Best camping stove, help.

martinl

Well-Known Member
I'm looking for a small camping stove for making a cup of tea and doing the occasional fry up.
I don't fancy the Kelly Kettle.

It must be small and I'm not bothered what type of fuel it uses.

Can anyone recommend one?

Thanks in advance.


M
 
MSR Pocket Rocket. Outstanding.

Spent years trying everything, and then discovered this. Burner unscrews from the canister and folds up inside a little plastic holder that fits it a pocket. Canisters very easy to find (as well as MSR own brand you can use the Primus ones) and self sealing (so can be unscrewed from the burner and stored indefinitely before re-use). Heats up a litre of water in about 3 and half min. Two person fry ups no problem. Even managed to balance a hot smoker on top of it.
 
MSR Pocket Rocket. Outstanding.

Spent years trying everything, and then discovered this. Burner unscrews from the canister and folds up inside a little plastic holder that fits it a pocket. Canisters very easy to find (as well as MSR own brand you can use the Primus ones) and self sealing (so can be unscrewed from the burner and stored indefinitely before re-use). Heats up a litre of water in about 3 and half min. Two person fry ups no problem. Even managed to balance a hot smoker on top of it.

+1 do a google search and get go outdoors to price match
cheers
Richard
 
Coleman Alpine. Very stable and the gas container doesnt form part of the stand so it stays stable even when the canister is almost empty.
 
MSR WhisperLite International.

Runs on unleaded petrol, kerosene and white gas (a.k.a. Coleman fuel - although some types of automotive panel wipe are an alternative and waaaay cheaper). Always carry it with me on the bike along with a small 2 cup Bialetti coffee pot for stops on the road.
 
i have had quite a few different models ranging from a coleman petrol to the cheap gas ones in a case but i think the best one for quick cooking /boiling and minimal weight size has got to be a jetboil they are a great bit of kit abit pricey but they do last and it will be the only one you will want after trying one.
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace
 
Martin,

I've run a few different ones in the past. There are four broad types;

Solid / gel fuel, such as hexamine. fire snot and others. These are cheap, light and reliable. Down sides are they are sometimes difficult to get going, can be messy, can be slow to boil and the smell of the fuel isn't to everyone's taste.

Presurised Liquid Fuel - these work by turning a liquid fuel into a gas (by heat and pressure) and then burning it. They work well in all temperatures and altitudes and can burn a variety of different stuff (aviation fuel, paraffin, overproof rum, camel **** etc). They are also quite quick to boil. For these reason's they are favoured by expeditions to remote places.

Downsides are the expense to buy in the first place (due to the lightness, pressure bearing components etc.) they can be fiddley to light, they require some ongoing maintenance and they can be very noisy. I had an MSR one which I unwittingly used to wake up most of a campsite in the Lake District a few years ago. It was like running a small rocket motor.

Gas Canister Stoves - These are easy to light (some have a built in ignition device) quick to boil, relatively cheap and easy to maintain. Downsides are they can be pricey, lack of availability of canisters in some (remote) places. Also, the mix of gases used in some canisters doesn't work well in extreme cold or at high altitude. You would need to pick one that burns an appropriate gas in those circumstances.

Unpressurised Spirit Stoves - such as the trangia, which burn meths or similar. These are quite cheap (I picked up a Norwedian army surplus one for a few quid), maintenance free and the fuel is cheap. Downsides is they are quite slow to boil and can be a faff to set up and pack away.

For normal use I'd suggest a pressurised canister stove, such as a pocket rocket, primus or camping gaz one. The jet boil is a gas stove with a built in pot an wind shield. I've not used them much, but they're good for boiling water. I'm not sure how to fry on them.

Unless you go for a stove with one built in, a seperate wind shield is a must in my view. You can get circular ones made from thick foil which squash down small. It'll save time and fuel. It's also a safety device because the best place for a stove is out in the open where it can't set fire to anything and exhaust gases can't build up and asphixiate anyone. If it's windy and the brew is taking ages the temptation is to bring it inside a tent or van. I've done it, but its not a good idea.

Cheers,

Bob
 
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jet boil is my choise,but dont go down the cheap route get one with an ignition it saves loads of chew
 
me to. do so bike rallys in summer and the high presure boiles ya water quick even in wind ,good for staking breaks
 
Depends on your budget... I have an MSR Dragonfly which is awesome, packs down small and is VERY versatile, burns unleaded, colemen fuel, aviation fuel, even diesel! I also have a Jetboil which is handy and compact for brewing up when and wherever but, while you can buy attachments etc.. it's not really designed for cooking on.

I used to use gas stoves but have been a convert to liquid fuel for many years now... you will always be close to fuel in one form or another unlike gas cartridges. The MSR Dragonfly is the state of the art! (quite noisy though as Dovebob points out but only when cranked right up to boil a lot of water... certainly not difficult to light, I just carry a fire steel!)
 
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Depends on your budget... I have an MSR Dragonfly

I have had one of these for over 15 years now, never let me down, just run it on unleaded.
I have tried sop many liquid fuel stoves over the years I have lost count, but this is the best by a million miles.
If you want to cook on it rather than just boil a kettle it is the only sensible choice, as it will run on low without any fuss or drama
for hours at a time, important if you want to fry anything, and vital if you want to make a big stew in a cast iron pot that may take a feww hours to do.
The only other stove i have kept is an original Optimus Primus, all polished brass, very relaible but not as hot as the MSR, and you need a priming fuel. either meths or alcohol to pre heat it, you can use a gel type, but it leave s residue which needs cleaning off every so often.
I did have the Wisperlight Int as well, very good, but not easy to prime/light, not as adjustable, and hates running on low for any length of time.
Doesn't make it a bad stove, and for making tea is great, not so good for heating food, unless you like to stir continuously to avoid burning your meal.

Neil. :)
 
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