Today I will be reviewing the Snow Peak Giga Power GS-100 Manual Ignition Stove. Snow Peak is well known for their sensibly made products that are very durable. I purchased this unit from Backcountry.com for a very competitive price. Plus their 2 day shipping is usually between 5 and 10 dollars.
The unit came with very beautiful and minimal packaging. The entire boxed unit is roughly the size of a fist and is very sturdy. No bent or bruised bits here.
The package includes instructions, a rugged plastic carrying case for the stove, and some other additional information sheets. The tech specs are as listed below:
As you can see for the price tag, you get some amazing features. At only 3.25 oz, this is a great weight saver cooking option. Its also comforting to know you have a lifetime warranty if something is to fail.
I went with the snow peak branded fuel canister, and for $3.95 at my local camping store, you really cant go wrong. Each canister is supposed to provide around 60min cook time. Considering that it takes a few minutes to boil, and you might use an additional minute or two to simmer, you could get quite a few cooks for a few bucks. A nice little additional feature is the plastic snap cap that protects the head and threads from damage. How awful would it be to be settling down for dinner and you drop the canister on a rock, only to find that you've damaged the threads. Not cool. On to the actual stove...
The stove is a stiff and stout piece of equipment. The legs are folded inward for storage, and pulled out to accommodate a cooking surface. They must be unfolded with a good bit of pressure and consequently don't just flimsily stumble out of their intended position like with many other stoves. The tops of the legs also have little groves cut into them to help grip your cooking pot. My snow peak cup wouldn't budge even a centimeter. Snow peak offers a few other stoves, notably ones with automatic ignitions, and titanium construction for even more weight savings. I never camp for more than a few days, so these features are of no use to me. Throttle control is relatively precise and easy to control. I did notice that the difference between simmer and full throttle was little more than a full turn away. My one complaint is the handle is slightly difficult to see at night/when using the wind screen. I am going paint the throttle wire a bright color for easier use. (Refer to last picture to get an idea of what I mean) Not too big of a deal though. Below is the stove and canister mated together.
Here is the installed windscreen, which is highly recommended. Coming in at only $8, this is a no brainer buy. To install you must put the legs in half extended position, and slide the screen over top. Once the screen has cleared the legs, extend all four to securely fasten it. The whole unit fits together very snugly and is nearly bombproof. It will work with both manual and automatic ignitions alike. There is a slight flap to accomidate the automatic
A special note: When the screen was new, it was silver and highly polished, upon heating however it experienced what I like to call "Rainbow Banding" or the "Titanium Effect". Copper with a full spectrum of color. Quite pretty.
Bottom Line: Overall I give this stove a 5 out of 5 stars because of reasonable price, low weight, and outstanding construction. I've even had a few colleagues that have thought about switching to this product. Highly Recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment