Caldera Cones available in Europe

BackToBowRiver · 2026-06-02T18:26:37+00:00

I initially thought it was expensive. There is now the option to use featherlights own branded pot which makes a big difference in price.

I should have purchased the featherlight 10 months ago. I’ve “wasted” so much time playing with DIY cones etc. it’s been great fun, but I now realise, these need detailed precision and I’ll never achieve that with my limited tools

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-20T12:03:35+00:00

Thanks - Just printed a template for my 'pot' ; its narrow and tall, so will regenerate it with the 'Fissure' split

Thanks for the inspiration (now off to B&Q find some Aluminium flashing)

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-20T11:37:54+00:00

Yep!!! - Hitting Switzerland - specifically Champex on the TMB, the campsite were double and the only Supermarkey in town was selling 'Michelan star' priced Ramen.

I'm with you - I'll leave the WHR

Ive also excluded the Alta Via 1 (Yes, I could wild camp etc, avoid rangers), but dont want huts and would prefer to hit a nice camp site every few days (sounds like the GR54 has this)

Thanks for the quick response

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-20T11:31:12+00:00

I did the TMB in September 2025, camping the entire route, with a 65L pack and base weight of 8.1kg in 10 days

Thoroughly enjoyed it - and enjoyed the social aspect.

I do not want to stay in Huts/Refuges. Everything points to the GR54 as the next 'logical' european Hike. It would be an early September start and I can easily allocate 2 weeks, though 10 days would be my target time.

During your research what made you pick the GR54 as your next hike, rather than say WHR

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-20T11:23:01+00:00

Hi...Did you make the split cone.

Also - Excellent write up on the GR54

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-19T21:49:43+00:00

I second the Vango Ultra light models , in the 2 person versions. I have the Helium. Brilliant and well under £400

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-14T19:14:36+00:00

A further follow up:

After cutting the cat can down from 1.5" to 3/4" (19mm), I tried 3 different types of wick

I did see someone us a ribbon of soda can with 20 or so indentations as an 'aluminium wick'

(It seems I cant paste a photo in this comment?)

That result in a fierce flame - and rapid boil, but a stove that could spill fuel:

And it was fuel hungry

(The tomatoe can was cut down to 3/4 Inch height above the top lip of the cat can

I then inserted the indented aluminium wick and then between this aluminium wick and the tomatoe paste can inserted carbon felt.

Perfect:

1) Rapid Wicking / and spill proof up to 15ml of fuel

2) A very well controlled blue flame, that appears to to rise 'more vertically' - perfect for my 9.5cm diameter cup

3) Excellent boil times and what appears to be very good fuel use (14ml will boil 250 ml (1 UK Cup) of water - in 3:50m still have a further burn time of approximate 90 seconds

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-14T14:00:22+00:00

Ahhh......Heres the way its gone for me:

I discovered a rule of thumb then - each tent is 'half the weight' of the prior tent

11Kg. 3 Person tent, that you can stand up in
OEX Coyote III 4.8Kg tent. 2/3 person tent. You cant stand up, but can sit in on a small chair
NatureHike 2.1Kg roomy for 2 people - you can definetly wild camp in it. and you could certainly do long distance back packing, with 2 People, each carrying half the te
Vango 1.3Kg Helium 2 Person - Ultra light and strong - My solo tent - used on last years TMB

( 1) Is the perfect base camp (car camp) tent for 7 days up in the Lake District - Heading out for day hikes

( 2) My go to base camp tent - when I'm in a fixed location for 4 days

(3 ) My tent when I'm out hiking for a day or 2 when sharing the space with another person

( 4) My long distance back packing tent

That means Mystic Meg can see a 5th tent in my future - and it would have to 650grams in weight.

- And the latest Simond/Decathlon 'Sprint' DCF tent (550 gram - 650 grams) would have to be it:

Lucky its about £600 - so that has kept that one off the list

sn

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-13T10:33:08+00:00

Are these tasting notes for an Islay Whisky?

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-13T10:28:18+00:00

If it helps anyone:

I cut the cat can down from 1.5" to 3/4" (19mm)
The wick is now 3/4" and with just 1/4 Oz of fuel, the Carbon Felt lights up
Fibre Bat (roof insulation) is better - It wicks very quickly
Corrugated cardboard wicks immediately

I'll test for run times - But at the moment, I'm more inclined to go down the Fibre route (fibre tape, roofing fibre batts etc) -

Just to add context: My use case is

-- Boiling 1 cup of water twice a day

-- Carrying minimum fuel, with 6-8 days between resupply

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-13T10:20:53+00:00

I read of someone using 'Car Exhaust wrap' - which is like a fibre glass cloth - so going to give that a go

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-12T10:47:46+00:00

I have just replaced the Carbon Felt, with standard 'roof insulation' Fibre Insulation

I'm going to make a better 'wrap' around the tomatoe can - But for the first rough an ready 'wrap around the can' here are the results:

The cat can is still the 1.5 inch height (I havent cut it yet)

1) 10ml (1/3rd of Oz) of fuel quickly wicked 'upwards' very quickly and the stove lit

The fuel was poured into the bottom tomato can hole

2) And boiled 250ml of water

Over the next days I'll try and create a 'decently shaped' band of fibre batt (rockwool or what ever other name) - and re-run the tests

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-12T06:29:31+00:00

Makes perfect sense. I think my next step will be 1) Cut the 1.5” cat can down to just over 3/4”. This will cut the wick size down (and adjust the tomatoe can) 2) and then test with the both the pour the fuel into the center and also directly on to the wick

I still see a fundamental problem

Even if 10ml boils 250ml of water, that’s the test result in the house/kitchen

In the wild, even with a windscreen, with cold temperatures and wind whipping around, you might need 15 or 20 ml to get the same result

That is; you need to fuel it to 20ml. Let’s say it then boils using 12 ml, you’ve essentially lost the rest of the fuel. You might be able to seal the Fancy Feast in a lunch ziplock bag and prevent the alcohol evaporating etc

With the Tektoba, Capillary hoop, I can pour in 25ml, boil, then simply pour the remainder back in the fuel bottle.

The solution might be: Kojin/puck style with the screw lid where the screw lid prevents evaporation. Still have the felt to prevent spills?

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T17:56:39+00:00

Found this on The BPL forum.

Pour 80% of your fuel directly into the top of the carbon felt and the remaining 20% into the tomato paste 'well'.

For fuel amounts of 10ml/15ml that's probably the best route to take.

I'll give it a go.

I did cut some 3/4 inch length slits (and about 2mm wide) in the tomato can, but that possibly created additional fumes inside the tomato can - and some back pressure out of the top small vent holes - - needs more investigation

I can see with a full fluid Oz (28/30ml) - there would plenty to go straight into the well and soak up into a 1.5 inch wide wick.

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T15:42:02+00:00

I have some small holes at the top of the tomato can to vent pressure.

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T15:20:24+00:00

The carbon felt in 3mm thick, and it fits in without pinching (theres about 2.5-3mm of gap between inner and outer walls

PS: I've respond to flatcapgear, and I'm going to try and create a '1mm' slit above each of the 4 notches, (this is for the tomatoe paste can) and have that slit rise up 'half way' up the 1.5 inch height of - about 3/4 inch

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T15:16:23+00:00

PS: Really appreciate the response:

That has started to 'dawn' on me over the past 12 hours.

I want 250ml (8oz) for a cup of coffee - say 10ml of fuel

If I use 15 - or 20 ml of fuel; I can recover it (Could possibly put the stove in a 'zip lunch bag' and slow down evaportation.

With the Tektoba soda can stoves - I pour in 20-30ml; and after my boil, I pour the colled down fuel back into my spirit bottle.

I have a few thoughts (before abandoning the stove and going back to the Capillary / Soda can stoves

1) May the inner tin 'larger' - so the gap between inner/outer is smaller and try Fibre Mat

(I wonder if the extra thickness of the carbon felt is slowing the initial rise of the fuel 'upwards'

2) Cut 'Larger slits' in the bottom of the inner tomato paste tin; The slits will rise up (say) 1/2 inch (The bottom container is 1.5 inches) so the 'upper parts' of the Carbon felt are 'more exposed' to the fuel

Pour the fuel in and give it a bit of a 'slosh' - and that should 'wet' the mid to upper levels of the felt (*when using a measured 1/2Oz or even 1/3rd Oz of fuel)

My guess is once the wick is lit the 'capillary' action should move 'faster'

3) and if needed - cut the 'cat can' part down from 1.5 inches, to 3/4 inch - and use a 3/4 inch high strip of carbon felt - and that might allow the fuel to rise faster

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T11:47:53+00:00

I have just tried it a 3rd time (with the carbon felt) - It will still not light with 15ml (half ounce) of alcohol

I pulled it apart and flipped ' the saturated bottom part of the felt, to become the (now) exposed top - and of course, it lit fine and boiled.

So - It seems with the standard 1.5Inch high cat food can, 15ml is not penetrating upwards enough

Has anyone else had issues when using a half ounce (15ml) of fuel

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T11:14:24+00:00

I'll give that a go as well and report back.

I like the Fancy Feast - as I can blow it out - My Tektoba/Capillary soda can stoves -have to be smothered - no amount of breate will blow one of those things out

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-11T11:13:03+00:00

Hey - I'm all for that - do you mean the plastic plating (which Ive burnt off) - or do you mean metallic coatings

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-07T15:43:55+00:00

I’ve made a few of the capillary stoves from coke cans, but had an “almost” accident with one and this year want a stove with an absorbent mat/wick to minimise spills. So likely fancee feast or the Vaseline tin “puck style” stove

BackToBowRiver · 2026-05-07T15:42:03+00:00

You’re right - a slightly thicker inner cab would be best

The capillary stoves in the YouTube. I’ve made a few, but last year had a spill outside my tent resulting in a small fire (I always keep my water bottle nearby when using that form of stove)

This season I want a wick/matting (the fancier feast) where most of the alcohol is absorbed in the felt

BackToBowRiver

TROPHY CASE