Titanium vs Steel Stoves

[AJM]

I have a bias towards lighter gear in any outdoor activity from hiking to canoeing to camping I am always looking to lighten my load.

For Winter camping obviously there are different considerations.

When it comes to stoves I am enchanted by the weight difference between titanium vs steel but I've heard that titanium doesn't perform as well (something about heat conductivity?) especially if you are trying to cook/heat food on one.

Is this the case? Are the differences so noticeable that the weight advantage is negated?

Would love to get feedback from those who have used both...

[Undersky]

Good question, AJM.

Here are some biased thoughts:

Having used both I'd say that (all else being equal) the Ti stove pumps out the heat a little quicker on start-up than does a steel stove. Likely this is due to the thinner wall and top thicknesses on the ti stove, and not due to the type of metal.

Once you have a steady fire burning, and you keep it burning steadily rather than allowing it to wax and wane (like my absent-mindedness usually does), the difference in output between steel and Ti same-sized stoves is negligible.

The especially thin-walled Ti stoves will release their heat more immediately than steel, and retain less heat between burns. Again, this is likely because of the metal thickness, and not type.

Weight is a big consideration, but for me, corrosion is as big a consideration as weight. Apart from the inevitable steel parts on the Ti stove, titanium just does not corrode whereas the steel stove always has a little rusting going on no matter how careful I am when drying it and storing it.

I expect I'll keep using this (1998 version 4-dog) Ti stove for another 20 years, then pass it on to my son and he'll get another lifetime out of it. I know the steel stove will not last that long.

[Forse07]

I have owned a SS box stove, ti barrel stove and a ti box stove. I haven't really noticed a difference in performance as far as heating the tent between any of them. I feel like the quality of wood I have used has been more important than the stove. Although I use the top of the stove to warm up already cooked foods I don't really use it to do the cooking or boil water so I can't really speak to that. I will say I would not go back to SS as I have definitely noticed a difference in the weight on the sled. Ti stoves will also last longer.

[yardsale]

I attended a Snowwalkers Convention several years ago and someone opined that the emissivity of Ti is greater than steel.  That is the efficiency with which a substance transmits radiant energy.  I expect Ti stoves are lighter and last a lot longer as well.  Only used my 4 dog ti so I have nothing to compare it with directly.

[rbinhood]

 Ti has better heat transmission than steel, but its negligible for the purposes we use the stoves for. Ti is  more durable from a corrosion perspective. Can't beat the weight savings. Major difference is the cost in the short term, but over a lifetime, Ti is a true investment.

[AunNordDuNord]

I've used both, a kni-co and similar size Four Dog, and other than rust and weight they are really similar in use. The weight was the big think for me, I bought mine used so the price wasn't so bad.... But mine doesn't have a baffle or a side shelf!I wish I had the side shelf....

[yardsale]

Wish I had the baffle but not motivated enough to install.  The side shelf rocks.

[brianw]

I've used both, a kni-co and similar size Four Dog, and other than rust and weight they are really similar in use. The weight was the big think for me, I bought mine used so the price wasn't so bad.... But mine doesn't have a baffle or a side shelf!I wish I had the side shelf....

I have both the baffle and side shelf in my Four Dog Titanium 1 deluxe.  What the others have said is my experience too.  The big items with titanium stove is the weight difference and the lack of rust over time.   All things being equal, the heat output from similar size stoves (steel or titanium) will come down to the quality of the wood you're burning. 

Cheers

Brian

[Hutchy]

Tis the weight that's the thing for me.

I have a Fourdog ul2, and that means that I can go with a very large stove, carry very little weight, fill the stove full, and.cut it back to give a very low heat output. This allows me to burn all night, keep the tent hovering around or just above freezing and only fill it two or three times a night.

Best purchase I ever made.

[AunNordDuNord]

Tis the weight that's the thing for me.

I have a Fourdog ul2, and that means that I can go with a very large stove, carry very little weight, fill the stove full, and.cut it back to give a very low heat output. This allows me to burn all night, keep the tent hovering around or just above freezing and only fill it two or three times a night.

Best purchase I ever made.

That was my idea to, I wish some one would make a taller stove, something that would be 18-20" deep, 10-12" wide but at least 14" high maybe even 16" tall...
I think the ideal stove would be Ti 18" deep(16" inside/wood cut length) x 12 wide X 16" high(15" would be ok) make it so it is air tight(nice seal around the door, I did put one on my four dog and it does improve it a bit...) and a 4"-5" chimney I find the small diameter chimney are not that great!!
False floor and baffle of course and a side shelf!!

[Hutchy]

I find mine a good size for my tent.

I like my baffle and false floor. Never really had any issues with the door leaking, but I could add a gasket if need be if it ever became an issue. The vent on mine never closes all the way, but I find unless the wood is perfectly dry it needs just a hint more air than fully closed to keep a good slow burn.

[Undersky]

Hutchy, is your stove 10x10x18 inches?

If so, can you let me know the precise position of the baffle, and did you install the baffle yourself, or did it come with the stove?

Thank you!

[K.]

Other way around on both counts. The titanium has lower conductivity AND lower emissivity than steel. In any context where the supply of wood is virtually unlimited, all that matters is weight. If you're going to be short of wood though, then it might start to matter.

[Moondog55]

My stove is heavy enough but the flue pipe weighs as much if not more than the stove body.
It's the Helsport Lavvu stove and far too warm for this country in the tent I bought. So I bought some used titanium foil from a mate who bought it from the USA with rings etc.
The Titanium foil chimney saves about 4 kilos and takes up much less room so I can shove some cooking gear or other stuff inside the stove body

[Hutchy]

Hutchy, is your stove 10x10x18 inches?

If so, can you let me know the precise position of the baffle, and did you install the baffle yourself, or did it come with the stove?

Thank you!

Pretty sure mine is the UL2, which if I recall is 12x12x22

So not sure the location of my baffle will help too much in terms of specific measurements as the smaller one is likely different.