The Highs: Tiny, beautifully designed, 2.9 oz., 10,200 BTU/hr., competitively priced
The Lows: Like many canister stoves, struggles in the wind at times
The Verdict: A very solid option for backpackers
Canister stoves have become popular with backpackers for a number of reasons: they’re compact, lightweight, easy to use, durable, and reliable. One of the most compact stoves is the Optimus Crux, yet it puts out an amazing 10,200 BTU per hour. Weighing in at a mere 83 grams, the Crux is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand:
…or in the recess of a butane/propane canister:
Setting up the Crux takes about 20 seconds: flip its burner into the erect/horizontal position, attach it to a canister, unfold the pot supports, light the stove, and you’re good to go. As with all stoves of this type, the (green) bail on the gas valve enables you to operate it while wearing gloves:
Flame control is remarkably good, and it will resist mild winds (<10mph) well. In windier conditions, you may wish to erect a foil (or other) windscreen, although I should point out that all stove manufacturers discourage this. In any event, be careful if you do so; a quick internet search will reveal solutions users have developed.
If you’re preparing bacon and eggs for 8 people, an ultralight canister stove is not for you. These stoves are best at boiling water for rehydrating dehydrated meals. With that in mind, I recently ran a simple test with a Crux. I took 16 oz. of water at ~50°F and heated it to boiling; the ambient temperature was a chilly 37°F. There was a light wind, but nothing significant. Under these conditions, the Crux required 4’35″ to bring the water to a rolling boil. Here’s the setup at start (click for a close-up):
Four and a half minutes later, the water was boiling. Note my inexpensive thermometer is reading 205°F:
The pot shown above is part of the Optimus “Weekend” cook set; it also includes a small fry pan. (Some users have made pancakes in the fry pan!) The stove cools quickly, and re-stows in its case and in the cook set in a matter of moments:
The Weekend set comes with a mesh bag that’ll easily stow in a backpack. The entire kit, including a 4 oz. butane/propane canister & the mesh bag, weighs 1 lb. 2 oz., or 520g:
The Crux is from Optimus, part of the Swedish firm Katadyn. One of the most striking features of the stove is its design, which is nothing short of elegant. For storage, the the burner assembly folds flat. To erect it, you simply rotate the burner; as you do so, a spring loaded collar snaps into place, locking the burner in the heating position. After use, simply pull the spring loaded collar downward, and the burner folds flat in an instant. This is one of those products about which it can legitimately be said: it’s a beautiful thing.
In a review of ten lightweight canister stoves, BackpackingLight lauded the Crux’s design, compactness, large burner, ease of use and durability. It placed second overall, primarily due to its price of $75. The good news? I can’t speak to how this stove was priced when BPL did its test, but can confidently say that the Crux is now very competitively priced. I was able to find it at several online sellers at sub $40 prices; Moosejaw currently has it on sale for $31.96
You can learn more about the Crux and other Optimus products at the company’s website: Optimus of Sweden
Please comment if you’ve used this or other lightweight stoves.
The Fine Print: I have no connection to Optimus or Moosejaw; I was provided a sample Crux to assist in the writing of this review
November 5th, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Wow, maybe it’s because the last camping stove I used was probably made in the late ’90s, but this stove is astoundingly compact & lightweight! If I ever get into backpacking again, I will definitely have to take a look at this one.
[Reply]