Review: Campmaster single burner stove

Carrying on in the series of camp cooking posts, let me bring to your attention the utilitarian Campmaster Single Butane Stove. This simple and straightforward single burner stove only weighs 1700g (3 3/4 lbs), without a fuel canister, and  folds down into a very portable 343mm(13 1/2") x 280mm(11") x 118mm (4 2/3"). I've seen similar burners set up in Korean BBQ joints for at-the-table cooking. I've often used it for exactly that purpose, inside at the dining table and on innumerate picnic tables. The blue enameled steel frame is both sturdy and easy to clean. 

The stove takes standardized 220g Campmaster CRV Butane Gas Cartridges 4 Pack (Countersink release vent) safety cans which are explosion proof and they fit into a compartment on the side of the strove. The cartridge locks into place with a latch in the lip of the bottle and a lever beside the adjustable flame control needs to be engaged in order to connect the cartridge to the stove. The compartment closes when the stove is in operation to protect it and the user. it is well vented in case of leakages. 

The stove has a peizo-electric sparker, triggered by the Flame control dial which is handy. The stove has strong heating power: (Gas Consumption: 160g/h (7.9Mj/hr)) at maximum setting, which is plenty for a number of serves of a meal, or several rounds of quick cooking meals. 

The hob itself is cast aluminium, and the stove-top comes out and when flipped provides a trivet for resting pots and pans on, small enough to hold up an enamel mug for singular brews, perfect for cold mornings in a tent vestibule. The hob head is recessed in the stove-top to shield it from winds Though it should be noted there is a manufactures not not for use below 0oC freezing, presumably because the butane freezes up in the canister or in the tubes.

The stove is lightweight enough that its easily hikeable, especially important if you're going to a fire-free area and want to cook, without hauling a whole BBQ and gas bottle. I have to admit I stocked up on the canisters during the Covid lockdowns, in case there were mains-gas shortages or disruptions as part of my  bug-in / bug-out preparations, thankfully un-necessary. We did have several pleasant summer night al-fresco dinner cookouts, and I've even used it for at-the-table teppanyaki  and hibachi type meals. ( Be sure to ensure it is used in well ventilated spaces and that the stove is set up on a heat-proof location as radiant heat can scorch surfaces. ) The canisters are self-sealing and can be stored for lengthy periods between uses.

Review: collapsible fishing rod

Change of pace! Here's an item that has been rattling about in the secret tool chamber of my SUV for some time, alongside my Kathmandu Hip bag full of bug-out gear, first aid kits, a hatchet, jumper-leads and the like, for some time now. My step-dad Barry gave me a set of three of these collapsible fishing rods, one for myself and one each for Tactical Baby and Triceratops Girl.

They love fishing, and we finally had an opportunity to put them to the test, when we were taken out onto Western Port bay by my partner Lorin's dad, Ken, on his fishing boat, for a day's angling.


The rods collapse down from 5 telescoping segments, to a length of only 41cm (16") from its overall 175cm (5'9") length. It weighs only 75g or so when fully spooled with line. It's really a very lightweight rod. I'm no fishing expert, and could probably count on two hands the number of times I've fished wit ha rod (growing up with dangle hand-reels from my Grandad's boat instead), so I don't have a lot to say about the relative quality of either the rod or the reels attached, but they weren't fancy, or heavy duty. They feature 5 eyes, and along with the generic reels, we didn't expect high performance.

They did work just fine though, and once weighted, hooked and baited, we put lines to water and in a surprisingly short amount of time we had some bites. 
Even though I also swapped out to a regular rod, the girls and I each landed a bream or two with the collapsing rods.

The ones we kept were all above the 28cm limit, with nothing bigger than about 35cm but they were all good eating size. We also landed a couple of the spikey, fang-mouthed flatheads. Nasty to look at, delicious in the pan.

Not only did the girls have fun, and learn a few things about setting bait, hooking and landing fish, but also proved that the collapsible rods aren't just a gimmick, but really do work.

I didn't have any concerns with the structural integrity of the rods, or their fittings, other than their age, as hand-me-downs, but they performed admirably. I suspect if I hooked a BIG fish, but not big enough to break my line, that I might have troubles, but oven the line, and my knots, are the weakest physical link, I can't imagine the rod being at risk.

In summary, these light, flexible and easily stored rods were entirely effective, and have truly earned their place in my bug-out car tool cache, and they're something that I would be very happy strapping to a pack should I be heading out on an adventure where there might be fish to catch.

I'm extremely grateful to both my stepdad Barry for giving us the rods, and to Ken for taking us out on his boat. Thank's guys!