How to Compare Backpacking Stoves

Stoves come in a variety of styles and sizes, but most follow the same basic design of a single burner attached to a separate fuel source. Your intended uses and destinations will determine which stove and fuel type is the best choice for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Think of the most likely type of use for your stove. If you do lots of car camping with kids, a sturdy camp stove is your best bet. The most popular model is made by Coleman. It has two burners and uses either propane or white gas. For backpacking, explore the many lightweight stoves that are available (see Resources for ideas and prices).

2. Understand the pros and cons of fuel types, primarily liquid fuel or pressurized gas canisters. The most popular fuel source is white gas, which performs well in cold weather. Costing only $5 per gallon, it can be purchased in large cans and poured into the stove's fuel bottle. White gas is readily available all over North America but may not be in other parts of the world. White gas stoves come in many models, ranging in price from $75 to $200.

3. Choose pressurized gas canisters, the next most popular fuel source, if simplicity of use is your main concern. These canisters are usually a blend of butane and other gases. Some but not all gas mixtures perform well in cold weather. There are many inexpensive stoves that use pressurized gas, starting as low as $35. These are small and easy to pack but not always highly durable. Gas canisters cost a few dollars each.

4. Consider other trade-offs. Gas canisters are not refillable and must be thrown away when empty. It is impossible to determine exactly how much fuel remains in a canister. With a stove using white gas, it is easy to check remaining fuel. White gas can spill but a canister can't.

5. Buy a stove that can use a variety of fuels for global travel. These are usually referred to as multifuel stoves and can be operated on white gas, kerosene, automobile gasoline or even jet fuel.

6. Set up a prospective stove and examine it. Is it easy to assemble and use? Pressurized gas stoves can be lit as soon as the fuel canister is in place. Liquid fuel stoves must be manually pumped then primed by preheating the burner. Make sure you understand the instructions before buying the stove, and learn how to use it at home instead of out in the field.

7. Check stability. Will the stove hold a large pot of water securely? This is a major consideration in the field, where a tip-over might be truly disastrous.

8. Be sure your stove or cook set includes a windscreen that shields the burner. This is helpful anytime but an absolute necessity in cold or windy weather.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for stove manufacturers that also make cookware. A cook set and stove that are designed to complement each other will pack neatly together.
• Some liquid fuel stoves come with cleaning and repair kits. Don't be scared off by this. Cleaning is only likely to be an issue if you're traveling in parts of the world where kerosene of variable purity is the primary fuel source.
• Some stoves have a built-in starter mechanism. These can be handy but unreliable. Always carry a lighter.
• Never use a stove in an enclosed area, such as a tent. In addition to the fire hazard, you can die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
• For long trips, or those where your life depends on your stove's performance, be sure to pack more than one.

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