HOW WIND AFFECTS STOVE PERFORMANCE ON BACKCOUNTRY HUNTS

From our experience on backcountry hunts, hands down the number one performance killer for most cook systems is wind. Even the slightest breeze can have a significant impact on how efficiently a cook system operates.

Once wind starts blowing, it disrupts the stove’s flame, preventing it from burning consistently. This reduces heat transfer to the pot, increases boil times, and most importantly forces your stove to use more fuel. The windier it gets, the more fuel you will burn. In many cases, a light 2 to 5 mph breeze can double or even triple fuel consumption for a single boil with many of the cook systems currently on the market.

You would think more cook systems would be designed to handle wind better, but that could not be further from the truth. The reality is that most cook systems perform terribly once the wind picks up. There are several common design issues that cause poor wind performance:

• Large gaps between the burner head and the bottom of the pot allow wind to pass through and disrupt the flame

• Fully exposed burner heads offer no wind protection, leaving the flame directly exposed

• Small burner heads produce a narrow flame which is easier for wind to blow out or distort

• Lower output stoves produce flames that are easily overpowered by wind

• Pots with no built in wind blocking features leave the flame completely exposed

For backcountry hunters who often spend more time in windy conditions than calm ones this becomes a serious issue. From our experience it usually leads to one of two outcomes. Either you cannot get water to boil or you burn through your fuel far faster than expected, leaving you with a useless cook system.

Both scenarios are often caused by nothing more than a little unexpected wind.

When we designed the Highcountry Cook System, wind resistance was one of our top priorities. We did not want a system that only worked well in ideal conditions. We wanted something that performed in the conditions we actually face on backcountry hunts. Here is how we addressed the problem:

• A removable windguard attaches to the bottom of the pot and fully encloses the burner head for maximum wind protection

• Tighter pot to burner spacing, reducing how much wind can reach the flame

• A built wind shield on our stoves burner head to further protect the flame

• A wider burner head that produces a broader flame that is more stable in windy conditions

• A higher output stove the produces a stronger flame for windy conditions

The result is a cook system that delivers exceptional performance in windy conditions on backcountry hunts.