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 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
