Posted: 9/30/2007 5:59:10 PM EDT
| I see alot of people have these little stoves. What are the pros to these stoves over just cooking over a fire? I was thinking of picking one up, but I have always just cooked over fire/coals so what is it about these that make them so popular? |
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the pros are quick setup, and cook time, compared to getting a fire going no smoke  for just doing the boil water trick, with instant food, the jet boil is really neat as to a disadvantage, you are limited to fuel canisters if its the propane/butane ones, the liquid fuel ones, some are pretty noisy, shop around and read around for the one you think might meet your needs, as for me, the jet boil gets used mainly while hunting or fishing, hot chocolate or some moutainhouse stuff, very quick, with minimal fuss,
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With a stove, you have the added value of having another gadget to play with! I have different MSR stoves for backpacking, camping and stashed in my disaster kit. Plus, having to gather/store wood for a fire is a pain in the ass. A canister stove is easily portable and you have a great deal of control with how you use it. |
+1 I've been using a wisper light for over 20 years (not the same one). Don't leave home without it. I would also recommned the International and other models that burn multiple fuels. I hate canister stoves. |
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I am a stove nut. <---------- No surprise.  The esbit stoves are nice because they are cheap and idiot proof. Downside is it isn't the most sturdy cooking platform. $20 for stove and a bunch of fuel tablets I have the pocket rocket which is a very compact, light, and easy to use stove. With a fuel canister the stove fits inside the SnowPeak titanium cup. Downside is the fuel canister aren't easily found and a little pricey. Another stove I have is the MSR whisperlite international. It will run on jet fuel, diesel, kerosene, white gas, or unleaded gasoline. It is a well made rugged stove. Downside is it a little bulky, heavy, and expensive. Also, it is more complicated than the above mentioned options. ETA: For the long term bugout I go with the MSR whisperlite international. There is a very high probability for finding some type of fuel to use if you run out. For a 3 day bugout the pocket rocket will work great. Espit stove is nice for ultra compact cheap 1-2 day stove. You can use the either stove longer if you bring more fuel but chances of finding more along the way are low. |
| I use Esbit stove and Coghlans fuel tabs. Jus 2 fuel tabs will get a cup of water to a rolling boil. ONe package of fuel tabs cost 1.50 and has 24 tabs. So for 1.50 I get 12 boils. The fuel tabs dont leak, dont smoke , dont smell and store indefinetly. I thought about the fuel stoves for backpacking but had too many drawbacks IMO. I like the lightweight , no muss, no fuss of the fuel tabs. They are great fire starters as well. even work in BBQ grills. lol. |
Any liquid fuel that you use, there is no one answer for that. Some ppl have the burner on low to conserve fuel and some want full bore cooking. I think there is some ratings on websites, but I wouldnt go by them. Ive seen ppl get some pretty good mileage out of the pocket rocket, but IMO, they are mainly for heating up or boiling water, not much else due to their size. |
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I do a lot of mountaineering, hiking, backpacking, camping and stuff and I have several different stoves. I have a Coleman Dual-Fuel 2-burner for car-camping, a single burner that goes on a 1# propane bottle, a Primus Alpine Micro (very small, uses iso-butane canisters), I just sold an MSR Dragonfly (liquid multi-fuel) and I have one of those Israeli folding things to burn pinecones and little stuff. For backpacking the only ones I shoudl compare are the Micro and the Dragonfly. I really like the Micro (canister stove). It's very small and light, extremely convenient, won't spill fuel on my gear, easy to use, safe. Cons are that is doesn't perform as well in the cold (compared to a liquid fuel like the dragonfly) and if you have a half a canister of isobutane you usually end up taking another full one because you can't 'top off' the canister so even though you have a small, light stove you always seem to be stuck with an extra canister. The Dragonfly burns many different fuels, you can top off the bottle after a trip so you never get stuck with multiple bottles (unless you want A LOT of fuel) and it does great in the cold. I think it's a little more dangerous (mainly during the initial light-up stage and moreso if you're not experienced with it), it's heavier and bulkier and if the fuel spills it's a real drag to have it get on your other gear. It really depends on what you want it for I guess. For me I wanted the extremely small size and light weight, the convenience and the ease of use/lack of spilling so even though I "got both" I ended up selling the Dragonfly after several years of use and sticking with a canister stove. ETA: Oh, that was comparing stoves to stoves. Comparing stoves to fire, I will probably set up, boil water and eat before you have collected kindling and enough wood to do much of anything. If speed and convenience are an issue, get a stove. Also, during fire bans, stoves are still allowed. And I can use a stove where there is no firewood or if it is all totally drenched. Isobutane stoves at REI, $30 and up (I don't recommend the Gaz stove...it has a proprietary thread pattern and only works with their canisters). Linkeroo |
I've always wondered what the 'water boiled per 100g of fuel' spec works out like on those. |
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Here is another option, pretty cheap from SG; Basically a coke canstove with accessories; 
Less than 30 bucks shipped. When you put together the whole kit, they are a bit bulky, but you can drop one of the burners in your mess kit and go. Doc |
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Denatured alcohol produces roughly 60% of the BTU's of an equal amount of white gas. Alcohol stoves are so much lighter than MSR's or Jetboils that they retain a weight advantage until day 10-12 of a backpacking trip. Expeditions should use white gas. For SHTF or bug out give me a rock simple, anvil reliable alcohol stove. I'm not against white gas. I have two different MSR's and a Coleman. I've had the MSR Whisperlite International for nearly 20 years and only started looking into the alcohol stoves to cut weight for 50 mile long AT section hikes. I wish I had started using alcohol earlier. |
I have a MiniBullDesigns Nion #2 stove, for the BOB I'm (slowly) putting together. I've tested (lit) it already, but haven't cooked anything on it. There are a few reasons I picked the Nion #2 is, it's adjustable (I can set it up to burn hot for boiling water, or set it up to burn slower, for simmering). It's also very compact, light, and easy to start. My roommate however, picked up one of those metal folding tab stoves from the local Army/Navy surplus store. He just needs to buy some fuel tabs for it, because they weren't in the box. |
I have had mine for several multi-day backpacking trips and I have yet to exhaust the fuel on it. Boils are done in a couple minutes even when it's not going full blast. I usually use it for some hot chocolate and some type of freeze dried meal. For the tiny amount of weight it adds it is awfully handy. I generally cook my dinner right before I start my night's fire and use it to light the vasoline cotton balls. Saves me some matches in case they become precious. |
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Pocket Rockets rule. I bought an extra one just in case they ever stop making them. Spent about as much on two PRs as I would have on one Gigapeak. I keep the plastic lids for the fuel cannisters. They will slow a small leak, and keep snow, rain, and dirt out of the valve threads. I've used them down to 0 degrees Farenheit, no probl;em, but you have to alternate fuel canisters, one on the stove, one inside your jacket warming up to keep a steady boil going. If there's room in my bag, I just sleep with one canister and wake up ready to go. Otherwise I slide one in when i wake up and after a few minutes warming time it's ready to go. Above about 20 degrees I don't have any problems with cold. The stove is more susceptible to wind when the burner head is cold. Once the metal is hot I have yet to see one blow out, but you do lose a lot of heat to the wind. I use a cigarette or leaf or pine needle held at ground level to find a good wind shadow in which to site the stove. Obviously you can dig a small hole in snow to get away from wind. Finally, if your Pocket rocket ever seems "weak", blowing out easily, doesn't want to light, not heating well, tighten the stove about one quarter turn onto the cannister. Once in a while the valve doesn't reach down into the cannister far enough to engage the fuel valve fully, and a little more tightening fixes it right up. You can heat food with it, but it is a fiddley process. It takes tiny adjustments to get the flame just right, and you still need to stir often. I plan BP meals around boiling water, but you can simmer if you have to. The stainless steel coffee cups in the camping section at Wal-mart make good pots. They have an 18 opunce capacity, one liter plus spill insurance, and they will balance on the stove. I include a brown workglove in the kitchen and just hold onto the cup with one hand, it's only for three minutes, and warms hands in the morning feel good. Total kitchen fits into the cup, stove, spork, seasonings, matches, lighter, a SA knife, a small bit of firestarter, a ziplock bag with a few sqyares of TP inside, coupla baggie ties, that's it. The cup and the cannister cover the whole kitchen. When luxury permits, I add a small canister of coffee and another of sugar, and take it on hotel trips, or even dayhikes. Three minute cup of coffee or soup goes down well, when others are fumbling around with complicated setups, or just wishing. |
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I chose the Primus Omnifuel as the stove for my BOB. It burns canister fuels, white gas, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and jet fuel. I think that it may even burn alcohol. company website: www.primus.se/ (scroll down and click on english) article: www.backpacker.com/gear/3805 |
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Brunton Optimus Nova, here. If it flows and burns, I can probably use it, and the curved stand wraps up against the burner core - the stove fits inside my 1.5L cookpot! It may have been replaced with the Brunton Vapor AF. As far as stove vs. fire... aside from what everyone else says, there's less risk of causing a forest fire... and there are places without wood to burn, much less dry dead wood. |
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I have come to really like my Jetboil stove. It boils water so fast, a single fuel can will last for weeks. (for one person) And it packs up so small with the cup and all, its reallly hard to beat. As far as Zen stoves: 1) they tend to leak 2) the thin alum can material will start to corrode 3) they are not very sturdy 4) you really have no flame control to speak of... Yes, they are handy and they will do the job. But, you really do get what you pay for. My other camping stove is a Coleman multifuel Exponent unit. Its more of a camping than a backpacking stove, but, it VERY reliable and works like a charm. But remember, you have to use something to COOK WITH IT!!! (i.e. kettle or pot) |
There is a new alternative to Sterno, basically the same idea, only the fuel is a liquid with a large, spreadable wick. The cans come in 3 and 8 hour sizes under various labels, but Canned Heat and Magic Heat are the most prevalent. Can't be beat for heating water up... figure 6-8 minutes for 2 cups of water at room temperature. I consider them to be a better alternative to Alcohol stoves. Considering that you have the packed volume of the alcohol stove and a fuel bottle, there is no advantage there. While an Alcohol stove heats faster, they don't have the fuel economy that the CH/MH do-and I am rarely in such a hurry that an extra 2 or 3 minutes heating water is a problem. These cans also have a threaded cap and the cans are mucho stronger than a Sterno can, and work in the fold-up Sterno stove I got as a kid. As for the original topic, I have a Whisperlight international that I am pretty happy with. Obviously, it's a bit of overkill for backpack camping/hiking, and takes up a bit of space in a 3 day bag.. Some people complain about the noise-I didn't know we had so many LRRP and SEALs on the forum . It's not like you can hear it 20 feet away... If I had a complaint, it would just be that on white gas I don't get as much use as I'd like out of a tank of fuel. Diesel or Kerosene would probably be better, but I understand that they run a little dirtier and need more frequent cleaning. |
Cooking with one of these in a tent is wayy bad Ju-Ju. One good bump while burning off the starting prime will turn your tent into an inferno, and if you are luck and escape, your most important gear will be lost. I can't imagine how much it would suck to have nylon cloth burned to my skin over large swaths of my body with nobody there to help.... Maybe it would be safe under a vestibule.... |
I was given one of these by RusteeRooster, and Boy Howdy, do they throw off some heat. With a closeable lid I think these are about the best bet in an alcohol stove, certainly better than the Trangia titanium alcohol stove I bought. Heats up faster and wastes less fuel getting up to temperature. |
Dave, The only thing I would add from experience. I dropped the lid on one while it was running to put it out. Well, it worked fine, but melted the rubber 'O' ring. Stupid on my part, wasn't thinking. It still functions and seals just fine, I just don't know how many times you could do that without messing up the ring. Doc |