Stoves

Stoves have come a long way since people first started recreational backpacking, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to operate them! In fact, many of the newer stoves are as easy as using your stove at home. I've listed below some of the most popular types of stoves along with their strengths and weaknesses. 

Perhaps the easiest and safest stoves are those that use the butane/propane cartridges. If you are terrified of large flames and fear that you will set yourself on fire, this will probably be the best choice for you. These stoves can be lit without any priming or flame flare-up, such as you experience with the liquid-fuel stoves. The lightest and probably the easiest stove to use is the Gaz Twister 270 (shown below). It has a piezo lighter and is extremely easy to operate.

The following photos display the liquid-fuel stoves, and they are wonderful workhorses. They are a little more quirky, but very reliable and easy to maintain, and the fuel is internationally available. One of the things I prefer about this type of stove is the "refill ability" of it. There are no canisters to dispose of (which are not readily recyclable at this time), and you can fill the fuel bottle with as much or little fuel as you need for the trip. You are not able to do this with a canister. The down side of the liquid-fuel stove is that they are dirtier (they get sooty while using), and they are temperamental. For someone afraid of fire, this stove could give you an anxiety attack. You have to allow the flame to flare and heat the priming coil before the stove can be used with its nice, neat cooking flame.

Updated:  07/28/00