Camping stoves have become incredibly light ways and convenient in recent years. This means that there are many amazing options out there. Determining what balance of pros and cons can help as well as what you’re are using the stove for.
Things like boiling water to re-hydrate dried camping food are completely different from the people that have all the pans and actually cook on the trails. The weight, simmer control (Which wouldn’t matter much in water boiling), and stability of the stove as well as if it will need priming. And, take into account Wind performance and fire bans, in this case, a canister stove is the best option. We are going to take a look at the Canister stoves, liquid fuel stoves, alcohol stoves, and wood stoves.
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Canister Camping Stoves
Canister camping stoves are a great option for 3 season hikers. They require no priming, maintenance, or pumping of any kind. They are lightweight and great for a quick meal. Canister stoves offer the best for convenience, speed, and temperature control. And, Canister stoves are great for cooking as well as water boiling. The fuel is a bit more expensive than the other option but it’s also more efficient. However, in extreme cold, these are not as good as liquid fuel stoves.
Liquid Fuel Stoves
Liquid fuel stoves used to be far more common than they are today. But, they are a great option if you plan to do a lot of meal cooking as well as snow melting. They are great for the winter hikes but they do require a bit more maintenance than some of the other options. This option is much heavier than the other options but the fuel is less expensive as well. They can be a better option for overseas as you can almost always find fuel for them. They will need to be primed and can be a bit more dangerous than the others.
Alcohol Camping Stoves
Alcohol camping stoves are super lightweight, simple, and easy to use. However, they are not great in wind, they have slower cooking times, less efficient fuel, Can’t be used in fire bans, and have horrible temperature control. They are known to be lightweight and super affordable. And, they are easy to make and use. They use HEET which is a gas line antifreeze that is used for cars, so the fuel is readily available.
Wood Camping Stoves
Wood camping stoves are a super affordable option, they are easy to make and very quiet. And, there is no fuel to spill and cause a mess. However, they are slow at cooking and not good for winter trips. The fuel is expensive compared to the other options and it doesn’t do well in windy areas. Wood stoves to have an odor and will leave residue on the pans. They usually cannot be used during fire bans and are often heavier than other options. However, their nostalgic flair makes them some of the best options in hikers’ opinions.
We hope this helps you with finding the right camping stove for you and your hiking adventures!
