Advnture Verdict
First impressions of the FyreStorm PCS are of a rather chunky unit, but packing it away – with stove, wind shield and gas tucked inside the pot and secured with a lid, it soon seemed compact and efficient – a total solution in a single bundle.
Pros
- +
Stove and gas canister fit in the pot for carrying
- +
Piezo for lighting burner
- +
Complete, compact cook system
Cons
- -
Works best with its own pot
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Heavier than other hose-mounted stoves
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First thoughts
With the Coleman FyreStorm PCS, the stove and a small gas canister fit inside the pot for great portability. It’s deeply satisfying to be able to pack up a cook system into a compact bundle, rather than have a separate stove, pot and gas canister.
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In the field
Packaged like military ordnance, the cylindrical FyreStorm PCS undoes a little like a Russian doll to reveal a stove, pot, windshield and 240g gas canister. It all clicks into place with a reassuring clunk, with the windshield sitting snugly over the flame to shelter it from the breeze, and ridges below the pot overhanging the stove. An integrated piezo ignition delivers a match-free spark to the gas, which makes it much easier to light on windy days.
The gas canister connects to the stove via a hose, which is useful for keeping the flame away from the canister, but on uneven ground I found the stiff hose seemed to unsettle the stove and pot, prompting me to find a slab to use as a stable surface.
The supplied cooking pot is tall, creating a bit of a tower, and while Coleman suggests a maximum 26cm diameter for your own pan, I’d want absolutely level foundations before daring to cook with anything so wide.
In its original form, the FyreStorm is designed to boil rather than cook, although I rustled up a plate of pasta shells in no time at all, and it’s easy to adjust the heat so water either simmers or boils vigorously. The stove has a decent 0.5-litre boil time of about three minutes. (The minimum volume should be 0.75l, but for test comparisons I used half a litre).
With the pot wrapped in insulating neoprene it’s easy to handle and pour without fear of scalding your fingers, and the spout in the lid makes pouring more accurate.
