Review of Brunton Crux Stove
By Matt Smith

As with most self-respecting stove manufacturers, Brunton is trying to woo buyers by striving to produce the lightest, most functional stove on the market. Brunton is marketing an innovative product manufactured by Optimus. The Brunton Crux is your standard compressed fuel stove in most respects. However, he thing about this stove that is so ingenious is the way it stores. The burner and pot supports fold nearly flat, and fit easily into the concave surface in the bottom of most fuel canisters. I found the canister and stove fit nicely in my MSR Titanium cook set if I took out the cup. Protected by the fuel canister and the padded sling, which holds it in place, the Crux is as rugged as any stove I have tested. Kudos to Brunton (Optimus) for a truly unique and function design for the Crux.

The reliable, adjustable flame is gold in my book. The larger-than-average burner produces a flame that spreads out on the bottom of a pot, reducing the severity of the hot spot in the center of the pan. Boil time for a quart of water in windy ambient temperatures of 20 degrees F at 5000 feet ranged from 3 to 4 minutes. I got the best results using blended fuel, rather than straight butane.

Summary: The Crux wins my vote for this year's most innovative new ultralight stove. The size, packability, and functionality of the Crux make it ideal for emergency kits, over night trips, and peak bagging. Weighing 3.1 oz. the Crux runs with the lightest. Costing $75, the Crux is on the more expensive side of similar stoves, but offers excellent packability and functionality.

For more information contact:
Brunton
www.brunton.com
620 East Monroe Avenue
Riverton, WY 82501 USA
Phone: 307.856.6559
Fax: 307.856.1840
Orders: 800.443.4871
info@brunton.com

Matt Smith is the canyoneering specialist at GearReview.com, and uses stoves like this to cure hypothermia.