advice on Greenheat Gel Stove

foxy mars · #1 (**permalink**) 22-07-2009, 11:32 AM

I was in a camping store yesterday and been looking at these link There look ok and was thinking of getting a couple for my forecoming Coast to Coast mtb ride in September.

Anyone tried them or would it be best to stick to the gas.

foxy mars · #2 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 01:42 AM

Thought I would purchase a couple of the Greenheat Stove tonight from Go-Outdoors and try them on my Coast to Coast bike ride in September, be ideal for boiling water for a cuppa.

nigel_b · #3 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 06:14 PM

My advice, give them a go and let us know how you get on! Dont waste burn time on boiling stuff, just heat to a temperature you can live with. You cant make a good brew without boiling water though but coffee is fine off the boil, in fact it is best made off the boil.

eeyore · #4 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 10:24 PM

I tried green heat gel several times in my trangia ( largely camping on wab meets with boddie in 07) and frankly the results were disapointing , it doesnt put out that much heat and takes a lot longer to heat a brew to a drinkable temperature and is a dead loss for cooking.

also its green credentials are debateable because although it is a plant derivative and thus carbon neutral itself , the ethics of biofuels (and deforestation to allow them to be grown in the third world) are far from clear cut - also each portion of green heat comes in a non reusable metal can with a plastic lid , and once the can is used it cant be recycled on account of all the burnt on crud.

in my opinion if i was doing the coast to coast i'd either take a trangia with a meths burner , a pressurised petrol stove , or a superlight gas burner like the firefly xsg.

foxy mars · #5 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 12:27 AM

Thanks for that. What I should of said, was the Greenheat stove would be a ideal back-up stove. The idea was, say I took my normal stove - Trangia 27 and use the Greenheat stove for brewing up a cuppa while I was waiting for savory rice to simmer on the T27.

Anyway, I will probably do a field test and see what the outcome is.

eeyore · #6 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxy mars

Thanks for that. What I should of said, was the Greenheat stove would be a ideal back-up stove. The idea was, say I took my normal stove - Trangia 27 and use the Greenheat stove for brewing up a cuppa while I was waiting for savory rice to simmer on the T27.

Anyway, I will probably do a field test and see what the outcome is.

we might be talking about different things - the one i used was basically just a can - and you stick it inside your trangia instead of the meths burner., you definitely couldnt use one without some form of windshield

foxy mars · #7 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 03:31 PM

The Greenheat comes with a windshield, which also acts as a pan support. I did try the Greenheat this morning in the garden in moderate conditions witha slight breeze, the results were pretty impression. Had taken 10 minutes to brew a hot cup of tea, which is not bad really.

Like I said, would make a ideal back-up stove. Anyway, I 'm pleased with it.

foxy mars · #8 (**permalink**) 26-07-2009, 11:00 PM

Having to start think about the gear-check list for my forecoming double coast to coast bike ride shortly in 5 weeks, that I have been trying out test runs with the Greenheat stove. I'm taking the Trangia 27 stove and with the Trangia kettle, combined with the gas converter.

Once again, in the garden. Trying the Greenheat stove with Trangia kettle, very good, that I had hot water in 10 minutes, very pleased. trouble is, after all these test runs. The Greenheat stove is nearly half-way burned, about another 30 minutes of burn time left. Guess I will need to get another refill in time for bike ride.

Tringa · #9 (**permalink**) 14-08-2009, 10:47 AM

Perhaps I'm looking at this more from a walkers point of view where weight is a premium, but at 200g each it could add a fair bit of weight if you need a few of them.

Could be wrong but it looks as if once it is started it cannot be turned off, so you use an hour's worth of heat, whether you need it or not.

Still I'd be tempted to buy one and try it at home to get a feel for them.

eeyore · #10 (**permalink**) 14-08-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tringa

Perhaps I'm looking at this more from a walkers point of view where weight is a premium, but at 200g each it could add a fair bit of weight if you need a few of them.

Could be wrong but it looks as if once it is started it cannot be turned off, so you use an hour's worth of heat, whether you need it or not.

Still I'd be tempted to buy one and try it at home to get a feel for them.

you can snuff them ion the same way that you do a meths burner - by putting a flat metal surface over the top of the can and excluding air - that said from a weight point of view a bottle of meths and a burner is still a better bet.