Cylinder or Box stove???

lkwoolsey

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This is pretty similar to another thread but different enough that I felt it justified its own post. I just recently switched to running a Megatarp, and am looking at stoves right now. I'm trying to decide between the cylinder or box stove. Pros and cons? Which one would be better if I can only get one? I primarily backpack hunt... ok, I only backpack hunt. I would be using it to warm the tent, but more so than that even, to dry clothes. I wouldn't really cook on it ever, I just run a jetboil and use my homemade dehydrated meals. Any advice or opinions are welcome. Thanks!!!
 
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I think the box stoves are more versatile and easier to set up. However the cylinder stove is lighter. I know you don't cook on your stove, but if you're going to carry it why not get the max capability out of it? I choose box stove.
 

oldgoat

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Fire lasts longer in cylinder and it's roughly half the weight, have both, need to sell the box or hold onto it for the apocalypse, haven't made up my mind yet!
 
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lkwoolsey

lkwoolsey

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Is the cylinder pretty durable? I have never been able to handle either one. Are they comparable in durability or is one more obviously so than the other? Thanks!
 
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I can't say I have noticed a difference in durability between the two designs. Typically the cylinder is lighter, and a bit more efficient. If I was starting all over again I would go with the cylinder as I would not use it for cooking.
 

LBFowler

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I think it is pretty straight forward, cylinders are lighter, more efficient and more fussy to assemble.
Box stoves are more durable, easier to cook on and easier to assemble.

comparable sizes will put out similar heat, the round bottom on a cylinder stove just consolidates coals better. There is a reason many wall tent stoves are half box, half cylinder. The HPG stove is an interesting hybrid as well, but heavier then most.
 

oldgoat

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Is the cylinder pretty durable? I have never been able to handle either one. Are they comparable in durability or is one more obviously so than the other? Thanks!

The cylinder is much easier to bend and dent, but it's also easy to pop the dents back out. The box is much more durable, but I still won't go back to using the box, and I don't think the box is that much easier once you get the cylinder down putting it together
 
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If you're just heating / drying with it I would go cylinder 100%. Okay maybe I would go oval with a TiGoat Wifi. I've got a Wifi and it's the easiest stove I've ever worked with hands down. For the record, I compared my medium Wifi to a like-sized Lite Outdoors cylinder and found the difference in weight to be miniscule. The Wifi is super-sturdy and that level top is useful for coffee cup, etc. I had one box stove and couldn't wait to sell it...mine had poor air draw and leaked smoke like water. The warp factor was terrible in mine and affected the panel fitment.
 

reaper

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Is the cylinder pretty durable? I have never been able to handle either one. Are they comparable in durability or is one more obviously so than the other? Thanks!
They are good but with time youll have some wraps from the body because its only a SS/titanium foil.

Envoyé de mon E6560C en utilisant Tapatalk
 
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If you're just heating / drying with it I would go cylinder 100%. Okay maybe I would go oval with a TiGoat Wifi. I've got a Wifi and it's the easiest stove I've ever worked with hands down. For the record, I compared my medium Wifi to a like-sized Lite Outdoors cylinder and found the difference in weight to be miniscule. The Wifi is super-sturdy and that level top is useful for coffee cup, etc. I had one box stove and couldn't wait to sell it...mine had poor air draw and leaked smoke like water. The warp factor was terrible in mine and affected the panel fitment.
Kevin I have a box stove and the warp factor is insane. Are you saying that the tigoat wifi doesn't warp as easy? I use my stove for heat and cooking so a cylinder is out of the question for me but I'm liking the looks of the wifi.
 
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Kevin I have a box stove and the warp factor is insane. Are you saying that the tigoat wifi doesn't warp as easy? I use my stove for heat and cooking so a cylinder is out of the question for me but I'm liking the looks of the wifi.

I have a Wifi and so does my friend. Our experience has been that any warpage is minimal and of no consequence. I think the 2 things which made my box stove warp so bad were the stainless steel and the relative rigidity of the panels. Once they warped there was no overcoming it. The titanium seems to warp less. The oval design of the Wifi (and some things about its actual assembly) seems to reduce warping and any subsequent effects. The 4 legs thread into place nicely and really lock the top and bottom to the mid-body.
 
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that wi fi looks like the best set up to me and I've had both box stoves and cylinders.Between the two I would take a cylinder
Tim
 
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