Primus Techno Trail II

[Ironheadziggy76]

I bought this stove just to have on hand for heating soup and fixing breakfast. It works great so far, I have only used it four or five times but it heated a large can of soup, hot, in about 90 seconds. It was not excessively loud and the built in igniter worked well and will screw onto most MSR styled fuel canisters. I ordered it from Sierra Trading Post for $28.35 plus shipping.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/i/11853,99,_Primus-Techno-Trail-II-Stove-with-Igniter.html

[mongo]

Look over the lapse of time in responce, I have been out of town for a month working. this looks good and the price is right. I have always used the pure propane stoves for camping, is the propane/butane hard to find on the road? I know they sale it in major stores but I have had troubkle finding the small propane canisters in out of the way places and have had to go to larger towns to find them even as popular as they are.

[Ironheadziggy76]

mongo, I would think it would be a little harder to find fuel in small towns. MSR makes two sizes of canisters and I think the larger one like I bought will burn between an hour to an hour and a half depending on how high you run the stove. I though if nothing else I could use it as a backup stove when I bought it, but after using it I think it will be my main stove. I may grab a MSR Pocket Rocket to stash away also if I find one on sale somewhere. I thought I wanted a stove that would burn unleaded like the Whisperlite International until I saw how you have to prime them to get them started. It's a lot easier to just screw on the tank, open the valve, hit the igniter and cook. If I get one that burns on unleaded it will probably be the Coleman Sportster 533 like they sell at Wal Mart. It's bulky but the tank is built on and I have had great luck out of their products in the past.

[MidLife]

I bought this stove just to have on hand for heating soup and fixing breakfast. It works great so far, I have only used it four or five times but it heated a large can of soup, hot, in about 90 seconds. It was not excessively loud and the built in igniter worked well and will screw onto most MSR styled fuel canisters. I ordered it from Sierra Trading Post for $28.35 plus shipping.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/i/11853,99,_Primus-Techno-Trail-II-Stove-with-Igniter.html

I looked at the MSR Primus you gave a link to, and what jumped at me is how robust the piezo igniter design is. That is, compared to the design of the igniter on the JetBoil I have which is just a bad joke. The MSR igniter has all of what the JetBoil is missing: thicker insulator, support for the insulator, recessed ingniter tip. REI felt sorry for me and gave me a brand new JetBoil Stove to replace my two year old one with failed igniter (The stove still looked like new!) but the new one already had problems by the time I unpacked it at home. I have others MSR products, and there is no doubt that they are well thought out. There is no doubt the JetBoil is a good and elegant and space saving idea. But I hate things that fail just when you count on them the most, like the JetBoil did on a cold, windy and rainy day. I think I'll have a second look at the Primus. Thanks for the link.

[Ironheadziggy76]

MidLife, you are spot on about the igniter, my cousin bought a new Jet Boil and the igniter lasted about five times before it quit working. This little stove may quit the next time I use it but so far I really like it for the money.

Sierra Trading post had this stove and a multi-fuel stove on sale when I bought this one. The multi-fuel would burn either propane-butane mix, white gas, or kerosene. It would probably work alright with unleaded gas also. I used to run unleaded in the old Coleman lanterns years ago with no problems. Here is a link to the Multi-fuel stove.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/9919815,73233_Primus-Multifuel-Stove.html

[MidLife]

MidLife, you are spot on about the igniter, my cousin bought a new Jet Boil and the igniter lasted about five times before it quit working. This little stove may quit the next time I use it but so far I really like it for the money.

Sierra Trading post had this stove and a multi-fuel stove on sale when I bought this one. The multi-fuel would burn either propane-butane mix, white gas, or kerosene. It would probably work alright with unleaded gas also. I used to run unleaded in the old Coleman lanterns years ago with no problems. Here is a link to the Multi-fuel stove.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/9919815,73233_Primus-Multifuel-Stove.html

Thanks. Very tempting! I'll go for one of these once my new (replacement) Jetboil keels over again.

I had a look at the Jetboil. They tell you to stack the burner on top of the gas can inside the cup. But when you close the lid on the cup, it presses directly and constantly against the flimsy igniter. I am trying something different now: inverting the order of the stack, burner first and gas can on top of it. Because the bottom of the can is domed, there is plenty of room there for a cardboard spacer between the top of the burner and the bottom of the can, preventing the igniter to touch anything. I hope it will then last longer. Maybe!

And it case it doesn't , I've just ordered a piezo lighter (http://www.rvwholesalers.com/catalog/product.php?productid=2072) that should do the trick.

[Ironheadziggy76]

MidLife, I will get with my cousin and ask him but I think he said something about a notch in the lid of the cup or the stove had to be turned a certain way for it not to interfere with the igniter. He is on vacation in Texas right now so stay after me to get your answer, my memory is toast. Old age creeping up on me I guess....

[MidLife]

MidLife, I will get with my cousin and ask him but I think he said something about a notch in the lid of the cup or the stove had to be turned a certain way for it not to interfere with the igniter. He is on vacation in Texas right now so stay after me to get your answer, my memory is toast. Old age creeping up on me I guess....

Thx Ironheadziggy76. Would be interested in whatever Jetboil witchcraft your cousin has to offer (although he may like Texas so much that he could decide not to come back!). I think my "reverse stack up" has a chance to work, but I am always up to learn new tricks. Thx.

[Ironheadziggy76]

MidLife now that I get to thinking about it he has the group setup with the bigger pot. He also bought another cup to go with it. He should be home in a day or two and I'll find out how he packs them both.