View Full Version : Vargo Triad Titanium Stove, Any Experiences?
JonBusta
05-14-2005, 20:45
Came across this stove today online and was just wondering if anyone has used it before (did a search and got no results). I really like the legs and the weight (1 ounce) more than meets my standards for a stove. Any information would be great.
http://hike-advice.safeshopper.com/181/1452.htm?847
JimSproul
05-14-2005, 20:57
I bought one and have used it on two trips. It burns fine if you makes a wind screen. I made one out of several layers of aluminum foil then folded in an accordian shape so I could surround the stove.
Stability with my bigger pot, an MSR Ti Kettle, was okay but when I switched to a smaller Snowpeak set It was a real problem. The little arms and legs were not stable. I tend to keep the stove but I have made a wind screen/pot rest out of the bottom of a Miller 32 oz. beer can. Much better and I can burn the stove or backup fuel tabs.
Whistler
05-14-2005, 21:23
It burns fine, but is a little fiddly to fill, light, & prime. If you got some time and a smidge of patience, you'll be fine. I've let mine get dusty while I switched to simpler home-made soda & cat models. The pot supports are a huge bonus, though.
-Mark
JonBusta
05-15-2005, 00:05
Thanks for the info guys, maybe i'll just mess around with my current stove and create some pot supports for it out of another can.
Ah... how did you do a search? If you type in vargo alcohol stove review at google you will get a number of reviews at backpackgeartest.org and backpackinglight.com
My recommendation... stay away. I like the idea behind this stove but I have been disappointed with ease of fueling, how easy it is to over-prime, how sensitive it is to wind, and overall fuel efficiency. Until they improve the design I would recommend trying a different stove. I would suggest checking out brasslite, Sgt Rock's Ion, or the thermojet stove if they ever clear their backlog. All three of these have decent pot supports and could give you ideas of how to d a good pot support for stoves you make.
--Mark
sliderule
06-02-2005, 19:43
There have been some quality issues with the Triad stove. The upper and lower parts of the stove body are not getting sealed during manufacture. This causes the flame to "torch" out of the bottom seam. From what I heard at Trail Days, this is a pretty widespread problem. One of the outfitters said they were getting quite a few returns.
Mr. Vargo himself was at Trail Days. He had a prototype of a follow-on version of the Triad which should overcome many of the Triad's shortcomings. One apparent down side was a burn time of only 10 minutes. But refueling was easier than with the Triad. Mr. Vargo indicated (on May 14, 2005) that the new version could be available in a few weeks.