Vango Folding Stove Review
We test out Vango's folding stove, which is small enough to throw in a backpack and enjoy warm food on your next picnic.
Review Score
This is a handy little stove. There are a few niggles we found with it, but it does the job just fine.
Our Score: 8.5/10
We've given the Vango Folding Stove the Thumbs Up award.
The good
- A small lightweight stove easy to fit in your backpack for some warm food when hiking out on the hills.
The not so good
- The piezo ignition needs a few pushes to work, and the orange box it comes in isn't very good. Although it says on the box it comes with a windshield, for any wind more than a breeze, we recommend you take a separate folding windshield.
This was a hands-on product review. The product was supplied to us to test and conduct the review.
Price Guide
Vango Folding Stove has a recommended retail price of £40.
The best price we've found so far is £28.00. That's £12.00 off the RRP of £40.
Vango Folding Stove Videos
Vango Folding Stove Photos
Vango Folding Stove
Vango Folding Stove
Vango Folding Stove
Vango Folding Stove
Vango Folding Stove
Vango Folding Stove
Our Review
have a picnic with some warm food
Whether you plan to do a more adventurous camp where you hike to your campsite or you want to have a picnic with some warm food, getting a lightweight stove is essential.
Vango produces such a stove that is approved by the Scouts Association and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. So, even if you don't use it, it may be something your children will use.
Vango Folding Stove Review
The Vango Folding Stove weighs just over 200g and comes in a rugged carrying case that would easily fit into a large pocket.
Unfolding the Stove
the protective plastic case wasn't that easy to open
We found the protective plastic case wasn't easy to open and close. The case is made of plastic, and the mouth of the case is a little too large, so I might be taking my knife to the excess plastic to make it easier to get on and off.
Once you get the stove out of its protective case, the pan supports unfold, and then the legs fold down from each pan support.
When it is unfolded, it can support quite large pots and pans.
it can support quite large pots and pans
Connecting up the gas
The Vango stove has a screw fitting that will work on many different brands of camping gas bottles that accept a screw fitting.
Simply screw the gas cartridge onto the stove's connector.
has a reinforced 'tube'
The stove has a reinforced 'tube', which is a very good idea, particularly since this stove will be packed and unpacked many times. A standard rubber hose will soon get damaged.
Using the Vango Folding Stove
surprised at the power of this little stove
If you have only used large family camping stoves, you might be surprised at the power of this little stove.
The smaller gas cartridges are under a lot more pressure than the large camping stove gas cylinders, and so despite its small packed size, this stove can put out a lot of heat quickly.
You open the gas by turning the knob at the gas connector, then press the piezo ignition on the stove.
We found that the piezo ignition typically needs a few pushes before the stove lights.
Once lit, you can control the heat with the knob on the gas connector.
It says on the box that it comes with a windshield. I think this is a little misleading. The 'windshield' is a small lip of metal around the bottom of the stove. It might provide protection from light breezes, but if you are cooking with the slightest wind, you must take a larger folding windshield.
Verdict
Well, despite a few niggles, we do like this little folding stove from Vango.
I can't say how it compares with similar folding stoves, but I can say that it's been a useful bit of kit for us.
Details
| Attribute | Vango Folding Stove |
|---|---|
| RRP | £40 |
| Best Price | £28 |
| Product Info | Brand Web Page |