ProView – Primus Essential Trail Stove Kit
The beginning of this year I somehow convinced some of my pals to make the trek to Moab for a weekend of camping. “No one else I’d rather freeze my butts off with than you guys,” was our catch phrase. January is off season in Moab. A lot of trails are iced over, there was a foot of snow in half the camp grounds, and it didn’t get above freezing all weekend. We cooked meals over the fire, but having the Primus Essential Trail Stove Kit kept us with hot coffee in hand at all times. I made my first cup of Joe still in my sleeping bag several mornings.
Primus Essential Trail Stove Kit
Product Description: The Essential Trail Stove is the stove for camping novices and experienced outdoor chefs. Invented in Sweden, and hand crafted in Europe, this stove delivers. Attach your fully assembled Essential Trail Stove onto your gas canister and have your backcountry stove up and running in under a minute. This 4oz burner delivers with Laminar Flow Burner Technology and the wider burner boils a liter of water in three and a half minutes with it’s 8600 BTU (2500 W) flame. To pack away, just remove the burner from the gas canister and stow.
Offer price: MSRP: $25.00
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Quality
(4.5)
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Features
(2.5)
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Durability
(5)
Summary
The simplicity of the Primus Essential Trail Stove makes it a great candidate for beginning hikers and people who want a no-fuss cooking gadget. While not made for long-distance through-hikers, the stove holds its own as a back-to-the-basics piece of equipment with simple usability.
Overall
4Pros
- User Friendly
- Sturdy
- Stable
Cons
- No self-ignition
Since then I’ve been chucking the stove into my backpack for the eight day treks I do on trail for work. It does the job of making a good ole cup of rice and beans in an easy and straightforward way.
The Primus is simplicity at its finest. It’s small and has one simple value to control on and off. This gives the user easy control over temperature and flame precision. There are no foldling parts making set up as quick as pulling it out and screwing on a fuel canister.
Performance/Features
This little stove works well in all weather conditions. The pot supports are low, shielding the flame from wind. The supports are about four inches across, making the stove sturdy enough for a variety of sizes of cooking vessels. Cold temperatures didn’t affect the performance (tested in as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit). Boil time was three and a half minutes. I was bummed it didn’t have an auto-ignition. It’s obnoxious when working outside to remember which pocket you keep your lighter in.
Weight/ Packability
This stove isn’t packable as some I’ve used in the past. It weighs 4 oz, and is about 4 inches wide and 2 inches tall. Since it doesn’t fold down any smaller you need to keep it in a container if you’re concerned about it rubbing against a puffy jacket or sleeping bag. I found that while it was still small enough for backpacking, I wished it was more containable in size. As a backpacker I like to keep my things well organized, but the shape of the stove makes that less doable.
Durability/Construction
What it lacks in style the Primus stove makes up for in durability. Once you’ve screwed on propane canister the only thing you need to worry about is a flat surface. The stove platform doesn’t shake or wobble since it’s one combined piece. It’s three-pronged pot supports are built over the burner compactly.
Final Word
The simplicity of the Primus Essential Trail Stove makes it a great candidate for beginning hikers and people who want a no-fuss cooking gadget. While not made for long-distance through-hikers, the stove holds its own as a back-to-the-basics piece of equipment with simple usability.
About the Gear Tester
Allie Fuller
Allie Fuller is a Field Supervisor for Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy. She works year-round with at-risk youth in the alpine desert and Uinta mountains. She’s passionate about empowering young women to find strength while in nature. She slept under the stars for over two hundred nights last year. Allie has been doing outdoor youth work since 2012 in Utah, all over Colorado, and in the UK. When off-trail she’s road tripping around the west with pup Flint in a beat-up Subaru. She loves finding spots to boulder, tucked away hiking trails, drinking excessive amounts of coffee, and she’s never without snacks. You can connect with her on Instagram at @allie.e.fuller.
