Which stove is best?

SideTracked

SideTracked

Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
668
So I'm having trouble making a final decision on which small stove I should purchase. I know a lot of you have to had experience with at least one or maybe both of these choices so what's best? For those of you that have used both, which do you prefer? Those of you that have only tried one, what are some pros or cons?

My choices have been narrowed down to
Emberlit
or
Vargo
 
Likewise, I don't have the Vargo. Like many others, I was faced with the same choices and chose the Emberlit. I have no experience with the Vargo but have never regretted my decision. IIRC, there are a few here who do have both. Perhaps they will chime in on this topic.
 
I do not have the Vargo, But here is a link to my review of the Emberlit:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/895557-EmberLit-Stove

and a few pics:


hike1.jpg


hike5.jpg


hike3.jpg
 
Lol so far its one sided, in favor of the Emberlit. It looks great in action!

How easy is clean up on these things for the soot?
 
SideTracked said:
...How easy is clean up on these things for the soot?
Click to expand...

Depends on the fuel used as to how much soot accumulates. Worst for me was the fire sticks (Coghlans and Coleman) with it's wax composition. With hardwood, there isn't much soot. Packing it in a plastic bag or sleeve negates the need to clean it when out on a trip, but a simple wash in the sink does it at home. The exception being the aforementioned fire sticks. The soot from them is oily and takes just a bit more effort, or mechanic's hand cleaner to remove. But still, since the stove breaks down into flat components with few hidden crevases and corners, it is an easy job. And as mentioned, it can be used with other, sootless fuels. You aren't confined to wood only.
 
I have the Vargo titanium and the original Emberlit stainless with cross bars. The Emberlit is far superior. I recently bought the Emberlit mini titanium before the price went up. I actually prefer the larger one and the cross bars allow your to use smaller pots. The larger titanium one is a better choice than the smaller one as they are now the same price. Of course the stainless one is the cheapest.

I also bought one of those streamline hand lines from the supplier ($19 including shipping). Fun to use. No fish yet but a speckled trout took the lure but his sharp teeth bit through the 8 pound line. I have since added a 20 pound leader so that won't happen again.
 
Last edited:
Yeah I'm aware the stainless would be easier to clean but to be honest, I'm looking forward to the anodized Ti look after a lot of use. I think I'm sold on the Emberlit in comparison to the Vargo.

My over all goal is to diversify my stove options. So far I have a Jetboil Sol and a Coleman dual fuel (aside from the traditional big boy propane stoves that everyone has). I want one of these small wood stoves and will probably order an alcohol stove soon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top