Caldera Cone Booger

[SunnyWalker]

I received a Caldera Cone today from Trail Designs. Man that little booger is really light. Directions say only denatured alcohol. Can we use Heet in alcohol stoves also? But man the thing is light. With some alcohol or fuel it won't be much heavier. I guess I just dropped some weight from my pack. Efficient thing. That's what impressed me with it. I was talking awhile back here somewhere on WB about how my PR and others like it are so unstable and inefficient. This things pretty good. Well, I've added it to my little collection and plan on starting to use it. Hope to use it on CDT this Summer and etc. The entire pkg-I have not weighed yet. It came with a two-piece plastic cannister to store it in (everythign goes in it). Pretty handy. I wish we'd had this years ago.

I've had some crazy stoves in my life. For example, anyone remember the Grasshopper stove? (I think it was called that, it kinda looked like a grasshopper). You screwed it to a long propane cylinder. Two legs were supplied by the stove and the third leg by the cylinder of propane itself. It was a blowtorch of course. We thought it was great!

My introduction to really cool backpacking stoves was the MSR Whisperlite. I still have it of course. I take it out once in awhile and check it over. Cool thing, it seems tons heavy compared to the Caldera Cone and stove. Any thoughts on stoves past and present?

[garlic08]

I thought my first (and last) homemade pepsi can stove was the greatest idea ever in stoves, at least for thru hiker. I never used another stove again. Sort of like getting used to trail runners--when are you going to hike a long trail in boots again?

I think of my old "WhisperLite" as "neither of which is true"--it's loud and heavy, compared to the alcohol. Sure, it has its place somewhere, but not on my trips.

My first stove was an old Coleman green thing, basically the base of the old white gas lantern with a different head. What a beast.

Beyond alky stoves, my hiking has now evolved to stoveless and I think that's improved my hiking too, but that's a whole other idea.

[SunnyWalker]

Do you remember the Coleman family type stove. The back and sides folded upright. You pumped the tank up (after you had put in white gas) and then lit the thing. Wow, some good meals out of that. Sliced canned potatos, scrambled eggs, and bacon. That was my favorite out of that stove.

Then there was the opposite end. On a section hike of AT I cam to the first nice big stop north of the start. You go through the bldg to continue on the trail-man my memory this morning I can't remember its name. Anyway, while there I saw and purchased the Nesbit stove with 5 little tabs. Wow, I had fun for the next few nights and mornings. Rain or shine that little thing sure cooked some good little eats.

[Dont Panic]

Yes, you can use heet in an alcohol stove (as well as denatured alcohol). We used a Caldera Cone on the CDT last year and it worked perfectly - even at high elevations. I Would definitely use it again.

[rasudduth]

Love my caldera cone. Used it on the windy PCT to cook for 2 people and it worked great!

Yes you can use Heet, just don't get the red colored bottle (as my memory serves me) as you will get some very annoying sooty black smoke while you cook.

[RadioFreq]

Yes, you can use heet in an alcohol stove (as well as denatured alcohol). We used a Caldera Cone on the CDT last year and it worked perfectly - even at high elevations. I Would definitely use it again.

Heet comes in two different colored containers...one red, the other yellow. DO NOT USE THE RED. Always use the yellow. They are different types of alcohol (read the label). Both will burn, but the red isn't good for you.

Or so I've been told.

[10-K]

I just downsized to a .5 liter pot w/ matching caldera cone.

I cut the top off a 20 oz coke bottle and the cone rolls up and fits right inside like it was made for it.

My pack has an upper side pocket where I keep it, and inside the cone I put my toothbrush, toothpaste and reading glasses.

Whenever I need to scoop water or just sit and drink from a cup I lift the cone out of the bottle and it holds all the stuff inside it.

Very neat...

[Skidsteer]

I just downsized to a .5 liter pot w/ matching caldera cone.

I cut the top off a 20 oz coke bottle and the cone rolls up and fits right inside like it was made for it.

My pack has an upper side pocket where I keep it, and inside the cone I put my toothbrush, toothpaste and reading glasses.

Whenever I need to scoop water or just sit and drink from a cup I lift the cone out of the bottle and it holds all the stuff inside it.

Very neat...

You use esbit, right?

Do you think esbit residue on the cone might be left in your coke bottle and on your toothbrush?

[Dont Panic]

Heet comes in two different colored containers...one red, the other yellow. DO NOT USE THE RED. Always use the yellow. They are different types of alcohol (read the label). Both will burn, but the red isn't good for you.

Or so I've been told.

That's right. You do only want to use the yellow one. It's not that the red one is bad for you, it's that it has isopropanol - ie rubbing alcohol. It will burn, but it burns very dirty and will cover the bottom of your pot with a layer of soot that gets everywhere!

[10-K]

You use esbit, right?

Do you think esbit residue on the cone might be left in your coke bottle and on your toothbrush?

None ... esbit residue is on the bottom of the pot but none ever gets on the cone at all.

I keep most of the gunk off my pot by rubbing it on a relatively smooth stone in a creek whenever I get the chance.

(... wonder if that's why someone called me 'Ol Blacktooth....)

[300winmag]

I recently got a CC Sidewinder with the Inferno wood burning insert kit option. The CC stove is efficient in ANY fuel mode! Two ESBIT tabs are no longer necessary to cook fast. With the CC Gram Cracker tab holder and the Cone I can now cook my spaghetti with one ESBIT tab.

Wih the Inferno inverted inner cone & screen bottom I can cook for 20 minutes on two hands full of twigs. Amazing.

I'm no longer a fan of alky stoves due to their inefficiency but any CC stove will really up alky stove efficiency. Still ESBIT is the lighter fuel for longer trips.

What I like about the shorter Sidewinder is that it stores inside your pot in a Tyvek sleeve. That includes shorter main cone, the inner inverted cone, the Ti base sheet and 1/4" screening base for the Inferno. All that does fit into the 3 cup pot that my particular version of the Sidewinder was made to fit. BRILLIANT! (Now hand me a Guiness. All this typing has made me thirsty.)

Eric

[SunnyWalker]

I guess the name "CALDERA" Cone is a good name for this stove!

[SunnyWalker]

I think Isopropol has water in it. That is one reason it does not burn real good.