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G-Micro PSL Wax Gasifier Stove

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G-Micro PSL Wax Gasifier

G-Micro PSL Raymond Gatt of Gatt-Gen released his G-Micro PSL (Personal Stove and Light) wax gasifier stove to the publicsometime around 2011. It was originally marketed as a survival stove and light which will run off of alcohol andsolid wax sticks. It is important to note that Raymond Gatt now markets the G-Micro PSL as a Wax only stoveand light and no longer endorses the use of alcohol or other liquid fuels in his stove (more on this later). Evenwithout the ability to use alcohol in the G-Micro PSL, a wax fueled stove makes for a potentially useful cookingsystem. Solid wax fuel allows you to safely store your stove and fuel in your car, garage, or closet. And sincesolid candles are allowed by the TSA in the US, the G-Micro and fuel can be packed in checked baggage for airtravel or even mailed to your destination. This stove and light system opens up new possibilities for survivalists,disaster preppers and international travelers. Solid wax also has considerable amount of heat potential per gram. Because of this, many ultralight hikers haveexperimented with various wax powered stoves in hopes of making an ultralight cook system which would allowfor minimal stove and fuel weight. And if the G-Micro PSL published specification are near accurate, it has thepotential of being a light weight stove contender for many. Related Links:

gattgen.comFaceBook G-Micro PSLUS Patent Publication US 2011/0239539 A1 - MELTABLE FUEL GAS GENERATION APPARATUSAND METHODSYouTube oNlg4X1DFWM - Wax Fueled Gas GeneratorYouTube WRLqPWDfE2U - G-Micro PSL (Personal Stove & Light) InstructionalYouTube LhlMl6zPVaA - G-Micro PSL - Personal Stove & Light (Fueled with De-natured Alcohol)Web Archive gattgen.comWeb Archive MOV09885.MPG

Zen Stoves - G-Micro PSL Wax Gasifier Stove Review http://zenstoves.net/G-Micro.htm

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Manufactures SpecsThe following specs were available at gattgen.com at the time of this review:

Burner weight 2.1oz - 60gStand weight 1.7oz - 48gCooling Ring 0.3oz - 10g (for hot climate / Removable)Burner 1.5dia x 2.25hStand 2.75dia x 3.25h

WAX MODE

Fuel Pure Paraffin Wax (Wax Stix, Candle Pieces , Etc)Burn time full reservoir 30minParaffin wax consumption 26g/hr 0.91oz/hr1,100 btu/hr (wax mode)Boil cold water (Max 16oz [2 cups, 462mL]) at less than 1 min per oz.

ALCOHOL MODE [see Note below]

Fuel Ethanol AlcoholBurn time full reservoir 15min

Note: After initial tests of the G-Micro by zenstoves.net, Gatt-Gen stopped marketing the G-Micro as Wax or Alcohol stove. It is nowbeing marketed solely as a solid Wax fueled stove. This was due to the inherent dangers of using liquid fuels made evident by the image ofa pot engulfed in flames from overfilling the G-Micro with alcohol shown below. The G-Micro can still run on alcohol and various othercombustible liquids, and the danger of using these fuels are also still present.

FaceBookRaymond Gatt's G-Micro PSL Facebook Page gives you a peek at the G-Micro PSL. Raymond Gatt's first entry:

"To the G-Micro PSL "Worlds First" Solid Wax Powered Gas Stove & Light.

The tiny G-Micro PSL Stove & Light thermal device itself weighs 3 oz including a 30min fuelreservoir which can be continually re-fueled with wax when burning. No other gas stove can do thatand also no wasteful pressurized throw away canisters to buy."

And his images of the Facebook G-Micro PSL gives you an idea of the G-Micro PSLs is and can do:


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Here a concept drawing is shown with the G-Micro PSL stove and what appears to be a pot the size of a soup can which should alsodouble as a pot.

Here are example was sticks for the stove. The G-Micro PSL has a small filler hole which allows you to add these sticks whole or brokenup. An entire stick can not be placed inside the stove all at once, but can be left protruding so that it melts into the hole. The box of Wax


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Stix I received were light green in color and were square rods which packed a little better than round rods.

Here is the G-Micro PSL demonstrating a large luminescent light. This appears to be more or less a giant candle flame, which reportedlycan be used with a globe to light up a tent or room.


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Here is what appears to be the G-Micro PSL burning was with a pot over it. Note that the flame is touching the bottom of a pot.


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Here is the G-Micro PSL with a Snow Peak mug over it. Note how flame stays centered on bottom of mug with minimal flame traveling upthe side. Also note how the mug is covered in what appears to be burnt wax.

Zen Seeker G-Micro PSL Wax Gasifier Review After seeing the Raymond Gatt's wax gasifier video and being a stove enthusiast, I was naturally excited about thepotential of the Raymond Gatt's G-Micro PSL. This stove technology has several features which would appeal tomany outdoorsmen, survivalists, disaster relief personnel and international travelers alike. Potential plusses for the G-Micro PSL:

solid wax fuel allows for long term safe storage1.fuel is waterproof and spill proof when solid2.fuel and stove can be placed in checked baggage for domestic or international air travel3.stove originally marketed as a duel fuel stove which burns alcohol [see Note below]4.solid wax has great energy to weight ratio5.minimally sized stove for solo use6.something new7.


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Note: After initial tests of the G-Micro by zenstoves.net, Gatt-Gen stopped marketing the G-Micro as Wax or Alcoholstove. It is now being marketed solely as a solid Wax fueled stove. This was due to the inherent dangers of using liquidfuels made evident by the image of a pot engulfed in flames from overfilling the G-Micro with alcohol shown below. TheG-Micro can still run on alcohol and various other combustible liquids, and the danger of using these fuels are also stillpresent.

Particularly interesting is the possibility of a stove system which could be packed with fuel and checked at theairport. This means that certain international travelers can show up at their destination ready to cook without theneed for electricity or time required to locate special fuels. And depending on your travel style, this can be a bigdeal. It would also be interesting to see how efficiently the G-Micro PSL can harness the heat potential of wax. Combined with the light weight of the G-Micro PSL, the use of wax creates the potential for a very light weightstove system. The following is Zen Stoves' review of the G-Micro PSL Wax Gasifier Personal Light and Stove.

G-Micro PSL Stove Components


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The stove is made up of 6 separate pieces. There is the Main Stove, a Wick assembly, a Nozzle Cap, a Stand, HeatDefuser Ring and Tweezers.

The Main Stove has a Fuel Reservoir and Capillary Tube where the wick fits in. The Fuel Reservoir holds bothsolid wax and liquid fuel. The Fuel Port allows you to add wax or liquid fuel. The Capillary Tube holds the WickAssembly and allows for thermal feedback to the stove to melt and preheat fuel. The locking feet allow you tolock the Main Stove to the stand. The center tube is brazed to the bottom of the stove and has a hole in thebottom floor of the stove. This likely allows some air to be drawn in from the bottom of the G-Micro up throughthe middle of the Wick assembly and out into the chamber created by the Nozzle Cap. If you look into the fuelport, you can see the weep holes created by the bottom of the copper inner wall in the fuel reservoir. Theseopenings allow liquid fuel to enter the inner chamber and come in contact with the Wick Assembly. The feet ofthe inner wall fan outwards in the outer chamber of the G-Micro to allow for more effective melting of wax.

The Wick Assembly is made up of a weaved fabric tubular Wick with a supporting metal structure. I've taken theliberty of naming the main parts of the wick. The Weaved Wick obviously draws liquid fuel upwards from theFuel Reservoir and allows for burning liquefied fuel (melted wax) just like a candle wick. Within the weavedfabric wick is what appears to be a copper tube. The Copper Tube gives support to the Weaved Wick and likelyaids in thermal feedback to the stove to melt wax in the fuel reservoir and to aid in vaporizing fuel on the wick. Several Friction Support Wires run down the outside of the wick. These help hold the wick against the CopperTube and holding friction against the inner wall of the stove reservoir. The combination of the inner Copper Tubeand outer Friction Support Wires allow you to move the wick up and down and without the wick binding, slippingdown later or falling out while you nurse the wick. The Flame Regulator up top appears to be a loop of stainlesssteel. This gives you something for your tweezers to grab onto so that you can adjust your wick height up anddown. It also seems to keep gasified fuel ignited. Note: You should avoid pulling the wick upwards beyond where the triangular bend in the Friction Supportsengage the stove. Pulling out the wick beyond this point can cause you to pull the wick out completely, which canbe problematic as it may be difficult to get the wick back in without unraveling the bottom of the wick. If you


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would like to remove a used wick from your stove, make sure there is some wax on it (don't run stove dry) andallow it to cool enough to allow for handling. Slowly pull the wick out and allow it to harden before reinstalling itin the stove.

The Nozzle Cap allows for a chimney effect and mixing of heated gasified fuel and oxygen while insulating theheat produced by combustion of these mixed gases while also protecting them from wind. The lower half of theNozzle Cap is designed to fit snuggly over the Main Stove. There is an opening on one side of the lower halfwhich allows you to add fuel to the Fuel Port, assuming you line up the Nozzle Cap correctly over the MainStove. This opening and other ventilation holes allow air to be drawn over the wick and in the upper half of theNozzle Cap. The Tweezers allow you to add wax to the stove while lit and adjust the wick height without burning your hands.

The Stand allows you to place a pot over your stove and allows you to hold your stove with your bare fingerswhile lit. Holding the stove sideways is necessary during initial lighting of the wick so this stand is nice to have. The stand also holds the Main Stove Body just a little off of the ground. This prevents burning of your groundsurface, loss of heat from direct contact with a frozen ground and allows some air to travel under the stove and upthrough the middle of the Tubular Weaved Wick. The three locking tabs on the base of the Stand allow you tolock your Main Stove Body to the Stand.


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According to Raymond Gatt, the Heat Defuser Ring helps cooling of the stove in hot environments. This might beneeded to help reduce the event of boil over of liquefied fuel which can both be messy, wasteful and potentiallycause a fire hazard. This Heat Defuser Ring appears to be made from machined aluminum with a steel springwhich resembles a binder clip to allow it to expand and fit tightly around the Main Stove. According to Raymond Gatt:

"The Cooling Fin accessory will lower the temperature of the molten wax in the reservoir whenambient temps are high 90ºF +. The flame will pulse if the Reservoir wax temp gets too high and theCooling Fins will stop the pulsations. The fins can be easily removed and easily installed if required.Most users in North America will rarely need to use the cooling fins."

What is missing is a windshield. This is vital for use with this stove for anything other than indoor use. Component WeightsComponent(s) oz gmMain Stove 1.3 36Wick 0.3 9Nozzle Cap 0.6 17Stand 1.8 50Heat Defuser Ring 0.3 10Tweezers 0.5 13 Assembled Stove 4.3 122Assembled Stove with Tweezers 4.8 134Assembled Stove minus Heat Ring 3.9 112Assembled Stove with Tweezers and minus Heat Ring 4.4 125

Stove Setup and Use Lighting can be difficult or impossible in windy conditions, but is doable once you figure out how to do so. Thereare a lot of steps and it may be daunting at first. Lighting the stove becomes much easier after you work on it sfew times and after wick break in. Wax ModeHere are the steps for burning wax fuel:

Lock Reservoir on stand if separated1.Add small pieces of wax to filler hole if needed2.Remove the Nozzle Cap - you may need to remove any hardened wax by heating it up first3.Make sure there is wax on the wick - if dry, melt some wax onto the wick4.If the wick isn't frozen in place by hardened wax, bottom out wick and pull it up just a bit. Do not pull theWick Assemble up past the triangular bend in the Friction Support Wires. If you pull it up too much(greater than 3/8th inch or 10mm), you'll pull it out completely and may not be able to get it back in as theend can unravel.

5.


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Roughen up wick with sandpaper (needed early on before wick break-in and when unfamiliar with thestove)

6.

Hold stove by stand and turn sideways7.Protect stove from wind if necessary - use anything possible to shelter wick but a purpose made windshieldis ideal

8.

Use a lighter, match or lit candle close to wick to melt wax9.Rotate stove and melt wax on other side of wick.10.Pull flame for your lighter downwards so that melted wax ignites from the tip of your flame11.Carefully rotate stove so that flame spreads around wick12.Set stove upright on ground inside windscreen13.Wait for the flame to grow - you want it to get good and hot and have a nice large flame14.If necessary (for dry wick), melt a little wax on the wick by rubbing the wick gently with a stick of wax15.Adjust wick height with tweezers. If flame is weak, pull it up a bit (not greater than 10mm from bottom)and allow for flame to grow.

16.

Install Nozzle cap. Push it all the way down so that it bottoms out.- Optional: hold Nozzle Cap with tweezers over flame to preheat it before installing it. If done right, thiswill also ignite gasified fuel within the cap as you slowly lower it over the wick.

17.

Depending on ambient light, you may notice smoke or steam rising from the stove - this is gasified waxwaiting for your flame

18.

Relight your stove.19.You may need to add a few drops of wax into the nozzle to get it going.20.If you fail to relight your stove - start over with more wax and the wick pulled out higher.21.If you get your stove to light, let it warm up again.22.Use your tweezers to bottom the wick to its lowest position.23.Place pot on stove24.Add Wax as needed.25.Extinguish by blowing out like a candle or dropping an empty can over stove - this will produce a significantamount of emissions so dropping a can over the stove is preferred if using this stove indoors.

26.

Raymond Gatt points out that in his experience this is the sequence of events required to light the PSL after it hasbeen broken in i.e. lighted 2X.

Remove the Nozzle Cap by slightly rocking it.1.Hold stove by stand and turn sideways2.Use a lighter or match close to wick to melt wax. (Ideally stove was extinguished with enough wick exposedfor re-light)

3.

Pull flame downwards so that melted wax ignites4.Carefully rotate stove so that flame spreads around wick5.Set stove on ground inside windscreen (if outdoor) let sit until flame is strong6.Install Nozzle cap. Push it all the way down so that it bottoms out.7.Let stove heat up about one min then light Wax Gas plume.8.Adjust wick / flame height using tweezers supplied or other non flammable tool.9.PSL is ready to use as light source or to cook10.Add wax fuel as required for as long as needed11.

Raymond Gatt's video demonstrates this:


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Gatt also points out that the MSR Dragonfly has 19 steps. Alcohol Mode [see Note below]Use with alcohol is much easier. The only challenge would be getting liquid fuel into the tiny fuel access hole. You will need a syringe or bottle with a small nozzle, otherwise expect to spill some fuel. Raymond Gatt clearlypointed out that the stove must to be cool and not lit when refilling the stove with liquid fuel. This it to preventignition and possible explosion during refilling. Contrary to what Raymond Gatt recommends and what common sense would suggest, I was able to add liquidalcohol straight into the fuel hole with a syringe while the stove was running. I just made sure that the tip of thesyringe was in the filler hole before injecting fuel in it. Refueling a lit stove with liquid fuel of course has thepotential for problems and should not be done by the general public [see below]. Note: After initial tests of the G-Micro by zenstoves.net, Gatt-Gen stopped marketing the G-Micro as Wax orAlcohol stove. It is now being marketed solely as a solid Wax fueled stove. This was due to the inherent dangersof using liquid fuels made evident by the image of a pot engulfed in flames from overfilling the G-Micro withalcohol shown below. The G-Micro can still run on alcohol and various other combustible liquids, and the dangerof using these fuels are also still present.

Fuel Tests


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Several fuels were tested with the G-Micro PSL, with mixed results. NOTE: The G-Micro PSL is marketed as a solid wax fueled stove. The manufacturer does not endorse use of anyliquid fuels in their stove. The following tests were conducted for experimental reasons only and were conductedby someone with a good deal of experience with fire. The following is provided for educational purposes only andis not an endorsement to use the G-Micro PSL with fuels it was not designed for or even for fuels that it wasdesigned for. Tested and considered fuels include:

Gatt-Gen Wax StixParowaxGulf WaxEconomy tea light candle waxBeeswaxCrayons - considered onlyDenatured AlcoholHEET Gasline AntifreezeIsoHEET Gasline Antifreeze70% Isopropanol rubbing alcohol - without Nozzle Cap70% Isopropanol rubbing alcohol - with Nozzle Cap91% Isopropanol rubbing alcohol99% Isopropanol rubbing alcoholPlant Oil - Unsuitable fuel for stock G-Micro PSLLiquid Candle FuelKeroseneWhite Gas - Unsuitable fuel for the G-Micro PSLAutomotive Gasoline - considered and rejected

Methanol, Denatured alcohol and paraffin wax performed the best. Isopropyl alcohol and beeswax performedpoorly and were quite disappointing.


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The following tests were performed with:G-Micro PSL stove1.Stove filled with fuel (15cc/0.5fl oz)2.Pot -19oz soup can with top removed3.

2 cups (~473mL) of cold tap water4.No windscreen was used to allow for better photographs5.Lid - another can6.butane stove lighter7.10cc medical syringe for filling stove with proper amount of liquid fuel8.

Gatt-Gen Paraffin Wax Stix

Recommended fuel by manufacturer. The supplied wax sticks are light green in color are are reportedly 100%Paraffin wax with a tint of green aniline dye. They are sized just right to add to the small filler hole on the side ofthe stove. Gatt-Gen uses green to signify 145F Melt Point wax, Yellow for 135F Melt Point wax and Red for 185F Melt


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Point wax. So the wax supplied by Raymond Gatt is should be 145ºF wax. The stove was very easy to fill with the Wax Stix as they were cut into proper sized rectangular rods. There wasno need to cut up any wax for fueling. This fuel was tested after several other fuels, so knowledge on how towork the wick and stove was better than with beeswax and tea light candle wax. The stove was held sidewaysand a disposable Bic lighter was used to engulf the wick with flame. This melted wax on the bottom half of thewick. The stove was turned 180 degrees and the lighter was used again to melt the second half of the wick. Thestove was then flipped back 180 degrees, the wick was again engulfed with flame and then the lighter was loweredso that the tip of the flame ignited the "wet" wick. Minimal time was required to nurse the wick and it wasunnecessary to wait for the wax in the stove to melt. Modified tweezers were used to hold the Nozzle Cap overthe burning wick. This protects the flame from wind and reflects some heat back at the wick. It also preheatedthe Nozzle Cap and quickly turned in inside of the Nozzle Cap red hot. The Nozzle Cap was then slowly loweredso that fuel gasses could rise through the center of the Nozzle Cap and ignite. The Nozzle Cap was lowered all theway down until it bottomed out on the Wick Assembly with the G-Micro still lit. As the wick was left somewhathigh in the Stove Body during its previous use, it was frozen in wax and prevented the Nozzle Cap from fullyseating on the Stove Body. After a short period of the stove burning, the stove melted enough wax to allow thewick to depress into the stove and then allow the Nozzle Cap to properly bottom out on the stove. The stove burned well. Flames were blue and yellow and continued to stay lit with the wick all the way up andwith the wick all the way down. The stove brought two cups of water to boil before running out of fuel. After running out of fuel there was theexpected smoldering phase which pumps out smoke and a strong burning paraffin smell. Placing a can over thestove would help reduce both.

Black staining of the pot was substantial. This left a layer of half burnt wax and greasy soot. An abrasive pad asome effort was required to remove this.

Parowax Household Wax


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Parowax Household Wax is available is many US grocery stores in the canning section. It comes in a smallcardboard box with four 4oz blocks of white wax. The blocks were somewhat deformed from likely beingoverheated and locked together in one giant block. With some effort, two of the 4oz blocks could be separated. Sticks were cut from one block with a knife and further trimmed with a pair of scissors. After the G-Micro wasrun dry, it was loaded up with Parowax chunks and the wick was primed with Parowax. It started up fine andrequired some rubbing with a Parowax stick to "treat" the wick. After running the stove for some time to "cleanout" any other fuel, the fuel reservoir was topped off. The stove was then extinguished and allowed to cool off forthis experiment. The cold G-Micro PSL wasn't difficult to light up. After minimal nursing of the flame, the stove warmed upwithout event and the Nozzle Cap was lowered over the wick to preheat the Nozzle Cap and then installed on theG-Micro PSL. The gasified fumes lit up easily with a lighter and a pot was placed on the stove. The flame had more yellow than anticipated but continued to burn without event. At around 23min, the potreached an early boil (pot making noise). The G-Mico PSL continued to burn for a total of 35 minutes.


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The pot's bottom was blackened and coated with a thin layer up unburned black wax. Wax buildup was greaterthan what was seen with the tea light wax experiment and less than what was seen with the Wax Stix experiment.

Gulf Wax

This is believed to be the same "Gulf Wax" recommended by Raymond Gatt. He feels that the G-Micro PSL canrun on any substantially pure paraffin nominal 145F wax such as Gulf Wax. This wax comes in 1 pound boxesfound in many large grocery chains in the US in the food canning section. At WalMart, it may be in the grocerysection with pectin and not in housewares where the majority of canning supplies can be found. Gulf Wax is distributed by Royal Oak Sales, Inc. in Roswell, GA. Royal Oak reportedly purchases their paraffinfrom Exxon through a broker. The box of Gulf Wax tested came with 4 slabs of quarter pound sections of paraffin which were fused togetherwhich made a solid one pound block. These 4 sections were resistant to separation and remained as a single solidblock after several attempts at breaking apart the sections. If you take a knife to the wax, you can cut out sticksof wax which break off cleanly at the boarder of each section. This wax seemed "soft" and easy to cut up andmelt. This wax was relatively easy to light in the G-Micro PSL and comparable to the other paraffin wax fuels tested. Afull reservoir of Gulf Wax in the G-Micro PSL continued burning for a little over 30 minutes.


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Unburned wax build up wasn't so bad compared to Parawax and Wax Stix experiments.

Tea Light Candle Wax

Tealights seem like a great potential fuel. It is not clear if these are made from 145F wax. They are easy to pack,easy to cut up and can be used as an emergency light, heat, fire started, waterproofer, zipper lube, etc. If you arehaving problems getting your G-Micro PSL to start, you can use a tealight to heat up the stove to loosen a frozenwick, drip wax onto the stove's wick and use the tealight flame to start the stove's wick without concern ofdamaging your lighter. The tealight candles were easy to cut up into small pieces for the stove. It was relatively easy to light the G-MicroPSL with the tealight. Like other fuels tested, the G-Micro PSL's flame was very difficult to see in the daylight.


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At night, the flame was more evident and it was rather easy to light the G-Micro PSL's wick with a burning tealight candle. The Nozzle Cap was slowly lowered over the burning wick so that the middle of it turned red hot andignited the gasified wax rising through the center hole. There was a small breeze which the flame didn't like, so awindscreen had to be used intermittently to protect the flame. Before the prefilled stove ran out of fuel, theG-Micro PSL brought two cups of water to a boil.

These was some blackening of the pot.

Beeswax Wax

Not a Recommended fuel. Beeswax was difficult to get going and once going burn much "cooler" than regular paraffin wax. The smell waspleasant compared to burning parofin and it left minimal staining on the bottom of the pot. The tank full of


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beeswax failed to get two cups of water to a boiling point.

The most challenging part of using beeswax was getting a big block of wax into the stove's tiny filler hole. With abit of pre-preparation, you can cast your own wax stick for easy filling. For this experment, shaved off chunks ofwax were used and added to the G-Micro PSL one bit at a time with the supplied tweezers. This works, but agood deal of wax melted all over the stove and fingers were coated with a thin layer of soft beeswax. Refilling the stove while in use is possible with wax. Tweezers should be used to avoid burns, but it is possible touse unprotected fingers to get larger chunks in the right place. Once larger pieces were placed in or over the fillerhole, tweezers were used to push the wax in the proper direction. Further tests will need to be performed with with beewax tealights to fuel and ignite the G-Micro PSL. Thebeeswax experiment was also performed prior to full break in of the G-Micro PSL's wick.

CrayonsCrayons weren't tested during these tests, but Raymond Gatt says he has tried them in the past. According toGatt, crayons will work as fuel in a pinch, but the color tint seems to clog up the wick so this fuel is notrecommended for the G-Micro PSL.

Ethanol Fuel - Denatured Alcohol


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Recommended fuel by manufacturer.

Note: when I received the G-Micro from Gatt-Gen, it was marketed as both a Wax and an AlcoholStove. After initial findings of this review were posted showing a stove and pot engulfed in flamesfrom overfilling with alcohol, Gatt-Gen opted to change marketing for their stove to just being a solidWax Stove. Liquid fuels such as alcohol presents a spill hazard, can boil over and overheat a stove. Flammable liquid fuels present a serious fire hazard when added to a lit or hot stove.

This is a fine working fuel with a familiar smell. It was very easy to light. The stove was filled with 15cc ofdenatured alcohol and a small amount was squired into the Nozzle Cap already installed. Note that the stove wascold and not lit when alcohol was squirted on the stove. The alcohol in the nozzle cap was used to prime the stoveand this fuel allowed for a quick start up of the stove. The flames danced around a bit and casually edged over thebottom of the pot to touch the side of the pot. No soot was left on the bottom of the pot. Refilling with a syringe was possible with the G-Micro PSL lit. This was done during several experiments with amedical syringe filled with up to 10ccs of fuel. NOTE: Refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL was preformed forexperimental reasons and there is a real potential burn hazard whenever refueling a lit stove with liquid fuel. Anyfuel on the outside of your syringe, hands or work area can instantly ignite. There are any number of things whichcan happen during refueling such as failure of the syringe, tipping over of the stove or knocking over an open fuelbottle which can result in a catastrophic event. Therefore, refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL with liquid fuel in notrecommended.

Methanol Alcohol Fuel - Yellow HEET


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Not a recommended fuel by manufacturer.

Note: This fuel was never recommended by the manufacture of the G-Micro PSL. When I receivedthe G-Micro from Gatt-Gen, it was marketed as both a Wax and an Alcohol (ethanol) Stove. Afterinitial findings of this review were posted showing a stove and pot engulfed in flames from overfillingwith alcohol, Gatt-Gen opted to change marketing for their stove to just being a solid Wax Stove. Liquid fuels such as alcohol present a spill hazard, can boil over and overheat a stove and can be verydangerous if added to a lit or hot stove.

Yellow HEET is more or less straight methanol. This is easy to find throughout many parts of North America atgas stations, auto parts stores and stores such as Wal-Mart. It burns easily in the most basic of "stoves" and seemsto burn finn in the G-Micro PSL. It has a well behaved flame and starts easily without a hitch. No soot was left on the pot. Refilling with a syringe was possible. This was done during several experiments with a medical syringe filled withup to 10ccs of fuel. NOTE: Refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL was preformed for experimental reasons and there is a real potential burnhazard whenever refueling a lit stove. Any fuel on the outside of your syringe, hands or work area can instantlyignite. There are any number of things which can happen during refueling such as failure of the syringe, tippingover of the stove or knocking over an open fuel bottle which can result in a catastrophic event. Therefore,refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL with liquid fuel in not recommended.

Isopropanol Alcohol Fuel - Red Iso-HEET


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Not a recommended fuel.


Red HEET is an antifreeze fuel additive used in places where the temperature drops below freezing. Note in thepicture, the HEET bottle says "NOW WITH INJECTOR CLEANER" which may account for the odor it gave offwhen burned. It seemed to do fine at the start. It was easy to light and as you can see in the image above, it had avery luminescent yellow flame mixed with a blue flame. The flame traveled up the pot a bit. Shortly into this experiment, some fuel overflowed and ignited. It was obvious that the stove was over filled,especially since it was able to take more than 15ml of fuel when filling it in the dark.


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This overflow of alcohol in turn heated up the stove, which caused more fuel to boil over and further heat up thestove to create a positive feedback loop.


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Soon the stove was engulfed in flames. I'm not sure to what extent this fuel is to blame for the uncontrollableflame and how much of the blame was due to over filling the stove. But either way, use of Iso-HEET with theG-Micro PSL is NOT recommended. As you may have suspected, there was a lot of black soot up the bottom and side of the pot. The majority of thissoot came off easily with a paper towel. The black burnt bottom took a bit of elbow grease to remove. Looks like those silicone touch pads aren't fireproof.

70% Isopropanol Alcohol Fuel - Rubbing Alcohol - Without Nozzle Cap

Not a recommended fuel by manufacture.


Rubbing alcohol is available at many city corners around the world. It is cheap and can be used as an antiseptic. Being able to burn 70% alcohol means that you can use a very economical fuel which can be found in most partsof the world without too much fuss. The problem with rubbing alcohol is that it has at least 30% water in it andthe alcohol is usually isopropanol. This makes it a challenge to burn cleanly in many alcohol stove setups and itwon't work in certain alcohol stove designs. To complicated maters, the quality of rubbing alcohol in many placesaround the world is poor at best. That said, the G-Micro PSL's wick may allow you to use the G-Micro PSL like aspirit lamp and burn a number of fuels. And being able to use regular rubbing alcohol in the G-Micro PSLbroadens its capabilities as a airline checkable travel stove since rubbing alcohol is available within walkingdistance from most hotels in the civilized world.


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During this experiment, the 70% rubbing alcohol wasn't as enthusiastic to light up as other liquid fuels. TheNozzle Cap was removed and the wick extended to maximum height. The G-Micro PSL was held at an angle sothat the weak alcohol flame could heat up the wick. In short time the stove could be placed on a flat surface and apot placed on the stove. The wick was set so that the wire tip of the wick was just short of touching the pot, toprevent cooling of this wire. The flame was weak and a windscreen would be needed anywhere where there is a breeze or draft. As the stoveheated up, the flame stabilized and grew, but the flame still lacked the wind protection that the Nozzle Capaffords. Since the wick is set high, you must keep the stove filled up enough so that the wick can draw fuel from the fuelreservoir. For this experiment, a small medical syringe was used to refill the G-Micro PSL. NOTE: Refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL was preformed for experimental reasons and there is a real potential burnhazard whenever refueling a lit stove. Any fuel on the outside of your syringe, hands or work area can instantlyignite. There are any number of things which can happen during refueling such as failure of the syringe, tippingover of the stove or knocking over an open fuel bottle which can result in a catastrophic event. Therefore,refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL with liquid fuel in not recommended. This configuration brought water to a rolling boil with less fuss than anticipated.

The bottom of the pot had soot, but much less than anticipated from burning rubbing alcohol with a wick. It wasreally just a film of brown soot which was easily wiped off.

70% Isopropanol Alcohol Fuel - Rubbing Alcohol


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Not a recommended fuel for this stove.


70% Isopropyl Alcohol does work with the Nozzle Cap, but is very difficult to get going. Early on in this initialexperiment, the wick was very difficult to light and the flame kept lifting off and dying. Once it got going, itseems to work, but appears delicate. A full tank of rubbing alcohol gets 2 cups of water hot enough for a gooddrink. You will need a good lighter or candle to get the flame going. Surprisingly, there was no soot on the bottomof the pot after using rubbing alcohol. Note the condensation on the bottom of the pot. Follow up experiments with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol demonstrated easier lighting of the wick and a stronger flame.



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Isopropyl Alcohol in 91% is available in some drug stores, but is not as widely available as the 70% concentration. Early experiments with an old bottle of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol proved disappointing when the stove was usedwith the Nozzle Cap. The extended wick would light and heat up, but the installation of the Nozzle Cap wouldextinguish the wick and lit gasses rising from the Nozzle Cap would lift off and self extinguish themselves. Later experiments with a new bottle of 91% alcohol of a different brand was relatively easy to light. The NozzleCap was installed without issue and the gasified alcohol burned fine. The wick pulsated at first but later stoppedpulsating after the stove heated up and the wick was lowered. A reservoir filled with 15mL of this fuel got 2 cups of water hot enough for hot beverage. There was no blackening of the pot.



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Isopropanol in 99% concentration isn't as widely available as as 70% strength, but its another potential fuel for theG-Micro PSL. The concern with 99% isopropanol is that it readily boils and can pack a punch, which can cause itto overheat the stove and create a fireball as seen above in the IsoHEET experiment. Care was taken to not overfill the G-Micro PSL with more than 15mLs of full strength isopropanol. The wickeasily took a flame and did not need any nursing. Once warm, the flames had some yellow tint to them andcrawled slightly around the sides of the pot. Burn time was about 11 minutes. Water hot enough for hot drink.


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This fuel produced minor glazing of the bottom of pot and minimal soot in one spot.

Plant Oil

Note auxiliary wick in photo and lack of Nozzle Cap Why not? It's a renewable fuel which is readily available in most parts of the world and likely is checkable at anyairline.

Note: This fuel was never recommended by the manufacture of the G-Micro PSL. Initial tests with canola oil were very disappointing. It was difficult and almost impossible to light the wick on thethe G-Micro PSL. Even use of an auxiliary wick in the filler hole only got the G-Micro PSL's top portion of thewick to burn. Use of an auxiliary wick made from rolled up paper towel wrapped around the stock G-Micro PSL's wick with thepaper towel wick ends dipped in the filler hole allowed for a reasonable sized yellow flame without the NozzleCap. The stock G-Micro PSL wick can also be replaced with a wick made from cotton or wood (paper towel) fora make due plant oil burner, but similar results can be accomplished with an empty tuna can and a bit of ingenuity.

Liquid Paraffin Fuel - Lamp Fuel


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Not a recommended fuel for this stove fuel by manufacturer.


Lamp fuel is generally considered to be not explosive and isn't that different from solid paraffin, expect for thewhole liquid at room temperature trait and the size and configuration of the hydrocarbon molecules. Note: The following is a report of an experiment and not a recommendation to disregard the manufacture'swarning to not use fuels other than 145F Wax. There are many scenarios where Lamp Fuel could be verydangerous. The following is provided for educational purposes only. Lamp fuel quickly saturated the wick after lamp fuel was added to the stove. The wet wick readily took the flamefrom the lighter. The Nozzle Cap was slowly lowered over the wick. It is possible to auto ignite the gasified fuelwith the wick flame, but it readily lights with a quick flame from the lighter without issue or delay. At first the flame was blue and medium in size. The size of the flame grew after the stove warmed up and someyellow flames occasionally danced around the sides of the pot. The flames seemed to be motivated by theminimal wind encountered during these experiments. Water was easily heated up and came to a rolling boil withplenty of fuel left in the stove. Refilling the stove with a syringe was performed without flare-up or explosion. The syringe plunger gave a lot ofresistance and didn't seem to like the lamp fuel. Retracting the syringe plunger too fast resulted in the plasticplunger stem separating from the rubber plunger tip due to the increased rubber tip to syringe wall friction. NOTE: Refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL was preformed for experimental reasons and there is a real potential burn


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hazard whenever refueling a lit stove. Any fuel on the outside of your syringe, hands or work area can instantlyignite. There are any number of things which can happen during refueling such as failure of the syringe, tippingover of the stove or knocking over an open fuel bottle which can result in a catastrophic event. Therefore,refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL with liquid fuel in not recommended. In regards to refueling the G-Micro PSL with Liquid Paraffin Candle and Lamp Liquid - it is good that the stoveholds 15ccs of fuel. This is more fuel than is needed to bring 2 cups of cold water to a rolling boil. So if you keepyour cooking/boiling needs down to a reasonable level, refueling will only need to be performed prior to lightingyour G-Micro PSL.

Pot blackening was significant but isolated to the bottom of the pot. This blackening came in the form of a hardmico-thin coating and covered more of the bottom of the pot than was encountered during the tealight waxexperiment. It seems that the stove wick is too tall for liquid paraffin. Performance of lamp oil may be improved with a shorterwick. The stove also has what appears to be heat exchangers within the stove for melting wax. These areunnecessary for liquid paraffin and likely cause a loss of fuel through overheating and vaporization in the fuelchamber. That said, this fuel actually performed nicely. Odor was very similar to paraffin wax burning but without thedramatic smoldering phase experience when the G-Micro PSL is fueled by wax and is extinguished.

Kerosene Fuel


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Not a recommended fuel for this stove fuel by manufacturer. Note: The following is a report of an experiment and not a recommendation to disregard the manufacture'swarning to not use fuels other than 145F Wax. There are many scenarios where kerosene or what is thought to bekerosene could be very dangerous. The following is provided for educational purposes only. Kerosene is generally considered non-explosive and is readily available throughout the world. It has a distinctiveand unappealing odor when stored and a similar odor when burned. During these experiments, the G-Micro PSL'swick lit instantly without the need to turn the stove sideways. It produced a lot of yellow flame which travels upthe side of the pot. A pot with 2 cups of water was brought to a rolling boil in short time with plenty of burn time and fuel to spare. Refueling with a syringe while the stove was lit was uneventful. Due note that the syringe used pretty muchoccluded the filler hole, which limited the amount of flame coming out of it. This is good as long as you don't getthe syringe stuck. A purpose modified syringe with protruding metal tip and flat area to cover the filler hole wouldwork better if kerosene was something that would be used frequently in the G-Micro PSL. NOTE: Refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL was preformed for experimental reasons and there is a real potential burnhazard whenever refueling a lit stove. Any fuel on the outside of your syringe, hands or work area can instantlyignite. There are any number of things which can happen during refueling such as failure of the syringe, tippingover of the stove or knocking over an open fuel bottle which can result in a catastrophic event. Therefore,refueling of a lit G-Micro PSL with liquid fuel in not recommended. A flare-up of kerosene is much morehazardous than a flare-up of alcohol and can cause significant burns. Refueling a lit stove with kerosene shouldnot be performed by the general public. In regards to refueling the G-Micro PSL with kerosene - it is good that the stove holds 15ccs of fuel. This is morethan is needed to bring 2 cups of cold water to a rolling boil. So if you keep your cooking/boiling needs down to areasonable level, refueling will only need to be performed prior to lighting your G-Micro PSL.


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Blackening of the pot was significant. Both the bottom and most of the side of the pot was black.

A can bottom after burning 15mL of Lamp Fuel is shown on the left in the image above, while the bottom of a canafter burning 15mL of Kerosene is shown on the right. Blackening was significanly more prominent more withKerosene, more so than the image here suggests.

A can side after burning 15mL of Lamp Fuel is shown on the left in the image above, while the side of a can after


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burning 15mL of Kerosene is shown on the right. Blackening was significant with Kerosene and almostnonexistent with Lamp Fuel. The blackening on the side of the can was mostly soot. The soot came off easilywith soap and water but a more "durable" stain was still present on the lower side of the pot. This came off withan abrasive pad. The stove smelled like kerosene after all fuel was used. This fuel actually worked fine if you don't mind the horrible smell of incomplete burning kerosene or theblackening of your pot.

White Gas Note: Using white gas in the G-Micro PSL is a bad idea. Not only is this fuel potentially explosive, it also doesn'twork well at all with the G-Micro PSL. This fuel may even burn hot enough to damage the G-Micro PSL.

Depending on stove and air temperature, White Gas can start off with a nice hot flame when used in the G-MicroPSL. It seems like a reasonable fuel early on after igniting the stove.


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The flame from the filler hole seems to heat up the stove quickly leading to an increase in flame form both theNozzle Cap and the filler hole. Soon after ignition, a good amount of flame will rise up from the filler hole.

Flare ups with White Gas can be pretty exciting, especially when you are taking photos at night with the camerainches from the stove. Leaving a bottle of White Gas next to a lit stove as shown in the photos above is also a bad


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idea. Also note that the Touch Pads have been removed in the image above as they were all burned during earliertests with White Gas. Refined White Gas should be avoided in the G-Micro PSL. It burns very hot and is extremely explosive. TheG-Micro PSL has an internal heat exchanger designed to heat up and melt solid wax. This same heat exchangerwill bring high volatile fuels such as white gas to a boil in no time. Two initial runs of Coleman White Gas were performed. The first test was conducted with 10ccs of fuel and thesecond with 15ccs of fuel. The stove lit easily with the nozzle cap already installed and the G-Micro PSL level onthe ground. In short time, the G-Micro PSL turned into a ball of yellow flame which engulfed the entire stove andmost of the pot. The fuel burned up at a rapid pace. Water in the test pot was warm to touch after the fuel wasused up and the water failed to reach the boiling point after use of all the fuel tested. Subsequent runs at night with a frozen stove seem to allow for better control of heat output early on. Thissuggests that the G-Micro PSL is very sensitive to warm temperature when using White Gas. The G-Micro PSL produced an audible crackling when using White Gas. There is what appears to be siliconesealant in the bottom of the G-Micro PSL and this has the potential of being damaged or even igniting once thestove gets hot enough. Refueling with White Gas with the stove lit was not tested as adding White Gas to a fireball did not seem like a good idea. Like Kerosene and Liquid Candle, White Gas doesn't agree with the rubber plunger of the test syringe. Pot blackening was severe and covered the bottom and side of the pot.

Automotive GasolineNote: Using automotive gasoline in the G-Micro PSL is dangerous. Automotive gasoline is extremely explosive and poisonous when burned. Beyond the toxicity of the fuel itself,the additives in the fuel for automotive use is extremely toxic in both liquid form and when burned. The G-MicroPSL has an internal heat exchanger designed to heat up and melt solid wax. This same heat exchanger will bringautomotive gasoline to dangerously high temperatures in short time. Automotive gasoline is likely to burn too hot and burn up too fast like White Gas. It may also leave contaminantsin the wick. This fuel was not tested.

Liquid FuelThe G-Micro PSL is more or less a fancy wick with burn chamber above the wick. This design allows theG-Micro PSL to burn just about any flammable liquid fuel. This has been demonstrated by the quick experimentsabove. It is important to note that there are several hazards associated with burning liquid fuel in the G-Micro PSL. Liquid Fuel Hazards:

Spill hazard - spilled fuel when filling the G-Micro PSL or afterwards while the stove is lit can create asignificant fire hazard.

1.

Overfill hazard - if the G-Micro PSL is filled with more than 15ccs of liquid fuel, the fuel may boil over,ignite and overheat the G-Micro PSL

2.

Hot Stove hazard - if you burn wax in the G-Micro PSL, you must wait for the stove to be cool before fillingwith liquid fuel. Even with the flame extinguished, the G-Micro can still be hot enough after burning wax(or other petroleum based fuel) to boil alcohol and create a significant flare up.

3.

Refilling lit stove hazard - there are so many things that can go wrong when refueling the G-Micro PSLwhen lit. This practice CAN NOT be recommended for the general public.

4.

Melted Wax and Alcohol hazard - adding alcohol to a lit G-Micro PSL with wax in it will cause a significant5.


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flare-up. This can burn anything which might be over the stove during refilling, such as any equipment,your hand or your face. The G-Micro PSL must be free of any wax before using liquid fuel. If you burnyour G-Micro PSL with your wick not completely bottomed out, you will leave wax in the fuel reservoireven after the stove "burns out".Explosion hazard - unlike solid wax, liquid fuel can and will explode under just the right conditions.6.Child hazard - this stove is not for children. Children are unpredictable and are prone to serious burns. TheG-Micro PSL should not be operated by children when using liquid or wax fuel.

7.

Overheating hazard - there are a number of ways to overheat the G-Micro PSL. Once you get the stove hotenough, your liquid fuel will begin to boil in the Fuel Reservoir, which will increase the amount of fuelburned from the filler hole, which in turn heats up the stove. This creates a positive feedback loop whichkeeps the stove overheated. This can result in a burn rate greater than desired or even a dangerous fireball.

8.

It's understandable that Gatt-Gen long longer supports the use of liquid fuel for the G-Micro PSL.

Pot Supports

The G-Micro PSL pot supports and able to support pots from beverage can size to much larger sized pots. It heldup a pot made from a 19oz soup can nicely as the three pot supports fit perfectly with the recessed ring on the canbottom. The supports seem sturdy enough and can support a wide pot or pan if needed.

Lantern Mode


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Raymond Gatt sent a glass lantern globe to try out. The pot supports on the G-Micro PSL are able to support thisglass globe at various heights. The globe protects the flame from wind and seems to intensify the luminosity of theflame. Personal note: I don't like the idea of packing a glass lantern globe in a backpack, but this opens up somepossibilities which should be consider later. Instead of just sleeping after it's dark or talking in the dark, a lanternallows for continuous light for reading, projects, mood lighting and keeping the boogie man at bay. A tealightlantern can do something similar, but the G-Micro PSL throws out considerably more than any candle. This lantern mode may be nice in a remote cabin.

Wick Break-InRaymond Gatt mentions that the G-Micro wick performs better after it is broken in. It was originally assumed thatthis break in occurs after the wick is initially saturated with wax and burned for the first time. Interesting enough,after using the wick many times for various experiments, it became noticeably easier to light the wick. Part of thisis from learning how to actually load, prime and light the wick. But part seems to have something to do with thewick itself, as it seems to more easily absorb melted wax and light up after "break in".

Pot BlackeningFor those used to gas or alcohol stoves, blackening of the pot may be an issue for you when using the G-MicroPSL.


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In the image above, you can see how the deposits left on the bottom of two cans after beeswax and Wax Stix wereused. This isn't just "soot" that you sometimes see with incomplete burning in various stoves. This is actually acoating of unburned wax. This is particularly a problem when using the supplied Wax Stix, which was produced anotably thick layer of wax which leaves a greasy black mark on your fingers if you run your finger across thebottom of the pot. The wax residue wasn't as bad when regular candle wax was used or when beeswax was usedcompared to Wax Stix. It is possible that these experiments were performed with a bad batch of wax from Gatt-Gen. Tests with Gulf Waxsuggest that the significant amount of pot blackening and wax build up on the pot encountered with Wax Stix is afuel issue and not a stove flaw. This waxy build up comes off with some scrubbing with an abrasive pad.


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Blackening from Liquid Candle Fuel (above left) is less than what you would get from most paraffin waxes withthe G-Micro PSL, while kerosene (above right) covered the sides and bottom of the pot with black soot.

G-Micro PSL Efficiency Testing

The G-Micro PSL was tested for boil times and fuel use. All testing was performed outside with a windscreen anda clean soup can used as a pot. The windscreen was made from aluminum roof flashing and was trimmed so that itfit inside the soup can pot when rolled up. An gap in the windscreen was left open to allow for refueling of wax. This windscreen design was selected to simulate a practical windscreen which may be carried by a hiker. The stove and fuel where measured with a digital kitchen scale before and after the test to determine fuel used. The tweezers, lighter, windscreen and pot were not part of the measured weight. A pot lid was made from another empty soup can. A hole wad drilled in the center of the bottom of this "lid" anda rubber grommet was used to line the hole. The probe from a digital food thermometer was wrapped with


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electrical tape at the center of the probe so that it this would hold the probe in position in the rubber grommet, toseal the lid from water vapors and to insulate the thermometer probe from the lid. Cold tap water was used and 2 cups were added to an empty soup can for each boil test run. After water wasboiled, the can was empted, rinsed and filled with 2 cups of cold tap water. Wax residual was not removed fromthe soup can between each use. Time was started after the soup can filled with water was placed on the G-Micro PSL. Time was stopped whenthe thermometer read 100ºC. Boiling sounds could be heard about a minute or two prior to hitting the 100ºCmark. The G-Micro PSL's flame was blown out after water reached the 100ºC mark. After the stove stopped smoking, itwas placed in a freezer to speed up cool off periods between test runs. Wax Test Data:Run Start

#Stix

End#

Stix

∆

#Stix

StartWt

(gm)

EndWt

(gm)

∆

Wt(gm)

StartTemp(ºC)

EndTemp(ºC)

∆

Temp(ºC)

OutsideTemp(ºC)

Time Notes

1 12 1.3 10.7 143 135 8 16.3 100.0 83.7 16.5 19:05 Dry wick; empty stove2 12 8 4 155 147 8 16.0 100.0 84.0 16.8 20:47 Stove left in freezer too

long; pot blackened3 12 8 4 154 146 8 16.7 100.0 83.3 16.7 19:52 Watching movie - ran past

boil by ??? Time stoppedat 19:52

4 12 8 4 154 146 8 17.0 100.0 83.0 18.0 20:57 5 12 8 4 153 146 7 17.1 100.0 82.9 17.3 20:39 Pot well blacked at end of

tests Note: A full size windscreen and a wider based aluminum pot, such as a grease pot, would likely result in morefavorable boil times and fuel efficiency. After 5 runs of the G-Micro with a clean pot, the bottom of the pot was covered with somewhat greasy blackwax. Some of this would easily blacken hands and gear the pot may comes in contact with. It washes easily off ofhands with soap and water, but removing black from the pot requires a bit of scrubbing. Three test runs were performed with denatured alcohol to get a rough idea of fuel performance with this fuel. Alcohol Test Data:Run mL

AlcoholApproximateWeigth (gm)

StartTemp(ºC)

EndTemp(ºC)

∆

Temp(ºC)

OutsideTemp(ºC)

TimeTotal

Timeto

Boil

Notes

1 15 12 10.2 79.1 68.9 10.3 15:14 2 20 16 14.0 100.8 86.8 12.0 18:00 16:33 Requires 5cc refuel at the 10

minute mark3 20 16 11.0 100.8 89.8 13.0 19:20 18:29 Requires 5cc refuel at the 10

minute mark When using denatured alcohol, the G-Micro PSL gets 2 cups of water to a near boil, but must be refueled to get 2cups of water to a full boil. There are notable hazards with refueling a lit or hot stove with liquid fuel and thispractice is not advisable for the general public.

G-Micro PSL Cooking System SetupThe G-Micro PSL needs a few times to create a complete and functional cooking system. You need the following components for your G-Micro PSL cook system:

G-Micro PSL stove1.Small pot or mug. A Soup Can works perfectly2.Windscreen. A rolled up rectangular piece of aluminum sheet works perfectly3.Fuel4.Fuel bottle with tapered tip if using liquid fuel - otherwise you will need a syringe to measure and deliver5.


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fuel into the stoveChamois leather (shammy) to hold hot pot and to keep the G-Micro PSL from rattling around in the pot6.Lighter7.Tealight - use to prime wick with wax and to help light new stubborn wicks.8.Plastic bag or pot cozy if concerned about blackening of pot staining your pack9.Small jar lid to protect surface under stove if you are using odd shaped pieces of wax and are sloppy10.

Analysis and DiscussionThe G-Micro PSL and related technology has great potential. Gatt-Gen is still new and it is likely that significantimprovements in this technology in the years to come. As is, it is a reasonable option for those needing a stoveand fuel with an indefinite shelf life or fuel which can be placed in check in baggage. Overall QualityThe G-Micro PSL appears to be well made. The majority of the stove and accessories are made from stainlesssteel and seems durable enough to withstand significant abuse. The one exception are the tweezers. These arelow quality tweezers as tweezers go, but more than adequate for their task of moving the wick up and down, liftingthe stove and adjusting the Nozzle Cap. Raymond Gatt points out that that the tested G-Micro PSL is an earlyversion and that his stoves now come with a better quality pair of tweezers. That said - the tweezers are fine andeasy to reshape to your own needs. Just don't expect to use them to pull out a sliver or an eyebrow hair. PackabilityThe G-Micro PSL system is light weight and compact enough to allow it to be easily packed and stored. You caneasily pack the stove in a mug or small pot. The wax fuel is solid, so you can throw it into a ziplock bag stored inyour mug or elsewhere. This is one of the only stove options available which allows you to check in both the stove and fuel at the airport. This allows you the ability to use your stove immediately after arriving at your destination without needing to goon a hunt for fuel. It also likely doesn't need to be cleaned prior to checking in at the airport like a pressurizedpetrol stove would (unless you use a liquid petrol fuel in this stove). This makes it possible for many types oftravelers to now travel with a usable stove without the fuss and delay of trying to track down fuel before headingout to their final destination. Raymond Gatt provided an example of a coffee drinker who travels around and tries out coffee in the fields ofCentral America. For him, the G-Micro PSL stove can be easily packed and used in the coffee fields or in manyof the homes which tend to be well ventilated. There is no need to carry stinky gasoline and a heavy multifuelstove which needs to be odor free before getting it back on a plane. Other fuels (i.e. canister fuel, denaturedalcohol) are often difficult to locate and spending valuable time looking for fuel while on holiday is oftenundesirable. WeightFor those wishing to minimize their gear weight, it's good that Raymond Gatt decided on a smaller stove tomarket. It's size is sufficient enough for solo use without any significant extra bulk. G-Micro PSL Component WeightsComponent(s) oz gmMain Stove 1.3 36Wick 0.3 9Nozzle Cap 0.6 17Stand 1.8 50Heat Defuser Ring 0.3 10Tweezers 0.5 13 Assembled Stove 4.3 122Assembled Stove with Tweezers 4.8 134Assembled Stove minus Heat Ring 3.9 112


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Assembled Stove with Tweezers and minus Heat Ring 4.4 125 Beyond what comes with the G-Micro PSL, you will also need a pot or mug, a windscreen and if you are usingliquid fuel, you will need a bottle with a tapered tip or syringe to add fuel to the tiny fuel port. It is possible to operate the G-Micro PSL without tweezers, but the tweezers make it so much easier to add solidwax fuel and adjust the wick height and Nozzle Cap position. They will help prevent you from burning yourfingers. In alcohol mode, with good alcohol, the G-Micro PSL can be used without the tweezers, but you'll need asyringe or other means of getting fuel into the fuel port. In regards to the heat ring, I'm not sure what it really does for stove performance. Raymond Gatt explains that thecooling fins are needed in hot weather above 90ºF. Minim Stove Weight ComparisonsStove Stove Weight Fuel Canister Canister Weight TotalG-Micro PSL minus ring and tweezers 3.9oz(112g) 0 for wax/plastic bottle for alcohol 0/minimal 3.9oz(112g)MSR SimmerLite Stove (Petrol ) 8.5oz 11 fl oz MSR bottle 2.8oz 11.3ozMonatauk Gnat Gnat (Gas) 1.6oz 110gm SnowPeak canister (empty) 3.05oz 4.65ozVargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove 4.1oz (116g) Maybe film canister for fire starter 0+ 4.1 oz (116 g)

Fuel StorageWax has an indefinite shelf life. And unlike other combustible fuels, wax doesn't need a metal container forstorage or any special environmental constraints such as low humidity or a narrow temperature range. This makesit ideal for storage or even stockpiling for emergencies. It can be safely stored in your vehicle or basement forfuture use. Although not endorsed by Gatt-Gen, several liquid fuels can be used with the G-Micro PSL. Each will have itsown special requirements for long term storage. Heat OutputThe heat output of the G-Micro PSL is low compared to most all stoves on the market, so it's not an option forthose looking for a high output stove to melt snow or cook for a large group. But if you are accustomed to lowoutput of solid fuel tablets or low performance alcohol stoves, the G-Micro PSL should be sufficient to boil up 2cups of water for those not in a hurry. It took around 20 minutes to boil 2 cups of water when using Wax Stix. Light OutputThis stove can be used like a kerosene lamp with the addition of a lamp globe or "as is" if you don't have anywind. This is useful for those who may need a lamp in a cave or under a tarp at night. This is one potentialbenefit that the G-Micro PSL has over most other stove options. Exhaust EmissionsThis is a potential significant problem for many. This stove does produce a good amount of emissions. Theemissions smell like a room full of paraffin wax candles burning all at once, which is comparable to what thisstove is basically doing. Raymond Gatt sent two articles claiming that candle emissions are safe (1, 2). It isimportant to note that these articles and research were funded by the big global candle making associations so theauthors of these articles have a notable conflict of interest and likely result bias. I was unable to find any hardevidence that gasified wax is harmful, but would not personally use this stove indoors to burn wax. Keep in mindthat I also don't burn candles indoors. Raymond Gatt says that he has used this indoors without issue. It appears that different waxes perform differently with the G-Micro PSL stove. Beeswax seemed to burn thecleanest. Economy tea light wax produced more emissions and pot blackening than beeswax. Gulf Wax producedless pot blackening that Parowax and both produced less pot blackening than Gatt-Gen Wax Stix. The suppliedWax Stix produced the largest amounts of pot blackening of the waxes tested, especially when the wick was set tomaximum height and during the smoldering phase after extinguishing the flame. The Wax Stix emissions may bedue to the quality of the wax they used, the green dye in the wax or some sort of contaminant introduced during


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the manufacturing process of making "Stix". Compared to Hexamine and Trioxane, the fumes are probably ok and many would actually find this candle smellpleasant. When used outdoors with the wick set at the proper height, odor is noticeable, but not noxious in anyway. Liquid Candle Fuel performed better than expected with burning emissions similar to tea light candle wax. TheLiquid Candle Fuel didn't seem to have a noticeable smoldering phase as seen when a wax flame is extinguished. This is important as the majority of emissions from using wax in the G-Micro PSL occurred during the smolderingphase where you can see smoke and wax vapors being pumped out of the stove. Kerosene has a characteristic smell when burned and even when a bottle of kerosene is opened. Burning ofKerosene produced a good amount of emissions and covered the bottom and side of the pot with black soot. Kerosene is not a recommended fuel for the the G-Micro PSL but does work surprisingly well. I feel that emissions and odor when burning wax or petrol fuels is what limits this stove's utility as an indoor travelstove. If you burn these fuels in a hotel room, you may alert the manager that you are doing something strange. Plus, inhaling large amounts of unburned wax or petrol fuel is likely not good for one's health. Pot BlackeningPot staining can be an issue for some. The occurrence and magnitude of pot staining is dependant on what type offuel you are using and to a lesser degree, where you set the G-Micro PSL's wick height. Wind may also play arole in incomplete combustion and increased soot formation. Denatured alcohol, methanol and even 70% isopropanol rubbing alcohol failed to cause pot blackening when usedwith the G-Micro PSL. Beeswax left brown wax deposits on the bottom of the stove. Economy tealight wax left black wax on the bottomof the pot. Supplied Paraffin Wax Stix covered the bottom of the pot with a layer of black greasy wax and leftsoot on the bottom side of the pot. Liquid Candle Fuel stained the bottom of the pot similar but to a slightly greater degree than tealight wax. Kerosene severely blackened the bottom and sides of the pot. Much of the blackening from kerosene was sootwhich will easily blacken your hands or pack once they come in contact with the pot. Ease of UseCompared to a gas stove, solid fuel and alcohol stoves, this stove is complicated if not difficult to use. It's really not that bad once you figure out how to work it, but there are a lot of steps and a learning curve. If youcan't get an Optimus multifuel stove to light, and there are many who can't, this stove is not for you. If you are ina hurry to cook, this stove is also not for you. Denatured alcohol, HEET methanol, Liquid Candle Fuel and Kerosene were very easy to start. Beeswax and 70% Rubbing Alcohol were very difficult at times to get burning. Practicality of FuelWax Stix are only commercially made by Gatt-Gen. This makes fuel procurement difficult in remote areas. Waxfrom candles and paraffin blocks can be used in the G-Micro PSL, but these must be cut up into small enoughpieces to fill the small filler hole in the Fuel Reservoir. This is somewhat time consuming and can be messy. "WaxStix" can cast for use later, but this takes a considerable amount of effort. If the stove is to solely used as a survival stove, then cutting up blocks of wax is reasonable when the alternative isgoing without hot food or light. If the G-Micro PSL is to be used as an ultralight long distance cook system, thencasting enough wax sticks prior to the trip may be worth the effort since the G-Micro PSL allows for a very light


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weight stove option. But for most trekkers, the need to cut up small bits of wax may be too painful in the day andage of Piezo ignition stoves. Time to BoilRealistically, the time needed to boil water isn't as important as all the marketing makes it out to be unless yourgoal is to melt gallons of water and don't want to spend all day doing it of if you are cooking for a group of people. The G-Micro PSL was tested outside with some wind, cold air, cold water and a thermometer. This testenvironment is likely a bit harsher than the idealized test environments used by the big stove manufactures. Buteven when taking that into consideration, the G-Micro PSL is exceptionally slow to bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stove Fuel Amount of Water Time to BoilG-Micro PSL Wax 2 cups (~475mL) 20.2 minutesG-Micro PSL Alcohol 2 cups (~475mL) 17.5 minutesMSR XGK (Petrol) Kerosene 1 Liter 2.8 minutesMSR Reactor Gas 1 Liter 3 minutes

Note: After reading this review, Raymod Gatt of GattGen responded with:

On the subject of 2 cup boil times; You seem to be getting 20 min boil times. I on theother hand get a boil in 12min +/_ with wax. To do this I start with about 68f water in aMSR Titan Pot with tight fitting lid having a small hole in the lid to hold a temperaturelogger probe. I carry out the testing indoors with no wind at about 70F ambient. 20 minseems a bit long to me but maybe it's what happens when a, low tech, tin soup can is usedinstead of a high tech Titanium Pot. Maybe fabricating a tight fitting lid will improve thesoup can boil times. There is a sweet spot wick height setting which gives max boil timesand minimal soot / wax deposits on the pot. Increasing wick height does not quicken theboil but does increase odor and soot. Every stove will be a little different and finding thespot is like adjusting the fuel jet screw on an English petrol engine ... meaning painfullysmall adjustments are required.

It is entirely possible and likely that the height of the wick will make a difference in regards to cooktimes and that the tests above were performed with a less than optimal wick height. Further testswould be needed to confirm this.

Fuel Efficiency and True WeightAn often overlooked factor in a stove system is how fuel efficient it is. "Efficiency" in this sense means howmany units of weight of fuel you need per day. When you factor in how much fuel you need per day for a longtrip, you may be surprised at what a complete cooking system with fuel weighs over the course of your trip. Alight weight inefficient system can easily weight more than a heavier but more efficient stove or a heavier woodstove when you factor in the average weight of fuel.


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Data plotted out to 160 meals (1 meal = 2 cups boiled water) to demonstrate general trendsSee Stove Choices - Efficiency

This busy graph shows some interesting trends with various cook systems. For short trips, low output cooksystems such as alcohol and hexamine fueled system are by far the lightest overall systems you can have. But astrips get longer or as your party or cooking needs grow, both gas and petrol cook systems become lightercompared to alcohol. The zigzag lines are confusing as liquid fuels require additional weight for fuel bottles inincremental levels. The average weight of a gas stove system actually decreases over time as more cooking meansthat you are carrying a lighter canister at the end of the trip. This chart also doesn't take into account, temperatureaffects on various fuels, or special needs or practicality. How efficient is the G-Micro PSL? Manufacture's specs:

Paraffin wax consumption 26g/hr 0.91oz/hrBoil cold water (Max 16oz [2 cups, 462mL]) at less than 1 min per oz.

Average Packed Weight of G-Micro PSL based on experimental data The published G-Micro PSL Specs suggest that you will need less than 16 minutes of burn time to boil 16 US fl ozof cold water. At a wax consumption rate of 26g/hr, you would need 26g/60min x 16min = 6.9grams (~1/4oz) ofwax. If this is close to accurate, that's pretty impressive, especially if the G-Micro PSL weighs less than 4 oz.


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Packed Weight of G-Micro PSL at beginning of trip based on experimental data

Actual testing of the G-Micro PSL demonstrated that just under 8 grams (~0.28oz) of Gatt-Gen Wax Stix wereneeded to bring 16 US fl oz of cold water to a real boil. That's pretty impressive and makes the G-Micro one ofthe lightest stove systems around. Unique Issues

1. The flame is very fragile and prone to blow out even in light wind. You must take measures toprotect the flame when first lighting and then use a windscreen to protect your flame. 2. Small fuel port. The fuel port consists of a very small hole in the top of the Fuel Reservoir. It's theperfect size for the provided wax fuel sticks, but can prove a challenge once you run out of thisspecially made fuel. With a small amount of effort, you can take a knife to a candle stick or wax barand make shavings, chunks or sticks just the right size for the filler hole. You can also pre cut or precast small sticks, balls or cubes for use later on. For liquid fuel, you will need a syringe or special fuelbottle with a "squirting" end. 3. Invisible flame in daylight. It can be difficult to light stove the daylight as it is hard to tell if thewick is actually burning. You need to shade your stove to see the flame or trust that when the thereisn't smoke coming from the Nozzle Cap it's because the stove is lit. 4. Fuel quality and compatibility. Some wax works better than other was in the G-Micro PSL. Ibelieve that the supplied Wax Stix are defective. They did start up and burned "fine" but produced alot of emissions compared to other wax tested. Economy candle wax and Gulf Wax burned notably"cleaner" than Wax Stix. Beeswax was difficult to light, but it is important to note that tests onbeeswax were performed prior to wick break-in.

Conclusion Disclosure Statement/Conflict of InterestsI was provided a two G-Micro PSL stoves, an extra wick, a globe, a prototype G-Micro mug with lid and a box ofwax free of charge for this review. I made it clear that if I published a review, it would be honest and that I wouldlet Raymond Gatt know if his product was flawed. I have no financial ties with Gatt-Gen and did not receive anymonetary or other compensation for this review. Summary of G-Micro PSL Personal Stove and LightThe G-Micro PSL is not a bad little stove, depending on what you are looking for. It is a low output performer


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capable of boiling a sufficient amount water for a solo hiker, which is fine and sometimes even preferred by thoselooking for more energy efficient or simple systems. The physical characteristics of wax makes it ideal for storageand allows you to pack both the stove and its fuel in check in baggage at the airport, which allows you to have aworking stove shortly after your feet are back on the ground. So for various survivalists and air travelers alike, this stove has great potential utility. Per the manufacture's stats, this is potentially one of the most efficient systems available of outdoorsman withoutmatch. Independent tests showed that the G-Micro required just shy of 8 grams of Gatt-Gen Wax Stix to boil apint of water. This makes the G-Micro the lightest weight packed cook system on a trip requiring more than 14pints (a pint is 2 cups or around a half liter) of water to be boiled when compared to hexamine and a veryminimalist setup. In regards to cook times, the G-Micro PSL is painfully slow. The G-Micro PSL requires around 20 minutes tobring two cups of cold water to a real boil. This is one of the longest boil times around which makes it a poorchoice for melting large quantities of water or cooking for more than one person. Raymond Gatt of GattGenreports times of 12 minute boil times when an optimum wick height is used. This is more reasonable than 20minutes, but is still slow for most and this hasn't been confirmed. This stove and fuel will fit in a small mug or empty soup can, which can be easily packed in a small pouch on atactical vest or ruck. This allows hikers, international backers and military personnel alike a personal and durablewaterproof stove option which can heat up a cup of coffee or illuminate a small well ventilated room. Outside of its intended design of use, this stove is able to burn liquid paraffin. It's not the perfect setup for thisfuel and it does burn somewhat "dirty". Still, this stove allows for a very light petrol fuel option in cold weather toheat up 2 cups (half liter) of water for food or drink at a time. Refilling with liquid petrol fuels is unnecessary asthe G-Micro PSL will hold more fuel than is needed to boil 2 cups (half liter) of water. In regards to using alcohol with the G-Micro PSL, it runs fine on denatured alcohol and methanol. While thestove is in use, refueling is easy with a syringe or special bottle, which is pretty exciting in itself, although thiscaries a potential risk of burns if performed by the general population. The G-Micro PSL is heavy for an alcoholstove when compared to the many ultra-lightweight homemade creations out there, but is still lightweight whencompared to other commercial backpacking stoves, including the the purpose made Trangia Westwind alcoholburning system. For its intended use as a wax gasifier, this little stove is impressive compared to the dirty and sometimes dangeroushomemade survival wax stoves used by many. There is a lot of fiddle factor with this stove and a learning curveto use. Wax fuel will need to be casted to the proper size or cut up to fit the tiny filler hole on the G-Micro PSL. Economy tealight candles seem to be an ideal fuel as they are easy to pack and can be used without the stove forlight, heat and limited cooking. The supplied Wax Stix were the perfect size for use with the G-Micro PSL butburned dirty compared to other wax tested. Use of wax, liquid paraffin or kerosene will blacken the bottom of your pot. Burning of wax will actually leave abuild up of unburned wax. This can be removed with a bit of scrubbing and will be an issue for some. I personally feel that indoor use of this stove is limited due to emissions. In wax mode, this stove pumps out hugeamounts of gasified fuel. Most is burned, but some isn't - resulting in the strong smell of burning candles. Whenthe stove is blown out or runs out of fuel, the wick smolders and pumps out a significant amount of unburned fueland smoke. This is limited if you use a can to extinguish your stove and trap the emissions, but the smell ofburning candles is in my opinion too much for a poorly ventilated area like a hotel room. Likewise, liquid paraffinshould not be used in a poorly ventilated area. The exception to emission is when you use alcohol in with theG-Micro PSL. Alcohol is widely used as a heating fuel for for restaurants and caterers, and the smell of burningalcohol isn't highly noticeable by most. In regards to weight and size, the G-Micro PSL is lighter than a gas canister stove with canister and far lighter thanany petrol stove on the market. And with the ability to carry exactly the amount of fuel you need without theneed for a fuel bottle or approved canister, the G-Micro PSL stove system is a potential lightweight stove optionfor many. The G-Micro PSL can be used as a lantern with a glass globe. Pack a glass globe my be problematic for some, but


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not an issue of those packing gear in hard cases. That said, there is great potential utility in having a combinedstove and lantern at camp at night or in a cabin without electricity. This stove must have a windscreen for use outdoors. One can be easily made from a sheet of aluminum or anempty tin can. Early on, it was felt that a tea light candle should also be kept with the stove to help prime thewick with wax if needed and help light the wick if it proved to be stubborn. But after experience with using theG-Micro PSL and wick break in, the tea light candle seemed unnecessary. And if you choose to use liquid fuel,you will need a syringe or special bottle with a tapered tip so that you can add fuel to the G-Micro PSL's smallfiller hole without spilling any. ConclusionThe G-Micro PSL stove isn't not for everyone. It is difficult to light at first and requires break in of the wick andpractice before lighting and using this stove becomes "simple". The flame is invisible in the daylight and timid toany wind. The G-Micro will bring water to a full boil, but requires around 20 minutes (12 minutes per manufacture) to bring2 cups of water to a full boil when using wax as a fuel. It will also cover the bottom of your mug or pot withblackened wax. These two points will be show stoppers for many while only being a minor drawback for others. One of the G-Micro's saving points is that it is highly efficient and light weight for a commercial stove. Thiscombination makes the G-Micro the lightest system when considering fuel weight for a solo trek lasting more thana couple of days when using wax. And in a era of minimalist hiking, this stove is a contender. For those who are capable enough to work with small flames and small filler holes, this compact light weight stovefits the bill for the long awaited wax gasifier outdoors stove. It allows you to use solid wax which is aneconomical and easy to find waterproof solid fuel with a high heat to weight potential, an indefinite shelf life andis air travel safe. And although not intended or endorsed by the manufacturer, the G-Micro PSL allows lightweight hikers a no frillspetrol fueled stove powered by liquid candle fuel without the complexity, weight and bulk of a pressurized petrolstove. It's basically to lightest weight petrol fueled stove on the market. The G-Micro is an ideal system for use on humanitarian relief missions or international travel where fancy fuelssuch as quality alcohol or canister stove fuel availability is questionable and where weight, bulk and need todecontaminate a petrol stove for your return flight is undesirable. It is also an option for long distance trekkerswho wish to minimize both their starting pack weight and their average daily pack weight. I would be happy to use this stove in certain situations and am pretty excited about further experimentation tofurther this stove's utility.

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