Small stoves for wilderness use...

Wow, what a question. I bet there are complete books devoted to this topic.

Fires work great, but are not legal everywhere, esp. in dry weather. Cooking on open fire can be slow, but you can do about anything. If you are up to carrying a Dutch oven the possibilities are almost endless. You can arrange a cook fire to accommodate as many pots and pans at once as you like, and can easily vary the heat to the desired level.

Stoves are legal just about everywhere it is legal to camp. There must be hundreds of stoves available on the market. They range from butane, propane, disposable cartridge, refillable, liquid fuel, in different sizes and weights, and very different prices.

Where, when, and who often do you think you will use the stove? If you think you may have to use it inside an enclosed area you need one that doesn't produce harmful gasses (inside a closed tent winter camping etc.) If the stove is primarily an emergency backup a stove that uses a butane or propane cartridge or bottle is often easier to get running and is less sensitive to cleaning and maintenance. How much use is it going to get? Cost of fuel can become an issue if you are using it every day. How much fuel do you have to carry? How safe? How heavy? How easy will it be to find more fuel as needed. How common is the stove? Replaceable parts easy to find?

Do not overlook the Coleman Feather series, especially the multi fuel models. They are not the smallest or the lightest stoves available, but they are fairly cheap, Multi fuel models will burn unleaded gasoline, and spare parts (generator tubes and pump kits) are easy to find and cheap.


Mike
 
Mike, an excellent summary.

I'd like to add that I have two stoves that I use depending on where, how long, and conditions I'll be using them.

Both are MSR's, but other brands of small "backpack" type stove tend to follow the same ideas.

- Disposable cartridge stoves tend to be much easier to light and use, they are more "adjustable" (ie., for simmering), and require less maintenance and cleaning. They have a few drawbacks, though. You have to (or should, anyways) pack out empty fuel cartridges, they finicky and aren't as efficient in more extreme cold or altitudes. Despite manufacturer's recommendations, I've used all types of cartridges (as long as they had the screw-on type of connection) with my Rapidfire with no apparent problems. If you can screw it onto the gas line, the stove will produce a fire. Some fuels are more efficient than others, but all will work for general use. Don't always let the manufacturer's recommendations to use (of course) their special blend of fuel limit your use of a particular type of stove. My experience is with the screw-on type of canisters, however, so I'm not sure about the self-sealing type of canisters, but I suspect they offer the same type of versatility.

- Bottled gas stoves (like my Whisperlite International) offer a versatility of using a number of types of fuel, white gas, unleaded pump gas, kerosene and "jet fuel". You can continually re-use the gas bottles and just keep filling them up with whatever fuel you desire (or can find). Changing fuels, however, requires changing the "jet" in the stove, so remember that anytime you do this, there's a possibility of losing some small part or other. This type of stove also tends to require more frequent cleaning and maintenance (one big reason I bought the Whisperlite is because of the self-cleaning shaker jet), and the "field repair kit" contains more small parts. Don't let this scare you, though, I've used mine for 6-7 years now with no problems outside of regular cleaning and maintenance, but well, small parts are small parts. These stoves are also more fussy to get lit and started, but with a bit of practice, they're fine, and will normally operate in colder weather and higher altitudes than the "canister" type stoves.

I hope this helps rather than confuses the question. The two stoves that I have offer me versatility and the ability to choose depending on the conditions, terrain, and length of trip I'm taking. When used in areas that specify "No open fires!", they're great, but don't get me wrong, I still don't forget other forms of fire starting equipment. You never know when Mr. Murphy will pay a visit.

A good source for comparisons and additonal info would probably be Outdoor Review, and probably Backpacker Magazine's online "Basecamp".



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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
 
Primus Multi Fuel System - Best of both worlds. Uses both propane/butane gas and liquid fuels. Very sturdy. Low maintenance if using gas. Otherwise, just clean every 3-4 months of camping use. (I go 2-3 days at a time every other week).
 
I have been using a Coleman multi-fuel backpack stove for the last year or so and am delighted with its performance. It is nice to know that you can use unleaded fuel in addition to Coleman fuel (white gas). It packs well, heats well and is easy to maintain.
My wife likes it so much she bought me a dual fuel lantern to go with it.

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Where no law exists there still must be justice- Dan Mahoney
 
DonL,

Thanks for the kind words. Tell you the truth most of the use I get out of my little Coleman is heating my soldering coppers when I am doing sheet metal work. My current stove is about three years old and is going strong. It sits unused sometimes for a month or more then gets used three to five hours a day for the next few weeks. I hate to think how much money I have invested in generator tubes.

Most of my camping these days is real close to the tailgate of my Jeep, and I have become greatly enamored of an ancient and venerable Coleman two burner suitcase stove. The fuel tank on that sucker is huge. I can make "Cowboy" coffee every morning, and dinner every night for almost a week without having to refill it.

I am going to go check your links however, I could use something better than waterproof matches in my ruck sack for emergencies. It sounds like there is a lot of new stuff out there I haven't seen.

J. J.

I have one of those lanterns too. All I have ever had to do to it is change the mantels (every time I unpack it). If I fire it up in the vestibule of my mountain tent I can lie on top of my sleeping bag in my underwear and read when the temperature outside is in the mid 30s.


Mike
 
Primus multifuel will do the job.
Propane/butane for most seasons, and liquid fuel when temperature is well below freezing point.
It is steady, has a simple construction and spare parts are sold where you bought the stove. I like things that I know are easy to repair. Important on longer trips. I had too repair it once and felt like a genious 15 minutes later. For liquid fuel I only use paraffin.During the winter cooking often takes place in my tent.Using gasoline in a tent is too thrillseeking for me.

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Knut
 
I would second DonL on the MSR Whisperlite International multifuel stove.
I would consider the concvenience of the multifuel system as an important factor.
I have the folding pocket stove (tommy?) that works with the fuel bars as a kind of back-up or for short trips.
I like the idea of the US military canteen stove but have not tried it.

HM
 
Knut, what do you exactly use as liquid fuel in your stove? You mention "paraffin" but I assume it is not paraffin oil, is it?

Thanks,

HM
 
Marion David Poff, I have a Canteen stove. Never used it, but from what I can tell from the instructions, it is supposed to use ESBIT or Trioxane tabs.
I have used an ESBIT stove with both ESBIT and Trioxane tabs and it works OK for boiling about 1 canteen cup for every full bar of Trioxane. That is OK if you want to make some coffee or tea for breakfast. It is not enough for melting snow to make water at elevation or purifying water for drinking. The canteen stove is just an easier packing Trioxane stove from what I can tell. Hope this helps.
 
i have to second CAman on the ESBIT stove. We in the German Military are issued the stove which is a very simple construction. BUT: the fuel tabs run out pretty quick, so you can not actually cook with them. For heating water for coffee they are ok. when we have to heat EPA (German MRE) then we usually do not heat them in boiling water as recommend, but poor the entree in the canteen, add a spoonful of water and then heat them with the ESBIT stove.
My 2c
 
HM: "paraffin" is eurospeak for kerosene.
It's nice stuff for small stoves: it's cheap, readily available (esp. outside the US), it's not nearly as volatile as white gas or butane, so it's safer in, say, a tent.

Cons: it's not as powerful a fuel (fewer BTUs per unit weight), and the lower volatility means that it doesn't evaporate easily. When you spill it inside the tent, and it gets into bag or clothes, it's more difficult to remove. Kerosene stoves also typically require a primer such as alcohol to get the atomizer warm enough to start the stove.

I agree that the MSR multifuel is the best choice (if you don't know exactly where you're going).

db
 
Geez, with "standard" backpack stoves on the brain, I completely forgot those folding stoves for trioxane use. Have one of those, too. Bought a heapin' helpin' of fuel bars a while ago when Cheaper Than Dirt has a blow-out sale. They're so simple and take up very little space. You can also use small sterno cans with the folding stoves.

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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

[This message has been edited by DonL (edited 05-10-2000).]
 
I have one of those little folding stoves,too. I ran out of trioxane so I just use small bits of wood and light a teeny fire to heat MRE's. Usually, though, I carry a white gas stove, lately its been a MSR Whisperrlight. Good stove and you can hardly beat white gas for puttin' out the BTUs. Boils water a lot fater than the trioxane.

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Megafolder Fans Unite!

Mike Melone

"Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. " Psalm 144:1
"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them." Thomas Jefferson




[This message has been edited by MM (edited 05-11-2000).]
 
I guess kerosene is what you call it in the US.Here in Norway you can buy it at any gas station. We have been using it for decades. The earlier models made by primus has a integrated fuel tank. When filling up the fuel tank you are pretty close to the "burner." So if the stove stops because the tank is empty you can fill it up right away with kerosene.At this stage no preheating is necessary.
This is an advantage in winter. I would't dream of doing that with unleaded fuel.Of course you have to be careful with kerosene as well. But it can forgive the small spill made by frozen fingers.
With the multifuel you can preheat the burner with kerosene, so no alcohol is necessary.I agree that there are more powerful fueltypes, but for me security comes first.
 
Hi Marion, I use a canister propane stove when I'm meched up, a MSR when backpacking, and the canteen stove when going super light. I like using the littel folding tommy stove too and somtimes I've just used two or three rocks with a heat tab. and I've found the best stove starter is the bic lighter.
 
SVEA 123 my old standby of backpacking days.
I have as well one each of the Coleman multifuel stoves and lanterns. Had a friend who worked for a large department store. He gave me a good deal when they went out of the camping business. I also have my Grandfathers original two burner Coleman, still going strong. Numerous nesbit/trioxane folding stoves in sere kits.

Yes, I can equip my neighbors in an emergency.

Cheers, A watched pot never boils.

ts

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Guns are for show. Knifes are for Pros.
 
I've got an old Optimus that runs on white gas/Coleman fuel, and a little rig called a "Grasshopper" that I bought at L.L.Bean years ago. It runs on propane, and has two legs that fold out from the burner and the propane bottle makes up the third leg of a tripod. They both work well. Hey Knut- hilsen fra en Normann i USA!
 
Go for the Whisper lite international (by MSR, as stated). They burn just about anything (a plus in international travel) and are very reliable, as well as easliy feild maintainable. They work when wet, cold and 02 deprived (altitude).

A note on Colemans- I havent met one yet that didn't eventually burst into a fire ball. The seals suck and they all eventually leak gas when lit. Scary, very very scary.

Just my opinions, as always.
 
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