If there are two issues I can’t stand when I’m out mountaineering or tenting within the winter, it’s being chilly and being hungry. If I’m transferring, it’s usually not a difficulty. However as soon as I cease, all the things catches as much as me suddenly. And that’s once I’m no enjoyable to be round. I’ll stomp across the campsite like a grump making an attempt to both get a hearth began or my range lit.
If that is only a pit cease on the path throughout an extended day hike, it doesn’t make sense to make a hearth. In most locations, you’re not allowed to until you’re at a shelter or campsite, anyway. In both scenario, even if you’re allowed to make fireplace, wind could make it difficult to get one began.
On the finish of final summer time, I used to be already considering forward to colder climate and the way I might eradicate this utter nonsense. I wasn’t going to gap up in my home and miss some nice adventures throughout Stick Season. In researching treatments, I got here throughout the Sunflower Fuel Tenting Range from Firemaple Gear. It makes use of infrared warmth as a substitute of precise flames and fireplace to cook dinner your meals and heat you up.
That eliminates wind as a difficulty — which eliminates me being a grump. And that would conceivably save all the outside journey.
So, I ordered considered one of these IR stoves up and have been utilizing it since mid-October when the nights began to get crisp round right here. I discovered that the Sunflower does a stellar job at cooking meals in antagonistic situations and holding you heat. However there are a few quirks that accompany the comfort.
Briefly: Sunflower is a compact, infrared tenting range that doubles as a transportable heater. In comparison with the myriad canister stoves in the marketplace at present, this one makes use of infrared warmth as a substitute of an open flame to cook dinner your meals and heat you up. It’s wind-resistant and cranks out the BTUs. It’s heavier than most backpacking stoves and may be awkward to journey with. However for basic automotive tenting functions, this IR range is helpful and environment friendly.
In case you’re searching for tenting or backpacking stoves, try GearJunkie’s guides to the Finest Tenting Stoves and Finest Backpacking Stoves for comparability.
-
Supplies
Stainless-steel, aluminum, copper, ceramic heating component. -
Carry dimension
6.5” x 4.5” x 3.2” -
Weight
2 lbs., 1 oz. (with out gasoline canister) -
Gasoline kind
Isobutane/propane combine -
Worth
$108
-
Infrared heating supply -
Minimal cool-off time -
Giant cooking floor for larger pots and pans
-
The highest grate is unfastened and might fall off in journey -
Double the load of a standing backpacking range
Firemaple Sunflower Range Evaluation
Gasoline
In terms of transportable isobutane/propane gasoline canisters, three main gamers may be present in almost any tenting retailer: MSR IsoPro (227 g), Snow Peak GigaPower Gold Gasoline (220 g), and Jetboil Jetpower (230 g). I’ve used all three for so long as I can keep in mind. Some is perhaps barely extra fuel-efficient in chilly climate than others, however usually, they carry out fairly equally when the temp drops.
Any of those branded canisters will work with the Firemaple Sunflower Range.
I had my 7-year-old daughter seize no matter canister she wished for me off the shelf. She selected the Snow Peak gasoline as a result of she loves snowflakes. Who doesn’t?
However even if you happen to’re very conservative with a range’s gasoline consumption, I might advocate you go huge or keep residence. Get the 230g Jetboil Jetpower canister. It’s extra bang to your buck. Ten grams of gasoline can equate to 1 or two extra meals.
I’ll add that I’ve by no means had any points in chilly climate with any of those three gasses. However Snow Peak is the one one which makes any working temperature claims. The model states that its mix will work down to fifteen levels Fahrenheit.
First Impressions
I’m not an ultralight packer or somebody overly involved with the load of what goes of their pack. But it surely’s arduous to disregard that the Sunflower is considerably heavier than virtually any backpacking range and lots of automotive tenting stoves. In comparison with a lot of the choices on GearJunkie’s Finest Backpacking Stoves, this one is heavier than all besides the battery and fan-powered BioLite Campstove 2+.
That stated, compared to the MSR Dragonfly that I’ve been utilizing since I used to be 16 or the JetBoil MiniMo that I fell in love with final spring, the Sunflower is a special animal altogether.
Infrared expertise is a bit more complicated than a flame-based range. It requires a ceramic component, rather than a burner. That component bodily equates to a weighted block that takes up house.
Each kinds of stoves regulate gasoline equally. However within the case of the Sunflower, the infrared component will get warmed up as a substitute of a heated coil or different heating component. There may be completely no open flame right here. In reality, within the first jiffy of the Sunflower warming up, you gained’t even see that it’s on. This modifications rapidly, as the highest display turns shiny crimson when it reaches a sure temperature threshold.
General, it’s a well-thought-out unit. It is available in a carry case, however the Sunflower additionally has a carry deal with on the unit. This characteristic makes it simple to regulate and degree the range on no matter floor you’re utilizing it on. It additionally means that you can angle the burner towards you if you’re utilizing the range as a heater.
Moreover, two foldable legs on the Sunflower carry it 2.5 inches. This ensures that the range can function with correct air flow and retains the floor under it from getting burned.
That stated, being that the Sunflower makes use of gasoline to energy it, you’re nonetheless going to need to ensure you’re utilizing it outdoors or in a well-ventilated space — like a lean-to shelter. You by no means need to use it in your tent.
The Managed Science Experiment
Firemaple Gear claims that the Sunflower can boil half a liter of water in 3.5 minutes. With out having any thought of when and the place they examined this principle, I figured I owed it to all of you to check it out myself:
- I picked a random afternoon in February, the place it was 31 levels Fahrenheit outdoors, with no wind, to see how lengthy it could take to boil 0.5 L (16.9 ounces) of water.
- I used a regular, non-stick 1.5L pot from my kitchen and Firemaple’s personal Feast K2 1.5L pot with Warmth-exchanger.
- In each circumstances, the water, which was straight from my faucet, was 61.9 levels Fahrenheit.
Ultimately, it took 6 minutes and 48 seconds to boil the water in Firemaple’s specialised pot, and 10 minutes and 58 seconds to boil it in my kitchen pot. These numbers don’t precisely line up with Firemaple’s claims. However they don’t disprove them, both. If something, my outcomes dial in what your expectations must be in the course of winter within the outdoor.
Hindsight being what it’s, I most likely may have knocked a minute or two off that point if I used a lid. I wished to carry out this take a look at with the fewest variables doable.
Firemaple Sunflower Range: Within the Subject
As October turned to November and so forth, the Sunflower rapidly turned a necessity, not just for cooking but additionally for holding heat outdoors. This factor throws some critical warmth. That’s the place this little energy plant actually shines as a private heater. You’re feeling the warmth instantly. But it surely nonetheless takes a few minutes to see it on the grate because it turns crimson.
Vital to notice — the ceramic component doesn’t change colour in any respect. You’ll really feel the warmth and listen to the gasoline hissing away if you’re near it, however there’s no visible indicator. That acknowledged, you need to by no means use the Sunflower with out the highest grate anyway.
That is particularly vital if you’re utilizing it as a range, as you run the possibility of ruining that component if you happen to put something immediately on it.
The highest grate may be finicky and pop off simply. It’ll keep put as soon as the range is located on degree floor, however there’s no pressure holding it in place in any other case. Additionally, because of its proximity to the heating component, it’s troublesome to put in as soon as the Sunflower has been lit. So, be sure that all the things is in place earlier than you mild it along with your lighter or match.
Due to the ceramic heating component, this range does take a while to chill off, and the timing is weather-dependent. I’ve discovered that 5 minutes is a positive wager that the Sunflower shall be cool and may be put again into its storage case.
For peace of thoughts, I’m basing that assertion on the temps being at or under freezing, however no colder than 20 levels Fahrenheit.
Firemaple Gear claims that the Sunflower solely consumes 2.6 g of gasoline when it will get water to boil at 3.5 minutes. In weighing the canister after each of my water boiling experiments, it’s extra correct to imagine — in outside climate situations — that it could take 6-9 g of gasoline to boil water. That equals out to 36-24 boils from a regular ~220g isobutane/propane gasoline canister.
Being conservative, you may assume {that a} single 220g canister of Snow Peak GigaPower Gold Gasoline will get you round 30 luggage of Mountain Home Beef Stroganoff or some other dehydrated meal. Reduce that in half if you happen to plan on utilizing the Sunflower in heater mode half a dozen or so occasions.
State and Nationwide Parks
Each state and nationwide parks have totally different guidelines about open flames if you’re in them. Although I’ve by no means had a difficulty utilizing an open-flame range in both setting, my publicity is way from nationwide.
This implies I can’t converse for the principles and rules of every park on the market. Nor can I attest to the temper the park ranger shall be in if you encounter them.
That stated, the Sunflower doesn’t have an open flame. This reality would lead me to imagine that there must be much less of a difficulty in utilizing it at a State or Nationwide Park. But it surely’s a very good apply to contact the oldsters on the park you propose on visiting to ensure.
Firemaple Sunflower Range: In Conclusion
I enter the chilly climate tenting and mountaineering months realizing I’m going to have to hold a little bit extra weight to remain comfy. That stated, the 2-pound Firemaple Gear Sunflower Range doesn’t actually trouble me. Neither do the numbers I discovered once I carried out my very own water boiling take a look at. No, they’re not Jetboil numbers. However you can also’t use a Jetboil range as an environment friendly private heater.
The Sunflower is protected and secure, and I see no motive why it could’t be utilized in all situations and all seasons. By eliminating an open flame, you eradicate the necessity to fear about windy situations. You additionally could also be eliminating the necessity to fear about utilizing it in State or Nationwide Parks and at public campgrounds. (However you actually ought to verify forward simply in case.)
It will be good to see the highest cooking grate lock into the range a little bit bit higher. It additionally is perhaps good to have a built-in igniter. However these are “good to have” issues, not “must haves.” These minor inconveniences didn’t detract from the Maplefire Sunflower Range’s effectivity this winter.
All stated, do the important thing options that make the Sunflower stand out make it the range I might take with me within the hotter months? I feel if my children got here with me and I both boiled extra water or cooked larger meals, sure. It may be a viable different to a Coleman-style tenting range that you’d take automotive tenting. However I gained’t want it for solo tenting or to remain heat.
The Sunflower Range is another choice on the earth of backpacking, tenting, mountaineering, and even simply staying heat when you must be. And it’s a viable one at that.
