Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri

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This is a 3-in-one Caldera Cone stove with a difference.

March 11, 2012
updated Jul 7, 2012

300winmag
279 reviewer rep

Rating:
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: About $150 US

Summary

This is a 3-in-one Caldera Cone stove with a difference. It can burn alcohol (burner provided), ESBIT fuel tabs in a special holder, and wood in the optional Inferno gassifier insert. The main parts of the stove are made of sheet titanium and will roll up and fit into the mating pot with the other components except the alcohol burner.

Pros

The Sidewinder's small packed size and light weight make it a viable option for long trips when using with either ESBIT fuel tabs or wood (where permitted and available.)
Major parts fit in Tyvek sleeves and in the mating pot, excepting the provided alcohol stove.
ESBIT cooking actually does use about 1/3 less fuel than the best alternatives I've tried.
The optional Inferno woodburning insert makes the Sidewinder a TRUE gassifier wood stove that burns most of the gasses emitted in initial combustion. It burns HOT and thus the need for titanium in the outer cone and inner Inferno insert.
The Inferno insert, with its larger opening for feeding wood, can take a larger fuel load than the Bush Budddy and
Thus one can step away from the task of feeding the fire for about five minutes.

Cons

As with other Caldera Cone stoves you must buy a mating pot for the stove
It's a bit pricey due to the titanium construction.
For best alcohol use you should stick with the provided Trail Designs' burner
Be prepared to clean pots and stove when burning ESBIT or wood.

The Trail Designs Sidewinder stove system is a true system. It's called the Sidewinder because you wind or roll up the two cones and ti ground protector and insert them in a Tyvek sleeve which stores in the mating pot. Only the provided alcohol stove will not fit on most pots with the other components.

The "whole enchilada" consists of the titanium outer cone, mating pot (various sizes available), alcohol stove, "GramCracker" ESBIT fuel tab holder, Inferno woodburning insert of inverted ti cone, bottom screen and screen stand. The two cones, outer and Inferno inverted cone and ti floor sheet, roll up together and fit into a Tyvek sleeve that nestles tightly in the mating pot. Beneath the rolled up cones lie the woodburning screen and stand in their own flat Tyvek sleeve. Thus the pot interior is protected.

Perhaps the best feature of the Sidewinder, aside from its packability, is that it saves fuel in every mode, alcohol, ESBIT or wood. For best results at all altitudes use the provided Trail Designs alcohol burner. They put a lot of time into developing the optimum alky burner.

The tiny ESBIT GramCracker holder works with the provided small aluminum ground sheet but I prefer the larger ti ground protector. The Gram Cracker tab holder and outer cone provides, in my own experience, 1/3 better efficiency in terms of fuel needed.* This is a true lightweight long distance stove setup that lets you carry less weight per BTU than alcohol.

But for the ultimate in a lightweight stove the optional woodburning Inferno insert is the way to go, especially in winter. No fuel to carry, only tinder. The design creates a double wall gassifier type woodburner that, given the efficiency of the outer cone/pot combo, is a truly light way to go — provided you have the available wood and the permission to burn it.

It is a HOT stove and thus the need for titanium cones and steel screen parts. For the winter chore of melting snow for water I use a larger JetBoil pot whose bottom fins fit outside my particular small Sidewinder stove top. This seems to work quite well as the heat-exchanger fins capture heat from the cone's top vents. BUT... one needs to remove the JetBoil pot's neoprene cozy cover before use!!

Trail Designs has created a true stove system with the Sidewinder. Did I mention it's efficient in all fuels?

* My previous ESBIT stove was a Vargo TRIAD alcohol stove base and MSR windscreen.