What’s The Best Stove (on A Budget!) For A Solo Backpacker To Carry For A 5-day Trek In The Wilderness?
by James on Sep.11, 2009, under Around the World
I’ve been looking at many different types and brands, and am just looking for opinions from those with more backpacking experience. I’ve always enjoyed hiking and camping, but am just getting into more serious backpacking in wilderness areas and need to start outfitting myself with the appropriate gear.
9 Comments for this entry
September 11th, 2009 on 12:56 pm
Last summer I bought a Minibull Sith stove for $25. Minibull makes a variety of innovative, handmade, ultralight, alcohol stoves. I switched over from an MSR Whisperlite I’d used since 1991 and haven’t even considered carrying that heavy thing since I got the Minibull Sith.
With my 1.55 oz stove, 1 oz windscreen, 1.4 oz fuel bottle, 4.7 oz .9L titanium pot, 0.6 oz cook kit bag, 0.5 oz lighter, 1.5 oz pot cozy, and 0.3 oz lexan spoon, my total cook kit weight is only 11.55 oz.
If you buy the stove be sure to purchase an 8 oz or a couple 4 oz alcohol fuel bottles from him because they’re hard to find elsewhere.
The cheapest fuel I found for it is the automotive product (available at Wal-Mart) called HEET, in the yellow container. I actually compared the price of HEET to the gallon container of denatured alcohol at the hardware store and the HEET was cheaper per oz. At least in my area, in California.http://www.minibulldesign.com/fs2.htmhttp://www.goldeagle.com/heet/index.htm
September 11th, 2009 on 1:29 pm
Pre-pressurized canister stoves are nice because of their easy setup, light weight, and easily adjustable flame that works well for simmering. They work really well for overnighters, and weekends. Anything longer than a few days; a liquid fuel MSR Whisperlite is my top choice. Why? More fuel capacity, and I know exactly how much fuel I have left with a liquid fuel stove. They are heavier than a canister stove, and they don’t simmer as well as a canister stove, but I feel they are superior. I’d recomend the MSR Whispelite Internationale, which will run on unleaded gas, white gas, and I’m pretty sure it will run on kerosene. If you are looking for something cheaper, Peak 1 (made by Coleman) makes a liquid fuel stove that is less expensive than a MSR or Primus, but be warned that they are heavier, and not as well made. A friend of mine (who just happens to live in a step-van most of the year, thus a reliable source of info on camping gear) has one of the little Peak 1 multi-fuel stoves that he uses every day, and he claims that for the money, they are pretty good. Again, I would strongly recommend the MSR. They are very reliable, and you can easily purchase replacement parts.
September 11th, 2009 on 2:06 pm
Make one!!! Look up “Pepsi can stove” on google. They workamazingly well, use 91 % alchohol available from Wal Mart. You’ll love!!! The cost to make one is about 1 or 2 dollars. Is that cheap enough? I leave my other stoves at home now. Have fun :-))
September 11th, 2009 on 2:40 pm
A book of matches.
September 11th, 2009 on 3:06 pm
The “Pocket Rocket” is cheap, dependable, light, and can be found at almost any outfitter. They’re pretty powerful too.
September 11th, 2009 on 3:37 pm
The “MSR WINDPRO”, has a good rating with the reviewers on the Trailspace website (I include the website for you to look at it). You can purchase it at REI and Moosejaw. Just attach the canister and start cooking. It will cost about $80 with the fuel canister sold separately. Weight is 6.8 ounces.
September 11th, 2009 on 4:29 pm
I’ve used Sterno Stoves when backpacking and also at home when the power goes out. They are very compact and light, as is the fuel. The stoves coast about $10.00. The cost of the cans of fuel depends on how much you buy at once, as the cans come in different sizes and in 2 packs, 4 packs, etc.
See this site to check it out:http://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/st…
The amount of heat generated isn’t going to boil up a a huge pot of water, but it was sufficient for heating a large pot of water to bathe with and for most campsite cooking needs.
September 11th, 2009 on 4:54 pm
have MSR Whisperlite international, Coleman butane / blended fuel, Svea (don’t recall model number), and couple of alcohol stoves
favorite is Svea but usually carry the blended fuel stove if weight is not issue - Think Wal-Mart carries a Coleman blended fuel (butane/propane mix? - canister about size of coffee cup - comes in two different size canisters)
Coleman is about half the price of a MSR
when weight is issue I carry one of my alcohol stoves - made out of soda cans - cost a few bucks
can buy several different models on eBay or you look at ultra-light backpacking web sites and find out how to make your own.http://zenstoves.net/PotStands.htm
September 11th, 2009 on 5:02 pm
Ditto on the “Pepsi Can Stove”.
We made a bunch of them last year. They are cheap and very efficient.
Almost every Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker is using these stoves now. They weigh very little and you can get de-natured alcohol fuel in every hardware store.