O.K., this makes it much easier. Considering all of the admonitions in your explanation, I can do wo the bottom disk. It appears that none of the models in the OP create any concern for you, therefore take my pick. Thanks!! Appreciate it.

The post below is about a wind screen with a bottom disk that melted the lindal valve in the canister. Fortunately the stove didn't explode.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=65243&startat=20

@John K – the disk for the new designs just drops onto the top of the stove, please find a trio of pictures below. You might also look at the thread Gary Dunckel has provided above, I found it very informative. The ring design was easy to put together, but the 3 point shield design was probably the simplest to make: a rounded rectangle with three small slots for the tips of the Micron’s struts.

I would note that the newer designs need a narrow pot; the diameter of the support struts must exceed that of the pot + air gap. I’m using a 95mm (3.7in) diameter Mini Solo pot. The Adjustable Original can accommodate up to a 150mm (5.9in) diameter pot along with a 15mm (.3in) air gap.

As for which system I like the most, I won’t know that until I finish testing.







@Gary D – nice! I searched the forums a for “canister windscreen” a number of times but missed your thread. Our designs are so close you could sue me for copyright:) Plus your system has convertibility to alternate fuels, wish I’d considered that before I got started. Cutting down the Adjustable Original would solve the height issue and contribute to reducing the weight, but the fuss factor would remain – I have to mess about with paper clip suspension (which also hampers ease of stowage in my pot) and make sure I’ve inserted the stove through the disk before I attach it to the canister.

I’ve not noticed issues with downward heat transfer when using my original. Like yours, my disk is mounted about 50mm (2in) above the canister valve ring. I wonder if the ti in the Micron stove might reduce the amount of heat that is conducted down the central tube? Also, the Micron has 4 large air intakes that reduce the amount of metal available for conduction.

I will heed all warnings about overheating, and monitor fuel temperatures carefully and constantly. I hope to report on whether my reflector disk increases or decreases the canister temperatures.

@Franco D – spreading the handles definitely works. I’m fortunate to have a family that sometimes backpacks with me, the handles are coated mostly for their safety.

Thanks to all for the information about the dangers of disks - the risk is certainly real. Roger and others seek to minimize the background level of dead hikers. This is commendable, and they have the thanks of many for that.

Progress note: My digital thermometer arrived today, I just need to sort out measuring windspeeds and I can start collecting data.

in an effort to develop a system for providing a windscreen that would work for many types of canister stoves. Pot shown is 700 ml. Materials are stainless steel (both the 1/4" mesh and the wires for the windscreen support) and titanium foil for the windscreen itself. Weight of both is 20 g. Feedback appreciated.

SWEET!

My 1st impression is that the arched opening for access to the fuel adjustment valve may have to be user-modified, depending upon their particular stove. Unfortunately, some of the older stoves use those knurled knobs and leave little clearance below the burner head.

That is a clever design. How does the windscreen itself collapse for storage?

Feedback for the QiWiz design: Very adaptable idea. I wonder if you need the all of the square mesh? It is the stove struts that hold the pot, of course, so you could remove the center of the mesh and maybe trim the corners to form more of a ring shape. This would save save some weight and also permit use of 3 hooks (vs 4), further reducing parts and weight.

Hope this works out as another good product for you, keep us posted please.

Rod said,

"I wonder if you need the all of the square mesh? It is the stove struts that hold the pot, of course, so you could remove the center of the mesh and maybe trim the corners to form more of a ring shape. This would save save some weight and also permit use of 3 hooks (vs 4), further reducing parts and weight."

What about adapting 3 hooks to "hang" of off the stove's pot supports instead of using any of the mesh at all?

John asked,

"That is a clever design. How does the windscreen itself collapse for storage?"

From the pictures I'd hazard a guess that it rolls up to store in the cook pot because of the "hemmed" edges where it joins to form the circular shape.

Party On,

Newton

I had the same thought as John Donewar that the screening was unnecessay and bent 3 paperclips and attached them thru the little holes on the pot supports on my Pocket Rocket to hold a screen. I constructed a 2 1/4" high aluminum flashing windscreen with "finger clearance" around a Backcountry Ti mug. The screen just sits in the hooks of the bent paper clips (I am sure that paperclips will not hold up and would recommend stainless steel wire).

I tested it this morning in 15mph winds with 2 cups of tap water and turned the Pocket Rocket to full blast and had a roiling boil in 3 minutes 15 seconds. The air temperature was 48F.

Totally unscientific, but it seems to work great as a windscreen and the canister did not seem to get much excess heat.

I did not take pictures.

Yes, the windscreen might need minor modification either to accommodate the burner controls or the pot handle.

Yes, it could be even lighter by using a triangular format for the mesh and/or cutting out some of the mesh in the center (though a triangular format would not fit a four-support system well, whereas the square format is more universally workable).

Also: the 3" square mesh with hooks only weighs 8 grams now, so not much savings to be had (I know, a gram is a gram).

If your stove pot supports have a good place to attach a wire, you can add three wires to support the windscreen. I have tried this with a Pocket Rocket and it works fine, saving the weight of the mesh. The mesh allows this system to fit many available canister stoves without modification. As a product, that is a good thing. I could certainly have a DIY option in which someone would attach wires themselves to their stove. I would ship the wires (with some spares) and the windscreen.

The titanium windscreen is rolled up inside or outside your pot or however you want to roll it. You could also use aluminum, though the titanium is nicer.

I will be adding some things to my product line in late December or January, including a variety of titanium windscreens for all types of stoves, including canister stoves, alcohol stoves, and Esbit stoves. I have just taken a leap of faith with a fairly big order (20 meters) of 0.1 mm thick titanium foil, which is about 25% lighter/thinner than the foil that titanium goat carries. Can you dig it?

Edited by QiWiz on 11/18/2012 19:34:34 MST.