Camping stove options

[DanGuy48]

Another “and now for something completely different”.

https://www.amazon.com/BioLite-Campstove-Electricity-Generating-Charging/dp/B00FU8RBPE/ref=asc_df_B00FU8RBPE&mcid=8b23ba80c28139e6be0a6a9e3bd07a6d?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80195746992736&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583795273892496&th=1

 

[Boats]

Regular size cheap iso butane last me like 2 weeks. Are you cranking the fuel on high? I always cook at the lowest setting possible unless I'm trying to get rid of a can. Windy environment?
I use a Jetboil and a snow peak lite max.

3-4 people, 3 meals a day, tea or coffee and dishwashing. Our mileage must vary.

 

[King Chicken]

3-4 people, 3 meals a day, tea or coffee and dishwashing. Our mileage must vary.

Ah I was talking 2. Dishwashing? Surely you're not warming water up for dishes? Tea time, how elegant of you . I'll have to remember tea or pine needle tea next time I go out. Dishwashing tho...

Just throw your dirty dishes in the creek or just bury the Styrofoam plates like ME. Why is everyone so slow?! jk just trying to give someone a heart attack here

 

[mpollan1]

Ah I was talking 2. Dishwashing? Surely you're not warming water up for dishes? Tea time, how elegant of you . I'll have to remember tea or pine needle tea next time I go out. Dishwashing tho...

Just throw your dirty dishes in the creek or just bury the Styrofoam plates like ME. Why is everyone so slow?! jk just trying to give someone a heart attack here

You bury them? I burn 'em

 

[SkiPatrolDude]

The MSR Pocket Rocket is the gold standard for compact stoves, although I really enjoy my jetboil even though it's a bit bulkier. It boils water super fast and is much more wind resistant, which definitely matters depending on where you are. Also, the container that it comes with doubles as your boiler. Since I almost always backpack in a group, there's never a space concern for our packs since we divvy up supplies.

The one stove that is considered better than the Jetboil is the MSR Windburner, but it's almost 2x the price.

 

[lazarus]

I got a clip-on windscreen. It goes on the propane/isobutane can itself to shield one of the direct/on bottle type stoves. https://www.amazon.com/Optimus-8018907-Clip-On-Windshield/dp/B00F5EUL7S

I got a generic off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MG66UV5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 stove. So far the two I have, have held up to a lot of use. I also got an Ozark/Walmart brand of the same. I always keep some kind of lighter handy too just in case the piezo craps out.

I got a small Ti pot and pan/lid set. Maybe Gigapeak? Anyway, they are sized such that I can fit an 8oz can of isobutane and stove nested in them (I think it is a 32oz pot with like a 6" diameter pan/lid?). The clip-on windscreen fits right around the pot and all of it drops into the mesh bag the pot came with. Once I get to unpacking at my new place, in a week or so, I'll bust out my setup to show off. Anyway, it works great so long as you don't need to melt and boil snow for drinking water. Not enough fuel for that. More than enough to bring to a boil probably 10 gallons of water. That is enough for two people for a week of dehydrated meals, a cup of tea, and a cup of coffee and then some if you were being careful.

IMHO, liquid fuel stoves are really only a great option for deep freeze conditions (0F and below) or if you need a huge amount of BTUH for the mass. The stove itself weighs more and takes up more space. And compared to something like a jetboil it might actually not be more efficient (a typical backpacker liquid fuel stove, even with a windscreen in calm conditions is only like 30-35% efficient. A jetboil is around 60-70% efficient). So the lower energy content of the fuel for the jet boil makes up for it in efficiency.

They are also good if ONE person is bringing a stove in a relatively large group (so you need a lot of BTUH for the group). Otherwise a tiny little lightweight cannister stove and cannister are going to weigh about 8oz and have enough fuel for 2 for a 3 day weekend just fine. Even without packing a windscreen (so long as it isn't high winds). If car camping, then weight and space isn't much of an issue. Maybe then a liquid fuel stove might be a nice option, but frankly I'd rather just a two burner Coleman classic stove and a propane cannister (unless really cold where propane won't work).

 

[lazarus]

My friend has this: http://tinyurl.com/ybrxsat8

It has a lithium battery attached to it. The battery runs a small fan that creates a draft. Once the stove is up to temperature, not only can you cook on it but it recharges the battery and you can charge a cell phone or GPS. It'll burn pellets or ordinary wood.

A buddy has one of those as well. At some point I'd like to get one. I does work really well. Though you have to ensure you've got dry stuff, but it works amazingly well and it is easy to break up little twigs to keep feeding it. Pretty even heat also, which is nice. Not something I'd backpack with, but car camping? Heck yes.

That said, the thermoelectric output is pretty low, 3w. You CAN charge a cellphone off it, but the extra power is at best a nice perk. I wouldn't want to sit there and feed the thing twigs for 3 hours to fully recharge my cellphone.

 

[yellowfin]

My Svea 123 has always done well as it had for multiple prior decades of people before me.

 

[SummitCnty]

I have a MSR pocket rocket and a reactor. Both great stoves that serve two different purposes IMO.