Stoves

There are a wide range of stoves on the market and this article will lay out briefly the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Solid Fuel Stoves

These use hexamine and are cheap, light and compact. They are excellent as a foolproof emergency backup but not recommended for everyday cooking.

Gas Stoves

These use butane/isobutane/propane or a combination. They come in a sealed cartridge and are quiet, clean, light and easy to use. Butane boils at ~0C, propane at -40C. Butane is thus more affected by low temperatures so blends exist for use in cold weather. Gas stoves are ideal when weight is a concern.

The penetration-type cartridges are less convenient than the screw-on cartridge. Ultralight gas burners have the canister screwing straight to the burner but stability may be a problem.

Some gas burners come with a flexible pipe connection so that the burner is closer to the ground making it more stable. However you need to take care to inspect the flexible tube fairly regularly to ensure it and its joints are secure and not leaking. Other burners have a rigid pipe connection giving it the best overall stability but making it hard to pack without damage. Gas canisters are fairly expensive and pose a disposal problem.

Liquid fuels

Shellite (white spirit) is a clean, efficient and cheap fuel to use but is highly flammable and should be handled with extreme care. Also, it can be harmful to fabric proofing if spilt. All shellite stoves require either pre-heating or pressurising. The ones with a pressure pump attachment are safer. The fuel tank should only be 2/3 filled.

Preheating involves burning some fuel round the burner of the stove so that the shellite reaches the burner as a vapour. Shellite stoves are quite noisy and heavier than gas stoves.

Kerosene is a safer fuel than shellite but leaves a long lingering smell if spilt. It needs a separate fuel such as metho or lighting paste to light the stove initially (unless it has a built-in wick). Useful if you're trekking in third world countries, where kerosene is more readily available than petrol.

Methylated Spirits stoves are convenient, less volatile and dry without a smell or taste when spilt. They burn with a long, sometimes invisible flame. The heat output is only about 1/2 that of other fuels. They require a wind barrier to work more efficiently and to concentrate the heat round the billy. No preheating or pressurising is necessary and they are among the safest to use. The Swedish-made Trangia comes with a combined windshield, pot and stand. Metho can burn with a smoky flame which can blacken your pots but adding water (about 10%) will help to decrease this.

Multifuel Stoves

These are able to use a variety of fuels including petrol, shellite, kerosene or methylated spirits. However they are expensive and more complicated to use. Richard

(Disclosure. I’ve used hexamine, gas and shellite stoves and an MSR but would dearly love to own a Trangia.)

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