Trail Designs Caldera Cone Stove System

Bargain


For the price of a couple of large pizzas and a pitcher of beer, you can own a stove that’s fast, light, and performs great in bad weather. The PocketRocket’s burner-mounted partition divides the flame into three parts, which helps keep the fire going through moderate wind gusts even if one section blows out. In a Texas rainstorm, the MSR held a steady flame, and it outperformed all other stoves except the Soto when the mercury dropped below freezing. Downsides: Don’t expect precision heat control, and the tightly focused flame creates a hotspot. The angled supports have only three tiny points of contact with the pot, so stability is iffy on anything less than level ground. And use the plastic storage box (included): One tester slightly mangled the stove’s pot supports when he threw the stove into his pack unprotected.

Criteria less than 6 ounces; less than $65

Test numbers 120 meals cooked; 50 gallons of water boiled; temps 0° to 70°F; winds up to 60 mph

Ratings scale 5 = Perfect gear, 1 = Save your money (Overall rating is not an average of other scores.)The Caldera Cone Stove System utilizes a conical windscreen designed to support and completely surround individual pots designs, and completely capture 100% of the heat produced by the supplied alcohol(or optional solid fuel) stove. This system provides the ultimate in wind protection, fuel efficiency and stability and is designed for the ultralight backpacker. (provided weight and price are an average)