First British Multi-fuel Stove?

One more news story from the Go Outdoors show: Stockport-based gas stove manufacturers Go Gas are getting something of an overhaul and re-emerging under a new name, 'Rekri8' for 2003.

The outdoor stoves we're most familiar with are now going to be marketed in conjunction with Karrimor - the same man is involved in both companies - and are to be branded as 'Karrimor GoSystem' stoves complete with the familiar Karrimor blue and white colours on the packaging.

There have also been some neat range tweaks and one totally new development, the first UK-made multi-fuel stove we're aware of, the Flexi Fuel. Aimed at the MSR / Primus market, it has two jet options and is claimed to burn pretty much everything right down to diesel, though as anyone who's ever tried burning that particularly oily fluid will know, it's an act of last resort.

Like the Primus multifuel it has an aluminium pump and there's a priming pad to make pre-heating and lighting easier. It's also designed to be field-strippable for simple maintenance on the hill. Looks interesting, though we're not sure of the price.

The Rest

Most of the GoGas range continues but with subtle tweaks. The hot-burning and stable, but heavy alpine-stype stoves are reborn as the Thermo Tech and the Thermo Tech Pro - the Pro has the windshield - but with a lighter, glass-fibre body section to save precious grammes.

There are several neat canister-top stoves with piezo electric ignition as well. Nicest of all is that the whole range gets serrated pan supports, which are designed to interlock securely with the ridged bottoms of a new range of matching cooking pots. A very nice idea, and one that might save your sleeping bag from the odd soup or custard bath.