Burners

The Armed Forces of Ukraine use burners powered by gas cylinders. The size of the gas cylinder changes depending on how often the military must change location.

For military units that remain in a single area for a long time, it is better to take a larger cylinder and a portable gas stove. They are more powerful than ordinary burners and heat a large container more efficiently in which food can be cooked for several people at once. They are also more stable and easier to use.

If the whole unit or some soldiers often change location, it is more appropriate to take individual burners. In this case, the main selection criterion is the size and weight. The smaller and lighter the burner is, the more convenient it will be for a soldier to carry it in a backpack.

When choosing an individual burner, you should consider the size of the container that will be used with it. The size of the burner should match the size of the cookware. Otherwise, in a large dish, heat will be distributed inefficiently and unevenly, so the food will burn, and in a small dish, it will only heat the air around the container. Also, the dishware should be selected in such a way that, in case of need, the burner and the gas cylinder could be packed inside of it. This saves a lot of room in the backpack.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the integrated burner systems. This is a device consisting of a burner and a container compatible with it. The container is fixed on the burner, which prevents spillage of food or water. Due to their design features, they are approximately 30% more efficient than conventional burners. At the same time, their disadvantage is the high price and small volume.

It is also important to note that different burners have different types of cylinder connections depending on their type. When buying gas cylinders for a burner, first find out which type of connection is right for you. There are three types:

• Pierce fitting, which is common for camping gas cylinders. The pierce fitting is disposable, that is, once the cylinder has been pierced through, the structure of the burner and cylinder cannot be disassembled without losing all the gas. Because of this, the pierce fitting is not suitable for the military. It is easy to identify: there is usually no additional design on the pierce cylinders, except for a small indentation that should be pierced by the burner. On a burner with a pierce-type fitting, there is a small needle at the bottom, designed to pierce the cylinder when it is being attached.
• Collet connection. It is generally available with the cheapest cylinders. Collet-supported cylinders are in most cases tall and have a small diameter. Burners are attached to collet cylinders either with the help of a special adapter, or they have only collet fasteners. The design with a collet cylinder, an adapter and a burner on top is unstable, and due to the design features of the cylinder, it is even dangerous. Therefore, we advise you to use cylinders with a collet fitting only with camping tiles, where the cylinder will be securely fixed in the correct position.
• Threaded-body cylinders. They are best suited for military use. They come in different shapes and sizes, but their main difference is, of course, the presence of a thread. The thread allows you to fix the burner tightly and firmly, so this design is very dependable. In addition, unlike pierce-fitting cylinders, threaded ones can always be disconnected from the burner and reattached, which makes them mobile.

Never use a cylinder with a burner of another type of attachment, it is extremely dangerous.

We recommend burners and tiles from Primus, GoSystem, Pinguin and GSI companies, as well as integrated systems from JetBoil.