Some Korean stoves (such as some of the Kovea stoves) are reportedly of quite high quality and lighter than US-made stoves. Check the reviews on Hikin' Jim's blog. I would not buy a non-standard brand unless it has good reviews in more than one place. However, I'd like to get a Kovea Spider!

I personally will not buy gear from amazon because returns are both difficult and expensive. I'd rather pay a little more and get it from a reputable local dealer where it's easy to return. I recently wanted to return a shipment of dog food to amazon (received just before Hysson went out of remission, special diet because of his allergies) and discovered that my freight charges for the return would be almost as much as the cost of the dog food. I donated it to the local animal shelter instead.

I have both isobutane (canister) and alcohol stoves, but it seems that I always grab the isobutane stove on my way out the door. It's a lot more convenient! For a longer trip, the isobutane stove stove+fuel combination is actually lighter (that's because you burn more alcohol to boil a pot of water than you do canister fuel. According to this article, that's at about 7 days out. For shorter trips, of course, the alcohol stove+fuel combination is lighter. You can, of course, test fuel usage on your own, a good idea so you know how much you need for the way you cook/boil water.

If there are fire restrictions, as are currently in effect in many parts of California and the Pacific Northwest, the alcohol stove may be illegal. The authorities often want you to have a stove with a shutoff valve. Some places, stoves may be banned altogether, and you'll have to stick with food requiring no cooking! Individual jurisdictions vary, so you'll have to check before heading for your specific destination.


Edited by OregonMouse (07/31/13 12:15 AM)
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey