What's Cookin': Coleman Turns Up Heat In War Of Camp Stoves With Seattle Firm

The market for ultralight backpacking stoves is getting hot, and the nation's outdoor-equipment Goliath is looking to nab a share of a Seattle company's worldwide sales.

The Coleman Co. Inc., long a competitor of Seattle's Mountain Safety Research (MSR), recently introduced its Peak 1 Apex, a 19-ounce stove it hopes will vault to the top of the outdoor-expedition market.

That market has been dominated for years by MSR, formed in the late 1960s by Seattleite Larry Penberthy and bought out in 1981 by another Seattle outdoor institution, REI.

At first glance, Coleman seems to have learned MSR's lessons (separate fuel bottle, tiny size, high heat output) well. Too well, by MSR's standards. The Seattle company has sued Coleman, insisting the Wichita, Kan., company's stove violates trademark and patent rights. Coleman disagrees and began marketing the stoves this spring.

Controversy aside, the Apex - stolen design or original idea - moves backpacking stoves one step closer to truly convenient outdoor cooking.

Apex users will notice immediate similarities to MSR standbys such as the WhisperLite and X-GK. For the first time, Coleman has adopted MSR's trademark detached fuel bottle, which connects to the stove burner via a flexible hose. But at the end of the Apex hose is a newly designed pump that appears to give the Coleman stove a competitive edge.

Most white-gas portables must be primed to produce a hot, blue flame. In MSR's case, that means lighting part of the burner with gas or Fire Ribbon until the stove gets hot enough to vaporize fuel as it flows toward the burner.

The pump on Apex vaporizes the gas before it reaches the burner. Hence, no priming, and fewer unpredictable flare-ups.

Like other white-gas stoves, Apex still takes about a minute (and a dozen extra pump strokes) to heat up and produce a pure, blue flame. But the instant vaporized gas yields a more predictable initial flame. And the feature avoids the annoying sooty buildup from priming that plagues MSR stoves.

Apex lights quickly and burns clean. On initial tests, it performs as advertised, with no major flaws.

Some observations:

-- Apex provides a more adjustable flame than most other stoves, certainly more so than any in its price range. Unlike MSR stoves, which utilize a single valve on the fuel bottle, Apex has two flame control points, with valves on both the bottle and at the burner. The burner valve adjusts between full-flame and low simmer, and the adjustment is immediate, with no lag time between bottle and flame.

-- Specifications say Apex will boil a quart of water in "under 4 1/2 minutes" at sea level. In our test, it took closer to five, still a good time for a lightweight stove.

-- The Apex burner's built-in windscreen (nearly identical to previous Coleman stoves such as the Feather 400) works. And it's less cumbersome than foldable foil screens that accompany MSR stoves. Ironically, combining MSR's windscreen with the Apex seems to make the burner reach peak blue-flame even more quickly.

-- Apex has a flat, solid base that seems less prone to tipping than the folding legs of other stoves. It comes equipped with three short, foldable legs of its own, which are optional and don't seem necessary. But they do provide an additional measure of heat separation between the stove and whatever surface you're cooking on.

-- The Apex fuel bottle is the same size as the standard 22-ounce MSR bottle. But it has finer threads (easier to strip and ruin) and can't be filled as far as the MSR bottle. The Apex bottle can be filled only two-thirds full and function properly. They're not interchangeable.

On the surface, the Apex seems a better buy. But only time will tell. While its user-friendly features give it an apparent edge, veteran back-country travelers say MSR stoves still have the edge in one crucial area: dependability. MSR stoves have proven reliable for years on stormy peaks around the world. They're completely user-serviceable in the back country - as long as you carry an MSR repair kit.

In general, the Apex is "too new to know," said Kaj Bune, of Seattle's Swallows' Nest. "But it's a good price (about $50),and you can simmer with it, even better than with the WhisperLite."

The Apex - as well as the full line of MSR stoves - is available at several local outdoors stores, with one notable exception: REI.

The outdoor-gear giant, which must balance the popularity of the Apex against its own vested interest in maintaining MSR's market predominance, doesn't stock it. The company doesn't believe the Apex is different enough to fill any void in its MSR line, and won't consider carrying the stove until lawsuits are settled, said Dennis Madsen, REI executive vice president.

Coleman, at least for now, doesn't hold a grudge.

"They carry other Coleman products," spokesman Jim Reid said. "They're a good customer." ------------------------------

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Coleman Peak 1 Apex vs. MSR WhisperLite Internationale. A comparison:

APEX WHISPERLITE ------------------------------------------------------------ Weight 18.6 oz. (sans fuel) 17.8 oz.

Boiling time, 1 quart 4 1/2-5 minutes 3 minutes,

40 seconds

Windscreen Built in External

Burner size 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches 3 by 5 1/2

inches

Fuel White gas, kerosene adaptable White gas,

kerosene

Fuel capacity Approx. 16 oz. 18-20 oz.

Burn time 1 1/2 hrs. (high) 2 hours

4 hours (simmer) (high)

Suggested retail price $49.95, bottle included $53.95,

bottle $6.95

Folded size. Expanded size: 5 by 5 1/2 inches.

MSR bottles available separately in three sizes. Comparison is with 22-ounce MSR bottle filled within two inches of top. Apex comes with 22-ounce bottle designed to be filled two-thirds full.