This is the story of the little stove that could—and by little, I mean the smallest, lightest stove in Primus’ lineup. At a svelte 12 oz, it makes the decorated OmniFuel stove look like it needs a diet, and it has contortionist skills too, letting you pack this little gem away with minimal space used.
The OmniLite Ti (Ti = titanium) puts out 8900 BTU/h (that’s BTUs per hour—a measure of heat), and with wind screen, heat reflector, and only one or two people to cook for, the little OmniLite can provide all the heat you need to make dinner in the field. Primus says that boiling time is 2.4 minutes, plus pre-heating (does that really count?), but I’d say those are in ideal situations. Still–no complaints.
Saying this thing is cute is an understatement like saying your daughter is cute when dressed for her first trick-or-treat outing. Everything about it is petite, but it all works—even down to the .35 l fuel bottle. Aww, what a cute little fuel source! But the OmniLite is somehow even more fuel efficient than its predecessors.
The OmniLite isn’t just about wowing with cute factor, though; it works. As a multi-fuel stove, the OmniLite, like her big brother the OmniFuel, can burn a variety of flammables: propane, butane, and isobutene, of course, are givens—but gasoline/petrol, diesel, kerosene/paraffin, and even aviation fuel??? If it burns, this stove seemingly can make use of it. Now, I didn’t have the courage to try aviation fuel or diesel, I have no reason to doubt Primus’ claims. Zombie apocalypse survival fans, your end of the world stove is here—and it fits in your pocket!
The OmniLite comes with everything you need, save for the fuel itself, of course, which you must ErgoPump yourself. Maybe I’ll work up the nerve to pump something more exotic in for a follow-up, but for now, I was totally satisfied with the traditional butane—my only wish was for smaller, lighter cook wear to go with my smaller, lighter stove.
So, it’s all good news, right? Well… There’s one other “small” thing—cost. Adding this much lightness to a stove and using exotic materials like titanium means something has to give, and Primus’ $218 asking price shows what it was. You’re not losing performance or durability with the OmniLite over its kin; you just pay for it. However, in Primus’ lineup, the OmniLite is actually not that much of a premium—stepping “down” to the award-winning OmniFuel is roughly a $30 savings.
So the question is, how much is being ultra light worth to you? If you’re watching every ounce, you could make the case for the OmniLite pretty easily, especially if you’re the eco-conscious, UL hiker Primus has in its crosshairs for this stove. My take? Embrace the cute and carry less weight into the end of the world—this stove is ready for it.
