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Camping stoves for backpackers, gas, meths or even solid fuel?

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Of the backpackers here (I know we have a few) what sort of stove do you use, and why?

 

Since providing my own gear I've used small gas stoves much like this one: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/coleman-f1-spirit-camping-stove-p118556

 

I have some limited experience with Trangia style meths burners but they seem quite bulky in comparison to the small gas burners.

 

Reading a piece on lightweight meths stoves I wondered which you prefer.... ?

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Do you end up using yours much?

I always wish I could fit a stove into the backpack, it must be nice to just pull it out and be able to cook your own meals where ever you are.

Sorry for the lack of help here.

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I use it every evening for supper and in the morning for breakfast. Best way to end a day with a warm mean on the hills before crawling into bag/tent. Same with mornings, a warm breakfast gets you going better than cold.

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I use it every evening for supper and in the morning for breakfast. Best way to end a day with a warm mean on the hills before crawling into bag/tent. Same with mornings, a warm breakfast gets you going better than cold.

 

That sounds so idyllic, where have you been recently?

Looking at reviews it looks like people tend to prefer the gas stoves for ease of use.

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I've got a trangia meths burner, tbh I sometimes wish I'd got a gas stove like a pocket rocket for the weight.

 

That said, they pack away really neatly (when you consider you get 2 pans, frying pan and sometimes a kettle as well as the burner. 500ml meths will last a week or so making ideal for proper trekking. You'd struggle to get a gas bottle in some/most places in africa, but the trangia stove will run off any liquid fuels.

 

We really enjoyed having hot super noodles for lunch doing the c2c a couple of years back, the trangia will cope very well with a variety of weather conditions which can't be said for all the gas burners. I often take my trangia on camping trips and to use for lunch on day walks.

 

EDIT: Oh and you can get a gas converter for the trangia too, never seen one in action though, not sure what the point would be.

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I purchased a chinese made low level remote gas burner direct from china on ebay for less than a quarter of the price of the equivilant from the local camping stores. Folded for travel its only slightly larger than a 20 pack of cigarettes and feather light.

 

for gas cylinders i use the wicks plumbers blowlamp cartridges, they have the same gas content and threaded fitting as the camping shop cartridges but are about 2/3rds the price.

 

cooking with the meths burners is problematic, you either run out of meths before the meal is cooked or find that regulating the flame with the flip over cap is too difficult to set up correctly to get a good simmer.

 

last resort is the ESBIT cooker, but most campsites regard these as mini BBQ's and dont allow them.

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I currently use a MSR Pocket Rocket Stove but have had it for a while, nothing wrong but I think it will be the next piece of equipment I upgrade.

I have just bought a Satmap and love it, wouldn’t go walking without now. (I still carry the good old map and compass as well as a backup)

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I have a Trangia that is inherited, and has been around since the sixties or even earlier. I've replaced the burner, but apart from that it's indestructable and never malfunctions. It's fuel economy is excellent and meths is available all over the place. I often take it out on single days to make tea & bacon sandwiches in the field. There is a knack to using them, though - but the complete lack of moving parts is a big bonus in my view.

 

Having said that, I quite like the look of the the Evernew titanium multifuel (including wood) sets that weigh in at something like 200g with the meths burner and a mug! No frying pan though...

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I use a home made one of these, with a home made burner.

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What's wrong with a older mircowave?

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micro waves a might not get in my bag when I'm back packing through Britain.

 

Might get some weird looks taking a electrical cable up Ben Nevis as well

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