Back Pack Stoves - What to buy

[TheCommish]

My son is in the process of selecting a back pack stove. During his pack inspection the REI stove was recommended, but talking to other folks there seem to be a split between white gas, butane, propane and the mixed fuel types. Any suggestions?

[rcichon]

Liquid fuels are prohibited at BSA campouts (used by Boys). Propane is the least expensive and widely available, mixed fuels function a little better at colder temps than pure propane but the stoves are sometimes slightly higher priced. I use GAZ fuel (mixed propane and butane) stoves for my cold weather personal stove. The fuel canisters are fairly available and provide a high BTU per ounce of fuel ratio. I keep the canister in my sleeping bag at night during extremely cold (0 degrees and below)temps. Very reliable and compact stoves and lanterns are made for this fuel.

[Mike Long]

Get ready for a debate on this one.

 

First off "Adult supervision is recommended when using liquid fuel or propane stoves and lanterns" at no point does the guide to safe scouting state that boys can't use liquid fueled stoves and lanterns. You only need to have knowledgable adult supervision. I strongly suggest that you have a meeting with all of the adults active in you outdoor events and have a clinic on the care and feeding of all of your fueled camp gear (liquid and otherwise.)

 

Please note these suggestions are from 16 years of long distance hiking experiences in low and high elevations. But are still opinions and should be treated as such.

Here we go.....

 

Propane- The single worst fuel for a backpacking stove due to weight, bulk and performance. However it is the cheapest and is easily available. Freezing is a issue in cold conditions. Canisters can be refilled but done improperly the results are often FATAL. NOT RECOMMENDED. The end result is that we create more garbage you have to carry out and the empties end up in the landfill. (Can you tell I hate propane for backpacking?)

 

Butane & mixed gas canister- Less bulky than propane and gives superior performance (even over some liquid fuel designs.) Savy marketing has produced backpacking lanterns that can be used with canisters that are the same size as the stoves. Liquid fuels do not enjoy this versatility. Availability of fuel canisters is getting better but still not as good as propane and liquid fuel. The canisters are not refillable so once again you are producing more garbage to pack out. The upside to the garbage issue is that the canisters weigh a mere fraction of propane canisters. The strong suite of butane is that for the about the same price as a really nice liquid fuel stove (around $60-80) you can get a butane stove AND lantern that weigh very little. A side note: If you ever plan to hike in Europe you better get a canister stove because white gas is next to impossible to find and you need to use dry cleaning fluid in your liquid fuel stove (also hard to find.)

 

Liquid Fuel-Stoves cost more than the other two options but there is a wider range of designs. Weight ranges from next to nothing to bulky. Performance is excellent throughout the range but freezing is not as big an issue as it is with canister fuel. All use refillable fuel botttles and white gas is cheap and easily available. However lanterns for liquid fuels are MUCH bigger than the ones available for canister fuel and are not suggested for backpacking. Safty is the biggest concern for these stoves and proper education is mandatory. A refillable fuel bottle is a big temptation for mischief in some scouts.

 

Here is some personal experiences with specific models:

MSR Whisperlite: Simple design, ultra lightweight, no-frills bombproof design (had mine since '86 and only now used the repair kit '00) but not the most stable on uneven ground. Also able to be repaired in the field. Note-this stove is a blowtorch best suited for boiling water. Simmering and tradition cooking will require paractice and a degree of skill. Those who overcome this swear by these stoves.

 

MSR Dragonfly-Just used one for the first time this weekend. OH MY GOD THIS STOVE ROCKS!! Stable, sturdy, heats like a blowtorch and simmers like a professional range. The only problem is I don't want to spend $100. If I could start all over again I'd get one of these.

 

Peak1 Apex II- Kind of bulky but sturdy and very stable with an adjustable burner for simmering. It too can be repaired easily in the field. Also a very affordable stove (around $49) Mine has seen a lot of abuse but still runs strong (had since '94)

 

Peak1 Feather series-Bulky, heavy but stable. This basically a traditional Coleman camp stove cut in half. I have never seen one last more than 2 years, usually because of poor generator quality. Field repairs are sketchy at best. Costs about the same as the Apex II, I'd go with the Apex II.

 

Optimus Power cook- Nice little stove, stable, light, good design but not as cheap as similar butane stoves with similar features.

 

Hope this helps.

[Stan Riddle]

I too believe that propanes are best left for vehicle camping. Too many experiences of propane bottles leaking out their gas, and of them freezing in cold weather. I have a used MSR Whisperlite that I love to carry.

 

Peak 1"s are good, fairly portable, and easy to operate.

 

2nd Class teaches the boys to use such stoves. I don't think their prohibited, at least on a national level.

[eisely]

Since you are buying a stove for your son, you need to consider the quality of the supervision in the troop he will be participating in. Liquid fuels are not prohibited and are more versatile. I have used both liquid and butane stoves. Without a high level of training and supervision, non liquid fuel stoves are in my mind safer for most scouts. If you are going to be doing a lot of winter camping, then liquid fuel is probably the way to go.

[Jeff Taylor]

OK, at the risk of adding fuel to the fire (couldn't help it), you should consider a Sierra Zip Stove. It's light weight, burns hot regardless of altitude or ambient temperature, no priming, no flare ups, no stinky flammable fuel, uses almost any type of debris found along the trail, cost the same or less then the pressurized gas tanks, and looks really cool. If you haven't pre-blacken your pans for optimal heat efficiency, it'll do it for you!

 

Yes it does use a battery, 6 hours on a single AA that won't work in your GPS or digital camera anymore. As I remember, a pints a pound, the world around, on a trek that's a lot of weight saved. For those areas you might encounter a gathering prohibition, a pound of wood is easier and safer to pack, and the dispose of, than a pound of Coleman fuel/butane/propane, with container. The residue is a very fine white ash, that can be packed out, or widely distributed.

 

On those hikes/campout where a fire isn't practical or desirable, just adding some more fuel to the Zip after your done with cooking dinner, adds to the enjoyment of the evening. What's a camping trip without wood smoke?

 

[Jeff Taylor]

OK, at the risk of adding fuel to the fire (couldn't help it), you should consider a Sierra Zip Stove. It's light weight, burns hot regardless of altitude or ambient temperature, no priming, no flare ups, no stinky flammable fuel, uses almost any type of debris found along the trail, cost the same or less then the pressurized gas tanks, and looks really cool. If you haven't pre-blacken your pans for optimal heat efficiency, it'll do it for you!

 

Yes it does use a battery, 6 hours on a single AA that won't work in your GPS or digital camera anymore. As I remember, a pints a pound, the world around, on a trek that's a lot of weight saved. For those areas you might encounter a gathering prohibition, a pound of wood is easier and safer to pack, and the dispose of, than a pound of Coleman fuel/butane/propane, with container. The residue is a very fine white ash, that can be packed out, or widely distributed.

 

On those hikes/campout where a fire isn't practical or desirable, just adding some more fuel to the Zip after your done with cooking dinner, adds to the enjoyment of the evening. What's a camping trip without wood smoke?

 

[DFlah]

Just a suggestion get the most current Backpacker magazine (The Gear Guide Review). It will tell you more than you may ever want to know about Boots, Tents, Stoves, Backpacks, etc.

 

I will tell you that I favor the Peak multifuel stove because it is multifuel. Lately, however, I have leaned toward the new peaks: Xpedition, Xtreme and Xpert. They have a canister and are environmentally friendly. They also will boil water faster than any other stove (Xtreme) and are light.

 

But, read the gear guide. Like any other piece of equipment where, how, how long and for what reason you use the equipment is as important as the equipment. Remember if you aren't happy with the equipment it doesn't matter if Grizzly Adams is recommending it.

[Mike Long]

Environmentally friendly? Like how?

Certainly not because they are canister models.

[Kevin M]

They're "more" environmentally friendly then other canister types because the canister can be safely punctured and recycled. Even comes with a special punturing tool. And they received a Backpacker magazine Editor's Choice Award.

[cjmiam]

Oh this is a very old thread, but I think there is some confusion on the side of liquid fuel regulations. It is fine to use but according to the BSA's Mandatory camp standard number @#@$, all extra liquid fuels are to be locked in a fireproof container clearly marked flamable. In other words, those bottles of extra fuel really aren't to just be laying around in your Scout's tents!!!

 

As far as stoves, I like my Weber grill

[PeteM]

Now you can use a nice woodburner stove from www.trailstove.com

 

No fuel to leak out, no bottles of either gas or liquid to worry about, and the fuel that you use is real cheap.

 

(edited to correct url)(This message has been edited by PeteM)

[johnt0148]

Before you purchase a stove, check out the Jetboil. After using several other types, I saw and purchased the Jetboil. On one 50 mile backpacking trip, 2 other stoves either broke down or ran into a problem and all we had was the Jetboil. It can boil a liter of water in a minute, and is very light.

John

[allangr1024]

For my 2 cents worth, I use a Pocket Rocket stove from MSR. It uses the smaller butane canisters. It is tiny and very dependable. You can get them at Academy Sports, along with the fuel. I am very satisfied with mine. We used it at Philmont as a backup stove.

 

I am intrigued with the Sierra Zip stove. I have not seen one, but if it burns small sticks or charcoal, and heats well, that would be great. No fuel to carry.

 

 

[Gunny2862]

The Troop has purchased a string of what (without looking, I think )are MSR Whisperlite multi-fuels which are great "Boil it NOW" stoves. The multi-fuel option has saved the day on one of our HA trips. What was supposed to be available at a refueling stop wasn't.

 

For a Troop purchase, compatibility is a great thing, whether you purchase the same model or just have the availability to use a common fuel amongst the Troop.

 

I am partial to my homebuilt alcohol stove due to the incredible weight savings on any trip >3days.(Most of the weight savings are in fuel weight/fuel canister dead-weight considerations.) Although the stove weighs less than a 1/4 of a Whisperlight without the fuel considerations. Drawbacks are that it is MUCH harder to use in the cold, or at altitude - I usually sign out a Whisperlite in those events. You can buy them online for a very reasonable cost too.

 

The GSS does require adult supervision of Scouts, not that they cannot use liquid fuels. Which then requires that an adult intrude on the patrol by proximity when they are cooking by patrol with liquid fuels.