I really like that idea Dave -- I hadn't thought to check to see if the Vargo Triad would nest in the little fuel recess of the Crusader stove. I think I'll probably go ahead and remove the pot stand legs from mine and use it this way as well.

Jim

I have two of the Crusader stoves. The steel one has a smaller 'cup' than the PTFE coated one. It's quite loose in the black stove and quite tight in the steel one.

Really, that's surprising.

I just bought an extra Vargo Triad off ebay to serve as the dedicated amputee, and since my Crusader stove is PTFE coated, I may have to build up the OD of the stove with some aluminized tape to keep it from rattling around during storage.

If anything I would have expected the stove would have been more loose in the uncoated stove (due to the slight thickness buildup of the PTFE coating). Perhaps your steel stove is of an earlier (or more recent) design.


Did Best Glide mess up your order, or were they simply running a promotion that I somehow missed?

Jim

They messed up and sent bare ones instead of PTFE. I told them and they sent replacements free and told me to keep the ones they originally sent.

I think they might be different designs as the rings are very different in diameter.

Titanium is strong but brittle. a little bending and the legs snap off. I used the can opener on my Gerber pliers as a mini pry bar to break the spot welds...they're weaker than the Ti. A little filing to take the burrs of and I was done. I wrap it in some cotton cloth to keep it from rattling.

I tried installing my extra Vargo Triad titanium stove in the fuel well of the Crusader this afternoon, prior to amputating the feet and pot stand legs. Initially it didn’t seem as though it had much of a chance to fit without surgery, although I created a very slight bevel on the leading (bottom) edge of the foot/pot stand brackets, and after placing the Triad in the freezer and the Crusader stove in the oven for a few minutes, the Triad actually pressed right into the recess without too much effort.

The Triad is located very securely by the raised cup in the Crusader stove so nothing is needed to keep things in place or rattle free, although I checked and it can still be pried out and snapped back in if need be.

With the Triad’s feet folded under, an air space of about an eighth of an inch between the floor of the Crusader stove and the Triad is maintained. This little reservoir will allow me to add some additional alcohol for priming when the temperature really drops.

The three pot stands still fully extend, although the wall of the Crusader stove obviously prevent them from being of much use in this configuration, but of course I still have the flexibility of removing the Triad from the Crusader and using it as originally intended when needed. Best of all, the overall height of the Triad (even with the feet and pot stands still in place) is such that the canteen cup still nests within a few thousandths of an inch of where it originally did.

Thanks once again for providing the inspiration for this modification. I have another wilderness skills training course next weekend, so I’ll look forward to getting out and putting everything to the test.

Jim

My latest in a series of orders from Best Glide arrived this afternoon, and inside the package was a really nice stainless steel BCB Crusader mess tin set that I didn't order (but wasn't billed for either).

I called Cindy at Best Glide to let her know about the mistake and request a return shipping label. She didn't suggest that I keep it (although she did thank me for my honesty) so it appears >$30.00 must be their limit on shipping department errors, or more likely simply the hassle they would have had coordinating an international return with you.

It's not a bad little kit other than it takes up somewhat more space and weighs considerably more (nearly double) than my Snow Peak titanium cook set.

Jim