What stove do you pack?

I was just curious as to if there was any type of cooking stove that seemed to be favored over others, by the users on the forum. Iknow theres many variables that may affect what you pack, im just trying to get a general idea bz a majority tally of what type is used and prefered the most by you more experienced hikers.

I have been debating switching from the canister fuel/pocket rocket to an esbit stove to save on weight for weekend trips. Anyone do the same and have any input on the experience?

I don't "cook." Canister stoves are great for boiling water, as are alcohol stoves, and I have more than dozen alcohol stoves and five canister stoves.

To actually cook a wider burner works better - I have a remote canister and a few slower, lower burning alcohol stoves that simmer better than the top canister mount "blow torch" stoves.

Esbit, the times I've used it, is slow to heat the water and can't be used for lots and lots of water. And it stinks.

We have both a home-made alcohol stove and an MSR pocket Rocket. Since M is a chef, she likes more control over the heat, and we always use the MSR.

I have been able do do some basic cooking with the Pocket Rocket when I want. I think cooking's harder in Ti pots than Al; Al seems to keep the heat a little more even. But either way, I think if you want to cook bring olive oil helps to keep stuff from sticking (it will still stick if you let it) and helps distribute the heat to the food better.

I have a home made alcohol stove, Pocket Rocket, and whisperlight in my regular use stove pile. I do tend to use the whisperlight for cooking trout and other actual cooking, as opposed to the other stoves where they are mostly used for boil and bag style cooking. Never used esbit before, but I know some people like it for light weight boil and bag . Hopefully it works better than Sterno did.

For 2-3 day trips I use a homemade Pepsi-can alcohol stove. It weighs about 0.2 oz (2 oz including pot stand and windscreen) and will boil a pint of water in under 5 minutes using 0.7 fl. oz. of denatured ethanol (unless the wind is blowing). For longer trips I use a Snow Peak Giga canister stove with a canister selection appropriate to the length of the trip. For cold weather, I use an old Svea 123. Yes, there are lighter white gas stoves but I am sentimental about the Svea and besides, I am too cheap to buy a lighter stove.

I have been using these setups for over ten years now and am happy with the results. BTW, like Lori, I don't like Esbit, partly because of cost and more so because of the smell.

I tried Esbit, one summer in an ultralight frenzy to get below 15 pounds, and found that it worked best if you had a good, 360 degree windscreen around it, fairly close to the pot and running up the sides. In cooler weather, I never did get a boil - heat loss to the air offset the added heat from the Sterno, and everything just kind of stalled out.

I have a friend who has one of the new pot-windscreen Esbit cookers, and he's had very good luck with it - in fact, it's now his stove of choice. It also has a tight windscreen, so you get all the heat into the bottom of the pot. He does have to deal with storing a tablet that hasn't burned completely out, occasionally, and they do stink. (It's important to note two things: we hike in the Ohio River Valley areas of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, and we only do add-boiling-water-to-a-bag cooking. There's never food in his pot.

I prefer a canister stove and, except on a couple of occasions when we called our sanity into question by heading out on 10-degree nights, have never had any issues with it. (On those nights, it still worked, but we had to stick the canisters inside our jackets, and they were sluggish even then.) Down to 15 degrees or so, I've never had any trouble with either the Jetboil, MicroRocket, Pocket Rocket, or Snow Peak Gigapower or Litemax stoves. (Boys and their toys, as my wife says.) They all seem to work fairly well. My current favorite is the Jetboil Sol, only because I like the insulated pot cozy (keeps my tea warm longer)and because its burner is screened enough that it doesn't seem as susceptible to breezes. (But, I've never had any particular trouble finding a spot behind a rock, log, or tree to minimize the effect on any of the other stoves.)

However, discussion with Lori (who doesn't like Jetboils, based on her experience leading trips) in another thread has me pulling out my Jetboil Litemax stove and titanium pot for my next trip to save a few ounces - my trips aren't long enough that the Jetboil's efficiency means I can carry one less fuel cylinder. And, if I find I really need a pot cozy (which, mostly, I don't), I can make or buy one for the Snow Peak pot.

Long story short: I'm not sold on Esbit, but my friend is. I've never had any real problems with canister stoves, and really like them - and it seems that one is about as good as any other; just match the pot supports to the pot you use.

My favorite stove is a heavy old Coleman Peak One stove - it just works - BUT heavy and so I don't pack it much.

Husband bought us a MSR international Dragonfly, which is nice cuz we can just use normal vehicle gas and not worry about stopping and finding fuel. It seems... fiddly.

My last trip I bought the esbit setup, just to try - figured it would be a no-go since I'm pretty sensitive usually to smell. This will be my route for now on when camping alone. Super light, fairly easy to use (I have a hard time lighting the blocks.) Oh and pretty cheap too.

I'd try an alcohol stove, but my _attempt_ at building one just didn't go well. Also they seem fragile - I smooshed my attempt in my backpack when I shoved everything in and compression strapped it (I'm not a nice clean packer I'm a shover to my husbands dismay. - this goes for packing the trunk of the car as well.)

For trout we use a fire. But that happens rarely, and only where it is legal to build a fire.

We have and old Primus multi fuel from years ago. Burns just about anything including canister fuel and heats from a very controlled simmer to a jet engine flame but after years of being away from BPing we lightened the load with a Crux canister stove. This is more or less my luxury item. We are for the first time eating some boil/bag meals so this works great. I have no doubt I could whip up a decent meal with this stove as well with non dehydrated foods. I have enjoyed cooking very well prepared meals for my wife and I for years on a $20 single burner Coleman 'perfect flow' propane stove when flying off to hike around the country and camping from a rental car. I see the Crux as its little cousin.

Now that I have the Crux as a go to stove I am going to, at my leisure, experiment with alcohol stoves.

jimmyb

I bring an alcohol stove, the " Super Cat", for boiling water and generally use a fire to cook. That's an Ozark luxury though, it's legal most places here and done right doesn't hurt anything.

I've also brought a "Simmer Cat" which burns longer and not as hot as the Super Cat. That would work pretty good for cooking I'd think. Maybe not for frying fish, but good for some stuff, noodles and rice. They're easy to light, refill, and cool almost instantly when they run out, so they're a good choice for short trips.

If I'm going to be doing a lot of cooking and its wet out then I bring an old coleman exponent stove. I still have some fuel for it and it's a good stove.

All the newer ones you can buy all weigh more than a Super Cat stove, so I've not found any I feel the need to buy. I might make a wood burning stove though. I've seen some pretty nice designs for those and they'd work good here and would work good for cooking too.

I have a Primus Micron Ti canister stove. It's 5 years old and has since been discontinued. It works well for simmering as well as boiling water, and I've fried fish on it. If I were going to replace it, I'd probably look at Snow Peak.

I also have an alcohol stove. However, nearly every time I pack for a trip I invariably grab the canister stove. It's a lot more convenient!

Generally there are 6 weeks to 2 1/2 months of dry spell here in the Pacific NW during which fires are often banned--of course coinciding with the best of backpacking season. Fires are also often banned above a certain altitude or at many more popular spots where dead wood is a rare commodity. The only time I build fires (where legal) is when there's a grandkid or two along.

My opinion might not count since I collect stoves and have a ton of them and have torn loyalties.

On another bp site, they have tinkered with all the fuel types the last year or more and are on Esbit type fuel now, being able to get it to simmer. I have a few Trail Designs Caldera Cone setups for about three pot sizes now. If fire restrictions were not in effect during summer temps, I'd take it due to its super light weight. I have pot sizes .9L, .6L and a .550L mug. The .6L is so cute. They have sliced and diced other stoves and stove systems to come up with hybrid systems for alcohol stoves and are quite efficient. To me, you'd have to use the stove a long time to save much more weight, those concoctions may be more interesting to thru hikers, looking to save a few oz.
I really like my loud, vintage MSR stoves, 9, G, GK, MF and of course the old Optimus 8/8R's, using the same burner as the Svea 123. The old MSR stoves will heat up a tent very quickly if needed, leave plenty of ventilation. I find the newer MSR Dragonfly a very nice simmering stove if one wanted to cook something that required a long simmer time. Of course I have a Dragontamer silent cap for it, which may help it simmer better. I find the new MSR Micro Rocket very loud, sold my Pocket Rocket which some said have what looked like too flimsy of pot supports, but I never had issues, maybe they were trying to heavy of a pot or thought it just looked too light weight. The MSR white gas stoves have been the standard for years, they don't simmer well, but you could try lower pressure in the fuel tank. MSR is also well known for standing behind their products. I like the Snow Peak Giga Power GS-100? canister stove, nice stove, fast.
Duane

Duane, I really expect you to step it up with an LOx stove. I'm mostly convinced the Ti cookware can handle it.

What the heck you waiting for? We need the data.

Cheers,

Rick, when I'm 95 and have to drag an oxygen tank around, I'll give it a whirl. Take a breath, then put the mask over my stove, with the tank right along side to keep it pressurized. Wheeeee!
Duane

I carry the ol' reliable Pocket Rocket. I have titanium wing Esbit stove that I carried as backup in case I misjudge my canister fuel consumption. I experimented with homemade alcohol stove and didn't have favorable results in sense of fuel consumption and boil time. (I'm sure some of you remember that thread.)

"Wheee"

And maybe "BOOOOOM!"

When I was in the Air Force, one of the things my squadron did was manufacture LOX. One of the benefits of that was that they also made dry ice, which works wonderfully well for chilling down a keg for those Labor Day block parties we used to have.

I do remember that. It proves that you made the right choice going into accounting instead of engineering.

I generally use a jetboil, and have had no problems. I have also used esbit, and alcohol. One thing about esbit and alcohol is that they are cheap to experiment with. I prefer esbit, but everyone is different. I would say try them all out and see what you like best. Besides, it is fun to experiment.

Bill, that is an excellent link to the supercat/simmercat specs and discussion. The author really put some work into it.

I used to only cook over fires until about 1982 or so when I received a Svea123 as a gift and started using it . As long as you are not trying to really crank out the miles (and it's legal and you have a ready source of fuel and you are good at starting up wet fuel...), this can work out well. So, I've been intrigued with the wood burning stove designs that have been coming out the last few years. People are getting pretty creative with this and I think it wont be long before a relatively light design comes out. Again, this all depends on where you dive into the backcountry but this could be worth looking into. There is so much traffic in the Sierra that I decided long ago to stop building fires there unless the people I was with wanted a fire (and was legal). But in other less traveled areas....

Stoves in order of usage:
1) no stove, I usually don't cook. No pot or stove to carry.
2) if in an approved place, a "cook fire" made from popsicle stick sized twigs. Leaves no trace, no added weight to pack, other than a pot.
3) Esbit or alcohol. I do like the folding esbit stove, or the ti version.
4) Optimus Nova. Served me well, very reliable, good for groups.
5) Svea 123 or 123R....a tad heavy by todays standards but the most reliable stove made. And its fun to watch.

I don't own a butane/propane stove.

I have a SVEA 123R that I bought in 1977. They used to say you could kick down the Appalachian Trail and it would still work.

It's a great stove, and a good substitute for a small campfire.

Giving it away would be like giving away one of my children.

The many replies to this query help to point out that eating and cooking are among the most personal aspects of backpacking, so that one's choice of stove depends largely on how one likes to eat while hiking. There's simply no 'normal' answwer to this question. btw, my own choice of stove has been an MSR pocket rocket for the past decade. I assembled a whole methodology of food and auxilliary gear around this stove and it still works well for me. I have no opinion about how well it would work for anyone else.

Well said, if it puts a hot meal in my belly its alright by me.

And if I were to run out of fuel and someone offered to boil me a couple cups for my dinner, I surely wouldn't be scrutinizing their choice of stove now would I.

jimmyb

It's been quite some time since my last posting here, but I suppose I can add my .02 to the discussion...

For honest trail "cooking", I'd suggest an MSR Dragonfly. I had one and sold to a friend b/c I rarely "cook" on the trail. It simmered better than any other liquid-fuel stove I've used.

This then begs the question of which stove fuel you prefer. Generally speaking canister stoves are easier to maintain a simmer than with liquid-fuel stoves (internal, constant pressure in the canister does that for us). To me, fuel choice is a matter of season/temperatures which then dictates the stove which will be used.

I don't regard Esbit/trioxane/solid-fuel stoves very highly so I'll refrain from commenting on that type. However, they are an alternative to canister or liquid-fuel stoves if you're wanting something different than what your currently using.

I have an MSR Pocket Rocket and being a canister stove it simmers well. I also have a Primus "EtaPower" stove/pot/heat-exchanger which, while not light-weight by any definition, surpasses the MSR Pocket Rocket's performance by a large margin in all categories except weight-saving. This is, generally, my preferred 3-season stove and it performs admirably.

However, my personal favorite "cook stove" is an old Primus Himalaya "Vari-Fuel" stove. I prefer winter/snow camping and use white gas/"Coleman Fuel" exclusively b/c *nothing* works in cold temps as well as it does. In my 30-odd years of that sort of activity, having used every major brand of stove, my Primus Himalaya "Vari-Fuel" has stood the test of time and hard use (abuse?).

For weekend use, I think you're best served with a canister stove - though maybe an upgrade is in order for you?

Admittedly, it is a lot of fun buying new gear

HikerDuane, You probably have seen or own one of these but I thought of you and your stove collection when I came across this on CL.

http://nwct.craigslist.org/clt/4058596037.html

enjoy, jimmyb

Jimmy, I sold mine last August at the Coleman Collectors Gathering here in the Sierra. Solid stoves. I'd had both a 520 and 530, but they didn't do much for me, I'd never taken them bping, so decided I needed a little room for my Optimus 8/8R/8F collection which is at 10 now.
Duane

I figured you might have owned one. Kinda neat little stove considering the era it was made.

jimmyb

Wow. that thing's a beaut. Never saw one before (wish the seller could have focused his darn camera).

Cheers,

I use MSR MicroRocket kind of stove not so heavy one and very comfortable for long trips and travel.

I carry a MSR Pocket Rocket and have always been satisfied with the results. As an avid coffee drinker I love how quick I can boil a cup of water for a hot drink. The stove itself packs small but depending on what size fuel canister you carry they can be troublesome to pack correctly. The one drawback I have seen is cooking with a larger pot it can be a little unbalanced. With experience it's not much of an issue but I have seen dinners ruined by this.

I'm another for the Jetboil..I love it for boiling water, but because the heat is so directed, it's tough for proper cooking. I've heard the MSR stoves are good for this...but damn does it boil water fast!!

I’m an alcy for all 4 seasons. Usually a White Box stove for winter and pepsi stove all other times.

It always lights (one match in the winter); never gets crushed (of course it’s stored in my pot); no moving parts; 0.3oz; just pack the fuel needed; no flare ups; nothing to maintain…

May everyone find their stove zen,
-Barry
-The mountains were made for Tevas

MSR whisperlight for winter, homemade zen mini for solo, isobutane for family backpacking, and Trangia when it is just one child going. Had a SVEA and didn't really like it. Had a Coleman white gas backpacking stove and loved it except for the weight and the seals. In many ways, the Trangia is my favorite for the simplicity of use and reliability.