The thought of coffee rustled me from my sleeping bag, as it does most mornings.I could hear the wind howling against my truck. Bleary-eyed, I peeked out the window and saw our camp chairs blown over, and my friends tent flapping in the late September breeze. It was a blustery fall day. Good thing I had a wind-resistant camping stove, I thought, and climbed out of bed.

　　You can probably guess some of my favorite backpacking stoves. But Id never used a Primus until I got the Ulti Stove System last fall. Its a sleek, compact, modern-looking camping and backpacking stove. According to the brand, this is its most wind-resistant and powerful stove system to date, packing 3,000 W of firepower.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) It was a good morning to test those claims. I sat outside at the camp table, filled the stove with water, and lit the burner. The circular metal heating ignited with a flash and turned a satisfying molten orange color.

　　It was go time. I put the water on to boil and waited, watching desert dust blow in the wind around me.

　　In short: The Primus Ulti Stove Systems ($375) flameless, disc burner uses catalytic combustion and infrared radiation to heat an anodized aluminum pot. It comes at a premium price, but for harsh conditions and windy environments, this portable stove system packs a punch. It boils water in minutes, is highly resistant to cold and wind, is fuel-efficient, and doesnt take up much space. High alpine explorers and winter campers alike will appreciate the Ulti.

　　Check out GearJunkies guide to the Best Backpacking Stoves.

　　Primus Ulti Stove System Check Price at Primus

　　(Photo/Primus) 8.3 How we rate products Specifications Power: 3,000 W Boiling time: 3 min., 30 sec. Size: 61 x 130 x 144 cm Volume: 1 L Weight: 600 g Pros Wind-resistant flame ideal for harsh conditions/environments Heats quickly Packable Durable Cons Heavier than many similar-sized stoves Only suitable for boiling water Expensive Will Brendza Primus Ulti Stove System Review Editors note: This stove is currently only available through European retailers. The U.S. rollout was pushed back several times and then stalled by President Trumps tariffs. Primus suggests using a retailer like TrekkInn that will ship the stove internationally for a nominal fee. We will update this review when that changes.

　　GearJunkie has reviewed infrared camping stoves in the past. But when Primus reached out about its powerful, wind-resistant, fuel-efficient Ulti Stove System, I was intrigued. The brand designed this next-gen burner specifically for cooking in harsh conditions, like those you find in the alpine or on any winter camping trip.

　　The Ulti mixes fuel and air inside its burner and uses a metal alloy catalyst to reduce the energy it needs to heat things quickly. The burner is flameless and instead uses infrared radiation, which is extremely resistant to wind and cold. The entire system packs inside its pot and is compact enough to easily fit in a backpack. Its also compatible with both 100g and 230g fuel canisters.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) I received my Ulti in September and used it through the fall and on my annual winter camping trip in Leadville, Colo. Its a slick stove, and the more I used it, the more utility I found in its design.

　　The Design Like many backpacking stoves, the Primus Ulti packs into itself. The anodized aluminum disc and pot are perfectly sized, so there is no rattling when theyre packed together. Its smaller than a Nalgene, so it fits easily into a backpack for travel and transportation.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) However, despite its smaller size, the Primus Ulti is a hefty boy. At 1.3 pounds, it is heavier than every other stove in our guide to the Best Backpacking Stoves.

　　The only other one that comes close is the MSR Reactor, which is also designed for alpine environments and has a similarly high price. However, that stove has a 2.5L pot, compared to the Ultis 1L pot. So, no matter how you slice it, this is a heavy backpacking stove.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) There is no built-in ignitor, so you must carry a lighter or a book of matches with you. The burner has three fold-out legs that stabilize it. The remote hose system also has a nifty feature that allows you to balance the gas canister upside down. That leverages gravity to help increase fuel efficiency in cold and high-altitude environments.

　　In the Field I used my Ulti throughout fall and into winter, camping all over the states of Colorado and Utah. Generally, in regular camping conditions (not windy or particularly cold), it performed on par with my trusty Jetboil. It took slightly longer to boil water, but were talking maybe 30 seconds longer — so it was pretty much negligible.

　　Packing the Primus for a hut trip; (photo/Will Brendza) Because theres no flame, it isnt always obvious in daylight whether this stove is on. Look for little sparkles on the mesh top of the burner for a good indicator that its on and hot. If the light is right, though, the stove glows a bright orange (pictured above).

　　In windy weather, this stove blew me away (pun intended). Where my Jetboil surely would have blown out and needed a relight, the Ulti persevered. In fact, I never once encountered windy enough conditions to extinguish the burner. There were a few times I thought it had gone out, but it never did.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) When I used it to heat water for tea, dehydrated meals, and coffee on my winter camping trip at ~9,400 feet, it seemed to heat water just as quickly as it had in warmer conditions at lower elevations. This thing powered through the cold like a workhorse. Throughout my testing, I didnt even see it sputter.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) I also found this stove to be far more fuel-efficient than my standard backpacking stove. Despite the 3,000W power it cranks out, I used the same 230g fuel canister for all of my trips and havent yet burned through it (although I am starting to get close).

　　Limitations: Weight Versatility The biggest limiting factor of the Ulti is its weight. As mentioned, its a heavy stove compared to most backpacking stoves on the market. The 1L version I have is just over 1.3 pounds.

　　Thats significantly heavier than my Jetboil and my MSR Flash (the other two stoves Ive been using lately). While its compact, it isnt what I want to bring when Im headed out on a casual summer backpacking trip.

　　In the winter, that weight doesnt bother me. This stove is so tenacious in cold weather and at high altitudes that I wouldnt balk at packing it when Im going on an overnight ski trip or a winter camping trip.

　　If you plan on camping high in the alpine, youd be grateful to have it despite that extra weight. The gram-counters out there might disagree, but Im not one of those folks. I dont mind carrying a heavier pack for the extra peace of mind.

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) The second limitation isnt unique to this stove, but its worth mentioning anyway: You cant really do much with the Ulti except boil water in it. Its not big enough to cook a full meal inside of, and due to its size and shape, it would be hard to clean.

　　It gets so hot so fast, I think it would also be easy to burn food inside of. So, if this is your primary means of making hot food, youd better have dehydrated meals on you. You could probably boil pasta in it. But again, cleaning it would be tough, especially if you burned noodles to the pot.

　　Finally, the lack of an ignitor might be a turn-off to some. I almost always have a lighter on me or in my pack, so it never bugged me too much. But it sure would suck to get miles into the backcountry, high into the alpine, and realize you dont have a way to light your stove.

　　Primus Ulti Stove System: Who Is It For?

　　(Photo/Will Brendza) If you spend a lot of time camping in the alpine or in particularly cold and windy conditions, this stove would be a great addition to your camp cooking kit. It is highly wind-resistant, and in testing, I found it to work as well at high altitudes and in the cold as it did at lower elevations and in warmer weather. Its a specialized tool (that comes at a premium price), but it does its job very effectively and efficiently.

　　The Primus Ulti Stove System would almost surely be overkill for standard backpacking trips in fair weather, and it would be a heavy option for those kinds of trips anyway. So, if youre shopping for a basic backpacking stove, Id recommend you take a look at our guide to the Best Backpacking Stoves.

　　I got some great use out of my Primus Ulti Stove system last fall and over the winter season. Im not sure how much Ill use it through the summer unless Im knowingly headed out into some stormy weather or venturing above treeline for some alpine camping. But Ill be excited to bust it out the next time I go winter camping or on a multi-night ski trip. Having it in my pack for adventures like those gave me peace of mind.

　　Fire It Up: SOTO WindMaster vs. MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Backpacking Stove ShowdownThe MSR PocketRocket Deluxe has stood head and shoulders over other backpacking stoves for years and many trail miles. Can the SOTO WindMaster dethrone it? Read more