OEX Tacana Solo Stove set 

Review date 20/02/2020

The Reason for The Purchase…..
One of my “Significant” Birthdays 8 years ago, I purchased a JetBoil Flash not that long after they were first introduced to the outdoor/camping world.
It was like having a little bit of aerospace technology in the porch of my tent, and I would regularly have “Stove Offs” with friends and their stoves. MSR were really the only other brand selling similar stoves at that time.
I don’t remember how much I paid for the Jetboil back then, but I am sure it was over £120. They are still priced at around £100 today.

I was given a extra discount code for Go Outdoors a few months back and like a child who had just been given some extra pocket money for sweets, went into the store for a browse.
For some reason I found myself on the stove/cooking section and started to look at the selection of stoves.

OEX is a brand I have bought before, cheap, cheerful and usually not too bad quality wise. Their Cougar tent I purchased has been used in pretty gnarly conditions 900 metres up on a wintry highland summit at least once!

The discount code I had been given was on top of any ticket price, and I noticed the OEX Tacana stove was on sale, reduced from £40 to £29.99. With the discount code that made it £24. My Jetboil was getting past it, and although I guessed it wouldn’t be as good quality, here I could get a replacement for 1/4 of the price! SOLD!

PROS
Easy to simmer (unlike the JetBoil)
Wider pot than the JetBoil (Easier to get boil in bag in)
A “Handy” handle
Price
Cons
Wire handle for controlling gas is flimsy and has come off once or twice

Verdict:
Love the Budget….. don’t be a snob!

Boiling time is around 3.05 seconds. OK, not as fast as JetBoil, but i’m not often waiting for it to boil….
The igniter will more than likely fail soon, but the jetboil one did around one year after purchase, so not that concerned. Good practice to pack a lighter/fire steel.
Got a bit more Winter use to get through, but I see no problems so far…..
Four of these stoves for the price of a JetBoil…. and already had it for 10 months and going well….

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Spine Challenger MRT Ultra BLOG  – January 24, 2020
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I have been “Dot Watching” for a few years now and never thought that one day I would become one of those dots, even just one of those dots that stop after 108 miles.

The thought of travelling by foot that distance non stop in one go, scares me even now that I have done it!

When fellow team member Paul Freeman from Northumberland National Park MRT mentioned he had applied, I was so impressed, I decided to join him.
It felt like because it was still months to go until the event, between then and now some magic would happen and I would be ready on the day. I had no training plan other than spending as long on my feet in the hills over the next months as I could, with a recce nearer the time.

READ MORE HERE.