Outdoors

Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove leaves more room for food

Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove leaves more room for food
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is small, light, and folds away flat
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is small, light, and folds away flat
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is capable of boiling water in under eight minutes
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is capable of boiling water in under eight minutes
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove folds flat to take up less space
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove folds flat to take up less space
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove features a curved design that's currently patent pending
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove features a curved design that's currently patent pending
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove can be used with fuel tablets or an alcohol burner
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove can be used with fuel tablets or an alcohol burner
When folded flat, the Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is smaller than a trail map
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When folded flat, the Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is smaller than a trail map
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is small, light, and folds away flat
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove is small, light, and folds away flat
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove weighs just 1.8 ounces (50 g)
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The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove weighs just 1.8 ounces (50 g)
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If there's one thing liable to ruin the backpacking experience, it's being weighed down by too much baggage. The problem is there are several things considered essential for the serious backpacker who spends his or her day hiking and his or her nights camping in the wilderness. One of which is a stove. The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove could solve the dilemma of traveling light vs. eating every evening.

The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove weighs just 1.8 ounces (50 g) and measures 4.84 x 2.87 x 3.0 inches (12.2 x 7.3 x 7.6 cm) when assembled. When not in use, it folds up to be packed flat, consuming the same amount of space as a typical trail map. The stove features a minimalist design which essentially rids it of any components that could fail in the field. It has no moving parts, takes seconds to assemble, and keeps things extremely simple with a curved design that is currently listed as patent pending.

The stove accommodates two different heating methods. The recommended method is to use fuel tablets, but it also supports the Trangia Spirit Burner. It's made from tempered brushed stainless steel, and supports cooking pots with a minimum diameter of 3.5 inches (8.9 cm). Despite its small stature, it will reportedly boil 16 ounces (454 ml) of water in six to eight minutes using a single fuel tablet.

The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove folds flat to take up less space
The Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove folds flat to take up less space

The stove is currently being funded through a Kickstarter campaign that has already reached its goal of US$8,000. Interested parties have until Feb. 16 to pledge, with a pledge of $50 (at the time of writing) being enough to secure one of the stoves if and when the product gets manufactured. Unfortunately the campaign looks to be available exclusively to backers resident in the US.

The Kickstarter campaign video embedded below shows the Vertex Ultralight Backpacking Stove being assembled and used in the field.

Source: Kickstarter

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8 comments
8 comments
Brian Snider
not sure why you need this item - my water pot sits directly on the alcohol burner, and i use a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil as a windbreak.
Sam Sams
The Dakota fire hole is a 0g alternative.
Steven Campbell
$50? Overpriced when there are existing folding ultralight stoves that uses three sides like a triangle. This uses only two pieces and doubt it can safely cook larger pots. Just search for Esbit Ultralight Folding stove on Amazon. Existing ones use three and offer more stability and at less than HALF the price of $50.
Buellrider
Nice but I wouldn't pay over $15 and that would seem too much.
kuryus
YouTube has videos on how to make alcohol stoves from empty aluminum cans. It's simple, and dirt cheap. The only problem is alcohol does not have as many BTUs per weight unit at other fuels and it's therefore not a great fuel for trips where you will be unable to get more fuel for long periods of time. Alcohol is also not good at high altitude. It really shines for hikes up to 4 days at moderate altitudes in temps above freezing.
oldhacker
@kuryus, I enthusiastically agree 100% with everything you say, with the exception of your perception that alcohol is not a good fuel at high altitude. This seems to be an oft-repeated mis-conception. I routinely use my alcohol stoves at altitudes ranging from 6,500 to 14,000+ feet with zero problems. They've worked perfectly for many years. Perhaps we have a different definition of 'moderate altitudes'. :)
(Your other observations are spot on.)
The Skud
Anything that is small, light and can be easily packed up again gets my vote.
Bill Coulam
Vargo has had some great little, lightweight titanium wood and alcohol stoves for years. I've got the titanium hexagon stove which also folds flat and assembles with tabs like this thing. A little heavier than this Vertex, but I like the little door for airflow and adding additional found fuel.