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Backpacker Magazine – 2010 Editors' Choice/Gear Guide
Editors' Choice 2010: Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator Stove
Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator Stove (Steve Howe)
Cook anywhere, anytime with this innovative ultralight. “I brewed three cups of tea in a biting, swirling wind at just under 14,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park,” says one tester. “And the Soto achieved a rolling boil in less than five minutes.” Try that with any other canister stove and you’ll likely be drinking iced tea. The problem with most models: When ambient temperatures dip below freezing, vapor pressure inside the canister drops too, causing weak heat output. Solution: The OD-1R employs a dime-size fuel regulator inside the burner to maintain a steady flow of gas regardless of internal pressure, which keeps heat output constant in cold and high conditions. It even works when the canister nears empty (which causes decreasing pressure as fuel is burned). In our controlled tests (June 2009), in temps between 15°F and 30°F, boil times varied from 4.5 to 6 minutes—30 to 50 percent faster than any other stove in the test. Plus: It lights instantly via a piezo igniter; stable supports handle three-quart pots; and it packs smaller than palm-size. It doesn’t have an integrated windscreen, but after a storm-lashed Olympics trek during which the flame never failed, one tester said, “It doesn’t need one.” $60; 2.5 oz.; sotooutdoors.com
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READERS COMMENTS
I have used this stove several times. It has never failed and uses very little fuel. The burner works well in the wind and boils water as fast as anything on the market. The stove is an outstanding piece of engineering, Best canister stove on the market. Great Job Soto!
I'm a fan of canister stoves and have carried a Primus titanium since the mid nineties; very expensive but also very light. Last year I discovered the Soto which is lighter by 30% (85 grams according to my beam balance)and took it on a solo trek in the Powderhorn Wilderness. The stove performed without a hitch at all altitudes and temperatures. The shielded ignition is a real plus.
Has anyone who uses an MSR Reactor compared the two. That stove is the best thing I've come across in camping in 20+years.
I used this stove on my 14 day trek along JMT and High Sierra trail September 2010. This stove worked perfectly and used very little fuel. I did not need a fire starter and boiled water fast. No fuss, very efficient power house.
I recently used this on a 41 mile 4 day backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park and fell in love with it. One morning it was 25 degrees at 9,300 feet and it fired up without skipping a beat. With two people cooking twice a day we only used one canister of gas. And... at 55 I must say that the weight was a real plus.
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