Gear talk: The Edelrid Hexon multi-fuel stove

It has been a few years since Three Points of the Compass purchased this multi-fuel stove specifically for more challenging sub-zero winter backpacking trips. My terrific Edelrid Hexon stove has seen far too little use due to a series of mild winters coinciding with improvements in gas stove design.

Edelrid are a German outdoor gear company specializing in climbing equipment, founded in 1863 by Julius Delmann and Carl Rider. The company have long been innovative in their approach to gear. Starting out as strand and cord specialists, they released the first braided fishing lines in 1880 and invented the kernmantel rope in 1953 (paracord is a kernmantle rope). They followed this with the world’s first ‘energy’ rope in 1964 and the first rope harness the following year, the first floating rope for canyoning in 1994 and the first folding climbing helmet in 2007. Edelrid became part of the Vaude group in 2006 and around 60% of their gear production emanates out of Germany. From that last stat we can see that a large percentage of their branded goods comes from outside that country. This once included the Hexon multi-fuel stove, manufactured overseas to Edelrid’s specification.

The two reported problems encountered with the first generation Hexon are also no doubt partly responsible for the resultant poor sales of the stove, with few people aware that the issues had been rectified while retailers often continued to show images of the first-generation stove without reprofiled legs. Even Edelrid can be faulted in this respect. When I purchased my second generation stove it came in a box illustrating the first-generation stove. While Edelrid have withdrawn the Hexon stove from sale, it can still be purchased from some outdoor gear vendors, but it is getting harder to find.

The 224g Edelrid Hexon is amongst the lightest multi-fuel stoves ever made. It is also one of the very few stoves that will operate on canister gas as well as white gas/Coleman fuel, unleaded petrol, paraffin (kerosene) and even diesel, though it is extremely smoky with diesel and prone to clogging up. Nor does it perform particularly well with paraffin either. Three Points of the Compass has mostly run this stove on Coleman fuel, butane mix canisters, unleaded petrol and most recently almost exclusively on Aspen-4. This is a purer form of ethanol free petroleum distillate. Unleaded petrol is not a good choice of fuel as it contains various additives that can clog both fuel line and jet, but it is an option. Just not a very good option, as it means more frequent cleaning is required and ‘in the field’ clogging may occur. Despite its multi-fuel capability, the Hexon operates with just the one jet, that doesn’t require switching when changing fuel type.

Using Aspen-4 doesn’t result in zero soot (carbon). All of the heavier distillates produce some to a degree, particularly while priming or if there is any degree of incomplete burn, but there does seem to be a minimal amount produced with the Hexon when running on Aspen-4. Running the Hexon on gas instead of liquid fuel means just about zero mess is created.

While the thread size of the Edelrid fuel bottle is common to standard Primus and most other liquid fuel bottles, the pump cannot be used with the smallest of the Primus fuel bottles as the internal gubbins do not quite fit inside the bottle.

The stove itself is based around a six-sided (Hexagon=Hexon) body, in which a fairly typical multi-fuel burner bell is bolted, with priming pad at the bottom, jet in the base and flame spreader above. The body anchors three fold out support legs and an inlet from a fuel line, from which a generator loop directs the fuel up and over the flame and back down to the jet.

The Hexon has three swivel out titanium pot support legs. Each of these is under tension due to being inserted into offset holes. Supports spring open to the correct 120 degree angle, or fold closed, into the body to make a decently compact unit, for packing and transport. As mentioned above, those on the second generation stove are an improved shape, sloping away from the burner, this reduces the chance of their warping when extreme heat is produced. The flat(ish) tops of the legs support a pot 85mm above the ground and the bottom edge of each of the three supports is shaped so as to stand clear of bumps and lumps on an uneven surface. These support legs are easily removed from the body of the stove when stripping it down for cleaning or maintenance. They are also removed if fitting the burner to a rather nifty adapter plate which allows it to be fitted inside the classic Trangia 25 and 27 Storm Cookers. I’ll look at that basic mod separately.

The Hexon’s 320mm flexible braided fuel hose will screw directly on to lindal valved gas canisters. This connector also screws directly to the supplied aluminium and plastic fuel pump when used with liquid fuels in a fuel bottle. The crimped brass connector joining the hose to the valve connector swivels. This allows the fuel bottle or gas cart to be flipped as required. A small Edelrid fuel bottle is supplied with the stove and 0.4lt and 0.75lt branded fuel bottles are available as stand-alone purchases. Though increasingly, this isn’t ‘are’ but ‘were’ available. A large fuel bottle doesn’t necessarily need to be carried. All that is required for most trips is the small fuel bottle that can be attached to the pump and pressurised, and any spare fuel can be carried in another bottle, possibly even a lightweight PET bottle. Though note that petrol will attack and degrade polycarbonate, and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is safer.

The 115g pump is well made and very similar to that found on a couple of other stoves from other manufacturers. More on that later. The pump can be easily connected to the braided fuel hose by turning the little plastic knob opposite the screw connector, there is no need to twist and turn the whole affair to connect the two. There is a small red plastic slip cover to protect the thread from debris, this is easily lost though I have somehow managed to hang on to mine. It isn’t essential however, simply a desirable. There is a spring tensioned right-angle bar that is pulled out slightly and turned through ninety degrees to keep the fuel bottle correctly oriented for supply.

A flexible thick foil windscreen comes with the stove. This measures 780mm x 140mm, weighs 56g and has most of the exposed edges turned to lessen the chance of cuts. I don’t use this screen, have never used this screen, preferring either an old battered foil shield I have had for years, or a lighter titanium foil that also packs down smaller. Most frequently I simply just use a pack, sit mat or similar, to provide protection from the wind. Be aware, there is a lot of heat from this stove and items of gear cannot be sat too tightly around it otherwise they will go up in flames themselves.

The valve control is situated by the fuel canister so there is no need to approach the stove body when adjusting the flame. The valve control is small but I can handle it well enough with gloves on. It is reasonably sensitive, more so with gas, and once the stove is burning well, it can be turned down enough to maintain a simmer. But it is a hot flame and a low simmer can be difficult to obtain. If using liquid fuel, a simmer is easier to obtain if less pressure is created in the fuel bottle. Power output is 3000W on canister gas and in excess of 10000W on white gas. Fuel consumption is in the region of 80-240g/hour. A litre of water is bought to the boil in around three minutes, though that will depend on conditions and altitude.

There is no need to change jets when changing fuels. While all compatible fuels utilise the fitted .37mm jet, some fuels such as diesel and paraffin/kerosene struggle. An earlier version of the stove included a sintered brass insert to the inlet to the jet, this insert was later excluded, as on mine. The sintered insert acted as a filter to catch any impurities before they blocked the jet. Presumably it was found that this was no longer required. This is no loss as while a jet can usually be cleaned or cleared with a pricker needle (included on the stove’s multi-tool), if the jets insert were blocked or clogged there is no way of cleaning it.

Is the Hexon is a noisy stove? No. In common with most pressurised liquid fuel stoves for four season use, the Hexon is a very noisy stove. This is easily rectified retrospectively by fitting an after-market silence cap. This is an expensive accessory, and it wasn’t until 2022 that I eventually bit the bullet and purchased one. The difference it made was startling.

There are quite a few small parts to be found when taking this stove apart, especially the pump, that has small springs etc that are easily lost. A cloth spread on the ground on which the stove can be dismantled, together with good light and great care, are definite requirements if attempting field repair. There are no O-rings on the stove itself, just the pump, so the repair kit could be reduced if it was only being run on gas.

I mentioned earlier the problems that a buying public had in comprehending that the problems with the first generation Hexon had been resolved with the second generation. Almost all reviews of the Edelrid Hexon are from a few years ago and cover the first generation, complete with the faults then exhibited. Coupled with that, the Hexon was getting to be quite an old model and Edelrid have now stopped selling it. This is a great shame as, even after all these years, it is still one of the lightest and best multi-fuel stoves available. There are still a handful of stockists that have new old stock, but they are becoming harder to find. Most sellers with stock are unsurprisingly based in Germany. Few UK backpackers now seem to give this stove much attention, possibly caught up with better known brand names or whatever latest greatest lightweight offering is coming out of China or Korea.

Who made the Edelrid Hexon?

We saw above that the spares kit included with the Edelrid Hexon contains the same items as found in the spares kit for the Korean manufactured Kovea Booster+1 (KB-0603), Dual Max & Hydra stoves. Kovea make stoves under their own name as well as products for MSR and others. The Booster+ stove was previously marketed as the Markill Phoenix stove. Markill are a German company and part of the Vaude group, a group that Edelrid have been part of since 2006. That said, just to muddy the waters further, the pump, fuel hose and flame spreader are also very similar to those found on the Chinese Brunton Lander and BRS-27 stoves! It does look as though these are Chinese clones of Korean made pumps.

It appears we have the best multi-fuel burner from one manufacturer, that combines the best of two of their stoves, together with a more robust pump from another manufacturer. Would a German outdoors equipment supplier source products for the one stove from both Korean and Chinese OEM manufacturers, or is it wholly Korean in origin? Or did Edelrid manufacture any parts themselves, or outsource locally, to their specification? Who actually pulled all the disparate parts together as a manufactured whole, and where? It is all a bit of a mystery.

Alternatives:

By utilising certain techniques and strategies, most campers in sub-zero conditions will manage just fine with a single fuel stove. This could even be an alcohol/meths set up, or even a gas canister stove. It may require the very best of manufacture, practised experienced use and protection from the elements, but it can be done. For those wanting to retain multi-fuel capability while still keeping the carried weight as minimal as possible, it can be a struggle.

There are obvious good alternatives to the little multi-fuel Edelrid Hexon (339g- stove plus pump), though in common with the Hexon, some of these are getting harder to source due to having been discontinued or ‘upgraded’. My old Primus Omnifuel has undergone numerous incarnations over the years. Upgrading and improving usually resulting in a weight increase on many makes and models of stoves. Note that not all multi-fuel stoves will run off gas, but from those that do, these include the MSR Whisperlite Universal (344g- stove plus pump), Optimus Nova (450g stove plus pump), Optimus Polaris Optifuel (476g- stove and pump), Primus OmniLite Ti (340g- stove plus pump), Soto StormBreaker (448g- stove and pump). All have enviable reputations but in common with the Edelrid Hexon, also have their individual strengths, detriments and foibles. Some will be heavier, or bulkier, or require excessive pumping, or struggle to simmer (Whisperlite, I’m looking at you!) Possibly the closest stove to the Hexon is the Kovea Booster+1, but that is a good deal heavier, befitting its increased robustness, having been built for expedition use. I might show a couple of the alternatives that I have, in a further blog. But they are heavier options if lightweight backpacking.

The fuel flexibility of the Hexon means that I can fall back on alternative fuels if necessary – my ace-in-the-hole. The stove can be carried on trail with both a fuel bottle with installed pump and a small gas canister for back-up or convenience. This is the type of stove that I get actual pleasure from tinkering with and using. It is satisfying to unfold and prepare, pump and pressurise, prime well, and get a roaring hot flame. But let’s face it, all I want to do on a cold dark evening on trail is produce a hot brew and hot meal with as little fuss as possible. If conditions are challenging, then this stove could be the best option. If less challenging, then another stove might be preferred. Is this the best stove I own? No. But I must remember, the best stove is the one I have out there with me!

The Edelrid Hexon remains a simple, light, low bulk, tried and tested, effective stove for anyone looking at multi-fuel options, particularly where gas is one of the fuels. My Hexon doesn’t see much use these days. It is most suited to lightweight backpacking, delivering excellent performance in prolonged cold weather, where large volumes of water or meals are required. Hopefully the next ice age kicks in soon, and I’ll be stuffing this in to a pack again.

Three Points of the Compass occasionally takes a glance at items of gear, including a handful of other stoves. While some are fairly new, many, such as the Edelrid Hexon, are now quite old. Old does not mean obsolete. These reviews get added to occasionally as I get round to it. Links can be found here.