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Camp Stove Shopping Guide
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The Standard: For the vast majority of three-season backpacking trips, a canister stove is the best choice. These small, lightweight burners–usually weighing only 3 to 6 ounces–are easy to light and operate, and require little or no maintenance. They also offer the best flame control, which lets gourmet cooks simmer, sauté, and otherwise fine-tune delicate dishes. These stoves run on pressurized canisters of gas (usually a propane/butane mix) that are easily recycled.
Variables: Most canister stoves perform poorly in temperatures below 40°F, and their small size and configuration (burner on top of canister) generally makes them tipsy under large pots of water. If you're cooking in winter or for groups, consider a liquid-fuel stove; white gas performs reliably in bitter cold, and white-gas stoves are much more stable due to their separate-burner-and-fuel bottle configuration.
| You are… | You should buy… |
| A soloist | The smallest, lightest canister stove you can find–that fits inside your one-person cookpot. Take it to the store to make sure. The smartest solo cooksets let you nestle a stove and canister inside. |
| An average weekend hiker | You're probably boiling water and cooking for at least two people, so stability is more important than for the soloist. You could go rock-solid with a white-gas stove, but you'll get more weight savings, better flame control, and decent stability if you select a canister stove whose burner arms lock into place. |
| A guide or troop leader | For durability, stability, and all-conditions reliability, a multi-fuel stove is the best bet. These workhorse burners will take a beating and keep cooking, and they are easily cleaned and repaired in the field. Downside: They're bulky and heavy compared to canister stoves, and they clog more often. |
| A winter camper or mountaineer | There are tricks that make canister stoves cook in cold weather, but when you're melting snow and boiling huge quantities of water, its better to avoid the uncertainty by packing a liquid-fuel stove. |
| An ultralighter | You're probably boiling water and cooking for at least two people, so stability is more important than for the soloist. You could go rock-solid with a white-gas stove, but you'll get more weight savings, better flame control, and decent stability if you select a canister stove whose burner arms lock into place. |
Going ultralight? Some hardcore ounce-counters swear by tiny alcohol stoves.
Advantages: widely available and inexpensive fuel; superlight stove construction (one popular version is made from a Pepsi can); and minimal bulk.
Disadvantages: reduced cooking power (alcohol doesn't burn as hot); invisible flame; and minimalist cooking surface.
Key Accessories: Most liquid-fuel stoves come with windscreens and heat reflectors. Use them: They improve fuel efficiency and boil times significantly. Windscreens can also be used effectively with canister stoves, but do so cautiously: Overheated canisters can explode. Other essentials: A spare lighter tucked in your first-aid kit; a pot gripper; and (for canister stoves) a folding stove tripod.
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READERS COMMENTS
I take my Solo Stove ( www.solostove.com ). I get a reliable and fuel efficient burn with minimal amounts of fuel (usually twigs) and I can also drop my DIY alcohol stove (or my trangia) into the stove and cook with alcohol. I get the best of both worlds. It's not as light as the bushbuddy but who cares about 2 extra grams!
I take my Solo Stove. I get a reliable and fuel efficient burn with minimal amounts of fuel (usually twigs) and I can also drop my DIY alcohol stove (or my trangia) into the stove and cook with alcohol. I get the best of both worlds. It's not as light as the bushbuddy but who cares about 2 extra grams!
I take my Primus omnifuel for 4 season backpacking, I'm not a subscriber of the UL-gram counting nonsense , I can use canisters and any liquid fuel if I need to on my stove. I think those tiny Top mounted stoves are for woozies who only boil water for preparing nasty mountain house crude, I like to cook real treats when I'm out ....but that's just me ;)
For winter camping, how many BTU's would be best, in a white gas stove for melting snow?
Thanks for this post. I think it's really important that when you're looking for a camping stove, that you don't only buy the <a href="http://campingstovesandmore.com">best camping stove</a>, but that you buy the best camping stove for your needs.
What about solid fuel stoves? I have an Esbit that has been good for years. I am a fan of freezer bag cooking so I only have to boil water. The Esbit does this very well. The solid cubes of fuel are fairly cheap and clean. I keeep them all in zip lock bags. No, I wouldn't bring it in the winter, but for all else it is light and small.
Being former Army infantry, I'm partial to the issue canteen cup-stove-trioxane setup. A small twig fire can also be used for a fuel source. Add a doubled-up piece of aluminum foil as a lid and a folding spork and you have an excellent ultra-lightweight setup.
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