Well, sure. But on mine, at least, it's a minor loss. I'm still able to boil a cup of water in minutes. For
an adult, anyway, the open center design(s) are easier to build (just a knife, a can, and 20 minutes).
No JB Weld, no nuts, bolts, high temperature tape, etc. But I can see where scouts may have
trouble. The final assembly is the most critical... you can get a leak free joint between the top
and bottom but it takes some practice.