Steve. It is a matter of personal preference. Personally I have never had my stove tip over, even though the only base is the cylinder. The standard 8oz cylinders are 4" in diameter. My stove has proven to be very stable, and it is a relatively inexpensive hardware variety. It probably cost $40.00 Canadian which at the time might have been about $30.00 US. I have had this folding stove for about 7 years now.

There is something else to consider here. For the difference in price between what you are paying ($175.00) for that unit and a regular run of the mill unit ($30.00), you can buy several (24 or so) butane cylinders and store them away. They don’t seem to deteriorate. When you see a bunch, buy a bunch, and then just take what you require on your trip. I dare say that even Wallmart sells butane cylinders. Of course they are not so readily available as white gas but so what? Personally I would never go back to white gas, unless perhaps for winter use, and even then I would use my butane whenever possible. It is true we have to deal with empty cylinders but they don’t weigh a whole lot. With white gas there is still a can to throw away at some point.

Howie