I have been using the Vargo Titanium Triad multifuel stove on my long-distance walks for over two years now. It was the only stove I took with me on my 1,200 mile Lands End to John O’Groats and 3 Peaks walk in 2019. And in 2020 on my 1100 mile Dover to Cape Wrath walk so I have thoroughly tested it! This review is entirely based on my own opinion. I bought the stove myself and have not received any payment or incentive for the review.
The Vargo Titanium Triad multifuel stove weighs just 30g and it is tiny. It folds up and fits neatly into my Evernew 900ml pan when not in use and there’s plenty of room to spare. It’s made from titanium so it is strong, light weight and will last well.
Different fuel options
This stove has an interesting design which means you can use it either way up. One way up you pour meths into the stove as normal. If you flip the stove over, the base is indented which is perfect for fuel tablets or gels.
This is ideal for long-distance walks, as at times it can be difficult to resupply with stove fuel. With this stove, you have a wider selection of fuels that you could use. This makes it more likely that you will be able to restock with something suitable.
I tend to use this stove with meths, as I find this readily available and cheap.
The legs are the same on both top and bottom of the stove so it can be used either way up, equally successfully. They give the stove clearance from the ground and also support the pan at the correct distance from the flame. All the legs will fold over the stove, making for a very small pack size. I don’t find this necessary though because it’s small enough and fits in my pan easily anyway.
Winter use
The Vargo Titanium Triad is great little stove that will work all year round. However, I think it’s best suited to warmer weather. During the winter, I have to remember to warm the meths up first. Sometimes I will place the (unlit!!) stove in my sleeping bag or down jacket to warm it up as it struggles to light if it’s too cold.
Limitations of the stove
The stove is reasonably stable and efficient, but slower than other meths stoves. For this reason I always use a Vargo windscreen with the stove. This helps to conserve the heat and decreases boiling times.
You have to fill the stove with meths for it to work properly, which means you are probably going to be left with meths to pour back in to the bottle once you have finished cooking. However, it is possible to get the meths to flow down one of the legs back into the bottle, so you don’t end up wasting much. It is really important to only do this once the meths is completely cold.
I generally only use the stove to heat water because the flame is not controllable. More advanced cooking is therefore a little tricky. However, as I generally only need hot water for coffees and to rehydrate trekking meals, this isn’t a significant problem for me.
Conclusion
This is a very light weight and versatile little stove that will burn either meths, fuel gels or solid fuel tabs. I always use it with a wide based titanium Evernew 900ml sauce pan with lid. I find the stove reasonably slow but I am extremely frugal with meths. This means I don’t have to carry too much weight of fuel. With the stove full of meths it will burn for about 25 minutes and heat at least 1 litre of water. This is dependent on the weather conditions and how cold the water is before you start.
The Vargo Titanium Triad multifuel stove is my favourite meths stove and my choice for all long distance wild camping trips. It’s had a lot of use over the last few years and still shows no sign of wear or damage. I’ll be taking it on my next trip.
Further Reading:
1200 mile Lands End to John O’Groats and 3 Peaks walk
1100 mile Dover to Cape Wrath walk – wild camping every night
My Leave No Trace 11 wild camping rules
Review of the best tents for wild and stealth camping
Wildwalkinguk is a blog run by myself in spare time, and I pay for its running costs myself. I do have some Amazon affiliate links and adverts on the site. If you click on these adverts or links and buy what you need (it doesn’t have to be the item I’ve linked to), the company will pay a small commission to us. This money goes towards the costs of hosting the blog. I would be extremely grateful if you could consider using our links when you next need to buy something from our advertisers. Alternatively, you can buy me a coffee here. Thank you so much for your support. Mark.