The Story Behind the Toaks backpacking Stove

For over a decade, we’ve been manufacturing titanium stove components for some of the most recognized brands in the outdoor industry. But none of those stoves were truly ours.

I’ve always dreamed of designing a personal gas stove that’s ultralight, compact, reliable, and affordable.

My goal was to keep the total weight under 50 grams. The best aluminum alloy valve we could source weighs 18.5 grams—the lightest we could find—meaning the entire stove body had to come in around 30 grams, while still maintaining a high level of strength for reliable use. We had to make the whole body out of titanium, and it was a tough challenge. 

To minimize weight and cost while maximizing reliability, we reduced the number of parts and opted for full titanium construction, which allowed us to laser-weld the components. The support legs, riser tube, and burner chamber are all fused into one solid piece. This eliminates the need for typical flanged joints, screws, and nuts—saving about 15 grams in weight, lowering production costs, and enhancing durability.

For storage, I wanted the support legs to fold tightly against the stove body, minimizing the packed size. However, that design means the legs can’t be rotated directly into place without interfering with each other. The correct way to unfold them is to first rotate all three legs upward, then swing them down into working position. Folding them away is the reverse. I’m not sure if this will be a dealbreaker for users—if it is, I’ll redesign it with slightly wider packing dimensions to make deployment smoother, though that would increase the diameter by at least 10mm and add about 8 grams of weight.

I also focused on fuel efficiency. I wanted to ensure the gas mixed well with air, so beyond designing an effective jet to draw in oxygen, we included a diffuser and a slightly larger burner chamber to optimize the air-fuel ratio.

To make it durable, we used a thicker titanium plate for the burner screen. The tiny holes are precision-etched for consistency, and a windscreen surrounds the burner to shield the flame from gusts before ignition. The burner screen is also laser-welded directly to the chamber, removing the need for a separate screen bracket—cutting cost and saving another 4 grams.

My friends and I have been field-testing the prototype for over six months, improving it along the way. In calm conditions, it boils 500ml of water in a TOAKS 750ml pot in about 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Not record-breaking, but more than adequate. The real highlight is its fuel efficiency—you’ll get more runtime out of a canister than you might expect. If customers eventually ask for a more powerful version, we’ll design a second-generation model.

The stove is stored inside a 750ml pot

The final weight is just 1.7 oz (about 48 grams), and it packs down to a compact 1¾" diameter and 2⅝" height. A nearly seamless titanium stove—for only $29.95.

This is our very first gas stove, designed with a focus on lightness, compactness, and affordability. It will be available soon this year on the TOAKS website, REI, authorized TOAKS dealers, and Amazon.