Backpacking Stove Options

Series Summary

Backpacking combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the back-country to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs. A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a backpack. This gear must include food, water, and shelter, or the means to obtain them, but very little else, and often in a more compact and simpler form than one would use for stationary camping. Most backpackers' food criteria are roughly the same, including high energy content, particularly protein, with long shelf life and low mass and volume. When someone goes on a backpacking, camping, or other sort of hiking trip, they're naturally going to burn a lot of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. It's important that when someone goes to live in the great outdoors that they have plenty of food that will help replenish their body's fuels. In this free video series, a camping expert will teach you about different options for stoves and cooking while out on a backpacking trip. You'll learn about alcohol stoves, cartridge stoves, gas stoves, and international stoves. You'll also discover how firestarters, cooking pot selection, and cooking pot care can help make any backpacking trip a more enjoyable experience.

Video Transcript

"Right now, I'm going to give a little overview of backpacking stoves. When someone comes into Bill Jackson's, I have to ask them a few questions about what kind of a stove they're looking for. If they're just going to heat some water, that's going to be one kind of stove. If they're going to do something a little fancier, then they're going to need a different kind of stove. Different stoves will have different features, and you have to look at that when you're picking out your first stove. There are very easy to use cartridge stoves, like this one. Turn it on and light it. There are some that are a little more involved. You have to find out which one is right for you. If you want super light, here's a really light alcohol stove. It weighs one ounce. It doesn't cook very fast, but it's light. Then there are big, clunky, inexpensive stoves. This one is similar to my first backpacking stove. My dad gave it to me. It doesn't cook very fast, and it's a bit sloppy. I got rid of that one very quickly. There are liquid fuel stoves, and those are going to have certain advantages. So, ask your outfitter, and see which stove is right for you."