Swiss Ranger volcano stove review
I did a field test on the Swiss Ranger Volcano Stove today.
The water used was at a starting temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The wood was small dry sticks I gathered last Fall; they've been laying in a pile under the snow all Winter and were fairly dry for the test. I used a small piece of military heat tab to get the stove started.
Cup Test: I heated the cup of water to a boil in 14 minutes. The water was very hot in about 8 minutes; plenty hot for coffee or soup. I added sticks to the stove three times to keep the fire going. I repeated the test, this time with a lid on the cup. The water came to a boil in 11 minutes. Note: I used the lid off my MSR tea pot, it fit perfectly.
Bottle Test: I loaded the stove full of sticks and lit it. After about four minutes those sticks burned down to mostly hot coals. I then added a few more sticks and placed the bottle in the stove. I had to feed the fire four times to to bring the water to a boil. It took about 22 minutes.
I tried the stove with the MSR teapot sitting on top. It didn't work too well, after 20 minutes the water was only warm. I believe by adding a couple heavy wires, to lift the pot up by a half inch, will help the performance greatly. These wires could be made to fit into two small holes drilled at the top of the stove. This way they can be put on and taken off easily.
All-in-All I liked the setup; it's light weight, compact, and will fit in the large side pocket of most backpacks. I find that it works as good as most wood burners of this type. It does need a flat level surface to sit upright on. But I did set the stove up by leaning it on its handle with the bottle in place. I noticed that the angle kept the water from spilling over. It worked, but not as effectively as it did sitting upright. I plan on making a storage bag for it, this will protect what ever I carry it in from soot. I like wood burning stoves like this, they combines the function of a stove with the atmosphere of a campfire. The smell of the smoke and the crackling of the fire beats the roar of my Dragonfly.
Wood burners in general are slower than gas stoves but the have their benefits. This little stove at $10 is a great deal.
