How to Buy a Backpacking Stove For Your Next Camping Adventure
GSI Glacier Canister-Top
Who needs a heavy camp stove weighing you down on your backpacking adventure? (Um, no one!) Luckily, we’ve got recs on the latest compact cooking systems that will keep you eating well no matter how far you are from civilization.
These lightweight stoves fit easily into your backpack and use canister gas or liquid fuel. So you can quickly cook up a meal without impacting the environment by creating a campfire ring. But there’s a lot to consider, so first consider this: A perfect stove for all occasions doesn’t exist. Buy one that best meets your needs most of the time.
MSR Switch Stove System
BEFORE YOU BUY…
• Are you just boiling water or actually cooking? A canister stove will be the lightest and most efficient for boiling water for drinks and dehydrated food. If you plan to sauté, simmer or fry your meals, get a canister or liquid fuel stove that lets you control the heat.
• Where are you going and when? For winter camping, a liquid fuel stove or an inverted canister stove that preheats fuel works best. If you’re cooking at a high altitude, try a pressurized liquid fuel or pressure-regulated canister stove.
• How many people are you cooking for? For a group, choose a stove with a larger cooking surface or support arms to hold a pot in place. (Some stoves use a pot specifically designed for the stove that can’t be swapped out.)
• What’s your budget? A stove that excels in wind protection, flame control and pressure regulation is usually more expensive, but it will be lighter and won’t need as much fuel, saving precious ounces on a big hike. Canister stoves are typically cheaper than liquid fuel stoves. But liquid fuel stoves can be repaired, so they might last longer.
Optimus Vega
PROPER CARE OF YOUR CAMPING STOVE
Keep your stove clean and dry. Store it inside a bag in your pack to protect it and so you don’t get soot in your backpack. It’s a good idea to keep a lighter, sponge and long-handled spoon with your stove system.
“Check your stove before you leave home to make sure your pot is clean and you have fuel in your canister,” says Lauren Guevel, a stoves design
engineer for MSR, a company that produces camping and mountaineering gear.
To make cooking cleaner, easier and safer, use your stove only on a stable, level surface that’s clear of flammable materials and can’t easily tip over.
“Stoves are gear,” says Alex Szela, senior director of product development for Cascade Designs, which specializes in outdoor recreation equipment. “Treat them with care and they’ll last a long time.”
MSR Whisperlite International Stove
SAFETY FIRST
Shop for stoves that use chemical fuels recommended by Scouting America. You can find a list of those, as well as proper storing and handling tips, at go.scoutlife.org/fuel.
Before using a stove, read the manufacturer’s instructions to learn about proper use, its fuel type and how to safely light it.
“And practice using your stove before you hit the trail so you understand how it works,” Szela says.
And of course: “Do not use your stove inside a tent,” Guevel says.
Youth should use backpacking stoves only under qualified adult supervision and after receiving instruction in their safe operation. And always operate stoves in areas with proper ventilation to avoid risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
STOVES WE LOVE
From left to right: GSI’s Glacier Camp Stove, GSI’s Glacier Canister-Top and the Optimus Vega
For beginners: GSI’S GLACIER CAMP STOVE ($39.95) is an affordable first backpacking stove. This stainless-steel burner weighs about 6 ounces and has a cooking surface large enough for a small frying pan. It sets up instantly but doesn’t fold flat.
For bells and whistles: At around 3 ounces, GSI’S GLACIER CANISTER-TOP ($64.95) offers a built-in ignitor and a powerful heat output in a lightweight package. It also folds flat to take up less space in your pack.
For year-round camping: The lightweight OPTIMUS VEGA ($119.95) features dual-mode operation that delivers fuel-efficient performance in normal conditions and reliable high-output cooking in cold weather. Its low-profile remote canister design provides excellent stability, while an integrated preheat system supports efficient cold-weather operation.
Jetboil’s Flash 1.0L Fast Boil System (left) and MSR’s Whisperlite International Stove
For quick boiling: JETBOIL’S FLASH 1.0L FAST BOIL SYSTEM ($144.99) can boil half a liter of water in 2 minutes. The compact stove’s pot locks to the surface, and the pot’s silicone lid transforms the pot into a cup that won’t burn your lips.
For cold-weather cooking: MSR’S WHISPERLITE INTERNATIONAL STOVE ($159.95) runs on white gas, a better choice in colder climates. It can boil a liter of water in 3.5 minutes and comes with a windscreen and heat reflector. And you can completely disassemble it in case you need to fix or clean it while you’re camping.
Jetboil’s Mightymo Group Cook Bundle (left) and the MSR Switch Stove System
For group cooking: JETBOIL’S MIGHTYMO GROUP COOK BUNDLE ($159.99) comes with a stove and easy-to-clean cook pot, skillet and utensils. The kit weighs a little over 1½ pounds and boils a liter of water in 3 minutes.
For all-around good cooking: The MSR SWITCH STOVE SYSTEM ($144.95) has a high-efficiency pot that can be swapped out for regular pots and pans. Plus, a pressure regulator helps it perform in cold temperatures and at higher altitudes while providing great simmering control. All the parts and pieces nest inside the pot, including a 4-ounce fuel canister.
These are some nice options. I personally prefer ones that are compact and lightweight for shorter trips and then stoves that have more than one fuel option if ever for longer camping trips.
Stay away from Biolite, way too flimsy and most expensive product on the market. They are simply just not worth the money!
Awesome
What about the Trangia brand stove. It hasn’t changed since the eighties because it’s like a crocodile – it has not needed to evolve further. Easy to use no maintenance can be fuel heavy but wind and cold do not affect it.
Our troop uses MSR whisper lite as do most boy scout troops I Know. Each patrol gets one.
I have a jetboil that I have had for four years that has always worked even after I let Some of my scouts use it. 😌. It’s been knocked over and dropped, even had a scout pack everything into the cup backwards and upside down. I took it out and it still worked.
Msr camp stoves are great and affordable.
I have used my brass, Optimus Svea backpacking stove. It will boil 1L water at 10k’ in 6-7 min. I used it in the 70’s in my youth Scouting days.. Still using it a couple of times a month after 20 years as an adult leader. The roar is A good sound to hear in the morning.. Coffee will be ready shortly !.. only question I have is what is a ‘yearly cleaning kit’ ?
That’s awesome it’s lasted that long . They stuff back then a lot better then they do now .
One thing to remember is that butane cartridges can freeze. When weather gets cold enough put a cartridge in your sleeping bag when you go to sleep to keep it from freezing. That way you’ll won’t have to make a fire in the a.m. to thaw the slush in the cartridge enough to get pressure to run the stove for hot coffee or chocolate.
Ok. I tried to comment earlier but it doesn’t seem to have shown up. That’s OK because I was in error.
BSA policy prohibits the use of home made stoves in regards to chemical stove, this includes solid fuels. But, the policy does NOT address or specify homemade store in regards to biofuel (wood). A homemade wood burning stove may be frowned upon by some Scouters, but it is not banned. Building a homemade wood burning or woodgas stove is a valuable skill.
Woodburing or soild are allowed, even homemade.
I have purchased and tried the Solo Stove, which burns small sticks or denatured alcohol (take it in a metal container like the Coleman fuel for the Whisper Lites). I have not taken it camping yet, but it looks like a good alternative and uses dead sticks/branches from the area. (I have 2 Whisper Lite stoves and love them.) The Solo Stove boils water quickly (backpacking meals), and can be adjusted down by a slower feeding of the fuel. I am surprised that no one has mentioned it.