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Collective Wisdom - Stoves

Roberta Cobb (ed.)

The Question

This is a new feature for the 'Gazette. I would like as many responses to the topic as possible; I will generate statistics and publish many of the comments. As a hiking group, we have much knowledge and experience. Let's share what we know. Here's the first topic:

What type of stove do you use (or no stove)? What type of fuel? What are some of the good points of this stove, and what are some of the problems? If you don't use a stove, why not? Any general brags or gripes about your stove are welcome.

The Results

The Responses

Beth Murdock - We have used a Whisperlight for years and thousands of miles with no problems. It has always performed wonderfully for us. Of course, I would do a minimum of maintenance on it every once in a while. We hiked 600 miles on one 22 oz. white gas fuel bottle. We grew to hate that bottle. It became a symbol of everything that was heavy about our packs, and the scapegoat for all our aches and pains. But now we have a Trangia alcohol stove and have used it a few times cooking our usual trail foods. It takes a little longer to reach boiling than the white gas stoves, but that works well for us because we dump our dried food into the cold water and it can be rehydrating while it is getting hot. Our granddaughter took it on a weeklong backpacking trip last summer. On the trip most of the other hiker's stoves failed so the alcohol stove saved the day. It weighs 6 oz and what I like about it is that you can send yourself just the amount of fuel you need in each resupply box. Of course, there is a little extra that you have to do as far as labeling the package, sending surface mail only, etc.

Bill "Doc Vapor" Cleveland - I use an MSR Whisperlite. I know, I am so out of date compared to the lightweight stoves people are carrying now days but it boils fast and the fuel is everywhere. The way I cook (coffee in the morning and a Liptons dinner at night) I can go a couple of weeks or more on one bottle of fuel. I have owned several versions over the years (original, shaker jet, international) and they all worked just fine. I rarely have problems with it but I know the stove very well and can always do whatever maintenance is required and get it to work. I used to use a Svea so I am used to using that little wire to unclog the jet, though the new shaker-jet makes that much less of a problem. I always carry a spare jet, just in case. Some people have trouble getting the pump to build up pressure: I have found that most of the time this can be solved by lubricating the leather pump cup - once by just sticking it into the fuel bottle which wet it enough to seal again.

I keep thinking about switching to an alcohol stove but it just doesn't create the BTUs of a gas stove and by the testing I have done with a Trangia and also a soda-can stove it appears that I would have to carry so much extra fuel that I might just as well stick with the Whisperlite. I mostly hike on the Appalachian Trail and alcohol is not as readily available as Coleman fuel as yet, though it is getting more common.

I also experimented with an Esbit stove but I found the little tablets to be downright toxic in my pack and also more expensive than other fuels.

Bob Betz - I use a homemade tin can stove consisting of 1/2 small (6 oz) Hershey's chocolate syrup can to hold fuel and a endless ~12 oz pinto bean can with punched holes and 3 bent wires for a pot support. I use aluminum foil for a wind screen and to keep heat focused under pot. Have used this stove to cook for 1 to 3 people with 1 liter to 2.5 liter pots. For larger groups/pots you could use a larger diameter fuel can or just refill this small one (if vigilant in noticing when fuel is used up, the interruption doesn't extend cooking time by much). Another option is to consolidate the pot support can and windscreen, substituting the sturdier MSR windscreen that has been folded to half its height - weight doesn't significantly change though.

What type of fuel? Denatured alcohol (ethanol, though methanol paint thinner also works well - the closer to 100% the better efficiency)

What are some of the good points of this stove, and what are some of the problems? Good = ~3.5 oz weight, can carry alcohol on planes or ship it, uses about 1 oz alcohol to cook a basic pasta-type dinner that fills my 1.3 liter pot, boils a liter in something like 7 minutes (at elevations up to about 9,000-10,000 feet), can carry fuel in plastic containers which are lighter than aluminum fuel bottles, simple and cheap - if stove gets trampled it can be replaced with supplies from the grocery store at the next resupply point (you might have to borrow tools to cut can in half and punch holes), THIS STOVE GENERATES NO NOISE which makes for meal-time conditions as serene as I choose them to be!

Problems = fuel can generate some soot on bottom of pan, but this is easily removed by rubbing pot on the ground, esp. where there is a grassy cover.

Bob and Chris Turner - We do use a stove; an old MSR XGK multifuel. We try to use Coleman fuel, it burns clean and isn't as smelly as gasoline or kerosene. The stove has worked superbly for over 10 years, is miserly with the fuel, hot, easy to start and very dependable. The only drawback is the noise when burning- sounds like a rocket.

Brian "Charlie Manson" Booth - For backpacking, I primarily use a Trangia alcohol stove. I like itbecause it is easy to light, easy to troubleshoot, and packs compactly. The main drawback is the difficulty with estimating how much fuel to load in the cup before lighting, and subsequent problems having to wait with a half-cooked dinner to re-light the stove if I have underestimated on fuel.

On snowshoeing or glacier trips I switch to an MSR XGK, with gasoline. It puts out the most heat so is best if I need to be melting snow. I am not too fond of the way it doesn't pack compactly, and of course it is noisy. One problem I discovered with this stove is its heat output is extremely sensitive to the freshness of the gasoline used - you really compromise the heat output if you fill your fuel bottle from your lawn mower's gas can with 6-month-old fuel in it.

I have built both a tuna can and Pepsi can alcohol stove from Gazette articles. I have not yet tested their reliability in the backcountry, but am looking forward to see if I can transition to make one of them my permanent stove for long distance hiking. They are the simplest, easiest & lightest.

Brian Frankle - I use a homemade alcohol stove that runs on denatured alcohol. I have used many other types of stoves and find this one to be the best in terms of weight/performance/function. Alcohol can be shipped without on hazard charge so it makes resupply easy as well. My stove only weighs .5 oz and boils a qt of h20 in ~5-7 minutes. This stove has no maintenance issues as well and can be constructed with minimal tools and materials.

Brice Hammack - While I use several stoves none are preferred over the others. I have been a long time user of the Coleman Peak 1 Feather 442. It performs well in cold, windy weather and burning automobile gas is a plus on trails such as the Appalachian where gas stations occurs regularly along the trail. The downside is that it weighs 2 pounds. I used a Gaz Turbo 270 operating on a butane propane fuel while hiking along the Continental Divide. I found that it operated well at the higher elevations. Particularly so if I used a wind screen. While a light weight stove, the downside is trying to balance the number of fuel canisters shipped ahead. Of late I use a tuna can stove operating on stove fuel and heat pellets. This is a choice for reducing weight when hiking during the open months. Should I be out in the winter time, I would go back to the Gaz Turbo or Coleman 442.

Burton "Sticks" Barrager - I predominantly use a Sierra Zip Stove. It is a great stove that is very light as you do not have to carry fuel for it. It is fueled by whatever you can pick up to burn in it like sticks pinecones, etc. The plus is it is very light weight. The cons are that it uses a AA battery to power the fan that blows air through the 'bellow's' system that keeps your fire burning hot, it makes a lot of soot that sticks to the bottom of your pan, and I have heard concerns about it being an 'open flame' and therefore not legal to use in some wilderness area. I love the stove and the inconveniences of using it do not compare to its simplicity, ease of use, and light-weightedness.

Dick Vogel - I use a Snow Peak GigaPower stove. It has the following features: Weight: 3.25 oz. Fuel Type: Snow Peak isobutane/propane gas canisters or any butane/propane canister that will fit a Primus stove. Output: 2800 W (10,000 BTU). Boil Time: 1 liter water, 3.5 minutes. I like it because it is lightweight, easy to light and you can turn it down to a low boil. It is so small that I can put the stove, a 3.88 ounce fuel canister and a cigarette lighter in my pot. I have no complaints. For cold weather I have a Primus Himalayan MultiFuel Stove. It runs off butane canisters or liquid fuels, including white gas, kerosene and unleaded auto gas. I use white gas in it. I like the multi-fuel versatility, but it seems like it is impossible to turn down to a slow boil when it is using white gas. Also, it is a little heavy. As a footnote, I think that of all the backpacking equipment a good stove is the easiest piece of equipment to find. I have yet to find a good ground pad. Also, I think that good packs are hard to find. You might want to look at ground pads and packs as future topics.

Chadwick Creamer - My first stove was a Svea 123 that I used hiking the PCT in 1977. It worked well and was trouble free. It does get dirty (blackened) from priming and only has a 1/3 pint fuel capacity so it has to be constantly filled. This was the main reason I switched to an MSR Whisper Lite. Both are noisy and heat about the same but for a long cooking meal the MSR does not run out of gas. I did have a potential disaster last year on the PCT again with the MSR. Cooking at night in the rain under a tarp I failed to notice an O ring leak and had quite a flare up fire. Managed to pitch the whole mess out into the rain and smother the flames but it was exciting for a few moments. This sparked an interest in alcohol stoves so I recently made a soda can stove following Steve Henderson's Pepsi can stove directions. Have only experimented with it at home and not in the field, while it is quiet it is slow. Not sure if the weight savings in the stove will make up for the added fuel needed to cook. Time will tell. Many people on the trail last year seemed satisfied with them.

Chris Dawes - It's a question of "horses for courses". I don't know the collective term for a multitude of stoves. Perhaps a "hearth"?

For hikes of up to a week I use a butane/propane Camping Gaz stove for in my experience you can't beat the convenience and efficiency of gas. One 250 cc cannister lasted a 5 day 140 mile Trek down the watershed of Wales for two of us cooking twice per day. The plethora of burner connections can be frustrating so I don't trust to re-supply but take all the fuel I need. In Scotland in winter I take the cannister inside my sleeping bag so I have companionship though friends suggest that I lack something in my life style.

For hiking in the States I use a MSR whisperlite because of the easy availability(and cheapness) of fuel. I have used a MSR Dragonfly but gave it up because;

1. It fell apart, still worked though.
2. It is noisy and comes a good second to a 747 on takeoff. On the PCT I was the recipient of complaint, justified because it was difficult to carry on a conversation above the din of the burner.

I like liquid fuel stoves because of the ritual of lighting up the thing and gentle purr of the burner is better than a relaxation CD. I don't use white gas in the UK because a quart of the stuff costs £4. Petrol is an alternatve but I detest the smell of this fuel in the wilderness.

On the European Mainland I use a mini-Trangia alcohol burner. It is simple, reliable and robust(and noiseless). Fuel is widely available and cheap. Last year on the PCT I picked up the idea of the two beer can burner. I found the gauge of metal used to contain beer was stronger than that used for cola. This contrivance achieved a better fuel economy than the Trangia design and weighed less but the Trangia burner functions as its own fuel carrier with a one-meal -with hot -drink capacity.

Finally I have a Sierra wood burner that is a brilliant concept although the design could be more robust. I use it on summer treks in the Mountains of Wales where there are large tracts of forest to provide the fuel. It functions as a mini camp fire and there is magic in supping tea as the shadows fall on a warm evening and dusk deepens while sniffing the aroma of wood smoke(it also keeps the midges at bay).

Cindy Thieman - What type of stove do you use (or no stove)? I use a whisper lite (shaker jet model) what type of fuel? Uses white gas

What are some of the good points of this stove, and what are some of the problems? Very reliable and as the name implies, light weight! Don't like the fact that it doesn't simmer. I've heard newer model does simmer.

I have also used a zip (wood-burning) stove. Like it for its light weight and ability to ward off mosquitos while cooking. Down-sides are the sooty pot it creates, longer time to cook meal and problems when all the wood around you is wet.

I used a Coleman dual-fuel (fondly call it the iron pig) on the pct for awhile too. Plusses: can use unleaded gas which is easy to get at resupply locations usually. Simmers well. Very reliable. Minuses: heavy, as my nickname implies.

Cliff Hardin - I use a Whisperlite Shaker Stove that burns Coleman fuel only. It is an easy stove to use and will boil 25-30 quarts of water with a pint of fuel. It is small enough to fit into my cook pot. I will probable upgrade to the Whisperlite International, that will use most any type fuel, as sometime it is hard to get Coleman fuel on the trail.

Daniel Fleischer - For my 1994 PCT thru hike, I used an MSR Wisperlite. Advantages: Heats water quickly; fuel available in large towns; at about a pound, it weighs less than other white gas stoves, white gas is cheap.

Disadvantages: Clogs/malfunctions continuously; noisy; white gas is a nasty fuel (dirty/smelly); white gas available only in large towns; at about a pound, it is heavier than other types of stoves; can't mail yourself fuel.

For my 2000 CDT thru hike I used a Snowpeak butane/isobutane stove.

Advantages: clean burning fuel; lighter and more compact than white gas stoves; can mail fuel using USPS ground; heats water quickly.

Disadvantages: more expensive than white gas fuel difficult to find in towns; noisy; pressurized metal container difficult to dispose of; o-rings wear out quickly.

Now I use a homemade denatured alcohol stove made out of pop cans.

Advantages: at 1 oz., it weighs far less than any other stove; very clean burning; quiet; fuel readily available in many towns; can mail yourself fuel; no moving parts to break; both stove and fuel are very inexpensive.

Disadvantages: heats water less quickly than other stoves; in winter conditions, it could be difficult to bring water to a boil; not practical for multi-person cooking.

I have also used hexamine solid fuel tablets which I would not recommend to anyone as they release toxic smoke as they burn, and heat water less efficiently than any of these types of stoves.

Dave Cobb - Lately I've been using a homemade marine fuel stove, with back up tablets. The good point is that it's lightweight and compact, the bad is that it needs more pressure.

Dave Fleischman - I used to use a whisperlite but was quite disappointed with the weight and performance at high altitude. I have lately switched over to an alcohol stove of the home-made soda can variety. I have tested this stove under many conditions and am very pleased with the quick boil times , ease of use and extreme light weight. i highly recommend this stove for long - distance hikers because fuel ( alcohol ) is readily available in town and is very economical.

David Patterson - I have used a Svea 123R model stove without any difficulties for over 10,000 miles backpacking. The stove has only one working part and is easily cleaned. It burns white gas and does actually simmer. The only disadvantage is having to prime it. Also, it's a little heavier than some of the newer stoves on the market.

Currently (I'm on the PCT) I am using a titanium Primus (canister) stove. It weighs a mere 3 oz.. The advantage is that it is fast, light, and convenient. The only disadvantage is the canisters...waste and cost.

IMO, the home-made alcohol stoves are not a true savings in weight due to the quantity of alcohol carried. In part that is a fuel availability issue. Nevertheless the liquid fuel adds considerably more weight than what's saved from the stove. Overall it's a matter of personal preference, convenience, and comfort.

Dee Kenville - I have used an esbit stove now for 3 seasons and love it! No empty fuel bottles or canisters to cart around. Quick and efficient enuf boil time for me. The only gripe was it was hard to light the cube, but we have discovered a fool proof method. You lay a long head stormproof match next to the cube in the stove, and light that with a regular match. The stormproof match lights long enuf to get the cube going...no worries about malfunctioning lighters or burnt fingers. Will probably never go back to conventional stove. I did love mine, but it has been relegated to car camping, power outages etc. The old stove is a titanium primus canister stove with a built in windscreen. Awesome stove at only 3 ozs. If for some reason fuel cubes became unavailable I wouldn't hesitate to use the primus again.

Del "Howler" Zander - I did not carry a stove because it reduced my pack weight, eliminated the fuss and muss of meal preparation, cooking, cleaning and packing; and I REALLY enjoyed the luxury of two meals a day in bed!

Ed Knapton - My first stove was a wisperlite shaker AKA the flame thrower.... So I switched to a alcohol home made. (the tuna cans) I had great luck with it all last year on the PCT and I will only use the other one climbing. The best part of this stove is that fuel is not that hard to come by all you need is a hardware store of a gas station. Fuel line antifreeze I think works the best, then it would be denatured aclohol. The only down side to this stove is you can't shut it off and sometimes 1oz. of fuel isn't enough to cook your whole meal on so you have to let the first batch go out before adding more.

Fannypack96 - What type of stove do you use (or no stove)? coke can. What type of fuel? denatured alcohol or gasline antifreeze. What are some of the good points of this stove, and what are some of the problems? good pts: light, compact, easy to setup problems:??? none that o know of

Christy -

1. Old Whisperlite (ca. 1992)
2. White gas
3. Reliable, lightweight but tends to clog (this is probably due to age).

George Holder - I am highly opinionated. If this bothers you, don't read on!

I never cook over a fire when backpacking. It takes too long, is messy and smelly, leaves an ugly spot and cuts me off from the night.

Colin Fletcher said it is easier to get some people to change their religion than it is to get them to change their backpacking stoves. I am a case on point.

Many years ago I got an MSR XGK which I discovered was very noisy. I also worried about bending and breaking the inflexible fuel line while carrying it in my pack. So I bought a pre-shaker jet Whisperlite. It was much quieter and seems to boil water in about the same amount of time (although I never timed it). It has been on many weekend and week long trips as well as the length of the At and the PCT. I frequently wipe the soot off of the exterior but I believe I've disassembled and cleaned it only about six times and several of those times were only to show others how to do it. I always use Coleman fuel or equivalent (white gas). I don't use any additives. White gas is highly refined with a lot of the dirty stuff taken out. Why dirty the gas up again with carburetor cleaner or similar additives that won't help? In every instance where I've heard people were complaining about this stove, it was operator error, either using other than white gas, using additives or failure to read and heed the directions. I carried it in the two quart stainless steel pot in which I cooked and always won bets that I could get the pot to simmer even when the other bettor defined what "simmer" was (this did require a lot of attention and fine adjustments). When I switched to a smaller titanium pot I could no longer always win the bet and realized that the larger pot absorbed and dissipated more of the heat from the stove.

In simple, unscientific tests on a mild day with little wind on my covered patio, I found that using the heat reflector and wind shield got one quart of water to boil about 15-20 percent faster than using neither. I keep the wind shield wrapped around the fuel bottle when not in use. The heat reflector in folded in fourths and kept with the stove in the pot. When either get wrinkled, I smooth them out by placing them on a smooth hard surface and rub the wrinkles out with the back of a spoon. When they get caked with cooked on food, I steel wool them to keep them shiny and reflecting.

In further simple unscientific tests, I found that spraying the bottom and lower side of my pot with flat black stove paint improved heat absorption and hastened boil times about another 10 percent.

No matter how foul the weather (rain snow, sleet), the only time the stove failed me was when a part of the pump worked loose and got lost. Now I cover the pump and top of the fuel bottle with a thin sheet of plastic held tight on the neck of the fuel bottle with a rubber band so nothing can get lost and dirt is kept out of the hole in which the fuel line is inserted.

My old stove is now completely dependable and I'm not even thinking of changing to a newer one.

Switchback - I use the Ebits fuel tablets and stove. Really neat product. One tablet lasts about 12 minutes (?). Long enough to cook anything I bring in my small titanium cooking pot. Also, good for one Jiffy Pop popcorn serving. One idea that will be a help in lightning the tablets. I use REI storm matches, but I light them with a small butane lighter (I find the scratch pad on box sucks). Lay the burning match on the fuel tablet and it gets it going fine. What a simple system for solo meals. I guess you would use two tablets for a larger cooking pot. Very light weight; three tablets = 1.5 oz., stove = 3.0 oz. By the way, you can set the stove in two cooking height positions. I only cook in the evenings, so this is a very good system for me.

Andy Basque - We stand by our faithful Whisperlite Internationale. It burns any kind of flammable liquid, it seems, and so we are not always hunting down white gas or Coleman fuel in small towns. We have used gasoline, kerosene as well as white gas. We have gotten to the point where we can make it simmer, with some care and attention. The only time we have ever had any trouble is when mountain bike touring with it - the bouncing around it received in the gear trailer caused some parts to shake loose and we had a cold dinner one night before figuring out what the problem was. We mainly use it for heating stuff up, but do some cooking, too. The shaker jet is the greatest invention ever and a huge improvement over the earliest Whisperlite's. While it is not the very lightest stove, it is reliable and consistent, easy to use and light enough for us.

Jeff Budd I used a Hank Roberts stove that I purchased thru Only The Lightest out side of Portland Oregon. It used a butane canister for fuel and the entire stove and fuel was under 1 lb. Good points are it is light, easy to use, takes up little space, and is effective at bring water to a boil along the entire PCT. The only problem I had was the aperture clogging up and me losing the little bristle to clean it, altho a tooth brush bristle worked fine. I did eventually replace the first stove with a 2nd about 1/2 way thru the trip.I would recommend it for sure, and I think Steve, who owns Only The Lightest, says they have a lighter version now, as I did the PCT in 94.

Jeff Schaffer - I've used Bluet stoves for about 30 years, perhaps more. Sometimes I backpack with 2 of them, a luxury, so that I have, in effect, a 2-burner stove. Mostly, I carry just one, although when I travel light, I don't carry a stove or pots or other cooking gear. I still like my instant coffee in the morning, but either chew it (some folks eat coffee beans raw) or mix it in with cereal. I suppose that if coffee weren't so important to me, I would not carry a stove at all, since I can live with cold meals.

What are the good points of the stove? I've never had a stove fail me. You can drop them and otherwise mishandle them, and they do not break. I finally replaced both of my stoves last year, after about 30 years of use. The new Bluet models are more efficient.

Bad points? Well, as the cartridge gets near empty, the heat output drops considerably. However, I've never felt this to be a problem. The water still heated to a boil, just took a few minutes longer. I suppose that in very cold temperatures the heat output also would be lower, but I don't do winter backpacking.

But to each, his/her own. Use what you like.

Ginny Owen - We use a MSR Whisperlight International with either white gas or regular gas, depending on where we're hiking. I've used one for 13 years and 4 thruhikes. It is reliable, quick, easy to use and we can get fuel anywhere. One 22 oz bottle of white gas will last us 10 days, with careful use.We considered switching to an alcohol stove, but cooking for two, and especially since we do multiple course (soup, pasta and hot chocolate) it just seemed too slow and I kept having to refill it.

John Hussey - While I am not that experienced a backpacker, I have done some experiments on tents, stoves, etc., in an attempt to determine what would suit my purposes better. Below is a pasting of my stove notes. In order to be completely accurate I would have to take each stove-Esbit, Trangia and Dragonfly-and do separate burns of each at my altitude, instead of a long continuous burn. The weights are in portions of pounds as I have a calibrated scale accurate to 1/100 of a pound. I am backpacking the Weiminuche Wilderness in Colorado with my son August 1st through 15th and intend on experimenting more then. Since 2 of us are going I will take the Dragonfly as main stove plus the trangia and some alcohol as I want to see how it performs at 11,000-13,000 feet. I want have the scale with me, but I can still time the burn for the 4 ounces and use it for cooking before we start the trip. I have about 2 days lounging at 11,500 feet getting adjusted to the altitude, since I live at 26 feet, so I will have plenty of time.

Dave Kessler - I like the idea of topics so we can share ideas. I use a Primus Gas stove and it weighs 6 oz. It has some problems in cold weather but has never failed on a trip. Buy the gas canisters as I go along. I do enjoy a hot cooked meal at the end of the day. Have had problems with the Grasshopper white gas stove made by MSR and had to return two of them so gave up on that model. The original MSR white gas stove lasted for 15 years.

Wandering Bob Bankhead - Fuels First:

White gas: Basically unleaded gasoline without all the additives.

• easy to obtain at/near trailheads
• spills evaporate quickly
• high BTU output per volume
• you only have to look to see how much fuel you have left
• explosive vapors
• colorless - looks like water
• toxic if consumed so protect your food
• spare fuel is best carried outside your pack
• can not be (legally) mailed, UPS'd, or carried on aircraft

Kerosene: I've never used it but am told.....

• hard to obtain at/near trailheads except outside USA
• spills evaporate very slowly
• strong odor
• toxic if consumed
• Vapors are flammable but not explosive and the liquid will not burn
• Won't burn in white gas stoves without special jets

Unleaded gasoline: Again, I've never used........

• Used primarily when white gas is not available
• Will burn in most white gas stoves but with difficulty
• Quickly plugs fuel jets with heavy residue
• Readily available at/near trailheads
• toxic if consumed
• explosive vapors
• can not be legally mailed, UPS'd or carried on aircraft

Propane/butane cylinders:

• instant on/off - no priming needed
• burns clean - no residues
• larger canisters make for a very stable base
• can be difficult to find at/near trailheads
• not all cylinders have the same threading
• disposal problem with empty cylinders
• must be warmed before using in cold weather
• you can't tell how much fuel is left so you need to know how many quarts you can boil per canister size.
• one bad self-sealing seal and your fuel escapes when stove is removed
• can not be (legally) mailed, UPS'd, or carried on aircraft
• Vapor is heavier than air and can "flow" downhill from leaky cylinder, forming a potential explosion if it finds an ignition source. One Scout tent exploded into a ball of fire this way when a campfire ignited the vapor trail down to the tent.

Wood or other natural materials: (ZIP stove, not campfire)

• most readily abundant fuel of all
• smoke can keep away mosquitoes and flies
• need to watch wind direction to avoid smoke in face
• ashes to dipose of later

I started with a Coleman Peak 1 burning white gas.

Good points:

1. excellent flame adjustability
2. very stable on its 3 folding legs
3. handles large (2-3 qt) pots easily
4. reliable at all altitudes and temperatures

Detractors:

1. leaks dangerously if fittings aren't maintained tight
2. refueling before dinner is done is very dangerous since fuel cap is right below the hot burner (yes, stove must be off for this trick).
3. bulky to pack and heavy when fueled
4. Explosion hazard if you wrap a windscreen completely around the stove
5. must be primed during cold weather - paste or fuel - to heat generator tube
6. pump maintenance is an issue

I switched to an MSR Whisperlite burning white gas

Good points:

1. collapsible so it takes less space
2. separate fuel bottle so weight can be split between hikers
3. windscreen can go completely around stove due to remote fuel bottle
4. Remote bottle can be easily refilled during cooking (stove off 1st)
5. reliable at all altitudes and temperatures

Detractors:

1. see 5 and 6 above
2. flame control is not as good as with the Peak 1
3. jets must be kept clean to avoid sputtering
4. pot stability is an issue, especially if legs are not fully locked

I currently use a Coleman Peak 1 collapsible mini-stove burning propane/butane

Good points:

1. Very small, light weight, and easy to pack - fits inside my little cookpot
2. electric ignition is nice when windy
3. excellent flame and temperature control
4. no priming needed ever

Detractors:

1. electric ignition can fail so carry matches
2. opening the gas valve too much blows out the spark from the igniter
3. damage the threads and your canister won't go back on
4. small size means it can be overlooked when packing to move on (not the stove's fault)

Briefly tried a ZIP stove but didn't like it

Good points:

1. no fuel problems - it burns anything (twigs, pinecones,paper, clothes)
2. light weight
3. best stability of all stoves, given reasonable pot diameter

Detractors:

1. fan runs on battery so you need a spare
2. very slow to boil water
3. bulky

Ed: For many years I have just been using fuel tables while on the trail--no stove. I find a small, flat rock and put it down. Then, I add three or four taller rocks around the edges. I put the fuel tablet(s) in the middle and rest my Sierra Cup with a lid on top. That arrangement heats up enough water for me. When I finish I scatter the rocks and leave no trace.

Peter - On my 260 miles on the PCT, most of the time I've used a tuna can stove(similar to the design that appeared in either the PCT bulletin or ours),but because I have limited motor skills, I've switched to a Primus titanium cartridge stove. It's a joy to use, though I have reservations about its environmental consequences. And it's hard to guage (sp?) how much fuel one should carry.

Rick Howard - Primus Vari-Fuel stove. It burns white gas, kerosene,or gasoline. It has the excellent flameholder featureof the tried-and-true Svea 123; it does _not_ flare up like the Whisperlite upon lighting; it has a grippy potholder. It stays relatively clean. I have had no problems. It is not any lighter than other typical stoves.

Roberta Cobb - I use a home-made alcohol stove, much more simple than the pop can stoves but it works. Mine's just a pop-top tuna can, with some pink insulation stuck inside. Three tent stakes form the stove support. All I need to do is boil water, which this stove does perfectly. It's quiet; it's maintenance-free. If you include setup time, it seems the alcohol stove will beat a Whisperlite in bringing water to a boil. It would be very difficult for me to go back to the WhisperLite (which I used for years).

Chuck Chelin - Concerning stoves, on short trips I do not need a stove because prepared food eaten cold is OK, however on those short trips I often take a stove anyway because weight is not a big concern. On longer trips I like to have a hot breakfast and dinner, but I want minimum weight, mess, and clean up.

If I think I really must cook something I carry an old Svea 123, but that is seldom anymore. The old '123 is always a fiddle-project to get running, and the most significant aspect of it, besides its unregulated blow-torch heat, is its noise: The welcome roar when the damn thing actually starts, then the blissfully welcome quiet when it is finally shut down.

Currently I use a stove I made for solid fuel tablets out of a short, fat yam can as shown on the attached graphic file. My only cooking pot is a stainless steel "Rocky" cup that is similar to the "Sierra" cup except the "Rocky" does not have the ridiculous sloped sides of the "Sierra", and is smaller in diameter. The size of the stove can was dictated by the necessity that the "Rocky" cup rim fit inside of the can rim diameter.

To provide an edge upon which the cup rim sits it is necessary to cut a hole in the end of the can leaving about 0.2" all around which is then trimmed to fit the cup diameter just below the rim. The space without punched holes above the larger air inlet hole is where the handle of the cup is located to keep it relatively cool. I use a light stainless steel spoon instead of the common Lexan spoon because flame comes up the side of the cup and out the punched holes and can melt plastic.

One fuel tablet will heat a cup of water to make coffee, hot chocolate, reconstitute instant soup, etc. If I want more than one serving I heat one, eat it, then heat another. Anyone needing to cook macaroni & cheese or corn spaghetti should not use this kind of stove. Typically a meal requires 3 fuel tab segments, which weigh about the same as 3 TBS. of alcohol.

I pack matches and unused portions of fuel tablet in the bottom of the stove, then nest the cup in place inside the stove. It all fits into a snug rip-stop sack. Packing the cup in the stove saves space and provides some crush-resistance to the relatively thin open top of the stove.

The stove with its sack weighs 2.8 oz. The cup weighs 2.3 oz. The spoon weighs 0.8 oz. Each fuel tab weighs 0.34 oz.

Points in favor of this stove are:

• Light weight
• Inexpensive
• No moving parts
• Lights at any altitude or temperature
• No fuel spills
• No liquid fuel sloshing in a container in the pack
• Solid fuel is mailable
• Minimal fuel container weight
• Fuel containers are disposable

Disadvantages of this stove are:

• One-cup-at-a-time cooking
• Fuel tablets are less readily available than stove gas or alcohol

I am pleased with the stove I made, but some serious and experienced people use the little Cat Stove so I will give it a try. It is from: http://homestead.juno.com/roy.robinson/Cat_Stove.html

Sierracamp - Lately, I've been using the Esbit tablets and the compact folding metal case. The chemical tablets are simple and lightweight. However, it's not well suited for "cooking" because there is no control for heat output and windy conditions can be too hard to keep the tablet lit. It works fine for heating a pint of water to a light boil. I think it's better than no stove at all.

Tom Magee - In the past I used a ZIP stove. I really enjoyed it, because I did not have to carry fuel. I would just gather little pieces of wood as I hiked during the day.

Last September when I did the Wonderland Trail, I did not carry a stove. I wanted to reduece weight more. I found that when I arrived in the evening to camp, I was not hungry enough to fix a dinner. I usually had to carry out the leftovers. So, I did not take a stove, and I just ate all day long. In the end, I might not have really saved pounds in my pack, but I did have a variety of things to eat during the day.

Andrew Wheeler - Have consistently used the Peak International Stove--it is quite light, easy to use, and takes either unleaded gas or white gas, which is a plus. The stove is also quite easy to clean as well.

Eric "Sky Pilot" Warner - I use an alcohol stove homemade form aluminum cans. No other stove that I know of weighs so little and yet performs so well. I have shelled out big bucks for the commercially manufactured white gas/multifuel and butane/propane canister models that are in my closet. Now for a few dollars I can fabricate several of these stoves for replacement and to share with friends. I'm grateful to the year 2000 PCT hikers that taught me how to make these from recycled soda or beer cans especially since they don't burn fossil fuel.

I usually burn denatured alcohol solvent found in the refinishing dept. at home building supply or hardware stores. I've also used 'fuel line antifreeze' from auto supply stores or even service stations. I once use 'air line anitfreeze' contributed by a Washington hiway worker (trail angel). 70% rubbing alcohol works in a pinch and I'm planning to try burning some high proof liquor soon.

The trailside availability of these fuels is not too bad and you can even ship them in your resupply parcels (surface only, check regulations). I carry my fuel in ultralite, recycled plastic drink bottles which I label carefully so as not to pickle or poison myself or some innocent soul.

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