Greetings, Gentlemen and Ladies, The CASG7 has come and gone, and though very lightly attended, due to date conflicts, we had a wonderful time! Our company included Mac and Mrs. Mac, Sweet Bride, and me. Due to a huge music festival in nearby Coachella, the Joshua Tree National Park campsites were packed to the gills, and only by the Grace of God did we end up with a campsite, the last one at White Tank Campground, to share with the Mac Family!! Here is the MSR Hubba Hubba tent, which housed SB and me for our JTNP events: And, we again setup our canvas wedge tent, with poles and finials, to use as a sun -shade for our desert event. The Macs setup the outstanding redwood table, that Arch had made last year, under the fly, too, and we all cooked underneath it. Worked perfectly! Mr. and Mrs. Mac setup their tent back in a quiet and secluded little spot that our campsite included. I brought a bit of the Hobbit Hole, the Mobile HH, as Mac said, with me, just for grins! Lots of stoves to enjoy and fettle, but unfortunately, too many for the short time allotted, so not all saw use, or were fettled back to life. Our Merry Band of Stovies and Stovettes included: left to right, Mac, Mrs. Mac, Sweet Bride, and Ol‘ Doc: Though we all cooked under the fly, most of the time, we ate at the campsite picnic table, unless it was too windy, when we moved back under the fly. Each of us cooked for ourselves, as four people do not a potluck dinner make, and it worked out just fine. SB made a fantastic Bucatini/Putanesca dinner, with an Arugula salad, and it was delicious. The next night saw SB grilling some onions and burgers on an Optimus 45 with regulated silent burner. We also used an Optimus 48, MSR Rapidfire, Nova/Trangia 25 hybrid, with special burner cap (more later!), an MSR Reactor, a JetBoil, and Trangia 27, to do our cooking, and brewing duties, and all stoves worked very well. I guess I should mention that we did an informal test of the Reactor against the JetBoil, and using the most water each could hold, which was much more in the Reactor, the MSR stove blew the doors off of the JetBoil in quickness of boil, and strength of boil!! Mrs. Mac had never seen a Reactor before, and was VERY impressed! Hey, so were Mac, SB and I, too! Here, the special Nova/Trangia 25 hybrid gently boils up a special bean mix to go with our burgers. Worked a treat, and the wind gusts had NO effect whatsoever! Mac used a Handy Chef Auto Camp Stove, from Sears, Roebuck, & Co. for much of their cooking, and it worked perfectly! Here is that special Nova/Trangia 25 Hybrid at work boiling up some water. Just getting there, at this point. Now a rolling full boil, which was achieved in a snap of our fingers! And, HERE, is the thing that really makes this stove combo sing: a brand new Dawg-A-Nova silent cap, from BernieDawg!! Gary really outdid himself, this time, and this combo works like magic!! It also simmers fairly well, too, and is easy to adjust. I give this new cap of Gary’s an AAAA++++!!!! Worth every penny of it’s cost!! Flip the fuel bottle, and VOILA, pretty soon it burns the fuel left in the line, and shuts down. No muss, no fuss, and no fuel dribbling out when you disconnect the stove from the fuel bottle! Genius! Gary's Dawg-A-Nova is destined for lots of use from SB and me!! Great work, and excellent execution in the design of this stellar silent cap! Stay tuned for more, as I have a total of 60 photos to share with you. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hi, All, Continuing: We had two Dads, and their respective seven kids, as neighbors for the first two nights, and they were perfect company! Here is a shot of their campsite, with the moon, the constellation Orion, and a few others, looking on! This Desert Spiny Lizard really put on a show next to our campsite each day. His head was blackish/grey normally, but when approached, it turned a bright, very vivid green, then faded to allow the iridescent blue/green pouch to pop out to impress us! Note, also, the lizard’s tummy is the same color, and he was certainly all ready to go on a date, IF he could woo any Lady Lizards into it!! This little Wren paid us visits quite often, and was good company. And, this immature Chuckwalla Lizard stopped by a few times. About one and a half to two feet long, this guy/gal, will eventually get some very bright accent coloring to it’s hide. But, at this point, he/she is more than imposing enough, and when I first came to CA from Texas, I thought these lizards were Gila Monsters, and quite dangerous!! Not the case, and in fact, back in the 1960-1970 period, some folks used to shoot Chuckwalla Lizards, and eat them! Lots of interesting rock formations surrounded us. This top boulder was called, by some of our fellow campers, “Whale Rock”. Though you can’t see the tail fins, it does rather look like one of Moby Dick’s relatives! I called this rock, “Probiscis Point”, as it looked all the world like a large nose, pointing towards the sky! This is called “Kissing Rock”, as it looks like two lovers, tenderly locked in a kiss! Some of the young guys and gals, who were into rock climbing, snaked their way up to the weathered contour in this work, but it’s steep, and not as easy as it might seem! Which boulder to you think is called, “Necklace Rock”? Yep, the one on the left, of course! This is a very interesting formation, to be sure. Here’s a shot back at camp, whilst coming back for some water. And, here is our camp from the front view. We got lots of traffic, unfortunately, from those oddballs who did not think they needed to slow down on this dusty dirt road. Consequently, we got dust into everything, and had to make sure to watch our cameras and food to keep them as dust-free as possible! Sweet Bride did lots of knitting whilst Mac and I fettled stoves, or went out on photo forays. In fact, she finished the lovely shawl on which she was working in this photograph. An abundance of Yucca plants could be found in Joshua Tree National Park, and it’s a beautiful green this time of year. However, one must be wary of the sharp-tipped fronds, as those tips are not fun to remove from tender skin!!! YIKES!! Some of the Yucca was in bloom when we were there, too, and that’s always a lovely sight. Here is proof that cactus is a very hearty plant, as soon growing in a crack between two boulders! Lots of cactus was in bloom, which filled the air with a sweet fragrance, and kissed the eye with some colorful palates. Inside the largest bloom, you can see a huge bee, gathering pollen, as well as myriad little blackish brown bugs of some kind. Some folks think that the deserts have little to offer and are quite desolate. In truth, nothing could be further from the truth!! More to come.... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Great to see you all! I spied the red Trangia pans too - you're a proper connoisseur of the ultimate stove Doc! Just needs a proper 'sootin' only the use of meths can bring! Food looks great. If my geography is up to snuff Old Time Yucca Coleman centre was just up the road - has that all gone now? One of my strangest days in the USA was passing through that area. I passed a plough clearing the road of sand in the morning & then got to your patch in the afternoon where the highway patrol were stopping folk without snowchains!
Great photos, Doc. Sigh. Wish I had been able to come. I would have liked to have seen that special Nova/Trangia set up. I bet it's a wonderful cooking stove. But I wound up working until 11:00 PM on Saturday. There was just no way. Isn't the Reactor awesome in its power? And very very windproof. They now have a 1.0L size which is more comparable to the Jetboil. Cold weather is their achilles heel. The don't work well below about 20F at sea level (depending on the fuel you're using). Sigh. Missed it. But glad to see they're still being held and very grateful to have work for the moment. HJ
Hey, Ross! Thanks, very much! I know you enjoy the American South West, as do we, and someday maybe you and Tess and Tom will have to join us on a Stove Gathering out there!! Oh, and not to worry about "sooting a Trangia". Good things come to he who waits!!! (Hint, the last photos of our final morning will tell the tale!!) 8) Back to the tale: This cactus still has yet to bloom fully, but promises more wonderful colors for the near future! A short hike brought us to Arch Rock, which is a local landmark. The climb up to the Arch was not that hard, but well worth the effort, as splendid views are the reward for having undertaken the time to make this climb! These three shots show some of what you can see from up there. Back in camp, two young folks had made the climb up to Kissing Rock, and I got a few photos of them. In the second photo, you can see they are all painted up, after having enjoyed the Coachella Music Festival, nearby! And, here are two of their friends, perched atop a boulder that backs up to our campsite. In the second photo, they seem to be telling the world that they are in love with one another! Fun! Mac was pressed for time, when packing for this trip, and forgot to bring most of the stoves he wished to fettle! But, under the admiring eyes of Mrs. Mac, he had a grand time trying to figure out this old “Gassie”, which he finally did bring to “blue flame”! He has plans for this Old Timer. Ready to test it, and his efforts were rewarded with the “blue flame”! Looks like Mr. & Mrs. Mac are fettling together, but in truth, they are actually “fettling up some lunch” in this photograph! This 1950 Primus 527 was one of the stoves I fettled into life at CASG7. Just a bit of cleaning, and a new NRV, SRV, and fuel cap gasket, and it was back in the flame business! Still needs a complete disassembly and cleaning, but once done, this stove will become a regular user for SB and me!! I tried to fettle the old Novy Formaldehyde Generator that Big Jim had gifted me many years ago, and though “some” success was realized, there is far more work yet to be done before this Old Timer is back to sanitizing rooms again! I got the NRV spring replaced, but still have yet to replace the huge leather block that functions as the NRV, and it needs new nuts to hold the entire assembly together. But the real fly in the ointment, was that the huge nut on the outside of the pump assembly still resists being unscrewed! With Mac’s help, I tried heat, heat, and more heat, with no success. Then, I tried soaking it in a citric acid solution, again, with no success. Finally, with no other options, I used a MAPP gas torch to remove the bottom of the old Novy, and then Mac and I saw why the pump assembly cannot be removed: It has a two-piece part, that has a large flange stubbornly keeping it in place!! OK, back to the drawing board for this old appliance. But, SOMEDAY, I am certain it will run again! Might have to ask for help on this one, but I’m definitely not giving up on it! More to come..... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish,Doc
It's a sad day on CCS when something being comparable to a Jetboil is thought to be a good thing. Me & Ingrid will have to go & have a lie down in a dark room.
CASG7: Four more stoves, which were successfully fettled and used at CASG7. And, here are four shots of my old MSR #9 stove, which as you all know, was the first successful stove that Larry Penberthy invented, back when he owned Mountain Safety Research. Though I used a modern fuel bottle and pump for this test, you will soon see that this old stove still has a powerful roar, and I’d have to say that it bests all of it’s later relatives, in sheer power!! When I bought this stove, I also got it’s original white pump, and the replacement pump which MSR sent out to the original buyers of the #9. But, for this test, I stuck with a known good pump, as safety must always be the overriding concern!! Check the “money shot” in the last BLUE FLAME photo!!! Oh, YEAH, this Old Timer still has what it takes, and is more than worth using on trips in the future!! This #9 has rocketed to first place in my love of early MSR stoves, my friends!! WOW!! I am most certainly impressed with it's performance, especially after all these years since it was born, around 1972!! A few more “Blue Flame” photos for you: First, an Optimus 111T, then my ancient Quick Meal Stove, using Stu’s outstanding cast flame plates, then the Primus 527. As you can see, the Quick Meal, and 527 need a good internal cleaning. But, please note that the wind was blowing VERY briskly when I made these night time photos, and I’m thrilled to see these old stoves defiantly blazing away, despite the horrible conditions!! Here’s another successful fettle: The old Perfectus 100 that Ian M. so kindly gifted me quite a few years ago! Thanks, Ian!! I FINALLY got the burner unplugged, and with a tad of internal cleaning, this fat little SVEA-Look-Alike will once again be cooking meals in the wild, and doing a grand job of it!! Thanks, Ian!! Sweet Bride took the preceding photo, and also this one, showing quite a few of the stoves fettled back to full function at CASG7! We very much missed seeing more of our old friends at this event, but that did not keep us from very much enjoying spending lots of quality of time with Mac and Mrs. Mac!! The four of us are already talking about a future backpacking trip together, and we all look forward to the next CASG, too!! The Mac Family had to take their leave on Sunday, but SB and I stayed one more day. We enjoyed a quiet meal in camp, as most of the other campers had also left, and we were amongst the very few folks who stayed Sunday night. The wind had died down, and we enjoyed a brilliantly lovely night sky, filled to the brim with stars! The next morning, I awoke just in time to unzip my door, and quickly take this photograph of our last desert sunrise of this trip! The beauty of the desert, this time of year, is very hard to beat, and we love getting out there to enjoy it! Whilst Sweet Bride packed up our sleeping bags, pads, and small packs, I fired up an old and very trusted friend, to brew up our morning tea! This little Trangia 27 came to us via Ross and Tess, and it quickly earned my trust and respect! This morning was no different, and in a short time, we had a roiling boil going, and our tea was very much welcome by the both of us soon afterwards! And, just to show that there was no KAP Arctic setup involved, here is what was powering that huge boil: a regular Trangia brass stove!! Silent, very reliable, and small in the packing, this little 27 is a real favorite of mine. SB likes it, too, as well as the 25, which we used for more cooking chores on this trip! Thanks, Ross, and to Tess, who actually used to own this little 27, for sending it our way! We always think of the both of you when using it!! And, one last shot, just to show you that Mom didn't have any smart kids that lived, here's Ol' Doc, trying his hand at rock climbing into the little weather contour of Kissing Rock, and trying his best not to become a statistic!! I made it a few feet short of where I had originally intended, then decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and gave up!! Maybe someday, after I learn a few rock climbing skills, we'll give 'er another go. But, for now, I'd like to have at least a few more years of fettling and camping with good friends, rather than taking too many chances with falling!! Thanks for checking out CASG7, and to those that could not be there this time, we most certainly missed you all!! Hopefully, next time, we can have CASG8 with our regular compliment of Stovies and Stovettes!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Howdy, Hikin' Jim, Sorry, I missed your comment, whilst trying to post all the photos. Though you, and our other Stovies friends, were missed at CASG7, I think you did the right thing by working when there is work to be done! Few of us can do otherwise, in these days of sometimes scant employment. So, well done, Mate!! There will always be more CASG events in the future, and hopefully, you will be able to join us once again. Ross, not to worry, though I'm glad to have bought the JetBoil for just $3, brand new, it didn't "call to me", in the least, to tell the truth. I do like the Reactor, as it's earned my trust, and even though HJ has had different results, I've used mine way past 20°F, and so far (knock wood) have had no problems with it. Yeah, I once walked away from it, and boiled out the water, melted the lid and pot, and almost burned a canvas tent down..... but, hey, that was "Operator Error", and interestingly enough, though the pot was a total loss, the stove was still burning safely and quite cool to the touch!!! I was impressed, to be sure! But, take note of how many Classic Stoves were to be seen being used and enjoyed at CASG7, and rest easy, my friend!! All is well in the Heavens, and the old Classics most definitely ruled the entire CASG event!! There....feel better, Master Spiritburner??!! Take care, All, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Oh, just look at all those beautiful, beautiful stoves. And I had to work. Ah, but we are in the midst of an economic depression (no one calls it a "recession" anymore except politicians), and work is hard to come by. I spent 6 months looking for work (which is a job in and of itself) last year. This year, I've had full employment, but that runs out at the end of this month unless they extend my contract. Gas stoves with a blended fuel are a bit complicated. With a fresh canister of MSR 80/20 isobutane/propane fuel, you'll be able to operate down to about 0F/-18C. But the propane burns off at a higher rate than the isobutane, so, towards the last third of the canister, you'll have nothing but isobutane left. Isobutane vaporizes at 11F/-12C, but you need to be about 10F/5C degrees above the boiling point in order to have decent operating pressure. Ten Fahrenheit degrees above 11F is about 20F (-7C). That's how I come up with that 20F number, but with a fresh canister, you can go much colder. I just wanted a number that would be good throughout the life of the canister. A canister that fades out when still half full is no good. All that is at sea level. Ascend higher, and you can go colder, about 2 Fahrenheit degrees for every 1000' of elevation above sea level (Approximately 1C per 300m). That's up to about 25,000 or so feet in elevation (7600m). Keep that in mind next time you do a climb over 8000m. Of course, if you take action to warm the canister (NEVER let it get hot!), you can operate in as cold of weather as you like. Putting the canister in a bowl of warm (not hot) water is safe and effective. HJ
Looks like a fine time was had by all. Great photos and as usual a fine presentation. Love the 2 burner primus range. Would like to have been there, maybe next time .. Thanks for your effort, and of course great stoves, fine folks!
Hi Doc! I see a very beautiful photos, a happy stove-team, a good weather and a nice friendship! I like this Joshua Tree's anthropomorphic stones! It remain me Montserrat. I think it will be hard to carry something like that in my backpack... Congrats Doc!
Morning, All, Thanks for your nice comments, Gents. pau-i-amor, I think you are right about that vise in a backpack!! But, I'll tell you, it most certainly comes in handy at Stove Gatherings, and I always try to bring one, which is attached to our picnic table with a very large C-clamp, and helps in various fettling chores. Never leave home without it.... unless you are backpacking!! SB and I are already looking forward to another Gathering, or a backpacking trip with Mr. & Mrs. Mac! Talk to you later, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Doc, any talk about a meetup up north here where Gary could come? My August is just about all booked. I may get to meet some Coleman folks in August. Duane
Morning, HikerDuane, So far, I know that Gary is very interested in getting together, if we can at least split the distance between him, and those of us in So. CA/AZ. As to "when" this might happen, I don't know, at this time. It's very possible that I'll be out of commission in August, if I undergo a needed surgery, and won't be able to do much for about two to three months thereafter. We'll see how all that turns out. But, I'm fairly sure that we will eventually have another Stove Gathering up North, be it in Oregon, or No. CA. Not sure exactly who, from down this way, would drive up to such an event, but Sweet Bride and I would definitely be up for it, when time allows. I'll keep you posted, Duane, when such plans look like they might come to fruition. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Yipes, Doc, hope everything's OK. A backpack with the Mac family? If you're open to it, there are some HJ family members (see below) that might be interested in that. You have to carry the vice though. HJ
Thanks Doc. My vice lately has been collecting stoves. HJ, looks like your pack is equalized. I'm waiting for warmer weather to try my new cuben fiber pack. Almost warm enough, last weekends predicted low of 36F meant 24F on my bp trip. Duane
Lovely pictures. Wish I was there. How did Arch get his name applied to a rock formation? Must have some pull with National Parks Bureau. Good thing I wasn't there. The garage sale was a success. Success in my mind being I still have all my cast iron and none of my stoves fell victim to the garage vultures. Hope to be at the next CASG. Jim Henderson