Choosing a backpacking stove can be a confusing experience. Most outdoors shops carry an assortment of brands and types, but the one they recommend as "the best" often turns out to be the most expensive. There is no single, perfect stove for every backpacker, but there are important criteria that should be considered in choosing which stove is best for you.
 | Cost - What is the cost of the stove and any required accessories? |
| Weight - Just how much do you have to lug around? |
| Ease of Use - What does it take before you can start cooking a meal? |
| Dependability - What are the chances that the stove will stop working when you're 10 miles from the trailhead? |
| Fuel - How easy is it to find fuel, what does it cost, what are the upsides and downsides? |
| Stability - What are the chances that dinner will end up dumping on the ground? This is something that first time stove buyers rarely think about, but is one of the most important criteria for the experienced camper. Spill your dinner in the backcountry and going hungry will be the least of your problems. Every animal within five miles will be setting up camp with you. And if you happen to be in bear country ... well, you get the idea. |
ThermoJet MicroLite
Liquid Fuel Stoves
Coleman Type Stoves
Canister Stoves
Alcohol Burners
Solid
Fuel Stoves
ThermoJet MicroLite - The ThermoJet MicroLite is the first and only true, alcohol fueled stove available anywhere. The unique, combustion chamber design is so advanced that it is an entirely new concept in stove technology. The burner is easy to fill and light. There is no need for a special fuel bottle, funnel or measuring cup. It burns hotter and more efficiently than any alcohol burner, offering performance comparable to gas fueled stoves and operating consistently in real world conditions. Cooking temperature can be adjusted from a rolling boil to a steady simmer, allowing you to cook real meals.
| Cost - The price is $39.95. This is a complete stove with an alcohol burner, combustion chamber, pot support and simmer control. It even includes a convenient fuel bottle and stuff sack. The stove is designed to be wind resistant, so there is no need for a separate windscreen under normal conditions. | ||||||||||||||
| Weight - The stove weighs 2-1/2 ounces. It packs to approximately the size of a candle lantern. It is designed to hold a 4 oz Nalgene fuel bottle. When packed this way, the total weight of stove, bottle and fuel is less than seven ounces. | ||||||||||||||
| Ease of Use/Performance - The ThermoJet MicroLite is very easy to use. It can be set up in less than a minute. Alcohol is poured into the open center of the burner, the burner is set inside the combustion chamber, and the alcohol is lit. As the stove heats up the alcohol jets light automatically, bringing the stove up to its maximum temperature. Fuel consumption is about the same as for a gas fueled stove. One fluid ounce of fuel will cook a real "simmer and serve" meal in ten minutes or less (See Specifications). The stove has a unique simmer control that virtually eliminates hot spots and allows faster cooking time without scorching. Last, but not least, it's completely silent. So there is nothing to disturb your reverie. | ||||||||||||||
| Dependability - The ThermoJet MicroLite is inherently trouble free - there's practically nothing that can go wrong. It is designed and manufactured to quality standards to provide years of dependable backcountry use. | ||||||||||||||
| Fuel - Alcohol is safe, inexpensive, environmentally
friendly and widely available
in a variety of forms.
| ||||||||||||||
| Stability - The ThermoJet MicroLite is the one of most stable backpacking stoves available. Its unique design cradles the pot inside the combustion chamber. The wide base combined with the low pot height make it unlikely to tip over. | ||||||||||||||
| Summary - The ThermoJet MicroLite is not intended for use in extreme conditions where you will be melting snow for drinking water. It is also not suitable for large families or groups. But it is the perfect 3 season backpacking stove for an individual or couple. It is not simply the best ultralight stove, it is the first and only real, alcohol fueled stove available anywhere. There is no other product of any kind that can match it's combination of light weight, small size, convenience, stability, reliability and performance. |
#Isopropyl alcohol is not a preferred fuel. It produces soot that will soil the pot and may plug the burner orifices. It should only be used if nothing else is available.
+Government and airline regulations concerning the transport of alcohol and/or flammable liquids can be inconsistent, contradictory, and arbitrary. Synergy EC cannot be responsible for judgments or actions of airport, airline or government personnel regarding the transport of alcohol fuel.
^There are numerous federal, state and local laws relating to the manufacture, possession and use of ethanol. This comment is only intended to illustrate the broad availability and environmentally friendly nature of alcohol as a fuel. It does not in advocate or recommend the violation of any laws.
Liquid Fuel Stoves - These are sometimes called MSR stoves after a manufacturer that makes a variety of different styles. They normally burn white gas (Coleman fuel), although some burn kerosene or unleaded gasoline. Some models can burn more than one type of fuel.
| Cost - These are the most expensive type of stove. They average just over $100*. But that's not the whole story, the stove is just the beginning of what you need. Normally, the fuel bottle is sold separately. Then you'll need a maintenance kit and a stove base. You can easily spend more than $150 before you hit the trail. | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight - Although lightweight models are available at around a half pound, most stoves of this type weigh in at about a pound. And again, that's just the stove. You need to add in the weight of the fuel bottle, maintenance kit and base. In addition to the weight, these stoves are really bulky. The stove itself is fairly large and the fuel bottle is oversized by the design of the stove. Add in the other accessories and you end up with a pretty ungainly package. | ||||||||||||||||
| Ease of Use/Performance - These stoves have a couple
advantages and a several major disadvantages.
| ||||||||||||||||
| Dependability - These stoves do not generally enjoy a reputation for reliability. The design is very complex, consisting of a bewildering array of plungers, valves, springs, seals, orifices, etc. Each of these components is a potential point of failure. Go to your local outdoors shop and see how many spares, maintenance and replacement parts they have for sale! The advertising often claims that they are "easily field maintainable". Any maintenance that must be done in the field is never easy. | ||||||||||||||||
| Fuel - Most of these stoves burn white gas, which is usually available in camp supply, hardware and variety stores and is reasonably priced ($5.35/gal*). The multi-fuel stoves make it even easier to find fuel. These fuels are explosive and you cannot carry any of them on an airplane! If you are flying to your destination, you will have to make a point of getting fuel somewhere between the airport and the trailhead. White gas is generally only available by the gallon, so if you only need a pint you have the extra cost plus the difficulty of safely disposing of the extra fuel. Petroleum products are not environmentally friendly, are carcinogens and skin irritants, and can damage equipment if spilled. | ||||||||||||||||
| Stability - These stoves are usually designed with three legs that fold out. The legs are often integral with the pot support. Under most outdoor conditions, three little feet will not provide a very stable support. In addition, the fuel bottle is connected to the stove with a length of tubing, causing more potential problems. Separate bases are usually available that hold both the stove and the fuel bottle in one broad, interconnected assembly. This significantly improves the stability of the stove. | ||||||||||||||||
| Summary - These stoves have two main advantages. They can produce a great deal of heat and do so in very cold weather. If you are planning on winter camping, especially where you will be melting snow for drinking water, this type of stove is for you. However, if you are the average three season backpacker cooking for just yourself or one other person, these stove are usually too cumbersome, too expensive, too complicated, too heavy and too unreliable to be a practical choice. This type of stove probably has more dissatisfied users than any other single piece of backpacking gear. |
Coleman Type Stoves - These stoves use the same fuel and operate on the same principle as those described above. The design has been unitized to eliminate the separate burner, fuel line, fuel bottle and base. Consequently, they are much easier to use and are more dependable and stable.
| Cost - They are moderately priced (~$50*). The burner design usually incorporates wind baffles, so a separate windscreen is not required under normal circumstances. |
| Weight - These stoves are heavy. Without fuel, they weigh around a pound and a half. |
| Ease of Use/Performance - Because there aren't separate components to assemble, these stoves are very easy to use. Pump some pressure in the fuel tank, follow a simple lighting procedure, and they are usually good to go. They can put out a lot of heat and perform consistently over a variety of conditions. |
| Dependability - The unitized design makes these stove very reliable. They rarely have problems and normally give years of trouble free use. |
| Fuel - Same as Liquid Fuel Stoves (above) |
| Stability - These stoves are generally pretty short and squat. The heavy fuel tank is on the bottom of the stove and they sit on three sturdy, fold-out legs. All these features come together to give these stoves good stability under actual conditions. |
| Summary - These are really pretty good stoves. They have all the advantages of liquid fuel stoves in a much simpler, cheaper and dependable package. There is one serious drawback for backpacking - they are really big and heavy. With fuel, these stoves approach 2 lbs and they take up more space than most of the other gear in your pack. The unitized design means you can't split the components among several people. For a piece of gear that is only used a few minutes a day, that's a lot to carry around. |
Canister Stoves - Canister stoves are available from a variety of manufacturers. They burn butane or a mixture of butane and propane. In most models, the stove screws right to the top of the fuel canister, so the canister forms the stove base.
| Cost - These are moderately priced stoves (~$59*) with some fairly inexpensive models available. Some have a small windscreen on the burner, but most (especially the ultralight models) require a separate windscreen. | ||||||||||||
| Weight - Their small size is what generally draws backpackers to these stoves. Most of them weigh less than 8 oz and some are down around 3 oz. Some fold up small enough to fit in a pocket. These weights are a little misleading, though. Since the fuel canister forms part of the stove, the true stove weight should include the canister. | ||||||||||||
| Ease of Use/Performance - Simplicity is another strong point of these stoves. Just unfold the pot support, screw the stove onto the canister and you're ready to go. These stoves put out a lot of heat and will boil a pot of water in a few minutes. However, they often have poor simmer control. This is made even worse by any wind. When this is combined with a small burner head you have to be very careful to avoid burned meals. | ||||||||||||
| Dependability - The simplicity of these stoves means they are quite dependable. Seals can be damaged or leak and the orifices can get clogged, but generally these stoves will deliver years of trouble free performance. | ||||||||||||
| Fuel - Fuel is the big drawback to these stoves.
It is hard to find, expensive, heavy and bulky to carry.
| ||||||||||||
| Stability - Because the fuel canister serves as the stove base, the stability of the stove varies with the size of the canister. But even at it's best, these stoves are not very stable. Sometimes it is necessary to bury the canister partly in the ground or wedge it between rocks. The situation is worse with some of the ultra light models that save weight by using small, spindly pot supports. | ||||||||||||
| Summary - If it weren't for the fuel canisters, the canister stove would be a good choice for three season backpackers . They look great in the store, folded up in their little stuff sacks or cases. If you live near a large outdoors shop, only take short weekend hikes, never camp when the temperature dips below 30º, never fly to your camping destination and don't care about the cost of your supplies or the size of your pack, a canister stove should more than meet your needs. But spend the first day of your vacation driving a hundred miles to find fuel, try to decide what to leave out of your pack to carry a spare fuel canister, or watch as your dinner spills on the forest floor and you'll probably be looking for a new stove. |
*All prices are based on information published on www.rei.com on 8/12/03
Alcohol Burners - There are several manufacturers selling products they call alcohol stoves. These are really alcohol burners, not true stoves. Alcohol burners are very simple devices. There are no fuel tanks, valves, or tubing. The fuel is poured into a reservoir and heated. As the alcohol vaporizes, it mixes with air and burns. Although some burners operate reasonably well in controlled conditions, their "real world" performance can vary considerably. Even in mild weather they can have a hard time boiling a pint of water.
| Cost - Prices can range from less than $15 to over $50. Some include pot supports, which are often too small or flimsy to be useful. Some require special fuel bottles, funnels or measuring cups to fill them properly. They rarely include a windscreen. | ||||||||||||||
| Weight - The primary advantage of alcohol burners is their extremely light weight. Some are less than an ounce, others are two to three ounces. Again, this is not a complete stove. The weight and space of the pot support, windscreen, and any special fuel bottles or filling accessories must be included. | ||||||||||||||
| Ease of Use/Performance - Alcohol burners are easy to use; pour in alcohol and light it. Some sit in a shallow, open tray that is also filled with alcohol. The fuel in this "preheat tray" engulfs the burner in flame and heats the main fuel supply in the burner, which then ignites. The preheat tray is susceptible to spilling and presents a fire hazard. Also, the preheat time and fuel must be considered in the performance of the burner. Some manufacturers claim boil times less than 5 minutes, but this varies a lot with the conditions and can easily be twice that long. | ||||||||||||||
| Dependability - Alcohol burners are normally very reliable. Most of them have no moving parts and nothing to break. But some designs use filler plugs that can be lost. Some are just poorly made. A couple are held together with tape. | ||||||||||||||
| Fuel - The convenience of alcohol as a fuel as
another big advantage of alcohol burners. It is safe, inexpensive,
environmentally friendly and widely
available in a variety of forms.
| ||||||||||||||
| Stability - Some of the burners do come with pot supports. These are often either too weak or too small to safely hold a pot. A good pot support should be nearly the same diameter as the pot and should never be higher than it is wide. | ||||||||||||||
| Summary - Because of the advantages and convenience of alcohol, it has a tremendous potential as a backpacking fuel. If you only need to heat up a cup of water for some coffee, tea, or instant soup, an alcohol burner will probably meet your needs. But despite advertising claims, their performance is inconsistent and inefficient. These are not real stoves and are not suitable for cooking a real meal. |
+Government and airline regulations concerning the transport of alcohol and/or flammable liquids can be inconsistent, contradictory, and arbitrary. Synergy EC cannot be responsible for judgments or actions of airport, airline or government personnel regarding the transport of alcohol fuel.
^There are numerous federal, state and local laws relating to the manufacture, possession and use of ethanol. This comment is only intended to illustrate the broad availability and environmentally friendly nature of alcohol as a fuel. It does not in advocate or recommend the violation of any laws.
Solid
Fuel Stoves - Solid fuel
stoves occupy a fringe area of stove technology. There are two basic
types:
Esbit stoves burn small pellets of solid hydrocarbon fuel. The point to
these is the fuel, which actually makes a mini campfire. The "stove" is
really just a pot support.
| Cost - The pot supports are $10 or less. Some people forego this cost and just set the pellet on a rock and prop up their pot with tent stakes. |
| Weight - The pot supports are very light, in the range of three or four ounces. Of course, improvising a pot stand at your campsite eliminates the need to carrying anything extra. |
| Ease of Use/Performance - It doesn't get much simpler, you set the pellet on something fire proof and light it. Under ideal conditions, a pint of water will boil in just under 10 minutes using about 1/2 ounce of fuel. The fuel will continue to burn for two or three minutes longer, but it's heat output steadily decreases. Because the performance is so marginal to begin with, it will vary considerably with environmental conditions. The fuel leaves a black residue that will coat the bottom of the pot. |
| Dependability - As long as you can light the fuel and keep it burning, there is nothing else that can go wrong. The pellets can be difficult to light in moderately windy conditions or at high altitude. |
| Fuel - The fuel is very expensive (up to $1/oz) and very hard to find. Don't ever count on being able to pick it up when you need it. The performance figures noted above are for Esbit brand fuel, which is hexamethylenetetramine. Different manufacturers may use other formulations which are not as effective. According to the CDC, hexamethylenetetramine "Gives off irritating or toxic fumes (or gases) in a fire". These include formaldehyde, ammonia, carbon oxides, hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides. It's not really healthy stuff to be around. |
| Stability - The Esbit brand pot support is fairly stable with a small pot. For improvised stands, the question of stability depends on how well they are improvised. |
| Summary - The main attraction here is that you don't really need a stove at all, just carry the fuel. Although the fuel weight is about the same as petroleum fuel or alcohol, the fact that it is a solid means it's more compact and there is no container weight. Unfortunately, this savings in weigh and space comes at a real sacrifice in performance. No matter how you look at it, you're really cooking over a very small, open fire. This idea may work fine for heating some water for coffee, instant soup, or rehydrating a freeze dried packet, but it's not suitable for cooking a meal. |
The Sierra Zip stove burns wood, charcoal, bark, pine cones, etc. This is an interesting concept that uses a battery powered fan to create a forced draft, similar to a blacksmith's forge. You pick up the fuel from whatever happens to be laying around your campsite.
| Cost - The manufacturer lists the price at $52. It can be found priced lower through other outlets. An optional pot support can be purchased as part of an accessory kit. A titanium version is available for $125. |
| Weight - The manufacturer lists the standard model at 16 oz, the titanium version is 10 oz. Users report that it is a few ounces heavier. Then you have to add in the battery. Any accessories would be in addition to that. |
| Ease of Use/Performance - Because the "fuel" is whatever combustible material that may be be laying around, the performance is fairly inconsistent. If it has rained recently, you may be eating a cold dinner. You need to add to your cook time the time it takes to scrounge up your fuel and break it into little pieces, as well as getting the fire started. You have to keep tending the fire while you cook. Volatiles and soot from the fuel will blacken your cookware and this can soil other gear. The stove does put out smoke and can't be used in any enclosed area. |
| Dependability - The fan is the only moving part of the stove, so there is not much to go wrong. The manufacturer does sell the motor as a replacement part, so it apparently has some rate of failure. The battery can be installed backwards, which will cause the motor to burn up. These problems aside, it's a very reliable stove. |
| Fuel - The major draw of this stove is that you supposedly don't have to carry any fuel. This is not as simple as it seems. The manufacturer recommends you carry fire starters, which can take up as much weight and pack space as alcohol fuel. These stoves can't be used where wood gathering or fires are prohibited, such as most national park backcountry sites. |
| Stability - This stove has a reputation for being unstable. Even without the optional pot supports, the pot sits higher than the width of the base. This is an inherently poor design and makes it fairly likely that dinner will end up spilling at some time. |
| Summary - The fact that this stove has been around for years and enjoys a quite a following among backpackers says a lot about the drawbacks and problems of petroleum fueled stoves. Viewed objectively, this stove has some real disadvantages. It's fairly heavy (over a pound) and fairly large (bigger than a 1-1/2 qt pot). It's performance is unpredictable. When it's cold and wet and you need a hot meal the most, it may not work all. You have to tend it constantly while cooking. Even at it's best, you're still cooking over a wood fire, which is always problematic (Although a lot of it's appeal lies in the "romance" of a wood fire.). If it's only advantage was in saving you from carrying the weight of fuel, this stove would never have been around as long as it has. It's success and longevity really proves just how inconvenient gas and canister stoves really are. |
