Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Vargo Triad Alcohol Stove
01 / 03
Vargo Triad Alcohol Stove
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
616 requests
Product Description
As you can’t exactly haul your barbecue up a pass or rely on wood fires every night, you need a lightweight and simply maintained camp stove for all your backwoods adventures. Made of solid titanium and fillable with Denatured alcohol, the Vargo Triad Alcohol Stove makes boiling a pot of water almost as easy outside as in your kitchen Read More
search
close
Sort by: Newest
keyboard_arrow_downmalevolence
1
Oct 19, 2018
These pictures show the older design with the small central hole. Are they correct, or is this drop the newer model?
jendrzych
0
Nov 5, 2018
malevolenceI just unboxed the package and... What a surprise - the newer model. The one with big feeding hole!
humhoefer
4
Oct 18, 2018
I've been using this stove on solo and two person trips for a couple of years. There are faster options and simpler options but I had one specific requirement. I wanted something I could put out mid burn. I didn't want to have to estimate how much fuel I need or be unable to put out the flame if I have to leave the campsite. Cat can stoves require an extra cup or pot to snuff the flame, Trangia makes a great stove but it's relatively heavy and doesn't have a pot support built in. Jet stoves boil water well but don't simmer so well and they're loud, so I really wanted an alcohol stove.
I ultimately settled on the Vargo Triad because I can blow it out when I'm done cooking, it has pot supports and weighs just under an ounce. I purchased some Toaks Ti windscreens and cut them to fit my two main pots (a Toaks 750mL and an Evernew 1.3L). With the excess I cut a circle to go under the stove which protects the ground or table, reflects the heat back to the stove and pot, and also allows me to put a few drops of alcohol to preheat the stove if I don't want to fill the stove completely. The solo set-up with the Toaks 750 weighs 162.1g (~5.72 oz) and includes the pot, lid, pot sack, stove, windscreen with paperclips and sack and the syringe I use to fill the stove. With this set-up, I have boiled water, cooked pasta and legume meals which require simmering, fried eggs and hashbrowns and roasted marshmallows in temps as low as 25 F with snow. The power output seems a nice balance. It boils water fairly quickly but I can hold a pan over it and fry eggs without feeling like I'm wasting a lot of heat. I keep the windscreen around it and use a light weight aluminum or Ti pan lifting the pan to control the heat. I've even pan fried fish over it. I leave the 1.3L pot on the stove while cooking a pasta meal and it doesn't burn or boil over so I don't feel like I'm missing a lot without a simmer ring. I don't time my water boiling because I just start the stove and do other prep. Honestly, the difference between boiling in 2 min or boiling in 8 or 10 min isn't important to me when I have meal prep or camp set-up to do. When I'm done cooking, I blow out the stove and dump the unused fuel back in the bottle after waiting a few minutes for the stove to cool.
The pot supports are finicky with the narrow 750 mL pot. The 1.3L is wider and is easy to set on the stove legs. There is potential for a spill if it is not used carefully. Like almost all of my ultralight gear, it requires a conscientious user. It's not the stove you bring to the cub scout camp out but I am comfortable leaving a pot of water on this stove while doing other stuff around camp. I don't leave it completely unattended but I don't feel the need to sit by it and watch water boil.
My biggest complaint has been fueling through that little hole. I use a curved irrigation syringe which I can insert into the hole to speed fueling. It works well but, if I loose or forget the syringe, I'm out of luck. The syringes are available at most pharmacies but it means I can't simply buy a bottle of alcohol at a gas station or liquor store and fill my stove. I looked into bottles with spouts but all seem to leak either initially or after a while. My solution has been to use the original alcohol containers. Heavier but much less likely to leak. I use Everclear for the lower toxicity (compared to methanol or denatured alcohol) and buy it in plastic 400 or 250ml bottles for a weekend trip. For longer trips, I just bring a second or third 400 ml bottle. The little fill hole has been my biggest complaint and has sent me to purchasing or building a variety of other stoves. However, I've kept coming back to the Triad because it is so light for all the features it has (put supports mostly).
So in conclusion, I'm going to purchase the newer version with the bigger hole in the center and see if I can eliminate the syringe completely. It's $28 on Amazon.
MickeyBliss
7
Oct 18, 2018
humhoefer"So in conclusion, I'm going to purchase the newer version with the bigger hole in the center and see if I can eliminate the syringe completely. It's $28 on Amazon."
So the one offered here still has the design issue of the small hole ?
So the one offered here still has the design issue of the small hole ?
humhoefer
4
Oct 18, 2018
MickeyBlissI don't know for certain but, based on the pictures and the comment from OldSparky, I'm making the assumption that it is. Doesn't necessarily mean you should discount it. Either way it's a viable stove. For me, the savings of a few dollars isn't enough to gamble on getting another of the same version.
swimify
34
Oct 18, 2018
To the folks who joined the last drop: did you receive the stove that is pictured or did you get the latest revision with the larger center hole?
oldsparkey
70
Oct 18, 2018
This is the old version with the small hole , it was replaced with the new version which has a large center hole for easier filling. The small hole one you have to fill the center depression several times to get the proper amount of fuel in the burner. When filled there has to be some alcohol sitting in the bottom of the bowel for it to work properly , same with the larger hole one but it is a lot quicker to fill. It will boil water but use a wind screen since the way you extinguish the flame is to blow on it. They are great for a emergency stove but for boiling water on a daily basis while camping a Trangia burner beats all the rest and offers a lot more options. .
ZanshinHabit
3
Oct 18, 2018
Save yourself from disappointment and frustration by buying a Trangia spirit burner instead of this spider legged design failure. The primary problem with it is that without a wind screen it never gets hot enough to gasify the denatured alcohol so you’re left with what is essentially a big candle. Ever tried boiling water with a candle? You can flip it over and use it as a trioxane or esbit fuel tab burner but as an alcohol stove it’s a failure.
lcdm
68
Oct 18, 2018
Is this drop for the version with the small hole or big hole to pour the alcohol? If small, stay away. If big, it's worth a try.
2AxeMax
6
Sep 2, 2018
I have an old 6x8 cargo trailer I use for hauling camping and hunting gear. It also doubles as a camper. I carry an assortment of lightweight camping/survival equipment that also doubles as a backup or back country option when hunting or fishing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness areas. This stove is exactly what I was looking for that I could use in my camper or afoot.
pukeko
15
Sep 1, 2018
This is a very decent stove. When it gets going, it can really output some decent heat. I've had mine for a few years now though, and while it has serviced me well, there are certainly drawbacks. First, be careful the legs are properly deployed. Second, wind is an issue, turning this thing into a jet of fire. Get a caldera style windscreen. Also collecting unused fuel is near impossible. Still, it is durable and efficient when working well, and I haven't replaced it yet.
thewoodrow
56
Oct 18, 2018
pukekoI agree on all counts. My use is limited as I am never able to get the legs to be stable enough. My units is about 10 years old and the legs are wobbly and uneven from day one and never over burdened. great stove.
Bartokk
1
Aug 29, 2018
I've gone on a few multi-day backpacking trips and after seeing countless attempts from friends trying the alcohol stove I would never recommend it. Get something like the jet boil and never worry about setting up screens, spilling fuel, and relighting your cheap stove.
ResistImpulse
38
Aug 30, 2018
An alcohol stove made out of a soda can is not the stove for sale here. Your experience is either hearsay or unrelated. I too tried to make my own alcohol stoves. The ones I made were not very reliable or simple to use.
The stove being sold and discussed is a premium alcohol stove made for an ultra light niche, and it serves that niche very well.
If you are not someone that relates to ultralight weight backpacking then this is not a product for you.
Being someone that uses a jet boil, this is not a product for you. Jet boil is like the heaviest of products that still serve the actual back packer. The opposite side of the spectrum.
Now to address the "issues" other people have had... meh... If you don't know how to use BC or Goody's headache powder and you refuse to read the directions and you pour the stuff in your eye... that is a user problem.
The only legitimate issue with the stove is that they claim the legs on the top are sufficient for holding your pot. This is a terrible claim, and I would not be surprised if they get sued by a burn victim at some point. No user should under any circumstance trust those top legs to support their boiling water safely. As far as the need for a windscreen. This is not an uncommon need for a stove, just like not all cars require gas, but it isn't uncommon that they do.
Now to address the "issues" other people have had... meh... If you don't know how to use BC or Goody's headache powder and you refuse to read the directions and you pour the stuff in your eye... that is a user problem.
The only legitimate issue with the stove is that they claim the legs on the top are sufficient for holding your pot. This is a terrible claim, and I would not be surprised if they get sued by a burn victim at some point. No user should under any circumstance trust those top legs to support their boiling water safely. As far as the need for a windscreen. This is not an uncommon need for a stove, just like not all cars require gas, but it isn't uncommon that they do.
RockyMountains
478
Sep 7, 2018
BartokkI've used Trangia alcohol stoves (not the one this drop is about) on and off for years. They are incredibly simple to use. Not the fastest for boiling water, but certainly elegant and low fuss.
Showing 21 of 65
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop