In brief and for those who know the brand, The SOTO Fusion Trek camping stove is a remote-canister version of the well regarded Windmaster stove. There’s a fairly wide burner, with around 300 burn holes sitting in a concave circular ‘tray’ and surrounded by a lip of metal. The three legs extend very securely, and the pot supports are integral to the legs, making for a very stable base. The hose to the canister is very flexible, which may sound trivial, but if you’ve ever wrestled a stiff fuel hose and a windshield together in the cold, you’ll realise how useful this is. Even the canister attachment is well-designed and has a wired hoop control for fine flame control at the canister end.
Price: $95 | £90 (Buy now from amazon.co.uk)
The medium-sized burner works well with a wide 900ml pot, better still with a larger 2 litre pot. Taller, smaller pots would be less suited. The burner is very wind-resistant; and although a windshield can be useful in more challenging weather, the stove sits on its own legs and so a shorter windshield (not included) works fine. The leg/pot support design is the best in this test, although it does make for a slightly bulkier unit when packed down.
The SOTO Fusion Trek makes much of its micro regulator system, and with good reason. The stove is fast, and powerful enough, but it can also be turned down for a very effective simmer. The canister can be inverted for cold-weather use, and fuel efficiency is excellent. The quoted burn times look promising; but, most impressively, it produced a usable, consistent flame right to the very end of a canister, even in lower temperatures. That’s not easy to achieve.
The Fusion Trek gets my Best Buy because of its versatility. It’s super-stable and all-season-capable, and is built to last. It can simmer, not just nuke, water; it can cook for one or for five; and it’s economical to run.
This review was part of our guide to The best camping stoves
