The Bobcat Stove System

Hmm. Well, it would appear that my ID still works. Apparently I haven't been run out of town on a rail.

I haven't been around for a while (long story), but some of you may know of my backpacking stove addiction, er, hobby. Finally got around to doing a review (below).

By the way, I've got a stove (about two reviews still in the future) that I think will be of particular interest to those who like to be prepared: A "universal" alcohol stove -- a stove that will not only burn methanol and ethanol but also isopropanol (i.e. "rubbing" alcohol), and burn it well. But that's in the future. My write up for today is on the Bobcat system which works with either alcohol or hexamine (e.g. ESBIT).

I've been using the Bobcat stove system for my serious solo trips the last several months.


I've found it to be a good system: reliable, stable, and easy to use. I particularly like that everything fits inside the pot, which makes things pretty handy.


If you're interested in such things, here's the full review on my blog:
The Bobcat Stove System

This article is actually part I of a series. Next in the series (Part II) will cover how I use the system to bake muffins out on the trail. Yes, not exactly typical "survival" fare, but trust me the rest of the family sometimes mysteriously becomes willing to participate on my little outings when I mention that I'll be baking fresh muffins.


Part III will be the "universal" alcohol stove that I alluded to earlier.

HJ

Can't wait!

HJ, glad you are back; hope the long story is a happy one. Thanks for your very thorough review. Would you recommend the Babcat over the Caldera Cone? They both seem quite efficient...

Well, the short of the long story is that I got let go from two different jobs and spent a lot of time unemployed and a lot of time driving to a well paying but distant job. A lot of OT too, but that's what kept us housed and fed. 2012 was pretty much a disaster (financially) for us.

Excellent question. I actually think I'll do an entire post on that at some point, after some testing.

There are some things I can say without testing though, and I'll go through them by category:

COMPACTNESS
The Caldera Cone is generally a taller cone and typically doesn't fit into the pot. I say typically because Trail Designs does have one Caldera Cone, the Sidewinder Caldera Cone for the Open Country 2 qt pot, that does fit in the pot. As far as I know, all other Caldera Cones have to be stored outside the pot, typically in some type of plastic container, which adds weight and bulk. Note that I am speaking here of the aluminum Caldera Cone, not the titanuim Ti-Tri cone, also from Trail Designs. The titanium cones are wonderful (I have one), but they're in a different price range. Right now, I'm just comparing aluminum to aluminum.


On the other hand, the Bobcat system fits right into the pot.


Likewise, if you look at the height of the two stoves, the Flat Cat stove has a lower profile, making it easier to store.

I'd say the Bobcat is superior here.

EASE OF USE
There's nothing difficult to use per se about the 12-10 stove that comes with the Caldera Cone, but I really do like the low, open design of the Flat Cat stove that is the primary stove used with the Bobcat system. If you saw my firesteel demonstation video in my review on my blog, I think you'll see why. It's easy to fuel, and easy to light. I'd say the Bobcat is superior here.

DURABILITY
The Flat Cat stove is stainless steel; the 12-10 is made from aluminum beverage cans. I'd say the Bobcat is superior here, but do note that I'm not calling the 12-10 flimsy. It's just hard to argue with stainless steel.

SIMMERING
Both stoves have effective simmer rings available. I did have some trouble in windy, freezing weather with the stove going out when using the simmer ring with the Flat Cat stove, but I haven't done similar testing on the 12-10 stove. At this point, I can't really say which will handle foul weather better. Testing required.

WEIGHT
The two windscreens appear similar in terms of weight from what I can tell, but recall that the weight of a Caldera Cone varies with the pot. Larger cones are required for larger pots; larger cones are heavier. I don't have a Caldera Cone for the Evernew 1300ml pot, so I can't do a direct comparison. The gauge of the aluminum of a Caldera Cone is clearly lighter though, so I suspect the Caldera Cone will be lighter for the same sized pot.

The 12-10 stove weighs roughly half the weight of the Flat Cat stove.

I can't make a complete assessment because of the above mentioned caveats, but I think it's safe to say that the Caldera Cone system will be lighter.

EFFICIENCY
This one I can't call just on gut instinct feelings; I have to do a "stove off" under identical conditions. I suspect both will do fairly well. I've taken both systems out in high altitude, windy, and relatively cold 32F/0C conditions, and both have done fine. I do note some increased fuel consumption, but that's fairly typical. I'd really like to have two identical pots in order to do the comparison, but Evernew 1300ml Ti pots aren't cheap. That'll have to wait awhile.

CONCLUSIONS
Which is the better system? I think it boils down (if you'll pardon the pun) to what matters to you. If durability, I think the Bobcat, particular the Flat Cat stove. If ease of use, then perhaps also the Bobcat. If lightweight, then the Caldera Cone. If compactness, then the Bobcat. I think the prices (again, I'm speaking of aluminum windscreens only here), are comparable, but maybe the Bobcat runs slightly more. I'd invite people to go to TrailDesigns.com and FlatCatGear.com if they're interested in pricing though rather than relying on my poor memory.

Efficiency comparisons remain to be done.

Hope that helps,

HJ

I hope 2013 is a better year for yall. I have had those kind of years also. My last bad year was 2009.

I'm glad you're back with us. I'm rooting for a better year for you.

Glad you're back. I'm in between jobs as I speak so more time to read blogs, also more time cost-containing.

Good to have you back. Your stove topics are very interesting, and over time, they have caused me to buy and try a few different stoves, something I said I would never do a few years ago.

Thanks, guys, it's good to be back (although it won't quite be like what it once was).

I'm hoping for a good 2013 too. So far, so good (no uneployment).

HJ

Good luck on your search. I have to say that job hunting is one of my least favorite pursuits. I tried to take one day off a week (no job hunting allowed), just to maintain my sanity.

HJ

Welcome back!

I've missed all the stove reviews. I like to window shop, but when the going gets tough, I'm still grabbing my SVEA 123.

May the [job] force be with you!

Thanks.

And you'll hear no criticism of the Svea 123 from this quarter. Very reliable, and just a fun little stove.

Still, an alcohol stove in the ol' kit bag can't hurt. About one ounce in weight and no moving parts or gaskets to wear out. It's a nice back up for that Svea.

HJ

Welcome back hikin Jim. I missed your posts. I've found the info very informative.

Good luck for 2013.

Welcome back, Jim. You've been missed. Onward and upwards for an amazing turnaround in 2013!

Thanks, all. It's nice to see some of the regulars are still here.

HJ

Jim, I look forward to reading your gems.

I am in a unique situation that makes me the most desperate member for your stove expertise (no prepper community around, almost no stove gurus , high-temp environment that restricts the kind of stoves I can store in the car trunk & GHB, no esbit tabs nor alcohol fuel available around our market ..etc. ..etc.)

Thanks for all you do offer.
It really really helps

And I sincerely wish you the very best in 2013 onward.



p.s.
To look at things in a positive way.
Congratulations , you have passed yet another survival test in 2012.

and thank you for this too


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB3bAM9xI3w

Wow, a triumphant return Jim, welcome back

I've missed your posts as well, but mostly because I have been awol as well.

Well, hardly, but thank you. Good to be back even if I can't be quite as active as I used to.

HJ

Not even "rubbing" alcohol? (i.e. isopropyl alcohol, a.k.a. isopropanol)

Ha! Well, yes, I suppose I have.

HJ

Hi Jim,we havent met,Im a newbie but welcome back.

Like your pictorial,very nice.

The overwhelming majority of campers around here use gas (propane) stoves, in addition to "campfires" off course. But wood is scarce and there are more and more laws against cutting trees.

Being more of a prepper than regular camper, I wanted to STORE stoves in the car trunk and other such places to use in case of emergency. Propane and liquid fuels are risky, and that is why I was looking for solid fuels, including coal . Maybe we can look at gasoline as a special case liquid fuel becuase it is already there in the car, but it has additives and generally we are not used to it and its risks. Although some campers are trying to propagate it , for its cheap price here if for nothing else.

Back to rubbing alcohol. I may have to check in drug stores. Hoever, it doesn't burn as cleanly ( effieciently) as denatured alcohol. Even esbit tabs seem to burn cleaner. I will be looking forward for anything you write about that in the future.

In the past, I have used denatured alchohol for my daughter's art class. That would be ideal as a clean fuel to store at home and then take out in emergencies. Shelf life is better than gasoline, but I cannot find it anymore.

HEET gas additive ( methanol) is not vailable here.
Other brands are available and it is not known to me what they contain.

Anyway, I found a heap of esbit tabs with some distributor who imported them "by mistake" as BBQ firestarter. They were more expensive (relatively) cmpared to the regular firestarters so he doesn't seem eager to repeat his "mistake". I bought about 200 tabs and hope for someone else to repeat the same mistake. So far it is my prefrerred prepper stove fuel, but since it is not always available I am still exploring the stove world for other alternatives.

Again Jim, your work is really appreciated.

ESBIT is by far the most stable of the various fuels typically used for portable stoves. ESBIT is very safe. It's actually a little bit hard to light. ESBIT is my fuel of choice for car trunks, caches, etc. It's a low flame velocity fuel, so you need a windscreen, but a bit of household aluminum foil or the lid from a caterers tray or the like will do.

I too get a little nervous leaving either gasoline or canisters of propane in my trunk, particularly if were there on an extended basis. There's a good safety factor on propane cylinders, but ... after 3 years or something? Dunno.

As for isopropanol, there are now stoves that will burn ispropanol cleanly. I intend to review one for my blog in the very near future.

HJ

Esbit is what I use for caches and kits that are tucked away in anticipation of emergencies, although for short term use, I have no problem with isobutane canisters which are super reliable, lightweight, and easy when used with the appropriate burner head. I understand isobutane is lighter than air and will disperse, unlike propane, which has the undesirable characteristic of pooling in enclosed spaces.

A little bit of handcleanser helps the esbit tab to get going....

Nice tip! Thanks hikermor!

Actually, both propane and butane (or isobutane) are heavier than air and can pool and can be very hazardous. You'll see this in news reports sometimes: propane leaks from a stove overnight and then someone stikes a match in the morning, basically the house is removed from the face of the earth at that juncture. I'm going to go ahead and call that hazardous. Now, the amounts in portable stoves are much smaller, but still I would NOT leave a stove attached to a canister in an enclosed space like a car's trunk. If you left the valve slightly open... Well, that could be, um, bad.

Good tip. A shot of alcohol (methyl, ethyl, or isopropyl) also helps. If you havn't got any form of alcohol along, try this: put your ESBIT tab on the edge of your stove, overhanging a bit. Get your match underneath the ESBIT. When it lights push it into place with your knife. Alternatively, torch type lighters work really well (some time labeled "windproof"). Lastly, you can always shave some bits off the ESBIT with your knife, and the bits will typically light more easily than a whole tab. There are a couple of tricks to working with ESBIT, but it's really a nice fuel after you've got the hang of it. Perfect for office BOB's, car emergency kits, caches, etc. It does have a low velocity flame, so it's VERY susceptible to wind, so inclusion of a windsreen is really important.

HJ

Jim, thanks for the correction on butane. good to know....

Probably not a real concern in a well ventilated area like the outdoors or even most tents, but in campers, huts, maybe a cave that you've take shelter in (I've done it), it could be, um, an issue.

HJ

Welcome back Jim! Great review. Can't believe I've never thought of using my ti pot as a dutch oven. Good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXtrOdvIWeQ

It actually works quite well. This is a buttermilk biscuit baked in a Ti pot used as a dutch oven. Pass the honey, please.



HJ

Impressive!

Baking muffins in a small pot is popular with hikers, whether light weight or not. I like to put a coil of aluminum in the bottom of a pot, and a pot-pie tin to hold the muffin dough. A hiker named "Risk" did a review of trail baking a few years ago. Good information for those interested. http://www.imrisk.com/

Glad you are back and am looking forward to a great 2013 too.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.blogspot.com