Vari-Vent Tips and Tricks

Vari-Vent Tips and Tricks

Vent Orientation in Wind

The Vari-Vent was specifically designed to help you manage the effects of wind on your stove. Here is a graphic with suggestions of how you might orient your screen and vents in wind.

Note that the up-wind vents are closed flat with the windscreen while all the rest are open. Note also that if you are concerned with the vents "catching" the wind and directing it into the interior of the windscreen, you can consider opening those vents by pushing them in. The downside here is that once they are pushed in, you will not be able to adjust them while the stove is running, and consequently might not be the optimum approach. You might also consider the following approach.

Bent-Vent Configuration

In addition to simply folding the vent in or out, you may also want to employ this technique of "kinking" the vent tab itself to both create an opening AND deflect the wind:

Vent-Pass-Through Technique

There is a quick-n-dirty technique you might consider to hold your windscreen in place. That is by bending your screen into about the right diameter and lining up the two nearest vents. Then, push both vent tabs all the way through both holes. This is demonstrated in the first picture and generally does a passable job of holding the screen in place. If you prefer a little more solid attachment, you can further tweak the tabs as shown in the second picture to hook on themselves. Of course, this leaves one vent wide open, so you will need to orient your screen so this is downwind.

Vari-Vent Product Insert

Here is the product information that comes with your Vari-Vent:

	Vari-Vent™ Windscreen
	WARNING: USE EXTREME CAUTION when 
	using this product! User acknowledges that the 
	use of this product is at users own risk and agrees 
	to hold manufacturer, distributor and retailer harm
	-less from any damage or injury that may result 
	from the use of this product.

	The VARI-VENT windscreen is used to control 
	airflow to your backcountry stove far better than 
	traditional designs by allowing the user to open or 
	shut vents in various locations around the screen 
	as conditions dictate.

	1) Read stove safety rules and operating instructions
	SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN for your stove. 
	This windscreen is useful for most backcountry 
	stove/pot setups, but you should test it carefully 
	with your specific setup before use in the field.

	2) Before lighting your stove, arrange the windscreen
	into a cylindrical shape that can be easily 
	placed around the pot once the stove starts. Best 
	results have been seen when the windscreen is 
	close (within 1/2”) to the pot.

	3) Windscreen should sit so that the VARI-VENT 
	“D” cuts are nearest the ground.

	4) Close the VARI-VENT tabs flat with the windscreen
	on the upwind side. All other tabs should 
	be folded slightly outward before beginning.

	5) After lighting your stove and supporting your 
	cooking pot, fold the windscreen around your 
	setup with the closed VARI-VENT tabs on the 
	upwind side.

	6) It is NOT RECOMMENDED that you adjust your 
	VARI-VENT tabs while in use. If you must do so, 
	support your pot and stove so they do not tip over, 
	and use gloves to keep from burning yourself on a 
	hot windscreen.

		Trail Designs LLC, www.traildesigns.com