Question about stove and one other thing

Good day all, I am new here and planning to do some back packing for pleasure this summer and have a few questions.`


I am looking to get a multi fuel stove for coffee and water, I plan to do the majority of my cooking over coals from a camp fire. For anyone that uses the multi fuel stoves how do you avoid the smell of gas in your pack.

Second question, does anyone pack a fishing pole and real in the pack and would a PCV pipe straped to the pack work for protection for the pole.

PS: Pack weight is not a concern

Just use a clear map tube for your pole; wrap your reel in a nice cloth bag and put inside your pack. Keep your stove and fuel bottle packed in ziplock bags either inside or outside your pack. If inside make SURE it's BELOW your food and sleeping bag. In the event either spill/leak fuel they do not ruin your food or bag <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Or get yourself a wee canister stove and enjoy that simplicity instead of the liquid hassle. The alternative is a nice Trangia stove, but it's alcohol and you did'nt mention it.

In my experience, unless you're planning on deep winter camping, or travel to exotic third world
destinations, you probably don't need multi-fuel - it's a waste of money, and extra weight. A nice
little bitty canister stove like a snow peak, msr pocket rocket, etc. would probably be much easier
to use, much cheaper on the pocketbook, lighter, and no danger of smell. Many of us also use
alcohol stoves made out of pop cans.

Having said that, if you're determined to use white gas, I avoid this when using this by making sure
the gas bottle is tightly sealed, and ensuring all the gas has burned out of my stove when shutting it off. In my case (MSR whisperlight) I drain any unused fuel from the line back into the bottle before sealing up. I don't carry the pump in the bottle, I take it out and use the cap.



Well, for me weight is always a concern, however I use a pipe strapped to the pack for fishing poles, just not a black pvc one - I go get a piece of builtin vac tubing - it's plenty of protection but thinner
and lighter. I use a cap on one end (the bottom) and duct tape a cap on the other.

I have no idea where the op is going but to think he'll be "cooking the majority of my meals over campfire coals" is pretty unrealistic in this day of fire bans. Ya' think the rest of us would've come to that conclusion a bit earilier than concieving all these homemade stoves EH? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Yes, in many parts of the country, campfires are a thing of the past. Not enough wood and too scarring to the landscape. In wilderness areas of the West, they are forbidden near and above timberline, where in most places the supply of dead and down wood is long gone and the landscape is fragile. Campfires are often banned altogether when the fire danger is high--it happens out here in the West almost every summer.

I'd also recommend a canister stove--much lighter than the "multi-fuel" type, needs no pumping and no worries about fuel leaks. I've been a fan of the canister stove ever since 1987, when I went on a multi-day trip with a group. I had a Whisperlite and everyone else had canister stoves. The rest of the group consistently finished breakfast before my water boiled!

I do a majority of my backwoods cooking with an open fire. It depends on where you go. I do carry an alcohol stove as a backup, but I plan most of my trips to areas where I can have a fire. Fire bans are more common in areas of high use or above treelines. Both are characteristics of areas I try to avoid. I don't think it is unrealistic as I do it.

I would agree that depending on where you go small efficient stoves using locally scavenged biomass are often the most convenient and the most environmentally friendly and sustainable solution. Unless you are hiking in a particularly environmentally sensitive area, it is important to think of the total life cycle impact of your gear choices and methods on the entire globe and not just the trail you are on. Small efficient biomass stoves, using wood, bark, llama dung or whatever are very challenging to build and very rewarding to cook on. They are very tricky at times, and a homemade alcohol stove is an excellent backup.

I never have had an issue with fuel smell when using my MSR Internationale. If I knew then what I know now, I would have settled for a Whisperlite which only uses white gas. At the time, I thought a mutli-fuel stove would be good, but burning kerosene is dirty and more issues with it I have heard. I do use a baggie on the top of the fuel bottle that I leave the pump in to keep dirt out so I have issue free use of it on my winter trips. I use a MSR Pocket Rocket for summer use now the last couple years, so much easier to use. See, us old guys can change.

I tend not to have a campfire much anymore, grew out of that. If I want one, I will go to areas where I know there is lots of down wood. Those places can be found in less used areas out west. Please be careful in mid to late summer as there are campfire bans in place. Don't burn us out if you come from the city to use our backyards.

Frequent fire bans is also a pretty good indication that an area is sensitive, and so campfires might not be a great idea even when firebans are not in place. It gets complicated in areas that are drying out, whether forest litter composts and makes the place less prone to fire or dries out and makes it more prone. Either way I think firebans should always be respected, but small wood stoves are otherwise the most sustainable and environmentally sensitive solution.

Big campfires are for Visigoths. Gentlemen prefer hobbo stoves. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

p.s. Apologies to any remaining Visigoths out there.
Many of my ancestors had friends that were Visigoths, and only a few of them sacked Rome.

Thanks everyone for all the information I never realized that there was so many different types of stoves on the market.

Earthling,
I am from the Northeast and it is a little crazy not to think of cooking on open coals, of coarse a burn ban would put a stop to it, but I am planning my trips in the early spring.

Breakfast would be warmed on some type of stove that I decide to buy, along with instant coffee
Lunch trail mix or protein bars
few snacks to keep the energy up through out the day

night meal
Fresh trout seasoned up stuffed with wild garlic, "ramps or up in PA called leaks". over a camp fire while sipping on some peach shine.... man, can't wait.

Just need to get the gear purchased, I was bidding on a pack, but got out bidded today that really sucks.

thanks, I am still looking, but believe it will be a canister

I will be doing the majority of my hiking and back packing in the smokey mountains in the early spring and some up in the anderondecks in the winter, so fire bans are not an issue and in both places they are used to keep preditors out of your camp at night..

being a true mountain man I frown upon your hobo fires, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> joking
Besides anyone can light a stove and cook something, now build a small cooking fire control the temp of the coals and you can say you have really cooked a meal. When your meal is ready through some dead wood on the fire and enjoys the flicking warmth of the flame while enjoying your meal.

Morning, ensure the fire is out…..mix ash into the soil and everyone is happy including Mother Nature

Yes, as you've mentioned, I think you'd be best off with a nice small canister stove. Models
to consider (they're all pretty close)

MSR pocket Rocket
Snow Peak Gigapower
Optimux crux
Primus micron

There are probably others. I own a snow peak and like it, interestingly, I don't use it much, because most of the time I'm on alcohol in the summer, or white gas in the winter. but you're not gonna fry your trout over an alky stove if you get somewhere and there is a fire ban.

If you're buying on line anyway, click on the "Lightweight Zone" link on top of the page and
click through to stoves and cookware - if you buy your snow peak or pocket rocket there it helps
support this site!

will do, ya if there is a burning ban the small stove will be heating up some jerky stew

Do canister stoves have the ability to simmer? Say If I wanted to cook rice? I saw a 20$ coleman peak1 at wal-mart. Its not as small as say the pocket rocket or the snowpeak but the knob and I guess the valve looks bigger as if you would be able to control the flow but the pocket rocket and snowpeak look like they just have an on/off valve.

My snow peak is the best simmering stove I own.

Most of them simmer very well. since the valve is right near the canister, you have very precise control. so generally speaking, the answer is "Yes" canister stoves simmer well.