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Komplete Individual Simple Stoves - KISS Based on the philosophy of the "Keep It Simple Stupid!", KISS stoves are designed to simply the backpackers life. Leaving them more time to enjoy the experience and less time to worrying if their stove fire up. Or worse yet, become a fireball torching everything is sight. In recent years, the trend for many hikers is to reduce their pack loads in order to better enjoy their backcountry adventures. Tents are being replaced with tarps and heavy packs replaced by lightweight ones. It's only natural to start looking at the most complex piece of equipment carried by backpackers. Backpacking stoves are a marvel of modern engineering. Complex beast with all sorts of bells and whistles, they put out an amazing amount of heat for such a small package. For most of us they are way over kill for our normal needs, and when they go wrong. Well they can really go wrong. Lucky is the hiker never has one breakdown at an inconvenient time. On the other hand, KISS stoves are designed from the ground up to be maintenance and worry free. Just add fuel and light. Advantages of KISS StovesLightweight - KISS stoves uses fuel that doesn't require complex pumps, high pressure, multiple gaskets and valves. Unencumbered with all of this added paraphernalia these stoves can be very light. Often weighing no more than a few ounces, compared to a pound or more for the liquid fuel stoves. Simplicity - Add the fuel and light a match, is generally all that's required to start these stoves. No pumping, priming or pre-lighting is required. These stoves can be working away long before traditional stoves are even assembled, let alone up and running. Quite - Gas stoves often sound like your own personal jet engine. Once lit, they take off like a screaming banshee. Not exactly the sound one wants to hear when enjoying the sounds of the forest. Homemade stoves are quite. In fact generally they can't even be heard. No Maintenance - Pack along your traditional stove and you better pack the repair kit also. By the way, you may need a small pair of pliers or a little oil to take your stove apart for maintenance. All of this maybe fine done on the kitchen table, but it can be downright irritating, field stripping a stove to make repairs in the cold and dark. With no moving or complex parts, these stoves have nothing to breakdown. Safety - Ever had a stove turn into a ball of fire while cooking. High pressure gas stoves can easily do so if a gasket fails. Even under normal operation, gas stoves become little fireballs if too much fuel is used during the priming process. Without the need to keep the fuel under high pressure, non-traditional stoves pose a significantly reduced danger of explosion or burning all your valuable gear. Low Cost - KISS Stoves can be made for pennies compared to the high cost of traditional stoves. Made from recycled cans and other cheap items, these stoves can be made cheaply and quickly. Disadvantages of KISS StovesEven the best stoves have problems or circumstances where they don't perform well. Reduced Output - Non-Traditional stoves lack the heat output to boil large quantities of water or regulate their output. If you're planning on cooking large meals for a number of people, a more traditional stove will be more appropriate. However, your traveling solo, cooking simple meals that require minimal cooking, the Non-traditional stove maybe your best choice. Alcohol Stoves available online.
Solid Fuel StovesCommercial KISS StovesOther Links
Last Updated 4/21/01 |
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Copyright (C) 1999...2001 Ron "Fallingwater" Moak |