I looked briefly at the GoSystem Fly a while back but hadn't really tested it as I couldn't get 100g gas cartridges locally which meant a 90 mile round trip to Belfast and Cotswolds. Not wanting or needing to have them meant postponing the test but I recently had the opportunity to test another stove so bit the bullet and got the cartridges.
Initially I hadn't been too impressed with the Fly as although is about 30g lighter than my current cannister top stove it isn't as compact and also as the burner head is wider it doesn't really suit my pots of choice, the 750ml Alpkit MityMug or 550ml Tibetan titanium pot/mug. To try to match the flame to the Mitymug I had to turn the stove right down which resulted in a pretty slow boil time. I do however have the Snow Peak compact cookset and the smaller of the 2 pots pretty much matches the flame spread of the Fly so I gave it a try.
I ran the firt test indoors using a similar procedure to my previous tests, of the C-3 Mini Stove and Jetboil PCSC-3. The water temperature on the C-3 Mini Stove was only 7.2°c however rather than 16.5°c so the Flyhad almost a 10°c advantage to start with.
The performance was pretty good and even allowing for the difference in water and ambient temperature was almost 2 mins faster than the C-3 Mini Stove/Mitymug and with an even better performance over using it with the Mitymug. Interestingly both stoves used almost the same amount of gas at 8-9g. I think illustrates the importance of matching the burner and pot. It also illustrates that the Fly has a bigger Jet as it can deliver the same amount of gas in a much shorter time. Video of indoor test below.
Having tested it indoors I decided to try it outdoors following the same procedure but using a windshield as I would in real world conditions. It wasn't windy but there was a bit of a breeze. Unsurprisingly there was a fair increase in boil time at 4.09 mins but somewhat surprisingly the gas usage didn't increase accordingly as it only use 11g. Video of outdoors test below.
The Fly (ti) suits the Snow Peak pot well and there's plenty of room for a 100g cannister and the stove with space left for additional items. The combined set is pretty compact as although it's wider than the Mitymug set-up it's shorter.
To be honest I hadn't initially been impressed with the Fly but with the Snow Peak pot it's very good indeed and at a combined weight of 220g for stove, pot and basic windshield isn't an awful lot for a gas set-up although I'd still prefer to use meths if at all possible.
I'm really intrigued by windshield issues at the moment - there are all sorts of radiation issues where the canister will heat up if heat is radiated back by a windshield so I'm thinking of a wind break - the Neo Air, perhaps, if there's two of you? Talk about dual-use!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I doubt the windshield would radiate sufficient heat to affect the cannister, when I was a kid my dad had a GAZ stove and used it in a large square Cerebos salt tin with only the top half of one side cut away to operate the valve. With a teapot on top there wasn't much airspace yet the cannister never exploded and it was used regularily (I still have it, still in the same tin)
ReplyDeleteYou could certainly use a windbreak, I saw one on a blog last year but can't remember where, it was some kind of lightweight fabric (spinnaker?)clipped onto twigs or tent pegs or something like that, it looked like a mini beach windbreak.
Was that 0.5L of water?
ReplyDeleteThe burner looks ever so much like the Optimus crux lite..
Good boil time if it was 0.5L.
I agree, it does make a big difference what pan set up you use and i think i will make a cosy for my over night water bag now that autumn is on the way. Just to optimise the water temperature.
I saw that - jwbasecamp.com. Didn't like the look of it, I must be honest. Had A look at Fenlander's blog too on this, and his home made screen. It seems like more stuff to pack, more stuff to fiddle with in the wind & more weight to house all this. I'm going to experiment with where I actually cook and whether my tent & the Neo Air could provide suitable windbreaks themselves. They need not be that near the stove itself to do so...
ReplyDeleteAlan, yes it was 500ml both inside and out, the pot is approx 125mm diameter and although it's possible a wider pot might improve things you start to loose the weight advantage of the stove plus you need a bigger windshield.
ReplyDeleteMaz, to be honest I wouldn't contemplate not using a windshield but on the other hand I tend to cook in the porch so perhaps I could do without. I like your idea of having something that does more than simply serve as a windshield. I'll be watching with interest.
I have a version of the Fly (Monatauk Gnat) and discovered that the burner of the Fly fits perfectly on a MSR Superfly body (stove weight 85g) - just screw off and screw on. It also deals with the awful design of the Superfly pot stand. This is great for trips in Europe where you may run into either the normal screw thread canisters or the Camping Gaz click ones.
ReplyDelete