For solo trips, or a trip with one other person, I love using the Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri. That's quite a mouthful, that we will just call the Sidewinder. This is a setup that can burn denatured alcohol (what I use most of the time), esbit (stinky - I don't like using it), or wood. I opted for the inferno add-on that makes the wood burning mode more efficient. While I have used all three modes, I use alcohol almost all the time, so my comments are generally related to that fuel source.
Set up with Starlyte stove (with green lid), pot (Toaks 900 mL), Sidewinder (in Tyvek sleeve), alcohol bottle, and full size Bic for scale.
The key part of the set up is a titanium cone that is sized to fit the pot. This is a custom fit, so make sure you either buy the stove and pot bundle or be sure the cone is sized for your pot. The cone acts as a wind screen, supports the pot (lip of the pot rests on the top of the cone for one height set up) and has holes drilled in it to accommodate/optimize performance with different fuels. The stove comes with two titanium stakes to support the pot in the highest position (when using wood), the middle position (also, the lowest stake placement for alcohol) or remove the stakes so the pot sits on the top of the cone for esbit mode. I find the stakes cumbersome to pack (aside from with my stakes for my tarp) and now just dish out a shallow area under the pot so the alcohol flame still works efficiently without messing with the stakes.
The cone is well machined, precise, and while thin and light it provides a solid support for the pot full of water.
The whole setup fits inside the pot, which is nice from a pack volume standpoint. Real life (meaning while it is 30 to 45 degrees outside on real hikes) boil times for two cups of water is about 7 to 8 minutes. While slow from a backpacking stove standpoint, it is silent and relaxing. Trail Designs is now offering a new burner/stove called the Kojin and it looks promising for faster burn times (though I have not tried it and do not own that newer option).
Note that photos below do show me using this under a well ventilated tarp (actually too well ventilated - windy times at 11,500 feet). This is a good way to burn yourself or your gear or asphyxiate yourself, so be warned!
The Starlyte stove has a flame-proof material inside it that keeps the alcohol inside (i.e., fill it up and tip it over and it won't pour out) and the snap on lid seals the deal. I'm usually pretty calibrated about how much fuel it takes to boil 2-cups of water (20 mL is typical for me), so I usually don't have to take advantage of this, but it is still nice.
This set up really shines when it comes to weight:
- Sidewinder Cone = 42 grams, 1.5 oz
- Stove = 15 grams, 0.5 oz
- Toaks 900 mL pot with lid = 142 grams, 5 oz
- Optional titanium floor (shown in the two photos immediately above) = 10 grams, 0.4 oz.
All in all, this gives me a stove set up and pot (that I also eat and drink out of) for less than 0.5 lbs (fuel weight not included).
Downsides
- There are cheaper ways to run with an alcohol stove.
- Slower than I would like, thought I'm looking forward to trying out the Kojin stove (I have the Starlyte stove) to see if that speeds it up.
- Can be a bit hard to light when it is really windy or particularly cold.