No open flames allowed! What stove/heat source do you use?

The regulations will make a big difference. Not everyone describes open flame the same way.

For ease of use, and cleanup, I'm really loving my MSR Micro-rocket. I picked up an adapter that lets me shift fuel between tanks so I can do top-offs, as well as put fuel from bigger cans into smaller. (obviously do your research with this, and be careful) but temps are not a problem for me.

Nothing wrong with liquid stoves, the whisperlite is a legend for a reason, once you get them figured out, they are fantastic, field repairable, and far tougher than most imagine. If I was to go that route, I'd get the new whisperlite universal so I could run any fuel. But its big and heavy for solo use. Butane is easier to cook over, better heat control.

I do a decent amount of cooking with trangia stoves as well, since that's what my work uses when we take kids off-site, pretty safe if you follow the rules, and pretty bomb-proof. best part is that they are quiet. a little slower, but once you get the hang of it, they do a great job.
 
Canister stoves are great, but their greatest problems are cold weather performance and canister bulk.
 
gadgetgeek said:
The regulations will make a big difference. Not everyone describes open flame the same way.

For ease of use, and cleanup, I'm really loving my MSR Micro-rocket. I picked up an adapter that lets me shift fuel between tanks so I can do top-offs, as well as put fuel from bigger cans into smaller. (obviously do your research with this, and be careful) but temps are not a problem for me.

Nothing wrong with liquid stoves, the whisperlite is a legend for a reason, once you get them figured out, they are fantastic, field repairable, and far tougher than most imagine. If I was to go that route, I'd get the new whisperlite universal so I could run any fuel. But its big and heavy for solo use. Butane is easier to cook over, better heat control.

I do a decent amount of cooking with trangia stoves as well, since that's what my work uses when we take kids off-site, pretty safe if you follow the rules, and pretty bomb-proof. best part is that they are quiet. a little slower, but once you get the hang of it, they do a great job.
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This. A local State Park I frequented in Tennessee examined my Emberlit and gave me permission to use it during an open fire ban when campfires were forbidden even inside their own prepared steel fire rings. It has become my go-to even when open campfires are allowed.

In other places and times I have used my Coleman Max Mini canister stove. I like that it is adjustable flame and fairly economical in fuel use. And it folds up to palm sized, fits inside a cook pot easily. But I did wind up with a half dozen partially used canisters with marked weights on them. Refills are easy to find though and as a blended gas fuel, not very affected by reasonable cold or altitude changes.

Back in the day, I used a white gas stove for many trips including segment hiking the AT. It was a good stove and required little maintenance. Until that one time the tank overheated and I had a runaway. Not fun. And then there were leaky fuel bottles, something I assume have been overcome by now.
 
Most common on SVEA 123 and similar "all-in-one" design stoves. The integral fuel tank gets too hot and the safety pressure relief valve opens. Venting fuel vapors that instantly turn the stove into a blowtorch - with the flame typically shooting many feet to the side. The typical cause is a reflective wind screen too close to the stove, causing it to overheat.
 
steve-in-kville said:
What do you mean by a runaway? Lost me on that one...
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16VGTIDave said:
Most common on SVEA 123 and similar "all-in-one" design stoves. The integral fuel tank gets too hot and the safety pressure relief valve opens. Venting fuel vapors that instantly turn the stove into a blowtorch - with the flame typically shooting many feet to the side. The typical cause is a reflective wind screen too close to the stove, causing it to overheat.
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This. It goes from a noisy but efficient stove to a blowtorch to a jet engine in a few heartbeats and defies attempts to safely shut it down. In this case, IIRC, it wasn't the windscreen that was the problem but the included pot which overhanged the fuel tank. Still the tank safety valve did it's job and it vented high pressure high temp fuel instead of allowing it to detonate like a bomb. I punted it out of my campsite down the gravel bar and used a campfire for the rest of that trip. This was back in the 1970's and one assumes the designs of the (Optimus 123?) has been improved to correct this. As to the fuel bottles, at this time they were aluminum with ceramic stoppers and rubber washers. They were prone to leaking in packs if not always kept vertical.
 
While we're on the subject of stove disasters-

I overfilled a Coleman Peak1 single burner stove one time. I mean, I tilted the tank and topped off the fuel to the cap.

Fortunately for some reason I was just lighting it at home on the back cement slab.

The overfill meant that it put a huge amount of fuel thru the valve onto the burner and then down the side so that when I lit it the entire stove was on fire down the sides and to the cement. Used the kitchen fire extinguisher to put it out.

Damage was melted fuel valve handles (it has 2 ) and a partially discharged fire extinguisher.

Stove worked fine afterwards.

Don't do this boys and girls. Especially not at a campsite.
 
Uhm... yeah.

And don't refuel an alcohol stove while it's still burning.

And don't light a tent wood stove with kerosene (lamp oil).

Live and learn. :)
 
In the Sierra, no flames means you can't use anything that burns wood. And, since I am often above timberline, that wouldn't be practical for me anyway.
When I go backpacking I use one of the following, depending on mood and need:

Snow Peak Giga canister stove when cooking solo.

MSR Windpro canister stove when cooking for a few people. Coupled with the Jetboil GCS pot, I get speed and efficiency at least as good as any jetboil setup if not better, with the stability of a standalone stove.

Optimus Nova liquid stove (make sure you get an older one, they have had many problems since they were bought out by Katadyn in 2007, following which Katadyn cut corners). Burns coleman fuel, auto fuel, and kerosene with ease. You can also use charcoal lighter fluid in a pinch, but I couldn't get it to burn cleanly with diesel.

Primus Omnifuel - burns canisters, and almost any liquid fuel. I have fired it up with canister, coleman fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid, and diesel. And I have an adapter that allows me to use straight propane canisters or the big propane tanks, but you have to be careful with how you use the valves because straight propane is probably too high pressure for the fuel line on the stove (I use the valve on the adapter to control the flow, while leaving the stove valve open).

I should also note that both the Windpro and Omnifuel have the ability to use canisters upside-down. This dramatically improves cold weather performance, giving you at least another 20 degrees range of usability. But for really cold trips I take a liquid fuel stove, both the Nova and Omnifuel are great at low temps.
 
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I bring along a SP litemax with a SP giga canister and a toaks 750ml cup.

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in less stringent situations where a stove is permitted I'll fire up the emberlit
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In the Sierra, I use a Blu Gaz (not sure if that's the brand, or just the canister name) that I have had for about 25 years. It's not the lightest or most compact, but man it has been reliable. It was also very inexpensive, and the canisters last for a long time.
 
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