Modern technical achievements, new convenient and practical devices for tourism and outdoor recreation are offered to travelers by the world's leading manufacturers. One of the popular devices for lighting a fire, heating a tent and a variety of needs is a tourist gas burner. How to choose the best travel device? Consider the features of this device.
Invention to help tourists
The tourist burner was born during World War II.
Sweden is considered the birthplace of this device - the first models for soldiers and trench needs were received from the local manufacturer Primus. The tourist version was developed later, in the 1950s, thanks to the advent of special gas cylinders.
In the space of the former Soviet Union, these camping inventions began to appear only in the 1990s. Earlier in ourcountry used gasoline burners (primuses). But the advantages of gas devices were so obvious that they replaced gas models and became a real hit.
Types of burners
Tourist burner in its functionality is designed for cooking hot food in natural conditions. Today, manufacturers offer the following appliance designs:
- Separate: attached to the cylinder with a special hose. This is a sustainable option that allows you to warm up the cylinder with your own fire. A very convenient version in frosty conditions, when you have to turn the container over to use up the remaining gas. But the bulkiness and difficulty with the hose put off many buyers.
- Wound on top of the balloon. This option is practical, efficient and cheap. The problem is in stability, and in the fact that it is difficult to put large containers of food on it. You have to buy a tank with a wide base, but there are no problems with the operation of the hose. Also, these models are cheap and compact.
- Hoseless: the cylinder is used in a horizontal position. The low cost of the gas tank, unfortunately, indicates the risk of damage - the cylinder can crack in the backpack or at the junction with the burner itself (collet connection). Its dimensions are limited, therefore, taking into account all the minuses, this is a rare copy in the tourist's reserve.
- Integrated food heating systems. A very convenient option that allows you to screw the dishes with food on top of the heating device. The existing radiator ring at the bottom of the tank evenly distributesfire, protecting it from the wind and fading. This feature saves cooking time and reduces gas consumption.
This miniature device is able to replace a fire in a situation where it is raining and all preparations are made in a tent.
Advantages of these devices
The tourist gas burner has become simply an indispensable device due to its low cost and the constant availability of filling cylinders in stores. Its essential advantages are:
- ease of use - at the level of a stationary stove;
- no warm-up problem - she doesn't need it;
- Easy in the process of starting: just turn the ignition key, connect the gas cylinder, or fill with gasoline;
- safety to use - modern models are extremely simple and equipped with the necessary insurance (although there may be problems with an inverted cylinder and the fire turned off - an explosion is likely);
- wide range of uses - from cooking in a tent and warming up;
- light weight, compact size - fits in any backpack. Some models weigh only 80-150 grams and fold to the size of the palm of your hand, and sometimes less. Sometimes a saucepan is attached to the device, which can be screwed on top (volume up to 1 liter). Large containers can also be heated on the appliance, but the advantages of the built-in pan are lost. On average, water can boil within 3-5 minutes.
Flaws
The tourist gas burner installed on the cylinder has a number of significant disadvantages, which, of course, are offset by the above-mentioned advantages. The disadvantages of these tourist "lighters" are such points:
- Poor performance in cold air temperatures and severe frost. This is due to the state of the gas, which at minus 30 degrees Celsius requires heating the cylinder. A torch with a hose will help out here.
- Weak power for gasoline models - their counterparts are leading in terms of heat supply. But sometimes it's good: excessive power is poorly controlled and does not save gas. Power depends on the size - the larger the displacement of the device, the better the heating is supplied.
- You have to take an empty balloon with you, even if the end of the journey is still far away. Firstly, throwing it away is harmful to the environment, and secondly, it can be refilled, and buying a new one every time is too expensive. Solution: buy a cylinder at the place of arrival or take a different type of burner with you.
Fuel differences
The difference in fuel can sometimes play a significant role in the use of such a device. The optimal models are multi-fuel burners tourist. The ability to vary types of fuel and save money on refueling, not to depend on the shortage of one or another resource is literally worth a lot - these devices are the most expensive.
Somewhat outdated tourist gasoline burners are still often used - after all, gasoline is quite affordable for everyone who wants to buy it.
The market for such devices is mainly represented by gas appliances due to their cheapness and the availability of cylinders.
The choice is mainly made between gas and petrol, based on the temperature of the environment when using the device and how convenient it will be to transport.
Modern manufacturers
Today there is a fairly large selection of different brands of manufacturers of such a popular technical device as a tourist gas burner. How to choose the most reliable and worthy manufacturer so as not to freeze in the taiga or in the country?
Devices differ dramatically both in terms of production and quality, and in the type of filling. The leaders of this market are the Chinese and Koreans. The most famous brands are Coleman, Campingaz, Primus, as well as JetBoil and Kovea.
The best officially and everywhere are JetBoil, Coleman, Primus. An excellent combination of quality and low cost is distinguished by the Korean company Kovea, whose tourist burner is very popular throughout the CIS and Russia.
Customer Reviews
Modern consumers often share their impressions of the purchased product. Tourist burners are no exception. Reviews about these devices can be found very different - from laudatory and satisfied to angry and dissatisfied. Such a device is recognized as the most indispensable and convenient source of heating in the campaign, used to solve a number of problems - from processing raw materials to ignition.campfire. The difference in reviews refers only to the quality of devices and claims to manufacturers. Basically, gas burners are praised because of their democratic nature. Most of the criticism goes to bulky models, but sometimes large devices combine both a cylinder and an attached pan that can be nested in each other. This option is well suited for a tourist group of several people.
Selecting a heating medium
How to choose a tourist burner that will not let you down at a crucial moment and will provide all the necessary conditions for comfort on a hike? In the first place should be such basic tasks as reliable provision of tourist space with heat and fire supply.
The choice is determined by the place where the traveler is going, hiking conditions, average forecast temperatures and the availability of the necessary fuel. In general, the burner can be considered an essential item that should be in the backpack of any prudent tourist by default.
