GoSystem Stoves For 2010
GoSystem have been supplying high quality camping stoves for a number of years now, but are not as recognised by the angling community as some of the other manufacturers. When GoSystem asked UKMA to review 4 of their new 2010 stoves, we jumped at the chance to inform our visitors of these products.
GoSystem Apollo Stove
The Apollo stove is one of the "remote" design stoves that are popular with anglers due to the stability offered by the low centre of gravity. Lots of people think that all "remote" stoves are the same, but the Apollo has some features that other stoves do not have which are sure to make this a popular choice for the angler.
The Apollo gets it's name (I believe) from the look of the main body. It looks very similar to the Apollo moon lander module. The main stove body itself is supported on three legs which have a smaller footprint than other stoves, but does not lose any stability. As the stove sits slightly higher than other similar designs, it has a much lower risk of burning anything that is underneath it. The clearance below the main body of the stove is approximately 2". A clever mechanism has been included where the legs join the pan supports as the hinge mechanism allows the supports to fold in automatically when the legs are folded alongside the body. When folded up the leg has a finger type latch that keeps the pan supports closed in transit. The same is also in reverse when the legs are unfolded to use - the pan supports automatically come out and are locked in place by the legs. A very clever little touch.
The pan supports are also different to some other designs in that each support has two support arms per leg. This almost alleviates the wobbly frying pan syndrome that anglers know all to well about.
The Apollo also has a built-in mini windshield that encircles 80% or so of the actual burner ring. The only gaps are where the Piezo ignition system and the gas pipes come up the side.
The hose that leads from the main stove to the canister thread, has been enclosed both in a braided material as well as a metal "spring" like coil. The coil running along the length of the hose also encloses the wire that leads to the Piezo ignition. This protects the hose and ignition wire from being bent acutely and breaking.
At the canister adaptor which is situated at the end of the cable, GoSystem have incorporated the Piezo ignition switch into the adaptor block. This is the part that stands out the most to me, as it means that the kettle or pan does not have to be lifted off the stove to light it.
GoSystem quote that a litre of water can be boiled in 3 minutes 50 seconds. I believe that the time quoted is conservative, as I have timed a kettle with a litre of water in boiling at 3 minutes 11 seconds.
GoSystem Sirocco Stove
To join the Apollo stove for 2010, another remote style stove has been added to the range in the Sirocco. The Sirocco is a lower profile stove and is more of your more traditional remote style.
The stove, like the Apollo, has three legs that offer a stable platform for the stove to be placed. The pan supports are of the single arm type, which are fine for kettles but large pans with fixed handles need to be balanced by the user as the handle can tip them over. Using a pan with a removable handle is no problem at all as the area of contact is large enough to support this type easily.
The hose that connects the main body to the canister adaptor is of the standard braided type, but looks to be very robust and offers protection against damage to the internal hose when in transit or use.
The Piezo ignition system is placed in the traditional body mounted position, and every time the ignition switch was pushed with the gas supply on, the stove lit instantly. I have sat and clicked the piezo rapidly and every single time without fail, a spark has been generated.
The Sirocco has a claimed boiling time of 3 minutes 45 seconds to boil a litre of water. Again, like the Apollo, the Sirocco boiled the water in a lower time of just over 3 minutes.
The Sirocco is a no-nonsense, no-thrills remote style stove that does the job required perfectly every time as well as some other stoves costing twice the price from other manufacturers.
GoSystem Fly Ti and Scion Stoves
I have chosen to put both these stoves together in one section as essentially, they are identical other than the Fly Ti is constructed out of Titanium and the Scion has a slightly wider upright pipe (which supports the head that folds at a 90 degree angle for compact storage).
Both stoves are of the traditional "above canister" style meaning that the burner screws directly on top of the supply. This makes these stoves perfect for sitting on top of a small canister, which makes for a stable base. This type of stove can be used inside a well ventilated bivvy with groundsheet fitted without fear of a hole being made in the material as long as the stove remains upright. Ideal for the British weather that could turn from a heatwave to torrential rain in the blink of an eye.
Both stoves have 3 pan supports that simply flip out offering around 2" of support per arm. The gas supply is regulated by a wire lever that can be folded up against the body when in transit. The wire is used like a key to regulate the gas supply.
As with most traditional "on top" stoves, there is no built-in ignition source so a lighter or match is required to light.
Like the Sirocco above, the actual surface area of the Fly Ti and the Scion pan supports require that care be taken when balancing a pan with a fixed handle on the stove so the pan does not overbalance and potentially cause injury from hot fat or other liquid. For use with pans that have removable handles or kettles, the area of support is more than ample.
The main difference is in the weight of the stoves. The Fly Ti weighs in at a featherweight 50 grams, with the Scion weighin 81 grams. You may think that 31 grams is not a lot, but when you are wanting to travel as light as possible, any saving in weight is welcome.
Both stoves are fairly equal when it comes to boiliing times, with both having claimed 3 minutes 50 seconds to boil a litre of water. I timed the stoves at just over 3 minutes (the same as the remote stoves in this review).
For such small units, and at such a light weight, both the Scion and the Fly Ti have opened my eyes to the potential for a canister mounted burner. Sometimes you want to move quickly or travel very light, and the more commonly used remote syle stoves are a bit overkill, especially on short sessions. Now it is simply a case of picking up the stove head already attached to a small canister and off you go.
GoSystem Power Source Gas
A lot of people think that all gas is the same regardless of cost etc. Well, gas is essentially gas, but it is the mixture of several gases that make up a good all-year round fuel.
The GoSystem Power Source Gas runs a mixture of Butane, Propane and Isobutane liquid gases in each canister. This mix of gases allows for high performance even in cold weather as well as economical performance when the weather is warm. The remote stoves run fine with the canister upright or even laid sideways so the stove is burning liquid gas rather than vapour. The burning of liquid gas increases output in cold weather (or if the canister is running low on pressure) but at the expense of using more fuel.
We have used most, if not all, of the major gas canisters available from many manufacturers, and the GoSystem Power Source Gas is up their with the very best of the others on performance. even if you don't have a GoSystem stove, the industry standard EN417 double skin safety valve fitting means that you can use these canisters on other manufacturers stoves of the same type.
Available in three sizes - 445 gram, 220 gram and 125 gram.
Overall Conclusion
It is truely very hard to find any fault at all with any of the 4 stoves in this review. If we had to think hard to find criticism, then it would be that none of the stoves are supplied with any sort of transit bag to keep it safe in. This is obviously a very minor niggle that is easily overcome by using a simple tackle pouch that are available from most of the main tackle manufacturers for a couple of quid. Performance of all of the stoves is excellent, and it is plain to see that a lot of thought has gone into the stoves - especially the design of the Apollo - and the lightweight nature of the Scion and Fly Ti stoves. Each of the stoves has serrated pan supports to alleviate slippage which if the stove is at a slight angle the implement will not slide around as much as if the supports where flat.
I think that it goes without saying any more that the new GoSystem stoves have made an impression on the UKMA team, and they will be getting a lot of use in the forthcoming season.
If you are in the market for a new stove to replace an older one that you may have, make sure that you take the time to look at the GoSystem range as well as the others on the market before making your mind up.