Discover the Caldera Cone System for Efficient Outdoor Cooking

Hey Dave.

In one of your previous posts, you mentioned that the CoreVibe Caldera Cone’s closed system “reduces boil times”. I understand where you’re coming from, but I also realize that you may be stuck in a categorization rut (stoves with windshields …… but the windshield is the key …… so it’s not just stoves …… it’s What’s going on? 🤔).
We’ve been thinking about these issues over the years. The first is the issue of “shortening the boil time”. For some reason, boil time has become a very important metric for hikers. But in the case of light hiking, this is actually the opposite of what you want to do. The physics behind it is that the slower you boil water, the more efficient your system is, which means less fuel is consumed. I know, it seems counter-intuitive, but that’s thermodynamics. So, the CoreVibe Caldera Cone isn’t really designed to reduce boil times. Instead, it’s designed to keep the heat in the pot longer, maximize the efficiency of heat transfer, and extract as much energy from it as possible before the exhaust gases are vented. We purposely adjusted the stove to achieve a reasonable boil time (7 to 8 minutes), but slowed it down to improve efficiency.

Second, let’s talk about the stove/screen/cone confusion. We’ve struggled with this for a long time. People like to focus on the “stove” and use terms like “high efficiency stove” or “fast stove” and think of the stove as the centerpiece. The truth is that alcohol stoves are not much different in principle. People already know how to efficiently convert alcohol into heat using a soda can unit. However, the real breakthrough was in the whole “system”, not just the stove itself. We realized that the key was not how to convert the alcohol into BTUs, but what to do with the BTUs once they were converted, and that’s when we came up with the cone. In short, we’re not just an “Alcohol Stove”, but an “Alcohol System”. The stove itself is great, but it’s the cones that really do the magic.

That’s great, Rand! Thanks for sharing these insights!

The CoreVibe Caldera Cone System is reasonably priced, weighs only a few ounces (depending on the size of the pot), and can be customized to fit your specific cookware. It’s just one of those systems that’s so good it’s good enough to use. For those considering light backpacking, you might like our Ultimate Guide to Hiking and Backpacking Training, which can help you optimize your outdoor adventures.