Primus's New Super-Efficient Modular Stove-Set

Modular stove / cook-sets for maximum neatness and compactness are where it's at right now and Primus has a new one, the two-person Eta PackLite, due out in December 2008.


The new all-in-one set packs the Eta stove neatly inside its non-stick 1.2 litre pan and also includes a Polyethylene plate,which protects the heat exchanger on the base of the pan and a neat Polyethylene bowl that also doubles as a liner to prevent damage to the non-stick titanium coating on the interior of the pan. The components stow away neatly and still leave space for a 100-gramme gas cartridge as well.


We'll have a full review of a Primus Eta stove shortly - watch this space - but briefly, it's a highly efficient gas-based cooking system that Primus says is 80 per-cent efficient in the sense that only 20 per-cent of the heat produced is wasted, conventional stoves are around 40-50 per-cent efficient, so that's a significant improvement. It works using a heat-exchanger built into the base of the dedicated pan  and an efficient windshield to minimise heat loss. The increased efficiency means you need less fuel for cooking, which saves weight in itself on longer trips.

The weight for the whole system - stove, pan, lid, bowl, windscreen and piezo ignitor - is reckoned to be sub-600 grammes and retail price willl be in the region of £75.

Details of the current Primus range at www.primus.se