove and is great to deal with.A good compromise between cylinder and box stove is a T I Goat WiFi .good product challenging to deal with

[Jonathan_S]

Liteoutdoors makes a good stove and is great to deal with.A good compromise between cylinder and box stove is a T I Goat WiFi .good product challenging to deal with

What is challenging about the WiFi in your opinion?

Other than the initial rolling of the chimney pipe, I can't think of a time that I thought it was a challenge?

[Tim in Wa.]

nothing about the stove.The owner of the company,not a bad guy  but a bit unusual

[X-Force]

I like cylinder over box because cylinder stoves seem to burn hotter for the size.

SO box stove dampens really well and will keep coals a long time but it doesnt seem to put off nearly the heat. I personally dont cook on stoves either so SO is not my cup of tea.

Kifaru's cylinder is super light and its kind of rickety. The legs peg straight down, the stove is held together with wire... it burns great and puts off a ton of heat.

My personal favorite is the Lite Outdoors. I like how the rods hold the stove together, How the legs tripod out, how big the door, etc. If you bring a saw you can put some good rounds into this thing. The one negative about the Lite Outdoors is that it sits so low to the ground. if there is dry grass, pine needles etc. you need to clear those out of the way before getting a fire going.

[Karl Blanchard]

Interesting. I didnt really think of it that way with the round shape rolling heat

What I've gathered so far with my (limited) research -

cylinder pros - significantly lighter, pack smaller

box stoves - sturdy and flat surface to cook on, thicker material radiates heat longer.

Has anyone had issues with their cylinder stove getting crushed while packing? It seems like in all the videos and reviews of the cylinder stoves there are huge dents in the cylinder and gaps around the pipe fitting.

box or cylinder it doesnt matter.  If you use it, its gonna get dented and dinged.  Doesnt effect use one bit.  I'll be going back to a box stove after a couple seasons on my Smith.  My issue with the cylinder is air flow around material.  Everything just rolls down the sides and piles up, cutting off air flow.  With damp wood it's hard to keep a good rager going when everything is just stacked together.  I spent half my week in idaho this year blowing on smoldering wet sticks.  Buddy in his teepee had a sauna going as he was able to crisscross his tinder and get solid air flow around his material.  It was a really solid side by side comparison.

[WapitiTalk1]

I like cylinder over box because cylinder stoves seem to burn hotter for the size.

SO box stove dampens really well and will keep coals a long time but it doesnt seem to put off nearly the heat. I personally dont cook on stoves either so SO is not my cup of tea.

Kifaru's cylinder is super light and its kind of rickety. The legs peg straight down, the stove is held together with wire... it burns great and puts off a ton of heat.

My personal favorite is the Lite Outdoors. I like how the rods hold the stove together, How the legs tripod out, how big the door, etc. If you bring a saw you can put some good rounds into this thing. The one negative about the Lite Outdoors is that it sits so low to the ground. if there is dry grass, pine needles etc. you need to clear those out of the way before getting a fire going.

Great summation X-force.  I also really like the Lite Outdoors stove (weighs and packs down to nothing; burns nice and hot).  Used it on my ID hunt (in a Luxe Outdoors tipi) this past SEP this year and it was money in temps in the teens.  Yep, it sets a bit low and a guy needs to do some grass/weed pulling before firing it up.  Also, I recommend you paint the legs a bright color as they are easy to misplace when packing up the stove (don't ask me how I know this) and obviously, the legs are crucial to the setup unless you wish to prop up one corner with a rock (yep, been there have the T shirt).  TRD, yes... when first lighting these things up (and until you have a hot fire/draft going), they tend to be a bit smoky in the enclosures but that goes away pretty quickly.  Obviously, its important to use dry wood, and, get the fire going and hot as quick as possible.   

[Mtnwalker]

box or cylinder it doesnt matter.  If you use it, its gonna get dented and dinged.  Doesnt effect use one bit.  I'll be going back to a box stove after a couple seasons on my Smith.  My issue with the cylinder is air flow around material.  Everything just rolls down the sides and piles up, cutting off air flow.  With damp wood it's hard to keep a good rager going when everything is just stacked together. I spent half my week in idaho this year blowing on smoldering wet sticks. Buddy in his teepee had a sauna going as he was able to crisscross his tinder and get solid air flow around his material.  It was a really solid side by side comparison.
[/quote]

It was wet over there? Lucky 

[TRD1911]

Interesting. I didnt really think of it that way with the round shape rolling heat

What I've gathered so far with my (limited) research -

cylinder pros - significantly lighter, pack smaller

box stoves - sturdy and flat surface to cook on, thicker material radiates heat longer.

Has anyone had issues with their cylinder stove getting crushed while packing? It seems like in all the videos and reviews of the cylinder stoves there are huge dents in the cylinder and gaps around the pipe fitting.

box or cylinder it doesnt matter.  If you use it, its gonna get dented and dinged.  Doesnt effect use one bit.  I'll be going back to a box stove after a couple seasons on my Smith.  My issue with the cylinder is air flow around material.  Everything just rolls down the sides and piles up, cutting off air flow.  With damp wood it's hard to keep a good rager going when everything is just stacked together.  I spent half my week in idaho this year blowing on smoldering wet sticks.  Buddy in his teepee had a sauna going as he was able to crisscross his tinder and get solid air flow around his material.  It was a really solid side by side comparison.

Great point. That's something that I hadn't considered which could be a huge factor considering all I hunt is we(s)tside. There still seems to be more folks in favor of the cylinder style. Too many options!

[Karl Blanchard]

Fires are easy when it's dry out but when everything is covered in wet snow or worse when the snow is melting and even the dead sticks are soaking wet it's a full-time chore. I've used both quite extensively and my personal preference is the box stove. To each their own though.

[MtnMuley]

Interesting points made.   I guess I've never used a cylinder stove when the wood has been soaked.  I have with the box style and was able to make it work well enough. 

[TRD1911]

Fires are easy when it's dry out but when everything is covered in wet snow or worse when the snow is melting and even the dead sticks are soaking wet it's a full-time chore. I've used both quite extensively and my personal preference is the box stove. To each their own though.

another member sent me a link to a hybrid of the two. It's a Titanium Goat Wifi. had the flat base/surface but wrap around oval body to save weight. This looks like it may solve both problems but comes at a steep price. http://www.titaniumgoat.com/stove-WiFi.html

[Karl Blanchard]

 The Wi-Fi seems like a great stove and I would really like to get my hands on one. I wish however that the door was on top. I had a barrel stove there was a top feed.   if you could feed longer sticks in from the top and have them vertical air flow would not be an issue around the wood and I think it would burn very well. I had a wall tent stove like this years ago and it was amazing.

[pd]

The best stove is one you get a friend to make for you.  I have the T-shirt, too.

 

Cylinder or square box, I personally don't think it matters much.  Karl's point about "bunching up" is something to consider, but I have no experience.

Good luck with your choice.

[Karl Blanchard]

Who's going to make me a vertical cylinder stove that is top feed? I'll be super ambassador field Pro Staff and all 50 people that follow me on Instagram will know and all 50 people that follow me on Instagram will know about your product

[pd]

Who's going to make me a vertical cylinder stove that is top feed? I'll be super ambassador field Pro Staff and all 50 people that follow me on Instagram will know and all 50 people that follow me on Instagram will know about your product

Your requirement is that the stove is collapsible, right?  If it were of a fixed shape design, would that work?  (Carry it into the back country outside your pack, bulky but lightweight.)

[MtnMuley]

Ha, I was figuring you'd just simply cut a hole in the WiFi and make a lid out of your circle

[Karl Blanchard]

Who's going to make me a vertical cylinder stove that is top feed? I'll be super ambassador field Pro Staff and all 50 people that follow me on Instagram will know and all 50 people that follow me on Instagram will know about your product

Your requirement is that the stove is collapsible, right?  If it were of a fixed shape design, would that work?  (Carry it into the back country outside your pack, bulky but lightweight.)

nope I'd want it collapsible

[Karl Blanchard]

Ha, I was figuring you'd just simply cut a hole in the WiFi and make a lid out of your circle

I lack the courage to cut a hole in a $300 chunk of titanium

[Tim in Wa.]

That " bunching up" if I understand correctly what you are referring to is actually a good thing.That means the coals tend to roll down to the lowest point and tend to burn more completely.
 Having a stove that is permanently assembled is not a bad idea either.You can make it from s.s. pots from Walmart,they are easier to get airtight and you can pack stuff inside   

[TRD1911]

I'm not ann ounce counter but I'm willing to pay the price for titanium in this instance. I'm sure there is a way to make one out of stainless steel but similar projects have ended up costing me much more than expected  and haven't been thrilled with the results.

[Jonathan_S]

That " bunching up" if I understand correctly what you are referring to is actually a good thing.That means the coals tend to roll down to the lowest point and tend to burn more completely.
 Having a stove that is permanently assembled is not a bad idea either.You can make it from s.s. pots from Walmart,they are easier to get airtight and you can pack stuff inside

Practical experience speaks otherwise. Bunching up is the kiss of death with less than ideal fuel which is usually what is available.

What stove do you use?

[Magnum_Willys]

Used my seek outside box stove to heat wall tent. Lasted 2 1/2 to 3 hours between refills.  Burnt fine.

[hogslayer]

I have the lite outdoors stove.  Seems like the titanium stoves get really hot and last for about 30 min then burn out.  I gets very red and can’t see it lasting a long time.  I mostly use it to get things hot before climbing in bed, along with drying gear out.  One thing I learned this year is a 10 degree quilt isn’t to great in low temps with wind.

[Tim in Wa.]

That " bunching up" if I understand correctly what you are referring to is actually a good thing.That means the coals tend to roll down to the lowest point and tend to burn more completely.
 Having a stove that is permanently assembled is not a bad idea either.You can make it from s.s. pots from Walmart,they are easier to get airtight and you can pack stuff inside

Practical experience speaks otherwise. Bunching up is the kiss of death with less than ideal fuel which is usually what is available.

What stove do you use?

Now I use a roll up T I stove if I nee to carry it very far.I use a bigger permanently assembled (from s.s.pots) when I don't have to carry very far.
I started out with a Kifaru small box stove than made a large size more air tight box stove.I get far less build up of unburnt material with the cylinders.I think I started using collapsible wood stoves in 2006.
 The biggest factor for me is the quality of wood available   

[Jonathan_S]

  Got any pics of your ss one?

[Tim in Wa.]

I will get one tomorrow, I will try to post it

[TRD1911]

I went with the TiGoat Med Wifi. We will see. planning a couple backyard camping trips with my young son before bringing this to the backcountry. Thanks for all the advice folks

[Jonathan_S]

I went with the TiGoat Med Wifi. We will see. planning a couple backyard camping trips with my young son before bringing this to the backcountry. Thanks for all the advice folks

Good choice

[Tim in Wa.]

I went with the TiGoat Med Wifi. We will see. planning a couple backyard camping trips with my young son before bringing this to the backcountry. Thanks for all the advice folks

Good choice

that would be my top choice if I were to buy another one.
Your kids will love yard camping and so will that cool German Shepherd. I have one the looks just like him

[CoryTDF]

I have the SO XL stove and the TIGoat L WiFi and thus far I like the SO better. The WiFi is ok but the door is the issue for me. It is a simple piece of titanium that just flaps over the hole. I had an issue with the stove burping and sending out smoke to the point that I had to unzip the Tipi and let it air out. I also did not like how small the opening was in the TiGoat. The SO stove as the door is larger allowing for larger wood pieces which give longer burn time.

I just returned from an Idaho trip and I stayed nice and warm in my SO 6 man tipi with the SO XL stove. Ill likely be selling my TiGoat stove soon enough.   

[pd]

Got any pics of your ss one?

[pd]

Work truck not included.   

[Jonathan_S]

Nice.  Looks like a good unit. 

Myself, I could never use something not extremely collapsible but that is a fine looking stove 

[Night goat]

Got me wondering......


Dont have Any experience with the titanium pack stoves however....

I have a cylinder stove in my alaknak, and a box stove in my ski shack. Noticed the cylinder stove acts more like a rocket stove and constantly have to keep pushing with wood in towards the outlet of the chimney to get a good hot burn going before I close it up for a long slow burn, whereas my box stove in my shack has everything coming straight up out of the top and isnt nearly the fuss as my cylinder stove. Almost seems that the more surface area on the floor of the stove makes it easier to get going but rhe cylinder stove seems to hold coals longer....

Would that hold true with the pack stoves? Also going the ultralight hot tipi/tent route trying to figure this all out....

[TRD1911]

First burn went really well on the TiGoat medium wifi. I'm very happy with this thing.

Side question about having a fire in a designated wilderness area. I saw for wilderness areas n the washington trails page it says "wilderness area rules apply. Fires prohibited. Stoves only". Does this mean that a stove like this is ok or were they referencing things like a Jetboil and similar pocket stoves for cooking?

I was assuming that these stoves for fires were permissible in wilderness areas as long as there isn't a burn ban in effect?

[Tim in Wa.]

should be o k with a spark arrestor screen except during very high fire danger.Probably open to some interpretation though

[TRD1911]

I picked up a spark arrestor for the top and bottom of this but still not 100% comfortable with it in Mid-September (especially if it's as dry as it has been the past couple years)

[Magnum_Willys]

when you need the stove you don’t have to worry about sparks. If its not wet or frosty no need for a fire usually I’ve found.

[TRD1911]

when you need the stove you don’t have to worry about sparks. If its not wet or frosty no need for a fire usually I’ve found.

Very good point here but I planned on the stove being dual purpose - comfort and cooking

[Fl0und3rz]

First burn went really well on the TiGoat medium wifi. I'm very happy with this thing.

Side question about having a fire in a designated wilderness area. I saw for wilderness areas n the washington trails page it says "wilderness area rules apply. Fires prohibited. Stoves only". Does this mean that a stove like this is ok or were they referencing things like a Jetboil and similar pocket stoves for cooking?

I was assuming that these stoves for fires were permissible in wilderness areas as long as there isn't a burn ban in effect?

Nice set up.   I have a Seek Outside 8 man and XL stove on order.  I cannot wait to get out and try it out.