Bear Creek, The Svea 123R Stove, In Addition To The Edelweiss Cookset

I wanted to exit yesterday, but I didn't receive got the fourth dimension to make something long, in addition to I've been having human foot problems.  So, to Bear Creek I decided.

Alder lined Bear Creek inward the pre-dawn lite

Now, non solely did I desire to exit for some do in addition to to larn away from "civilization" but I every bit good wanted to try out my "new" (to me) Edelweiss cookset that was given to me past times "hikermor" from California.

The Edelweiss Cookset

But first, let's larn to Bear Creek.  From Azusa, accept Highway 39 N to the confluence of the West in addition to North Forks of the San Gabriel River.  There are ii parking lots in addition to a picnic surface area hither every bit good every bit a pit toilet.  No imbibe H2O is available, but of course of written report the river is real unopen past times if you lot receive got the way to process the water.  Park at 1 of the ii lots or along the side of the highway if the lots are full.  Don't forget to postal service your parking permit ("Adventure" pass).

From the parking area, buy the farm along on human foot upward the paved route that goes due west along the due south banking firm of the West Fork of the San Gabriel River.  Go due west for most 1 mile.  After most a mile, you lot should catch this sign amongst an arrow on top pointing N across the river.

Sign pointing to Bear Creek

Detail of arrow on sign pointing across the river to Bear Creek

If the H2O is actually low, you lot tin merely wade or stone hop across the H2O straight to Bear Creek, but in that location is an easier way.  Proceed some other 100m or thus due west in addition to cross a bridge.  After crossing the bridge, plough left, descend to the river bank, in addition to larn underneath the bridge.  Follow the river 50m or thus downstream to the confluence of Bear Creek.

West Fork of the San Gabriel River merely below the bridge

In the inward a higher house photo, Bear Creek is flowing into the West Fork merely behind the trees on the left side of the frame. OK, thus let's start heading upward Bear Creek.

Heading upward Bear Creek

The trail is inward pretty decent cast in addition to is reasonably followable.  Someone has painted light-green arrows inward a few spots which, piece ugly, make correctly betoken the way inward those sections where the trail is a picayune difficult to spot.  As amongst most streamside trails, human face a lot of H2O crossings.

First Crossing, Bear Creek Trail

En route, nosotros encountered some actually large Canyon Live Oak (Quercus Chrysolepsis) acorns.  Look at the size of this acorn cap compared to my hand.

The cap of a Canyon Live Oak acorn

One to a greater extent than current crossing, in addition to my friend Will in addition to I larn inward at Lower Bear Trail Camp

Final Creek Crossing en route to Lower Bear Trail Camp

After crossing the creek, nosotros climb the contrary banking firm to the picayune current side "bench" that hosts Lower Bear Trail Camp.

Lower Bear Trail Camp merely earlier sunrise

A campsite at Lower Bear Trail Camp

Apparently somebody staying hither had a lot of fourth dimension on their hands!

Rock carving at Lower Bear Trail Camp

Also interesting was this "fire can" made from a 55 gallon (208 liter) steel drum.  The drum had air vents cutting into it amongst a cutting torch, in addition to carrying handles receive got been attached to either side.  I merely can't imagine who would drag such a affair out into the woods through all those current crossings!  Unfortunately, the tin is beingness used every bit a trash container, in addition to in that location is no trash collection service here.

Fire Can at Lower Bear Trail Camp

Well!  There's our journey, in addition to there's our camp.  Now, let's receive got a human face at that cookset.  The best data that I receive got is that this cookset came out inward the 1950's in addition to was produced through the 1960's.  This detail laid belonged to a quondam Search in addition to Rescue squad member.  No telling where it has been, but it certain looks similar it's been to a lot of places!

Edelweiss Cookset

Detail of engraving on cookset lid

The cookset's lid has graduated "steps" thus every bit to check the ii unlike pot sizes that come upward amongst the set.  Unfortunately, 1 of the pots had reached "end of life" earlier the laid came to me.  I believe I straight off receive got solely the smaller of the ii pots that originally came amongst the set.

The lid of the Edelweiss cookset

Turned upside down, the cookset's lid tin hold upward used every bit a pan.

The within of the cookset's lid

So, straight off that the lid's off, let's catch what's inward the set.  Inside is the stove, cookset base, in addition to windscreen.  I've every bit good added some stuffing to hold things from rattling.  You can't catch it because it's wrapped, but there's a laid of pot grippers inward there.  There's every bit good room for a bottle of priming alcohol, a lighter, in addition to a spoon.

The interior of the cookset

The cookset is meant to hold upward used amongst the brusk version of the Primus 71 stove.  Unfortunately, I don't ain such a stove.  Here I've substituted a Svea 123R which is roughly the same height.

A Svea 123R stove

 Note that a Svea 123R says solely Svea 123 on the tank.  There is no "R".

Detail of the engraving on the tank of a Svea 123R

So, what's the divergence betwixt the master copy Svea 123 produced past times Sievert starting inward 1955 in addition to the version produced from the 1970's onward later on Optimus bought the rights to the Svea yell inward 1969?  The principal divergence is that the Svea 123R has a cleaning needle built into the burner. When the valve is opened all the way, the needle moves upward into the stove's jet cleaning out whatsoever soot or other blockages.  The master copy Svea 123's had no built inward needle.  Instead a dissever "pricker" was sold amongst the stove.  One unscrewed the burner bell in addition to inserted the sparse wire of the pricker into the orifice of the jet inward social club to take away blockages.  While a built inward needle is easier to piece of occupation when the stove is hot in addition to is non every bit piece of cake to lose every bit a dissever needle, the add-on of the needle added to a greater extent than moving parts in addition to express the gain of the valve.  While many people make similar the "improved" version of the stove, in that location are every bit good many who insist the master copy version of the stove is the amend version.  I myself by in addition to large prefer the master copy version so long every bit proficient character fuel is available.  If the fuel were of questionable quality, the Svea 123R is likely the amend version.

Well, if the engraving on the tank for both models is the same, how does 1 tell the ii apart?  There are several ways past times which 1 tin rapidly distinguish the ii versions.  First, the valve on a Svea 123R protrudes from the burner column at a right angle.  The valve on an master copy Svea 123 slants downward.

The valve on a Svea 123R protrudes at a right angle.

Second, the valve on a Svea 123R is slightly offset to the right.  The master copy Svea 123's valve is centered.

The valve on a Svea 123R is slightly offset to the right

Third, the regulating fundamental on a Svea 123R has a larger aperture is a unopen ended wrench.  The regulating fundamental on an master copy Svea 123 has a smaller aperture in addition to is an opened upward ended wrench.

A typical Svea 123R regulating fundamental is closed ended in addition to has iii fittings

There are other to a greater extent than subtle differences, but those iii are likely the most visible in addition to most readily identified.  So, side past times side fourth dimension you're on eBay, why don't you lot catch if you lot tin spot the differences?  After reading this post, you'll ofttimes know to a greater extent than than the seller!

One to a greater extent than affair most the stove earlier nosotros larn dorsum to the cookset:  The tank cap.  If you lot catch a tank cap amongst a long extension similar the 1 inward the below photo, it's a pump compatible tank cap.  Caps of this type are compatible amongst either an Optimus mini (straight) or midi (angled) pump.  The pump allows 1 to add together pull per unit of measurement area to the stove which tin handle inward getting the stove started inward mutual frigidness weather.  The pump is optional; a Svea 123 or 123R volition run merely fine without a pump if you lot prime number the stove well.

A pump cap for a Svea 123 or 123R

OK!  So, dorsum to the Edelweiss cookset.  In the base of operations of the cookset is a "half moon" clip spot welded inward place. 

The clip that secures a brusk Primus 71 inward the stove base of operations of an Edelweiss cookset

  The tank of the brusk version of the Primus 71 slides nether the lip of the "half moon" clip such that the stove is held inward place.  As I mentioned, I don't receive got a brusk Primus 71, thus I'm substituting a Svea 123R.  The Svea 123R's tank does NOT check into the clip.  However, amongst a flake of creativity, a Svea 123R tin hold upward positioned such that the stove tin hold upward used amongst the cookset.

The cookset's base of operations has ventilation holes on 1 side.

Ventilation holes inward the Edelweiss cookset's base

On the other side is an access portal thus that 1 tin operate the regulating key.

Access port on the base of operations of the Edelweiss cookset

Next comes the windscreen.

The windscreen of the Edelweiss cookset

The stove is placed inward the base.

A Svea 123R stove inward an Edelweiss cookset base

The windscreen is in addition to thus emplaced on the base of operations such that the burner of the stove protrudes through the hole inward the pump of the bottom of the windscreen.

A Svea 123R's burner protrudes through the hole inward the pump of the Edelweiss cookset's windscreen

An Edleweiss cookset base of operations in addition to windscreen amongst a Svea 123R stove inward place.

Next, human face at the pot.  Note inward the photograph below the lip around the border of the bottom of the pot.  The lip fits into the windscreen making for an extremely stable laid up. 

The pocket-sized pot from an Edelweiss cookset

One tin every bit good piece of occupation a proficient sized shaver pan (i.e. non from the set) amongst the base of operations in addition to windscreen.

The aluminum of the Edelweiss cookset seems a flake soft to me.  I honour that I tin curvature the pots etc. fairly easily.  Note all the dents from the pot gripper inward the photograph below.

Edelweiss cookset pot.  Note dents from pot gripper.

The whole ready looks similar the photograph below when everything is inward place.  I suppose it looks amend to receive got the lid upright but frankly it's to a greater extent than practical inward price of using the pot gripper to piece of occupation the lid upside down. 

A fully assembled Edelweiss cookset amongst 1 pot inward place.

If you lot human face closely at the side past times side photo, you lot tin catch the stove blazing away within the cookset.

 

The Edelweiss cookset inward use.  Note flames emanating from the stove.

Detail of flame

Not solely is the Edelweiss cookset a real stable laid up, it's quite effective every bit well.

Passing the "tea test" amongst the Edelweiss cookset.

I haven't done exhaustive side-by-side tests, but my gut experience is that I tin estrus H2O a lot faster using the Edelweiss cookset than I tin amongst a Svea 123R inward stand upward lone mode.  I believe the reasons for this mightiness to estrus H2O to a greater extent than rapidly are every bit follows:  Firstly, the cookset is configured such that the airflow is directed from bottom to top which increases efficiency.  Secondly, piece the windscreen doesn't render consummate current of air blocking protection (which would hold upward dangerous amongst a stove whose burner mounts straight on the tank), the windscreen does render some protection which increases efficiency.  Certainly the windscreen of the Edelweiss cookset provides to a greater extent than protection than the windscreen that comes amongst a Svea 123R.  Thirdly, the "floor" of the windscreen acts every bit a estrus reflector which increases efficiency.  Lastly, the aluminum of the windscreen conducts estrus straight to the pot.

Well, the Sun is straight off fully upward (compare the lite inward the below photograph to the lite inward the rootage photograph of  trail camp) in addition to climbing higher. 

A Sun lit Lower Bear Trail Camp

 It's fourth dimension I bid bye to Lower Bear trail campsite in addition to made my way downward Bear Creek to the West Fork of the San Gabriel River.  Now that the twenty-four threescore minutes catamenia is inward total stride, the fishermen are out inward total force.

Fly line-fishing on the West Fork of the San Gabriel River

I'm straight off almost dorsum to the route that runs along the due south banking firm of the W. Fork of the San Gabriel River.

West Fork of the San Gabriel River amongst duo close confluence amongst Bear Creek.

I'll spare you lot the piece of cake walk along the route dorsum to the parking lot.  I give thank you lot you for joining me on some other Adventure inward Stoving.

HJ

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