Hi, As one of your "Recent Members" I would like to ask for your ideas regarding the best backpacking stove. When I was young I used a Gerry Mini Stove that I still have and is in excellent condition. But regardless of the condition it does not work without the fuel canisters that are no longer available. I also have a Coleman 400 Peak 1 that I just fired up and it works great. But it seems that this stove may be too bulky and heavy for a 5 day 60 mile hike. So I thought that I would buy an MSR WhisperLite International and maybe a small MSR stove that mounts on a canister. What do you think? Thanks
When you are measuring weight as part of judging what is the best backpacking stove, don't forget to include the weight of the fuel bottle and projected fuel use. In my opinion, stove must not only be light, but use very little fuel, and preferably not use a specialized container, ymmv. My little svea 123 fits the bill for me. Stan
Welcome jsclarkk, it really depends on your choice of fuel and needs. I find the MSR whisperlite to be adequate for my needs without breaking the bank. If it is just for boiling water the canister type stove preferably the Primus ETA with piezo would do well but if you really want to dive into fast boiling - go with the MSR Reactor. The Reactor though is not designed for cooking. You will probably get more responses from other members. Just my 2 cents worth. Ron
Svea 123R and Optimus 8R are two of the more popular white gas stoves for going walkabout, never dealt with the MSR units, but there's no love here for them, either. Upside of the 123R or 8R is there's nothing to assemble or lose, just open 'em up, light them up to preheat for a minute or three, and cook! I've a pair of Primus 2260 Grasshopper stoves here, too, if one were tempted to go with a propane stove. I'll wager many here would consider it too heavy to be a decent backpacking stove, however. To each their own, Murph
Hey jsclarkk, keep on reading, lotsa opinions on what to get as far as backpacking stoves are concerned.....in the end its your choice after you stop reeling from the numerous suggestions to come Ron
Great comments! I remember the svea 123 from back in my scouting days... The 8r as shown on Youtube seems to resemble the characteristics of a blow torch and does not appear to be manufactured anymore. I guess the optimal backpacking stove would be light in weight, small in size, and efficient in its fuel consumption.
It seems to be a bit of an American obsession, but if you really want something simple, solid, and lightweight, try an alcohol stove. This is a fast and easy design: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html I find the alcohol stoves kind of annoying, but have used them for boiling water. They're hard to cook with, but don't tell an alcohol stove devotee that. They'll find you a recipe for peach cobbler or pizza over alcohol stove to make the point. I just don't have the patience for it. Plus, I like complicated things and these stoves don't have enough moving parts for me. They work though.
Many love the alcohol stoves. My go to stove until I learn more about the simple alky stoves is the MSR Pocket Rocket. What little cooking I do, for a total of 11 oz. I can heat evening water for eight nights. Stove is 3 oz, small MSR canister 8 oz. YMMV Duane
Problem is there is no "best". If you liked the Gerry Mini stove and it worked for you, then there are many small canister stoves that should serve your needs well. Read some more and you will note advantages and disadvantages of every stove type and make. One advantage of starting with the canister stove is that they are the least expensive and even if you decide to get something bigger and meaner later on, it remains a good choice for solo trips in good weather.
The issue being "best", not "very good", the answer is the Svea 123 (with Sigg) and Optimus 00, working as a pair:
Personally I'm a big fan of the "KISS" philosophy (Keep It Simple Stupid) especially when going out in the wilderness for more than 2 days. That's why I swear by an alchool/meth stove when doing such a trip. I love my Trangia and won't be without it. Two bottles of meths gives me more than enough heat for even a 5 day trip. I like that there are very few parts and therefore very little that can go wrong. But that's my 2c, take it as you will. The only thing that really matters is what works for you.
Yet another opinion. If you are english, Ledmark do a cracking trangia type knock off for sweeties. Yes it's alky powered but it's also a complete cook set (quite a good one at that), silent and less concerned about cross wind than most unprotected stoves. Here's a REVIEW on it. I have the Optimus version that is near enough identical, I use it as much as the rest put together. Ditch the burner for a proper Trangia one with WORKING simmer ring for a very usable rig that will quickly grow on you. I have used airline single serve spirit bottles to carry meths, they fit inside for a fully self contained unit. The smallest screw top coke bottle will see you over a w/e easily. As the lads have already said, the 123 both rocks and rolls, the 8r is perennial if not my favorite (this is personal taste, no indictment on the stove itself), tho if you have a taste for the oldies and are willing to carry just a small amount more weight, how about a 96?
I've never liked the 96s (or the Monitor 17B) as hiking stoves, because they have so many parts that can be lost in the backcountry. I haven't counted for a long time, but I think it was 9. Of course, the 00 and the other 1-pinters have loose parts too, but not quite as many....
#1 (Primus 71, SVEA 123 or 123(R)) placing any of these in an Edelweiss or SIGG kit is the only thing that can improve them. Fuel is easy to find and reliability is top notch. Other members may see these as totally differant but I personally tend to give them as a group equal billing. #2 Radius 20, Primus/Optimus No.96 sized Kero/Paraffin burners #3 Primus 210 & Optimus 00 sized stoves I have MANY others but these are the "go to guys" AR
When I think of backpacking stoves myself, it reflects my personal history, in which CCS has played a major role. As I've said now and then over the years, when I backpacked in the early/mid 1960s in Scouts, we didn't use stoves. The Optimus 45 I got in 1962 was unique in my gang. I went on a 50-miler with it one summer as a backpacking stove! I was married in 1967, had a bunch of kids, and although we car camped and day hiked countless times, including expeditions to the Rockies, the Bitteroots and other non-Cascade places over the years, I never again backpacked, until 4 summers ago. So I was a Coleman suitcase user exclusively (liquid fuel, I hasten to add!). So I went from a Trapper Nelson pack to an REI internal frame with nothing in between. Same with tents. Never used the stoves of the 70s-00s; never used a Gaz or other gassie, never an MSR or other fuel bottle/tank stove. Thus while I use modern packs, tents, boots, and sleeping bags, for backpacking I use only brassies in the stove department. On that one thing, my mind is fixed firmly in the distant past! I might think to use a Trangia sometime (need to buy one first), but that's as modern as I'm likely to get....
Greetings, JSClarkk, Welcome to CCS, Sir!! Our very first backpacking stove was a Coleman Model 400 Peak 1!! We have backpacked that stove all over the Sierra, down into the Mojave, and even used it on canoe trips up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in Minnesota! It's never let us down, and whilst it's certainly not as lightweight as many of the other stoves on the market, it can do every single thing that you might want to do on a fine backpacking trip!! It's powerful, easy to light, and simmers like a champ. Put it into a wonderful Sigg Tourist Kit, made for the Peak 1, and you have a stove that won't let you down, and will earn your trust for many, many years! Ours is STILL working like a champ, even after all these years!! So, don't be afraid to keep using that wonderful stove, if you like it, and it works for you. Otherwise, as you have seen already, there are PLENTY of other stoves that can fill the bill for you, and all you have to do is seek them out, buy them, and give them a try!! That way, you will KNOW which ones work for your purposes, and which ones don't. Good luck, have fun, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
jsclarkk, Since you are in Farmington you might want to check around with some of the gear retailers in your area like Kirkham's to see if they rent stoves or have returns that somebody didn't want. I could offer my own opinions but that means nothing when it comes to what you are comfortable with and will use. Just remember to be safe and have fun!
