Camping/Backpacking Stoves?

[BShow]

For the ones that are unstable with larger vessels... could you not just support the pot with a few rocks?

[nahtnoj]

Microwatt got the stove too, huh?

[Shoogs]

I'm a fan of the MSR pocket rocket, had it for years... It, my manual grinder and my aeropress come with me everywhere.

[ryker]

Ha - I made a few Aeropress coffees this winter using my Pocket Rocket. It was great to have good coffee on the tailgate of my truck during snowshoe outings. This is how I use up my emptyish canisters.

[Blakey]

my manual grinder and my aeropress come with me everywhere.

Porlex?

True weight weenies would just carry preground beans (or instant coffee (or caffeine pills)), but I'm not a savage.

[Shoogs]

Hario. And sacrifices must be made, life's too short to drink swill.

[jclay]

I've been doing some research on camping/backpacking stoves. Seems like a decent amount of weight + waste to go the route of JetBoil or MSR.

Those cat-food/coke can alcohol stoves look pretty dope.
Are they a true trifecta of light, cheap and good?

FWIW, I've visited the camping forums. There seems to be a binary response to them. I'm hoping for a bit more nuanced response.

I only car camp for a few days at a time, generally at the beach but I still favor small and simple with few parts to fail (including from age and lots of non-use).

I gave away my MSR Whisperlight. Never had any problems but plastic pump, O-ring and hose seemed a bit fiddly, more to go wrong, leak, break. Replaced it with a Svea 123, simpler, fewer things to fail, like it a lot. Later, was given a Trangia alcohol stove, simpler still. Doesn't generate as much energy but enough for me and can be shuttered to a low flame for a nice simmer. Fuel is easiest to find in my experience. The soda can versions I've seen don't have the shutter for flame adjustment.

You can find info on the fuel/energy budgets for each, which might be of interest if a hard core LD through hiker, but that's not relevant to me.

[lukasz]

Digging the soda can stove Garro posted but my friend is chewing my ear off about carcinogens from the epoxy resin on the inside of cans. Personally I think it is a negligible amount to be worried about when boiling water outdoors but what do I know. Maybe he wants to buy me a Tangia if he's worried about my health.

[jscottyk]

I'm a bit of a stove junkie myself and it's good to see there are a few more like me among us. Lots of good words written about a variety of excellent options but if you like the lightweight alcholol options check out the Caldera Cone System options from Trail Designs. It's top notch kit!

[ericpmoss]

I'm throwing money at the question, buying several stoves, and testing them all.

Alcohol stoves are neat, simple and quiet, but I'm prepping for the JMT this year, and read they are not allowed after a fire was attributed to them. That, and convinced me to more or less avoid them.

My criteria for getting into the runoff are: remote burner, quiet, simmerable, efficient.

My runoff contestants based on reading are:

Primus ETA Spider (multi-fuel, low-profile, remote burner, ceramic-coated pans, mostly metal, efficient, simmerable)
Kovea Spider (cannister, remote burner, excellent quality for price)
MSR WhisperLite Universal (multi-fuel, remote burner, simmerable, QuietStove/BernieDawg compatible)
JetBoil Helios (huge discount, remote burner, simmerable)
Soto Muka (multi-fuel, superb construction, simmerable, liquid fuel doesn't require priming)
Fissure Ti-Tri (burns scraps, ultra-light; won't take on JMT since wood-based).
m-kettle (not a serious contender, but extremely English, and therefore neat)

I am skipping the on/off non-simmering stoves -- though by far the light-weight champs, my experience with re-hydrated food in a pouch has convinced me I'd rather cook my own foot than eat that crap. Ergo, actual cooking is now at the top of my list. I also want a full wind-screen to minimize fuel use, and only remote burners allow that.

Assuming I don't set myself on fire, I'll report back on my favorite.

[JoB]

Not sure how quiet the Whisperlite really is but the MSR Dragonfly is great for simmering. it has the QuietStove capability AFAIK, but it's pretty loud without.

I'm throwing money at the question, buying several stoves, and testing them all.

Alcohol stoves are neat, simple and quiet, but I'm prepping for the JMT this year, and read they are not allowed after a fire was attributed to them. That, and convinced me to more or less avoid them.

My criteria for getting into the runoff are: remote burner, quiet, simmerable, efficient.

My runoff contestants based on reading are:

Primus ETA Spider (multi-fuel, low-profile, remote burner, ceramic-coated pans, mostly metal, efficient, simmerable)
Kovea Spider (cannister, remote burner, excellent quality for price)
MSR WhisperLite Universal (multi-fuel, remote burner, simmerable, QuietStove/BernieDawg compatible)
JetBoil Helios (huge discount, remote burner, simmerable)
Soto Muka (multi-fuel, superb construction, simmerable, liquid fuel doesn't require priming)
Fissure Ti-Tri (burns scraps, ultra-light; won't take on JMT since wood-based).
m-kettle (not a serious contender, but extremely English, and therefore neat)

I am skipping the on/off non-simmering stoves -- though by far the light-weight champs, my experience with re-hydrated food in a pouch has convinced me I'd rather cook my own foot than eat that crap. Ergo, actual cooking is now at the top of my list. I also want a full wind-screen to minimize fuel use, and only remote burners allow that.

Assuming I don't set myself on fire, I'll report back on my favorite.

[PaulE3]

I still have and use a MSR Whisperlite International from 1992. I bought it for when I was bike touring through Greece for several weeks and several of us carried and used the MSRs without issue. They are multi-fuel, don't take up too much space, and you can simmer / cook / blast with it. I liked its stability the most for cooking with a covered pot. If you are in a group, not everyone has to carry a stove so you can divide up gear like stoves, tents, cookware, etc... amongst yourselves.

I can still smell the fuel and hear the hiss of the flame... it takes me back to boiling water for Nescafe in the early cool morning while sitting outside of a mountain top church overlooking the valley below... ahhhhhh.

[EDS]

I have a 20 year old MSR XKG. That thing has proven very durable, reliable and it has the benefit of sounding like a jet engine.

[jclay]

There is a boatload of alcohol stove info out there on the "interweb" and some of the designs are pretty clever. Here is one but much more is available.

Zen Backpacking Stoves - Home of the Alcohol Stove

The Trangia with the 3-piece interlocking stand packs tiny and dense, and aside from driving a car over it there isn't much that can fail. No wick to char as can happen with a 123, no priming, no orifice to clean every now and again, two moving parts: the screw top and the damper. Compared to MSR and the like they are so simple as to be boring.

Still, I might monkey around with a soda can stove one day. The creativity demonstrated by the various design approaches is remarkable.

[false_aesthetic]

First attempt makes me think my jets are a bit too big. But this m'f'er is sturdy! Cut from an alloy Sigg bottle wannabe.

[lukasz]

vid is private. Share!

[false_aesthetic]

fixed i think.

[ericpmoss]

First attempt makes me think my jets are a bit too big. But this m'f'er is sturdy! Cut from an alloy Sigg bottle wannabe.

That looks fantastic -- the Sigg-ish (Siggy?) bottle is 14 steps up over the small cans, and the burn pattern looks as good as a lot of home stoves. IMO, quiet, clean, low-tech alcohol cooking adds to the spirit (har har) of the trip.

[lukasz]

How did you make this one? I can't imagine crimping that was as easy as crimping a can.

[false_aesthetic]

See image below. Sorry its messy. I gotta head to Zimmerman's house for beer.

Ask questions if you have them. Takes about 1 minute for the thing to prime. Put your container directly on it.


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