The Kovea Campsite V Remote Canister Stove

Introduction
If it's mutual coldness out together with your remote canister stove has a generator (a pre-heat mechanism), together with then y'all tin invert (turn upside down) the canister.  Inverting the canister way that you're sucking liquid off the bottom of the canister instead of sucking vapor off the top.  Now, liquid fuel goes to the burner where the rut of the open fire vaporizes fuel.

If the rut of the open fire is doing the vaporization, you're far less subject on the weather.  In fact, all y'all demand from the weather condition is simply plenty warmth to proceed a petty pressure level inward the canister, simply plenty pressure level to instruct some liquefied gas to the burner where the rut of the open fire volition have got aid of the rest.

And that pressure level should live pretty slowly to come upwards by.  Unlike upright operation, the propane content of your canister does non burn downwards off faster.  With inverted functioning (liquid feed gas), your gas mix -- together with hence your canister pressure level for a given exterior temperature -- stays fairly constant.  As a practical matter, y'all tin run your stove inverted inward weather condition that's nigh 20F/10C colder than if your ran your stove upright.

Wow, gas inward colder weather? All the simmering, none of the priming, how sweetness is that?  Um, but what's the catch?

Well, the "catch" is that remote canister stoves that tin guide keep inverted functioning ordinarily weigh 2 or 3 times what an upright stove weighs.  But we're making progress. Today, nosotros characteristic a invitee postal service yesteryear Geoff R from Australia.  Geoff reviews the Kovea Camp v (KB-1006).  The Camp v weighs 142g/5.5oz.  Which, piece non equally low-cal equally an upright stove, is a measuring inward the correct direction, specially when y'all compare the Camp v to other remote canister stoves similar the MSR WindPro (227g/8oz) together with the Primus Express Spider (198g/7oz).

The choice of lightweight remote stoves inward the USA is pretty limited, so I am specially happy to welcome Geoff's contribution to .  So, without farther ado, I plow things over to Geoff...

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Since I acquired my MSR Dragonfly inward 1998, I have got been a occupation solid believer inward liquid-fuelled stoves.  Partly that was because of the underwhelming performance of gas stoves I had used earlier that – such equally the Bleuet 206, especially inward the wind.  Gas stoves have got nevertheless advanced a lot inward the intervening fourteen years.  Hence I decided to investigate getting a gas stove ane time to a greater extent than to bask benefits such equally lower weight together with simplicity of usage again.

My criteria were to discovery a minute stove which would live useful when 2 stoves are required to laid upwards a meal, for taking alongside on 24-hour interval walks when I simply desire a quick cuppa, or equally a to a greater extent than lightweight solution for longer overnight walks.  After some inquiry I decided to have got the plunge together with club the Kovea Camp 5.

The Camp v comes inward a nifty-looking plastic container

  

The Camp 5, which weighs inward at 156g/5.5oz, comes alongside a split upwards piezo-igniter together with is packaged inward a nifty-looking brownish plastic container.  I initially struggled to pack the stove dorsum into its container.  With practise, I have got right away worked out how to represent everything dorsum together properly.  The split upwards igniter weighs inward at 14g/0.49oz together with the container weighs some other 60g/2.12oz, bringing the total packet to 230g/8.11oz.  While non the lightest stove on the market, it is silent likely ane of the lightest remote canister stoves, together with is a featherweight compared a packed weight of 502g/17.71oz for my Dragonfly.

The Camp v comes alongside a split upwards piezo-igniter.  Editor's note:  The AA sized battery is shown for scale only.  The stove does non run on batteries!

While some may have got termination alongside the split upwards igniter, I prefer non to have got the igniter continually beingness cooked all the fourth dimension piece the stove is on.  Also, if it breaks, I won’t have got a slice of ballast attached to the stove.  In add-on to the stove itself, I likewise purchased an adaptor from Kovea to permit the usage of inexpensive long butane cans alongside the stove, equally a fuel source inward warm weather.  (This variety of adaptor has already been reviewed inward Butane Adapter WARNING.)  Editor's note:  One must live really careful alongside this type of adapter.  If the canister rolls, the stove tin instruct into liquid feed fashion unexpectedly.  However, since the Camp v has a generator/pre-heat mechanism, usage of such an adapter should live fairly condom alongside this stove if reasonable aid is exercised.  

Initial impressions

On unpacking the stove, the overall impression is that it feels quite solid for something that weighs solely 156g/5.5oz.  The legs experience quite sturdy.  My solely occupation concern was alongside the pot supports, which expression quite flimsy, together with which rotate loosely on the ends of the arms coming out of the stove body.  I don’t yell upwards the pot supports would stand upwards up to crude oil treatment or really heavy cookware.

The pot supports rotate loosely on the ends of arms coming from the stove body

The stove legs together with the arms which sew to the pot supports experience quite securely attached to the stove body, together with are articulated together yesteryear sets of teeth which ensure that the legs together with stove supports lock securely inward seat when the stove is unfolded.

The legs together with stove back upwards arms are articulated together yesteryear sets of teeth

Another feature, which was a major inward my conclusion to select the Camp 5, is the fact that it has a minor generator tube.  Based on my initial inquiry on the stove it is capable of running inward liquid feed mode, alongside an inverted gas canister.  More on this later.  The canister hose itself feels really flexible, together with it rotates freely at the signal where it is attached to the stove.

The burner, visually appears to live the same equally that on the Kovea Flame Tornado, which is widely believed to live the same stove equally the MSR MicroRocket, bar some cosmetic changes.  (One of those cosmetic changes betwixt the MicroRocket together with Flame Tornado is the burner itself.)

In Action

The rootage impression on firing upwards the stove is that it seems to a greater extent than similar a flame-thrower than a stove.  The open fire is really concentrated.  This does heighten some questions nigh its mightiness to laid upwards omelettes!

The rootage impression on firing the stove upwards is to a greater extent than flame-thrower than stove

After getting the stove running, ane of the rootage tests I performed, alongside both a butane tin together with a propane-butane-isobutane mix was to invert the canister.  All the documentation I received alongside the stove was inward Korean, so I have got no thought whether inverted canister functioning is officially sanctioned yesteryear Kovea.  Try this yourself at your ain risk.

It is definitely advisable to plow the stove correct downwards earlier inverting the canister.  The charge per unit of measurement of fuel delivery does increase considerably on inverting the canister, especially alongside a propane/butane mix.  Apart from the fact that y'all demand to live cautious of the much higher open fire output, I had no issues alongside inverted canister operation.  I was non able to plow the valve opened upwards all the way, since the stove chop-chop got to a signal where it could no longer suck inward plenty air for the amount of gas beingness delivered.

Inverted canister functioning was no employment apart from the much higher output

Kovea seems to have got erred on the conservative side when stating that the fourth dimension taken to boil 1l of H2O is 30m30s.  During my tests, I was able to attain a proficient bargain less than this using a total 230g canister of propane/butane/isobutane mix from Primus.  I used the Dragonfly equally a command to compare alongside a relatively well-known stove.

Stove	Fuel	Feed	Boil time	Fuel used
Camp 5	Butane	Vapour	4:36	16g
Camp 5	Butane	Liquid	3:47	16g
Camp 5	Propane/Butane	Vapour	3:19	14g
Camp 5	Propane/Butane	Liquid	3:18	18g
Dragonfly	Shellite	n/a	3:54	22g

Editor's note:  "Shellite" is a create of white gas available inward Australia.  Shellite is similar to Coleman Fuel.

It would appear that alongside a propane/butane mix, inward liquid feed mode, the stove is no longer operating efficiently.  Turning the stove downwards a petty would likely assistance on the efficiency front.  While I did non perform plenty tests to construct a statistically relevant sample, it appears that butane may live a petty less efficient than a propane/butane mix.  The fourth dimension quoted for the Dragonfly solely includes the fourth dimension from the signal when the stove had reached total output together with the billy of H2O was lay on it, until the fourth dimension when the H2O boiled.  The fuel used yesteryear the Dragonfly includes the fuel used for priming.  This exam ane time once to a greater extent than verifies the fact that gas stoves usage less fuel than liquid-fuelled stoves.

The tests were performed at an ambient temperature of 22°C/72°F together with 24°C/75°F at an height of unopen to 7m/23ft to a higher house body of body of water level.

Getting Out

Unfortunately I haven’t managed to move out on the trail alongside the Camp v yet, so a few tests on the gravel path inward the dorsum yard would have got to do.  The minor feet of the stove do have got a style to bury themselves inward a loose or soft surface.   That is nevertheless a employment I would expression whatsoever stove alongside minor feet to have.  I didn’t have got the expectation for this stove to have got the same degree of stability equally the Dragonfly anyhow.

The feet of the Camp v have got a style to bury themselves inward loose gravel

While I was exterior at that topographic point was a overnice body of body of water breeze blowing.  The breeze was “nice” plenty to blow over a potted yellowwood tree, which I have got inward the most sheltered corner of my dorsum yard.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 windshield was definitely advisable nether these conditions.  With the windshield, cutting from a slice of aluminium flashing, inward house I was silent able to plow the gas correct downwards to a depression simmer.  As I turned the gas down, however, the circle of bubbles on the base of operations of the billy became smaller together with smaller – an indication that this stove may non live proficient at evenly cooking your simmering bolognaise.

Conclusion

I’m looking forrard to getting out into the bush alongside this petty stove.  I would hardly tell it is perfect, but so far it is pretty much living upwards to my expectations.  I believe that every stove is a compromise of some sort.  For my purposes, I yell upwards the Camp v volition live the correct one.  It silent isn’t without its disadvantages though.  In summary, hither is a curt listing of the  Camp 5’s pros together with cons from my signal of view:

Pros:

·      Light weight (for a remote canister stove)

·      Ability to usage inexpensive butane cans alongside an adapter

·      High mightiness output

·      Ability to plow output downwards to a low-cal simmer

·      Overall construct character feels solid

·      Generator underground makes it possible to operate the stove inward liquid feed fashion (I am non certain if this is officially sanctioned yesteryear Kovea.)

Cons:

·      Flimsy-looking pot supports

·      Very concentrated open fire – perchance non corking for simmering

·      Difficult to instruct the stove dorsum into its container

·      Small feet bury themselves inward loose or soft substrates

Note: I do non have got whatsoever affiliation to Kovea.  All images inward this postal service are © GM Rehmet 2012 together with have got been licensed to Adventures inward Stoving.  No images may live reproduced without permission.  For licensing details, delight refer to http://www.rehmet.alt.za/copyright/

A large give thank y'all you to Geoff for his contribution to !

HJ


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