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.
Try esbit solid fuel stove. It is light and boils water quick. Runs on fuel tabs. Tabs cost about 6 for 12tabs. Stove only costs 10 dollars
I have a snow peak giga power stove and I love it. It boils water in three minutes and is so light and compact you could fit it in your pocket. For an extra ten dollars it even comes with its own lighter.
thats cool i wish i had one
After 21 years of scouting and trying many stove types, the MSR Dragon fly is tops on my list. Unlike many others, it is fully flame controlable from a jet engine to a minimal simmer thus saving fuel. It also has several features other stoves don’t: a self cleaning fuel line (Simply shake the unit and its clean), variable fuel bottle sizes, multi fuel options, and can fold up for compactness. A 21 oz bottle of white gas lasted 6 of us 5 days in the BWCA.
If cost is an important element, we start our new scouts out with the coleman peak stove (Silver model w/ self-contained fuel tank). It’s not as fuel efficiant but is tough as nails and only costs us about $35.00 each at the local camping store.
We have tried several butain type stoves too and feel it’s like throwing money away because of the cost vs use time. Secondly, they tend to freeze up in the cold, making them useless in Minnesota 4 months every year and on high alttitude adventures.
As I always suggest, try several stoves and then decide what’s best for you.
exbit cube stoves are the best
Brunton Builds the best there cheap and last a long time
the original jetboil stove is pretty packable and very lightweight but nowhere near worth its retail price. Sure it’s a good stove, but it is way too breakable and literally impossible to fix! I would never pay $100 for a stove that I can’t depend on. If your looking for a similar canister stove, but for much cheaper and much more reliable, try the MSR Superfly. It is much smaller, only 5 ounces heavier, and it is compatible with other canister fuels, not just Isopro fuel. Plus it won’t break down, and if it does, it is easy to fix.
I have had the MSR WhisperLite stove since the mid 80’s. It has been the mainstay for many a long trips into the deep woods. Reliable, easy to use, lite and burns multi-fuel… This is the stove to last you a lifetime!!!
MSR pocket rocket is very lightweight and good but can not boil large amounts of water
MSR SIMMER LITE is the best stove you can find
If you’re really concerned about your pack’s weight, and are backpacking with a smaller group, alcohol stoves are great. You don’t have to buy one either. You can just make on at home, out of a soup or soda can.
Even if you don’t make one yourself, alcohol stoves have it over the other types for a number of reasons, even though they may take longer to bring water to a boil. And … re: what littelwill and BS_Sammamish had to say: how safe do you think white gas is?! And … never heard that alcohol stoves were banned by BSA – never had one blow up – what did you do?
Too bad alchohol stoves are banned form scouting. They require burning unapproved fuel according to the guid to safe scouting.
I’m surprised you would even promote such a stove on a BSA site (Hopefully) since you know the rules of scouting.
They are banned because you little to no control over the fuel and fumes. My former troop had an adult leader who found this out the hard way.
I have a colemann dual fuel 533.my dad says he got it just under twenty years ago in Switzerland. it has the build of a canister stove but is refuleable and must be pumped up. it burns white gas or priemum unleaded gasoline. it works great!!!!
i need a stove
me to /;
msr reactor is the way to go
Campers, here’s a tip that will make gear shopping allot easer!
Go for the Ozark Trail, and Colman brands; if of course it’s around
the size of say a canteen, or backpacking stove, and other things
of that size. Your small items should be Swiss Army, Light my Fire,
or Husky brand. Big items should be Eureka, Iron Trail, or Ozark-
Trail brand.
I wonder what would happen if you used an oxygen blowtorch to cook…
>:-D >:-) :-0
Ahhh. Perfect Knowledge from the perfect website!
MSR isn’t the only good stove company out there, Brunton and Snow Peak also make good stoves. They may not be the most reasonable prices (Brunton) but they still work well. I honestly don’t think Snow Peak should make stoves, they should stick to cooking gear.
I’m just saying
Jet Boil is good also i have one and it works well you can get them from Eastern Mountain Sports
JetBoil and MSR Reactor are great if all that you want is boiling water. If you want something that can simmer or cook slower, you need something else.
I have used the MSR Whisperlite and the Superfly on lots of backpacking trips. Both are great for packing, but don’t buy a liquid fuel stove unless you are a serious packer and know what your doing! Canister stoves are great, but they aren’t very reliable in cold weather camping. I have a Whisperlite because I backpack all the time and I need something reliable. Not because I want a big fancy stove. Know what your buying, and if you decide on a stove, research online and at your local sporting goods stores before you buy to find the lowest price.
Do you have any suggestions on stoves.
ilove it
Alcohol stoves: great for 1-3 people, cheap, easy to make, reliable, nothing to brake. Used super cat on 2 week solo canoe trip with no problems.
White Gas: Prefered in winter. At -25 F the pump works well, 2 burner coleman is the “workhorse of the north”
Canister stoves: for the lazy and the water boilers, little canotrol and left with a canister to dispose of, simple propane 1 burner works fine.
Wood stoves: buy or make from cans, great to use but have a fuel stove for worse conditions where you are tired or injured.
Baking: use stove with a simer feature. Steam baking like at Ntier is the easyest and safest method. I have made pizza on a pot can stove.
Last word: Whatever stove you choose work it, play with it and figure out it’s special feel. It will become your friend. Hot drinks for everyone.
personally. i prefer gas stoves.they are easier to light and don’t take time to prime.liquid stoves are good for base camp but i have found it hard to keep a small pot to actually stay on the stand.I would also like to recemend that you should make a tea light stove. take the cup (metal cup on bottom) and put alcohol in it. it is small and is dirt cheap.
I like soda can alcohol stoves better
the msr dragonfly stove is in my opinion the best stove ever it will burn anthing that is ligther than kerosene including unleaded gas deisel jetfuel cleaning flued high proof alcoholwhite gas and a lot of others it is also very adjustable you can get a heat disperser thing and actuly bake cinaman rolls biscuts and so on it works awsome in cold weather and high elavations and weighs only 2.5 onces more than the wisperlight internationl and yet has a wider base and a more adujstable flame its awsome
Last night at my scout meeting we made self stoves .do not use methenol for these because one of them blew up on me!
That is ONE reason that alcohol stoves are BANNED by BSA!
Instead of pressurized fuel stoves, are backpacking stoves which use sterno fuel (usually used by buffet caterers to keep cooked food warm) any good for cooking food on backpacking campouts?
They take a LONG time to boil water, but are great for warming.