Alpkit Kraku

According to Alpkit, designed with the ultralight solo adventurer in mind, this high powered camping stove has a tiny pack size but can still deliver the power output of a gas stove twice its size.

I have used this on a few short trips to boil water and cook simple pasta meals. It was much better at the former. Made from titanium, it weighs just 45g. That's almost half the weight of an MSR PocketRocket and at £25 it is also half the price. It is tiny and fits easily inside a small mug.

When I first saw it I wondered if it would be able to boil water at anything like the same time as a PocketRocket so I was pleasantly surprised. It may not be quite as quick but it is respectable enough. In the long term I cannot comment on its efficiency as I have not used it enough, but this is something to consider (an MSR PocketRocket may be more expensive but it may also me more efficient).

It seems well made. The pot supports are easy to unfold and they are attached to the stove with strong rivets that look built to last. 

Weight is saved by not having a piezo ignition (MSR PocketRocket Deluxe comes with a piezo) and doing away with a gas hose and legs. Instead, the stove just sits on top of a gas canister. This worries me. The high centre of gravity, narrow base of a canister and small pot supports mean it is very unstable unless it is on very flat ground in fair weather. You really do need to have your wits about you, which is not always easy if you are tired, hungry, or cold. 

It is easy enough to operate using the flame adjuster, though getting a simmer is tricky. That along with the small diameter of the flame spread mean it is best suited to boiling water. When cooking pasta it scorched in the middle of my MSR Titan Pot. 

Alpkit pitch this at ultralight soloists. At the price and weight it is hard to ignore compared to an MSR PocketRocket, but you might be be better off with an MSR WindBurner or Jetboil Flash, as they are a great deal safer and much more efficient in the long run despite the initial cost.

That said, 45g is ridiculously light. 

Background

Walks on the South Downs in the UK. A couple of overnight trips in summer conditions.