New Crusader stove Mark 2 review?

[Tristar777]

Hi. Has anyone done a review yet of the new Crusader mark 2 stove? Anyone got one and tried it out in the field? It is now large enough to hold a trangier burner without any mods required and has a new design with air flow holes made in aluminium.

Don't know anything else yet so I thought Id ask!

 

[nunzionuk]

[video=youtube;6O_IeV4tKDw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_IeV4tKDw[/video]

While its not a review.. its a good side by side with the older crusader.

 

[MikeLA]

Stove looks ok but never tried it. I bought the mug and got rid of it preferring the first one

 

[Tristar777]

Many thanks for that, I must have missed it! I wouldn't mind but Im subbed to his channel!! Opps!

 

[MikeLA]

I watched and like his alternative here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRhoysx_hsw&index=6&list=UUq9511iEJqbIneDFHmcNtDQ

old mug new stove combination

 

[Fin]

I really don't know what BCB are playing at.

The original mug was a winner, in terms of size and materials used. However, it never came with a decent lid - third party options excepted.

The original stove was a complete dog - heavy, and only really useful with gel or hexamine (not withstanding the ingenuity of some forum members modifying alcohol alternatives).

Now they ditch the 'winner' part of the system and design a completely new kit - which, frustratingly, again, is a half finished, compromise.

They would have done much better designing a multi fuel stove to fit the original mug, along with a feature laden lid (SS, strainers, sip spout etc).

I will not be buying this.

 

[Steve27752]

Sgt fruitcake, does some good reviews, I would not buy this new system. Or maybe new cooker, with old mug would be better?

 

[Tristar777]

Hi. I think the problem with the design has been that it was first and formost made, not for a multi use stove, but for a specific job, ie boil water with the one fuel carried efficiently for troops on the move.
The fact then arose that there became a good market for the system in the civy market which it wasn't designed for. That market wants to be able to swap and change the options used in/by the stove which it doesn't do as well.
BCB have now made an attempt to rectify that for the civvy side without, as was stated earlier, keeping the good aspects previously mentioned, (the cup).
I have spoken to someone now who has both and they say that they use the old cup with the new stove when they are going to use meth stoves, but if they are going to use hexi/gel or wood they use the original.
Both have a place with advantages and disadvantages, I guess you find out which will suit you best!

 

[TinkyPete]

I have been tring it out for a while the cooker is better than the older one and lighter but the mug although bigger and lighter i do not like the lip that is on the inside the base as if you are doing boil in the bags it is ok but for proper cooking it causes me issues with burning and sticking of my food.

 

[Tristar777]

Hi. TinkyPete can you use the old cup on the new stove with the same improved cook time or does it effect the result?

 

[ateallthepies]

You can always drill a line of small holes around the base of the original cooker, although my testing was not very scientific I seemed to knock at least a minute off the boil time with this mod.

 

[TinkyPete]

Yes you can use the old cup on the new stove. there is a little gap but did not notice much of the difference taking into account one is stainless and the new one is ali and thinner so will conduct heat better and quicker. you gets what you want. For me even at work if I want some water cooked fast as possible i will use my jetboil so overly concerned with actual boil times. for me this set up is kept in my webbing as a back up or immediate cook set up i carry different fuels and will still go back to hexi if that is all i can get when out on exercise or tour (they do not issue out resealable gas canisters to us )

As for the old cooker compared witht he new, the new cooker is a lot taller and means that you can put sticks and other fuels into the stove or use some of the new stuff bcb is producing. I have tried it with the fire dragon stuff and the old green snot and it works fine with that, as well as hexi and a lipsil meths stove set up and it has worked fine with them all. I have also tried it with sticks and wooden kitty litter and it worked with that as well. I would say the cooker is a lot better than the old one, being lighter and more efficent but the cup is not althoug deeper i prefer my old 85 metal mug or the crusader mk1 mug but you do need a lid with both. I have several by our very laundich and use them regularly and add so much to the spped of boiling and cooking and have even used one as a mini fry pan

So after of all my testing with this set up, I have my waterbottle pouch loaded in this way.

set up 1:

Crusader MK1 mug on the base
issue water bottle with new GSR adapter
Crusader MK2 cooker placed over the top
down back of the cooker/bottle set up a laundich metal lid
next to the lid my racing spoon
In the lid of the pouch I have a mini clipper lighter and 2 set of puritabs (20 in all)
in the front lip of the puch a flat french hexi stove and 2 pack of dutch hexi tabs ( NSN 9170-12-121-3697 I got several packs when I work with the dutch airmobile recce back in 99 and keep them in my webbing since, yes they still work as well )(they are thinner and smaller than the Brit ones)

Set up 2:

Mk2 cooker on the bottom
issue Waterbottle on top
metal '85 mug top
and all the rest of the kit of the pouch is still there.

The second set up is slightly lighter but I have not weighed it all as the pouch is on my webbing.

 

[Tristar777]

Thanks TinkyPete for the pouch set up, ill give them a go! Sorry for the delay in replying but Ive been away for a few days where "WIFI" don't work!
Ive now got both versions so I can play around and decide which to use for primary.
Again, thanks for the info!

 

[techguyone]

If you're using gel for fuel, a small cleaned empty kiwi shoe polish tin fits great in the circular recess and keeps your cooker cleaner if the gel is put in there rather than the cooker itself.

the whole MK2 system is lovely & light though, and the aluminium isn't so thin that you'll worry it'll bend or break.

 

[BigX]

Does anyone know if the Heavy Cover crusader cup lid (the steel one) fits the new cup?

 

[widu13]

The sizes are different, so no.

 

[Tiley]

I'm sorry for being slow, but will the new, anodized cooker fit the old, smaller stainless steel Crusader cup? I read a review of the cooker on HH and it would appear that it doesn't; is this true?

Again, sorry for being thick!

 

[TinkyPete]

The new stove will fit the old cup as i said above, but there is a gap round the bottom of the cup it still works and I am happy about it. The new cup I am not as much a fan of unless I would only be boiling water and making boil in the bags, but if you are cooking any form of normal food I would stick with the old.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Just for anyone who is interested the Dutch '44 pattern mug fits inside the new Crusader burner perfectly. You just need a couple of pegs to hold it up above whatever you are burning.

 

[TinkyPete]

you bought one then John to try out.