The Caldera Sidewinder Solo Stove System, by TrailDesigns

The Caldera Sidewinder Solo cook setup, by TrailDesigns is a great and inexpensive way to cook with alcohol or esbit fuel. TrailDesigns Caldera Cone systems are a game changer when using alcohol stoves, making them stable and windproof. This is an inexpensive cookset to add to an ultralight pack load. I am selecting this stove for use in a budget and yet ultralight backpacking loadout. At $55 from TrailDesigns.com, this is half the cost of a titanium pot and a Snow Peal Giga Power propane stove, and there are no empty fuel canisters to carry out.

The 3 cup pot, windscreen/cone, and alcohol stove weigh 7.4 oz, and cost $55. Also shown is the Gram Cracker Esbit stove, which can be used with this cone and pot, and weigh 0.7 oz, costs $15. Esbit fuel is the lightest way to cook in the backcountry.

Above is the stove set up to boil water. The windscreen, stove, pot lifter, lighter, and measuring cup fit inside the pot. The stove, pot and windscreen weigh 7.4 oz. Below is the Gram Cracker, with some esbit fuel in it. The Gram Cracker weighs 2 g, 0.07 oz. !!! It took 6 minutes to heat 2 cups of water, slower than a JetBoil or propane stove, but it’s silent and reliable, and has no empty canisters to carry out, and you carry exactly the amount of fuel you need.

I was on a 7 day trip where we had a Jetboil, a Caldera Cone, an MSR Pocket Rocket, and a GigaPower propane stove. They were so close to each other on total weight, it came down to personal preference. The tendency with propane stoves is to carry extra fuel, and half empty fuel canisters, which have to be carried out. The extra fuel and empty fuel canisters make propane tend to be heavier than alcohol fuel stoves.