You can find answers to many common questions in this Frequently Asked Questions section below.
For ease of use we have arranged questions by category such as “Design & Innovation”, “Gas Canisters & Adapters” , “Support & Spare Parts” and “Usage & Safety”
What is the MercatorGear “Right to Repair”?
The MercatorGear “Right to Repair” is an exclusive service for our customers to ensure that your gear lasts for many years. We provide technical support, trouble shooting and spare parts, as well as advice about how to fix your stove or adapter in the event of accidental damage or wear and tear.
We introduced the right to repair in response to the needs of our users around the world. Some users need spare parts packs and spare fuel lines for mountaineering or polar expeditions; extreme cold can sometime result in breakages. Others have been using KOVEA products for over ten years, and rather than buying new replacements, they wanted to keep their old favourite going for as long as possible. In one case, we managed to send a spare fuel pipe to a remote spot in the Yukon to replace one which had frozen solid and snapped. In one of our favourite cases, a KOVEA fuel bottle was stolen and damaged by a troop of baboons in Namibia. And also in Africa, we were able to find a fix for a stove which fell off the back of a motorbike in the middle of a transcontinental expedition.
Here are a few of the spare parts that we provide to keep you fully functioning on the trail.
Where is my camping stove made?
Where is my stove made? All KOVEA stoves are made in South Korea.
For more information about which brands are made in which country see: https://mercatorgear.com/where-is-my-stove-made/
We have also included some information so you can compare countries across a number of measures (e.g. income per capita, freedom, corruption, human rights etc)
Country Data Sources:
Adjusted Net National Income per capita: World Bank
World Press Freedom Ranking: Reporters Without Borders
Corruption Perception Index: Transparency International
Global Freedom Index: Freedom House.org
What is the best way to store your stove after use?
GAS STOVE STORAGE
- Make sure your camping stove is dry and free from food, grease, oil, mud, grime or any other substances.
- If your stove comes back from a trip really dirty, you can wipe it clean with a damp cloth, or scrub it with detergent and a small brush. Make sure it is then free from detergent and dry, before storing in a dry place.
- Dampness will not damage your KOVEA stove, but it may result in the build up of grime which could interfere with efficient operations.
- Remote canister stoves like the Booster+1 and Spider, can be stored with the hose folded up. The hose is very flexible and long term storage will not damage the hose. The only way you can damage the hose is to burn it, or kink it, so do still be care to avoid this.
PRE-USE CHECKS
- Only take your stove out on a trip if you are sure it is working safely.
- Before using your camping stove make sure that everythings works;
- Visually inspect it to make sure it looks OK
- Check any screws to make sure they are tight
- Make sure any folding mechanisms (such as pot supports or legs) are working correctly
- Attach your stove to a fuel canister to make sure it works at full power. Check there is a smooth transition to low power and back up to full power again.
- Listen out for hissing from leaking gas, and liquid fuel emerging from seals
- If you haven’t used your stove for a while, the flame will probably burn with orange streaks. This is a sign of oxidation being burned off. The orange flame should disappear after a few minutes.
- If the orange flame persists for more than 5 or 10 minutes, then it suggests that the stove is not working efficiently and may be producing excessive carbon monoxide.
- Here is an example of a stove which produced an orange flame on a low power setting (see below)
- This indicated a slightly blocked gas nozzle. The solution was to use soapy water on a Q-Tip / ear bud to clean the nozzle. This solved the problem.
What is “Inverted / Liquid-feed mode”?
Regular Use: When a gas canister is the right way up, evaporation of the liquefied gas normally takes place inside the canister. When evaporation occurs inside the canister the remaining liquefied gas in the canister is cooled by the evaporation process. This cooling inside the canister reduces gas pressure. But this isn’t usually a problem in above-freezing temperatures.
Inverted Canister Mode: In very cold weather, by inverting the canister (see picture above) liquified gas flows directly to the stove by way of the pre-heat tube. Evaporation occurs inside the pre-heat tube and not in the canister itself. By removing the evapouration from inside the canister, to inside the pre-heat tube, gas pressure inside the gas canister is maintained.
See our video of Dr. Mark Hines demonstrate using the KOVEA Spider in inverted canister mode to melt snow in Alaska
The diagram on the left shows how liquified gas is heated when using inverted canister mode with a KOVEA Spider:
- Cold liquefied gas moves along the fuel tube to the stove.
- When it enters the reheat tube (2) the liquified gas evapourates
- The gas then flows down the tube under pressure (3) and mixes with air when leaving the nozzle.
- The fuel-air mix then feeds the flame (4) which keeps the reheat tube (2) hot, so it can evapourate further incoming liquefied gas
What happens to stove performance at high altitude?
Oxygen and Air Pressure
Stove performance at high altitude is impacted by two factors. As you gain altitude, air pressure drops progressively, and as a result oxygen concentration (the amount of oxygen in a given volume of air) also drops. These impact your stove performance in different ways.
- With normal concentrations of oxygen (e.g at sea level) stoves operate extremely efficiently and produce mainly carbon dioxide and water as the main waste products from combustion. Trace amounts of carbon monoxide may also be produced. With reduced oxygen supply at altitude, the combustion produces more carbon monoxide and less carbon dioxide.
- If you are really interested, here is the science.
- The chemical formula of butane is: C4H10
- When butane burns with sufficient oxygen: 2 C4H10 + 13 O2 → 8 CO2 + 10 H2O (butane +oxygen produces carbon dioxide + water vapour)
- When oxygen is limited: 2 C4H10 + 9 O2 → 8 CO + 10 H2O (produces carbon monoxide + water vapour)
- This means that as you gain altitude, your stove will produce more carbon monoxide. Most, but not all, mountaineers are aware of this phenomenon. Every year cases of carbon monoxide poisoning are reported amongst mountaineers who have had to spend long periods of time at altitude waiting out storms in a tent, with a lit stove.
Air Pressure: The Trouton-Hildebrand-Everett rule
According to the Trouton-Hildebrand-Everett rule, for every 1000m / 3000ft gain in altitude, the boiling point of the gas inside the canister drops by 2-3 degrees centigrade . This means that you can use your stove at progressively lower temperatures as you gain altitude.
The graph below shows how this applies to a KOVEA Spider running on low cost butane. At sea level, pure butane struggles to maintain gas pressure a just a few degrees above freezing. At 9,000ft (e.g. on the John Muir Trail), the evapouration point drops to -8.5oC. On the summit of Mont Blanc, you can use butane down to -14oC, and at everest Base Camp, -17oC.
- As you gain altitude, eventually the reduced amount of oxygen in the air will start to impact stove combustion efficiency, resulting in higher carbon monoxide emissions.
For more information how the Trouton-Hildebrand-Everett rule can save you money, see our article: Butane canisters: Low temperature performance improves with altitude.
Carbon Monoxide Danger Increases with Altitude
Carbon monoxide becomes a bigger danger at altitude particularly if you are forced to cook in a small tent due to extreme weather. The reason for this is that the humans in the tent and the stove, are competing for limited oxygen. Without sufficient ventilation, both respiration and combustion will further diminish available oxygen. As a result, you stove will produce more carbon monoxide. The resulting elevated carbon monoxide in the tent, together with reduced oxygen in the blood, is a recipe for disaster. Every year there are cases of mountaineers suffering carbon monoxide poisoning. Some cases prove fatal.
Experienced high altitude mountaineers avoid the life-threatening danger of carbon monoxide poisoning by cooking with tent doors and vents open to ensure that poisonous gases do not accumulate inside the tent.
Water Boiling Point Declines with Altitude
Water also boils at a lower temperatures at higher altitude. But you are unlikely to notice this much below 4000m/ 12,000ft. At altitudes above 5500m, mountaineers use pressure cookers to achieve water boiling point of close to 100oC. Without a pressure cooker, cooking takes longer and uses more gas.
Piezo Igniters Become Less Reliable with Altitude
Piezo igniters can start to misfire at altitude due to the reduced air density. If you are going above 2500m, you might notice piezo igniter performance start to deteriorate. You can counter this by bending the terminal to close the gap which the spark needs to cross. If you are planning on spending time above this altitude it is a good idea to take another form of lighter for your stove (fire steel or flint-based cigarette lighter) just in case.
Do other stove brands boil water faster?
Some stove companies published boil times for their stoves. These are only a VERY rough guide because there are no standard tests, and because there are many different variables which can impact boil time.
For example,
Setup variables include: size and type of pot (narrow or wide based); whether a lid is used; use of a heat windshield or not; , whether the gas canister is full or not; whether the gas canister has been warmed or is at ambient temperature; size of pot; whether a lid is used;
Environmental variables include: air temperature; water temperature at the start; the definition of “boil”; altitude; mixture of gas used; indoors or outdoors,
Measuring variables include: type of measuring device used, calibration of measuring device
Changes in any of the setup, environmental and measuring variables can influence the results of any boil time test. So who to believe? And what objective tests are there?
The most objective comparable measure is possibly maximum gas consumption (g/hr) as this gives you the theoretical maximum heat output of the stove. It doesn’t take efficiency into account, e.g. how good the burner head is at converting that flow of gas into heat, and transferring that heat into the pot. But it is one bench mark which is fairly objective and which can be compared between different stoves of a similar type.
Another source of objective information comes from experienced stove users writing in blogs, forums and reviews. The stove-using community comes up with lots of measurements which are independent of the stove makers. Independent users often compare different stoves using the standard methods, so they are definitely worth a look to get an idea.
The best independent stove testing / comparing initiative is: StoveBench: A Stove Testing Protocol for Comparing the Performance of Backpacking Stoves – Backpacking Light This is well worth a look.
MercatorGear.com supports any independent organisation which wishes to conduct (and publish) rigorous and objective testing of boil times, fuel efficiency, carbon monoxide emissions of different stove brands. We are confident that KOVEA’s products will perform exceptionally well in such tests.
Can I buy a cheap KOVEA products on eBay?
Can I buy KOVEA products on eBay? KOVEA does not have an official eBay presence. But you can find several KOVEA products for sale through eBay sellers in Korea, Hong Kong and China. These sellers are not authorised to export to Europe. This is because their products do not comply with all of the requirements of the European gas safety regulations. As a result, their products are not covered by KOVEA’s world-wide warranty.
If you purchase from an unauthorised dealer outside of Europe, your product will take 1-2 weeks to reach you, and you will have no legal right to return your product and claim a refund if you change your mind.
MercatorGear.com is authorised as an official dealer by KOVEA Co Ltd. Our products are fully compliant with European safety regulations. These products are also covered by our after-market service. We post out orders on the day we receive them, and you can expect delivery within 3-5 days in the EU. We are also openning a fulfilment centre in Germany to speed up delivery even further.
In addition to our activities as an official dealer, we are very much part of the stove-using community. We support challenging expeditions and conduct valuable product testing and research to help keep you safe, and to help innovate new products.
Next time you see cheap deal on eBay, think again. Please buy fully compliant KOVEA stoves and KOVEA adapters from MercatorGear.com.
Does KOVEA make any low cost stoves?
We make a very nice budget canister top stove called the KOVEA Power Nano. The build quality is as good as anything currently on the market. To keep the price as low as possible without compromising on quality, we use high grade stainless steel rather than of titanium for the pot supports. The Power Nano also uses the tried and tested “blow torch” burner which produces a powerful roaring flame and gives you a very decent boil time.
The Power Nano weighs 90g, folds up really small, and has 4 wide fold-out pot supports for added safety. It is made of high grade materials and components. It is not the cheapest stove you can buy, but it will give you excellent service and is built to last for many years.
See review here: https://ich-liebe-berge.ch/test-kovea-power-nano-stove/
How to I justify to my partner that although I have several stoves already, I now need a KOVEA Spider?
“I need a new KOVEA Spider but I don’t know how to justify to my partner that I really need to buy another stove. What should I do?”
This is a very common question! After extensive research, we have come up with some very good reasons to explain to your loved one(s) why it’s worth spending just a little bit extra for a KOVEA Spider.
o “The KOVEA Spider is safer than a normal stove due to its low centre of gravity, very low carbon monoxide emissions and its anti-flare tube”
o “It is very easy to use and is popular with both the guys and the girls”
o “We can make really good food on it due to its fine flame control and special burner head – so no more burned pans”
o “It can be used in winter so we don’t need to use that noisy and heavy multi-fuel stove when the snow starts to fall”
o “It is a great investment because it can also run safely on very cheap aerosol-type butane canisters when used with a KOVEA butane adapter (see picture); so it will pay for itself within a year”
o “It will last a very long time due to its excellent build quality”
o “It is so well designed, compact and versatile that it is the last stove I will ever need “
And if that doesn’t work, the ace in the hole is;
o “The KOVEA Spider is so light and compact that I will even have room in my pack for some of your stuff!”
GOOD LUCK with these! We hope they work!
KOVEA Spider Options
KOVEA Spider bundled with different KOVEA gas canister adapters to maximise flexibility and gas canister options according to your needs
Can you make KOVEA stoves even lighter?
Stoves can be made even lighter, but weight is only one of several design objectives including safety, durability and cost.
To achieve lighter weight designs, it is necessary to select materials based in lightness, and this has an impact on safety, performance, durability and cost. For example;
- narrower pot supports are lighter than wide ones, but are less stable
- aluminium is lighter than steel and brass for some components, but is not as strong
- titanium is lighter and stronger than aluminium, but is expensive to manufacture and not always the most appropriate metal for heat control
KOVEA has the design capability to reduce weight further but its design philosophy is not to compromise on product safety and durability.
Despite these requirements, the KOVEA design team is always looking at ways of increasing customer satisfaction through innovation and “out of the box” thinking.
How to use the KOVEA piezo igniter which comes with the KOVEA Spider?
The KOVEA Piezo Igniter comes free with the KOVEA Spider, and is available as an official spare part. It is tested to 100,000 ignition cycles.
For best results with the KOVEA piezo igniter make sure:
1. that the metal end of the igniter is touching the top or side of the burner head;
2. gas is flowing at a low to medium rate from the stove (i.e. NOT at full power)
3. click several times rapidly while ensuring that the metal end of the igniter remains in contact with the stove burner head.
If the stove doesn’t light straight away, turn off the gas for a few seconds and repeat 1-3 above. It is important that the igniter is touching the burner head while lighting.
If you are going above 2500m, you might notice piezo performance start to deteriorate due to reduced air density. You can counter this by bending the terminal to close the gap which the spark needs to cross. If you are planning on spending time above this altitude it is a good idea to take another form of lighter for your stove (fire steel or flint-based cigarette lighter) just in case.
I need the fastest possible boil time!
The KOVEA Alpine Master boils a 0.5 litre (2 cups) of water to a boil in a blistering 1 minutes 45 seconds. We believe it to be the fastest portable stove currently on the market.
The KOVEA Alpine Masters using a range of technologies to achieve this performance including:
- Surface Combustion Technology (a highly efficient infra-red gas radiant heater element made from a ceramic foam matrix)
- 100% primary air combustion (so the stove is also windproof)
- Integrated Heat Exchanger Pot for maximising thermal transfer to the water
Unfortunately, the KOVEA Alpine Master is not widely available yet outside South Korea.
Can I toast marsh mallows on a KOVEA Spider?
It is not one of the tests required to achieve Gas Safety Certification. And we do not recommend it. But some of our users have discovered that you can toast marshmallows on a KOVEA Spider.
Aparently, as long as you don’t let the marsh mallows catch fire, don’t let the goo drip onto the stove and don’t burn your fingers, mouth, tent, clothes and other valuable stuff, you should be fine.
Please do not let your kids do this unsupervised!
What is the best windshield for a KOVEA Spider?
With remote canister stoves like the KOVEA Spider, it is possible to put a windshield around the stove without causing the canister to overheat. This makes the windshield set up safe, and also greatly improves efficiency.
MercatorGear has developed a range of KOVEA Spider Windshields specifically for the Spider which are extremely light (18g), very effective and made from used aluminium drinks cans.
See our more detailed article: KOVEA Spider Windshields:
You can also use standard windshields available in most outdoor stores.
Scramblekit in the UK has developed an excellent titanium windshield design for the KOVEA Spider, which is well worth looking at.
FlatcatGear in the United States also makes a range of titanium windshields specifically for the KOVEA Spider.
We have also found that the KOVEA Spider fits very nicely under the Trangia windshield, and works extremely effectively. By using the Spider in this way you can significantly boost your heating power and flame control. And as the Spider is small enough to fit inside the Trangia kettle, the two are a perfect match.
You can also use standard windshields available in most outdoor stores.
Safety Tips when using a windshield
Windshields help to increase fuel efficiency and reduce boil times by retaining and reflecting heat around the stove and pot. When using a windshield it is important to follow some key safety tips:
- Never have the stove on full power. Keep the flame low, otherwise you risk overheating which might damage your stove, windshield or pot.
- Watch your stove and windshield to make sure there is no smoke emerging (turn off the stove if you detect smoke)
- Be aware of burning smells which may indicate overheating.
- Do not put an empty pop on the stove when it is lit as this can damage or melt the pot.
- Be aware that the windshield, stove and pot can get extremely hot. A scolding danger exists for several minutes after the stove has been turned off.
When should I warm up a gas canister?
It is sometimes necessary to warm up a gas canister to boost performance. Typical scenarios for warming a canister include:
- On a cold morning when the canister and its contents have become very cold over night.
- If the air temperature is below freezing.
- If you have been running your stove for 10-20 minutes and performance starts to decline (despite having plenty of fuel left).
Warming up a gas canister increases the gas pressure inside and restores performance.
The two main methods of warming a gas canister are:
- Using body heat by keeping the canister inside a jacket or sleeping bag before to use.
- By placing the canister in a bowl of water (the water will always be above freezing. Heat will be transferred from th water into the cold liquefied gas inside the canister, thereby restoring pressure)
Be VERY careful to warm gas canisters to no more than body temperature.
- WARNING
- DO NOT warm up the canister when the stove is lit.
- DO NOT warm the canister with a flame.
- DO NOT warm the canister so that it is hot to touch.
- If the canister is hot to touch, stop the stove and cool the canister immediately.
If you are VERY careful, you can keep a canister warm by keeping it close enough to the lit stove so that it receives a small amount of radient heat. This should only be done by experienced users. The canister should be constantly monitored to ensure that it does not become hot to touch.
What is a Remote Canister Stove?
There are two main types of portable gas canister stove: “Canister-Top stove” and “Remote Canister Stove”
Canister Top Stoves: Conventional camping / backpacking gas stoves consist of a stove which attaches with a standard screw threaded (7/16th UNEF) connector to a gas canister. They are popular because they are simple to use, small, light and inexpensive. They are the most widely used type of backpacking stove. But there are a couple of drawbacks. The setup is not stable for larger pots. It is difficult to use a windshield without over-heating the gas canister.
Remote Canister Stoves connect to the gas canister with a flexible hose / fuel pipe. This allows the stove to have a lower centre of gravity, so larger pots can be used. The gas canister can be placed a safe distance from the heat of the stove, so a wind shield can be used very efficiently. Both of these features make remote canister stoves safer and more efficient alternatives to canister top stoves.
An additional feature of remote canister stoves like the KOVEA Spider, is that in cold conditions, the gas canister can be inverted (turned upside down). This improves low-temperature performance.
For further details see: “Why use a KOVEA Spider in Inverted Mode?“
What’s so distinctive about KOVEA products?
KOVEA makes stoves for professional users and for leading stove brands around the world. But what is so distinctive about KOVEA products?
Users choose KOVEA because of our commitment to both safety and quality. KOVEA chooses to keep design and manufacturing in high-wage South Korea, where it has full view of quality of materials and the manufacturing process. As a result, KOVEA stoves tend to be a bit more expensive than products from low-wage economies nearby.
It may be unfashionable, but KOVEA products are built to last for many years and not to wear out or break after a couple of seasons. And for dedicated users who many wear out some parts, we provide a global spare parts service. This is why KOVEA products are a bit more expensive in the short term, but much smarter choice for the long run.
Finally, KOVEA stands for equality, and is the only major stove company with a female chair; Mrs Hae Keun Kang.
Does KOVEA make stoves for any other stove company
Yes. KOVEA designs and makes its own brand stoves as well as manufacturing for other famous stove brands from USA, Europe and Japan.
Our reseach and development, and design engineers work with other stove makers to bring the best possible products to market worldwide.
International stove brands choose KOVEA because our proven design and manufacturing Quality Assurance (QA) is second to none.
That is why the stoves we make last longer, work better and are higher quality than cheap alternatives.
How do you know if another brand of stove is made by KOVEA?
There are only a handful of volume manufacturers of backpacking gas stoves in the world. There are a few in China, one in Japan, a few in Europe (with some production in China), and one in South Korea (KOVEA). Between them, they make the vaste majority of all stove brands in the world. So how do you know if your stove of another brand is actually made by KOVEA?
That is fairly simple. Look on the box or in the product details on the product web page. If it says “Made in Korea” then it was most likely made by KOVEA.
If it says “Made in China” it is not made by KOVEA.
Look out for Fake KOVEA products!
Some Chinese manufacturers have been making illegal and inferior copies of KOVEA stoves. We have found copies of several KOVEA products which are made from inferior materials. Some copies have been banned from sale in Europe as they are dangerous.
If you find a product and want to check whether it is genuine, please contact us so we can verify it.
Check out our graphic below to find out more about where stoves are made for different brands.
(And remember that all KOVEA stoves are made in South Korea)
How do I pay less than $10 for an excellent stove?
How do I pay less than $10 for an excellent stove? As in many things, price is a very good measure of quality. KOVEA cannot make a high specification stove to ship half way round the world to retail at $10 including taxes. To achieve this would involve cutting too many corners in terms of design, materials, testing, working conditions, labour rights, pollution control, quality control, customer service and after market support.
Rather than spend your money on a cheap Chinese stove, you could spend it on your favourite canned drinks, and use the empty cans to make a hobo stove. The stove will be completely free, you will have complete control over labour conditions and workers rights, and you will get a lot more satisfaction!
What is the lightest stove you can provide?
The lightest KOVEA stove we provide is the KOVEA Titanium SupaLite. It weighs just 56g (less than 2oz). KOVEA Titanium Supalite (56g) is one of the lightest gas stoves you can buy.
The SupaLite has a low emission burner, and uses only 4-5g of fuel to boil 500ml (2 cups) of water. Boil time is around 2.5 to 3 minutes.
The burner produces a unique wide flame pattern. The flame shape set’s it apart from other ultralight stoves and is good for heating and cooking on larger pots. The regulator and valve are sensitive enough to simmer and lightly fry without hot-spotting. The regulator is glove-friendly. This also sets it apart from most other ultralight stoves.
See our video below of the KOVEA Supalite Titanium demonstrating how it can heat a wide pan, evenly and without hot spotting.
The KOVEA Titanium SupaLite (56g) KB-0707, is a tiny stove with big stove capabilities.
Here is one in Iceland using its wide pot supports to support a large 2.5 litre pot.
The glove-friendly regulator is ideal for cold weather usage, and the wide flame gives it both power for fast boiling and refinement for gourmet cooking.
Stove Weight In Context
But to put stove weight into context it is also worth noting that during 24 hours in the hills or on the trail you need to consume around 3-5 litres/kg of water. And you might eat 500g of food and snacks and in wet conditions you can easily accumulate 100g of mud on each boot and 300g of moisture in your clothes and tent. In relation to these, our customers generally agree that 10g or even 50g of extra stove weight is a small penalty for having a stove which has been designed for safety, reliability, performance and longevity.
MercatorGear does make an incredibly light stove which we use for testing and calibration purposes:
The MercatorGear 10g Hobo Stove (left) weighs just 10g, and uses 16g of meths to boil 500ml of water in around 7-8 minutes. But it is not as durable, controllable, efficient, safe or fast as our KOVEA gas stoves. You can only really cook soup and noodles on it. It is made from beer cans kindly donated by FourPure Brewing Company. But as a stove for an occasional brew it’s an excellent bit of ultralight gear.
Can KOVEA stoves withstand wild animal attack?
Can KOVEA stoves withstand wild animal attack? We build our stoves to be very robust by using the best quality materials and the best suppliers we can find. We don’t cut corners on quality. The last thing we want is for our stoves to fail you when you are out in the wild.
We recently heard about an expedition in Namibia (in southwest Africa) which had the fuel bottle from their KOVEA Booster+1 stolen by a troop of baboons. Here is their story….
“Hey guys. I want to congratulate you guys on exceptional quality. We did the 5 day Fish River hike last week in Namibia (in southwest Africa) and on the morning of day 2 our KOVEA 1l fuel bottle was stolen by baboons. After chasing them down for about 1km on the rocks all the time having them drop and bite it, they dropped it down the side of a cliff. To my surprise the fuel was still in the bottle and it was not punctured. Luckily we were still able to make food and coffee for the rest of the trip. It looks in pretty bad shape now but did the job!”
Thanks Leroy!
Here is the actual Fuel Bottle from the KOVEA Booster+1 after the Baboon incident.
The screw top stopper is chipped but still works. The bottle itself is seriously dented and you can clearly see two big Baboon teeth marks in the middle.
Importantly, the bottle was strong enough to prevent the baboon from getting to the good stuff inside.
So, can KOVEA stoves withstand wild animal attack? We build them tough, and the baboons of Namibia seem to agree!
Thanks again Leroy for the great story.
Can you use more titanium in your stoves to reduce weight?
All stove designs are a compromise between safety, performance, cost, durability and weight. All KOVEA stoves have safety as the primary design objective. The focus on safety this drives choice of materials for critical components.
Some users have asked if it is possible to use more titanium in the design of KOVEA stoves to make them lighter.
There are two main reasons not to use titanium for the legs of the KOVEA Spider. The first reason is that it is expensive to replicate the exact design of the existing stainless steel legs with titanium ones. The second reason is that we could use less expensive titanium sheet material. But this would require redesigning the legs and burner housing and would require additional testing and certification. This would all add substantially to cost to the stove.
Bimatalic Corrosion Risk with Titanium
Great care has to be taken when selecting different metals in order to avoid bimetalic (galvanic) corrosion risk. This occurs when metals like aluminium and stainless steel, are joined together. When such pairs of metals are used next to each other, electrons flow between the two and corrosion occurs in the softer metal. Corrosion of this type accelerates when a stove heats up, and in damp conditions. So although titanium is an extremely light, strong and non-reactive material, it can cause some other metals to corrode. This limits its usage.
Titanium as a Heat Sink
Stoves heat up during usage. But they are designed so that the heating process does not run away and damage the stove itself. Metals are chosen to avoid this runaway heating by dissipating the heat. Compared to other metals such as aluminium, titanium is a poor heat sink. If aluminium is added to the stove design to make up for the poor thermal conductivity of titanium, then a bimetalic corrosion risk will emerge.
It is clear that there is demand for a high-end, very light weight remote canister stove. The KOVEA design team is looking ways to achieve this without making a stove which is unsafe, subject to corrosion or too expensive.
I’ve modified my stove to make it lighter / better. Are you interested?
• Yes and No: If you take the stove apart and modify it, you could be doing something dangerous resulting in higher emissions of potentially fatal carbon monoxide, or increasing the danger of flaring or explosion, so we cannot support modifications and strongly recommend you not to make them. Modifications also invalidate the warranty.
• But we also admire those creative individuals who come up with innovations. If you have any ideas for modifications which are consistent with our design objectives, and which our engineers could try out, we would be happy to look at these. For example, we are not going to make a stove entirely out of titanium because it is an inappropriate material for some components, (and it would cost a fortune) but sometimes simple practical ideas are the best. What is obvious to experienced users, may not be obvious to our design engineers in the lab, so our minds are always open to new ideas.
- Here are a couple of ideas we have been looking at:
“Titanium Spider” concept uses existing components including titanium pot supports from our successful canister top range.
This configuration has similar performance to the original KOVEA Spider.
“Power Spider” also uses existing components to boost power by up to 50% through faster fuel flow.
Note that the burner head is the popular and reliable “blow torch” burner which is used on a number of high performance stoves including the KOVEA Power Nano and the MSR Pocket Rocket.
This configuration is optimised for very rapid water boiling, with good flame control for cooking.
In initial tests this configuration boils 500ml water in 2mins 45 seconds, using 5g of gas.
Why are aerosol-type butane canisters so much cheaper than screw-thread iso-butane canisters?
Standard 227g pure butane canisters contain about the same amount of gas and heating power as a standard 230g / 8oz screw thread canister, but for one third or quarter the price. At several degrees above freezing point, the two types of canister are more or less interchangeable. The butane canisters are very cheap because they are made in huge volumes for domestic cooking, BBQ and picnic stoves throughout East Asia. They are also widely available in the west through Asian food shops, hardware stores, camping stores and other outlets. In east Asian supermarkets, a 4-pack typically costs $4.50 or less in the USA and around £5.50 in the UK (from Koreafoods.co.uk). Such general retailers sell large volumes of aerosol-type butane canisters for a small margin.
Screw thread canisters iso-butane/propane canisters for camping and backpacking are made in much smaller numbers, use thicker metal and more expensive valves (as they are more highly pressurised). Virtually all stove companies and other outdoor gear companies spend a lot on promoting their own brand of canisters as well. And they are generally only available from a narrow range of retailers i.e. outdoor gear shops and some hardware stores.
The result is that although the heating power of the two different types of canister is about the same above freezing, screw thread iso-butane / propane canisters are much more expensive.
- For further explanation, see our more detailed article: Why are butane canisters so much cheaper than standard screw thread iso-butane canisters?
Why does my gas canister cool down when I’m using my stove?
This is because the gas is evaporating inside the canister cools the remaining liquefied gas inside the canister. The lower the temperature of the fuel in the canister, the lower the gas pressure. You can lose gas pressure completely if the fuel falls below freezing (for pure butane) or below around minus 20oC for a butane/propane mix.
The best solution to this drop-off in pressure/performance is to start with a canister which has been kept in a jacket or sleeping bag, or to gently warm the canister with a bowl of water or a gentle heat source such as a heat pad.
(Never let the canister become hot to touch!)
Should I puncture my empty gas canister before disposal?
Generally you do not need to puncture your empty gas canister before disposal. In Europe (except Austria), you can put your empty gas canisters straight into the domestic recycling. You do not need to puncture them first.
Waste disposal and recycling organisations treat empty gas canisters like any other pressure canister (e.g. aerosols). After collection from recycling bins, canisters are are crushed, shredded, magnetically separated, melted down, and new recycled steel ingots produced.
Before disposal into recycling bins, make sure the canister is empty. You can do this by running it with your stove until the flame goes out or until empty.
There is a good summary of other aspects of gas canisters on the AlpineTreck / Bergfreunde website here: https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/base-camp/transport-and-dispose-gas-canisters/comment-page-1/#comment-4970
What is the KOVEA Butane Adapter?
KOVEA has designed several different adapters to allow stoves to run on different types of gas canister.
The KOVEA Butane adapter (above) enables the KOVEA Spider to run on cheap aerosol-type butane canisters.
These canisters have a nozzle type connector (and not a screw thread connector)
Cost around £1.30 / $1.20 each for 227g of liquified butane.
Look out for the distinctive red cap.
Widely used for BBQ stoves and domestic cooking in east Asia.
Widely available in Europe, North America and elsewhere in Asian supermarkets, hardware stores, discount stores, and outdoor stores.
Best usage in above freezing temperatures.
Can be used below freezing at altitude.
Butane canisters are so cheap they are usually sold in packs of 4 for the same price as a single 230g screw thread iso-butane/propane canister.
Typical use: KOVEA Spider, butane adapter and butane canister making an omelette on a large domestic frying pan in the Swiss Alps at 10oC.
The low cost of fuel and the very fine flame control on the KOVEA Spider allow for more ambitious and creative cooking.
What is the KOVEA PAT Adapter?
KOVEA “Push and Turn” (PAT) Adapter (KA-2004) is used for blue Camping Gas-type canisters with a click (rather than screw thread) connector.
These canisters are popular in France, around the Alps and numerous European destinations.
The KOVEA PAT Adapter works with remote canister stoves like the KOVEA Spider (above). It also works with canister-top stoves like the KOVEA SupaLite Titanium (below).
The KOVEA PAT Adapter is very easy to attach to a click-type gas canister. You just have to press firmly down, and rotate the bottom section clockwise.
How many gas canisters should I take on my trip?
We have designed the MercatorGear Gas Canister Calculator to help you calculate the optimal number of canisters you will need for your trip or expedition.
The calculator tells you how many gas canisters you will need depending on the number of days on the the trail, number of people, your hot water requirements and type of stove.
You can also select the size of gas canister you take. For example, a short one-person expedition may require only a small 110g gas canister. A longer expendition with plenty of cooking will save weight by taking larger 450g gas canisters.
By changing the various parameters, the calculation updates until you find the best combination of stove type and gas canister for your particular expedition.
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What are the signs of carbon monoxide being produced?
You can’t see or small carbon monoxide gas but it is a potential killer. It is produced as a result of incomplete combustion.
Under normal conditions, a pure blue flame indicates complete efficient combustion. If you see orange in the flame, this indicates incomplete combustion, and the creation of carbon monoxide.
There are several possible causes of incomplete combustion, including a dirty or blocked gas jet, or insufficient ventilation.
If you see a flame like the one above (not a KOVEA stove) turn off the stove and make sure that the area that it was in is fully ventilated.
In the picture above, the middle flame is emitting carbon monoxide. Notice the orange colour.
In this case, the reason for incomplete combustion was a slightly blocked gas jet. This was solved by cleaning the gas jet with a soapy ear bud / Q-Tip.
If you have been in an enclosed space for more than a few minutes with a stove producing this kind of red/orange flame, turn off the stove, go into the fresh air and seek medical advice immediately.
What are the risks of using a portable camping stove?
Gas canister and liquid fuel stoves can be very dangerous if not used correctly. They are just like cars, guns, knives, food blenders, chain saws, pointed sticks and Leggo bricks.
You can ensure safe stove usage by understanding the risks of using stoves and by ensuring that these risks are effectively eliminated.
There are a number of dangers of using canister gas stove and these are the main focus of the KOVEA design process. MercatorGear.com has also conducted research into the stove accidents and we have a good understanding about how accidents happen.
The accidents which occur most often with all brands of gas canister stove are;
o burns, and
o carbon monoxide poisoning
• Burns can be broken down into several categories according to the cause:
o Scolds occur from accidents with boiling water and very hot food. These usually result from pans falling off stoves, or accidents during pouring, or lifting up pans with very hot handles. These accidents can be disfiguring but they are rarely life threatening. They normally occur as a result of user error, or accidents with children, dogs, footballs, frisbys and intoxication, so it is important to make sure that the cooking set-up is stable, protected from moving objects, that there is enough room to move around and that the user(s) are in a coherent state.
o Minor Contact Burns usually occur from accidentally touching hot stoves. Stove can give serious burns to fingers even several minutes after the flame has been extinguished.
o Flame Burns: can come from accidentally touching the flame directly, or from accidentally setting fire to clothing or other material. These range in severity from minor to fatal. Little statistical data has been generated about these types of burns.
Accidents with gas stoves result from stoves being knocked over, or from canisters exploding. Canister top stoves are liable to flare dangerously if knocked over. Remote canister stoves like the KOVEA Spider are fitted with anti-flare tubes to prevent dangerous flaring. Cheap remote canister stoves do not have anti-flare tubes and in our view are much more dangerous.
• Canister explosions: gas canisters which conform to European Standard EN417 are manufactured in very large numbers, and undergo rigorous testing. They are extremely safe unless misused, heated until hot to touch, or used with faulty appliances. There are several cases each year of canisters exploding and causing injuries. In Europe these are invariably a result of human error, but there are some cases where stoves (usually budget models) have been found to be at fault. Recent real cases of canister explosions include:
o Using a canister stove on top of a lit grill (the canister was heated from underneath). The canister eventually exploded causing serious injuries to the upper body of the user.
o Running two stoves in a tent at the same time, only one of which was lit. This resulted in a fatal gas explosion in the tent.
o Heating a canister with a candle flame in cold conditions. In one case the canister exploded, causing a tragic fatality to a mountaineer.
o Incorrectly attaching a canister to a well know low-cost brand of camping stove. The gas leaking from the connector ignited, and over several minutes the resulting jet of flame heated the canister to exploding point.
o Injuries from such explosions include severe burns to hands, face, arms, shoulders and neck. Loss of eye sight can also occur. Fatalities have also occurred, so please be very careful at all times when using a gas stove.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is a serious hazard if stoves are not used correctly. All stoves sold in Europe, North America and in other advanced markets must have a carbon monoxide warning tag attached to the stove. Every year there are around 40 fatalities and thousands of injuries recorded from carbon monoxide in the UK alone. Around 15 % of these are in a camping, caravanning or boating environment. Generators, disposable BBQs and gas appliances are the most common source of carbon monoxide in such accidents.
Camping stoves and lanterns are sometimes identified as the source of the carbon monoxide poisoning, though this is rare.
Experts in the field believe that the recorded incidents are only the tip of the iceberg because many serious non-fatal carbon-monoxide incidents are not reported or are not diagnosed correctly by medical staff.
Recent incidents in the UK of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
o A camper who left a gas stove running in a small tent without adequate ventilation. As the oxygen was used up, combustion became inefficient. This resulted in the creation of carbon monoxide and a life threatening case of carbon monoxide poisoning.
o A camper who left an incorrectly set up gas lantern running which resulted in carbon monoxide leaking into the tent. This also resulted in a fatality.
Safety Recommendations
We recommend that you:
- Thoroughly familiarise yourself with your stove before going on a camping trip.
- Make sure you know how to connect it, light it and extinguish it safely.
- Understand how long it takes to cool down to the point that it is safe to touch and to pack.
- Try the stove on low (simmer) and full power and notice how hot it and the surrounding area becomes.
- Make sure you instinctively know which way to turn the regulator (“lefty loosy, righty tighty”) so you can turn it down or off in a hurry if you need to.
- Make sure you know the sound and smell of gas which may result from incorrect connection.
- Regularly touch your gas canister to ensure it is not warming up. If it is warming up, or is hot to touch, turn off your stove and let it cool down.
- A healthy flame is blue. So keep an eye out for persistent orange flames which indicate inefficient combustion. Turn it off if the flame looks red or orange.
- If you haven’t used your stove for a week or two you may see orange streaks in the flames for the first couple of minutes. This is oxidation burning off and is nothing to worry about.
- Pay attention to your cooking area. Make sure it is clear of clutter such as bottles, gas canisters and anything that could burn, explore, melt or fall over.
- Make sure your cooking area is not in the way of passing adults, children, dogs or anything that could knock over or disrupt your cooking area.
- Remember that stoves are still hot for several minutes after the flame has gone out, so don’t pick them up by the pot supports.
- Gas canisters should also be treated with care.
- Full canisters should be stored away from the stove and disconnected after use.
- Empty canisters should be stored away from sources of heat as they can still explode if overheated. Ensure that they are empty by running them until no more flame or gas comes out. Always put empty canisters in recycling bins.
Stove Safety Tips for Backpacking and Camping
When using a portable stoves for backpacking and camping, we recommend that you follow these stove safety tips. You can remember these in three groups: PRACTICE, SENSE & ORGANISE
PRACTICE
Practice is the most important of the stove safety tips.
Attaching and detaching the gas canister. Make sure you don’t cross threads while attaching.
Lighting your stove in different ways (piezo, lighter, fire steel). Find your preferred method.
Turning it On and Off (“lefty loosy, righty tighty”) so you can turn it down or off in a hurry if you need to.
Control the stove at low simmer and full power and notice how hot it gets.
SENSE
Look at the flame at high, medium and low power. If the flame is orange after a 1-2 minutes, then turn it off and clean the gas nozzle.
(If you haven’t used your stove for a week or two you may see orange streaks in the flames for the first couple of minutes. This is oxidation burning off and is nothing to worry about)
Smell is an important safety indicator. Be alert to the smell of gas or burning. Turn off the stove if it doesn’t smell right.
Listen and get to know the sound of a high and low flame. Turn it off if it doesn’t sound right. Get to know the hissing sound of gas escaping before the flame is lit.
Touch the gas canister regularly to ensure it is not warming up. If it is getting hot to touch, turn off your stove and let it cool down.
Time how long it takes to cool down to the point that it is safe to touch and to pack.
ORGANISE
Organise your cooking area. Make sure it is clear of clutter such as bottles, gas canisters and anything that could burn, explore, melt or fall over. This is one of the most important stove safety tips.
Separate your cooking area from passing adults, children, dogs or anything else that could knock over your stove.
Store gas canisters away from the stove and disconnected after use.
Leave No Trace: take away empty gas canister for safe recyling (empty canisters can still explode if heated or burned)
How are portable gas stoves tested before they can be sold?
Portable gas stoves must meet rigorous safety standards defined by the local gas safety or product safety organisations before can be approved for sale in Europe. They can only be sold legally if each model has been awarded a CE mark. There are equivalent safety certification requirements in USA, Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, Korea and other advanced markets.
In Europe, camping gas stoves are regulated under the European Gas Appliances Directive and more recently Regulation (EU) 2016/426, Gas Appliance Regulation (GAR) This specifies that each stove model must be tested according to safety standards defined by a European technical standard called “CEN EN 521: 2019 Specifications for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances – Portable vapour pressure liquefied petroleum gas appliances”. This standard defines the specific safety tests which must be conducted, and the thresholds which stoves must meet before they can be awarded a CE mark. The CE mark is awarded by organisations which are qualified and certified to evaluate and award European safety mark using test data provided by stove manufacturers and by independent testing laboratories.
Even the certified safe levels of carbon monoxide emissions are still extremely dangerous when used in an enclosed space like a tent or small hut.
All KOVEA stoves come with the following warning tag attached:
“DANGER: CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD This appliance can produce carbon monoxide what has no odor. Using it in an enclosed space can kill you. Never use this appliance in an enclosed space such as a camper, tent, car or home.”
The tag also contains the identification number of the stove, the name of the manufacture, and the identification number of the agency which awarded the CE mark to that particular model of stove.
The KOVEA Spider, KOVEA SupaLite Titanium 56g & other KOVEA canister top stoves produce exceptionally low carbon monoxide emissions due to their unique burner head and flame pattern which ensures very efficient combustion.
According to independent data submitted for CE Marking, peak carbon monoxide emissions for the KOVEA Spider is just 12% of the maximum permissible level.
Do you provide Technical Support & Spare Parts?
MercatorGear.com now provides Technical Support and a global Official KOVEA Spare Parts service for KOVEA Co Ltd.
We currently support mainly backpacking stoves but we are adding to the range of KOVEA products we support. This means we cannot deal with all enquiries, but will help where we can.
If you need a spare part, please look at our Official KOVEA Spare Parts page.
If you have a Technical Support question please contact: info@mercatorgear.com
We hold some spare parts in Europe and can often source other parts direct from KOVEA Co Ltd.
___ _ ___
Please note that KOVEA items purchased in Europe through eBay are not covered by the KOVEA Global Warranty as these items do not comply with strict European safety standards.
Does insulating gas canisters improve stove performance?
Several users have asked us if insulating gas canisters improves stove performance.
There are two approaches to insulating gas canisters.
One approach is to insulate the canister from the cold ground by placing it on a piece of foam mat, wood, or snow shovel. This works because it allows heat from the ambient air to warm the canister.
The second approach is to surround the entire canister with insulation, or with a purposely designed canister cosy. This does not work! In fact, insulating the whole gas canisters actually reduces stove performance. This is because gas canisters containing liquified gas reply on the outside air temperature to maintain gas pressure. If you prevent external warmth from reaching the liquefied gas inside by insulating the canister, you simply accelerate the rate at which pressure inside the gas canister drops while using the stove. Your stove performance will start to decline. If you you remove the insulation from around the canister, stove performance will improve again.
The only exception to this rule is if the outside air temperature is way below freezing (e.g. 20 degrees below).
If your stove performance in declining due to reduced gas pressure in cold conditions, it is more effective to gently warm the gas canister with body heat, or place it in a bowl of liquid water. This gentle heat will be sufficient to help maintain gas pressure.
Our users have lots of questions about stoves, usage, safety, maintenance, trouble shooting and and sometimes quite unexpected things.
We have now organised the questions and answers so you can quickly brouse by category to find what you need.
Questions are organised under Design & Innovation, Gas Canisters & Adapters, Support & Spare Parts, and Usage & Safety.
Because Q&As often overlap, you will find some of the answers under two or more categories.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact us with your question.