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Stove Basics
Gas or electric? Na... You just can't clean those halogen burners
outside yer know and boy are those Smeg hobs heavy. Nope, choosing a
stove is all about basics and it starts with the two most basic
questions of all:
What conditions is the stove going to be used in?
Altitude and extreme cold make different demands to, say, UK
summer backpacking. They'll also influence the importance of weight
and pack size.
What fuels are available locally?
If you're travelling to a remote area like Bolivia or Kazakhstan,
it may be impossible to obtain gas canisters or clean white gas, so
you'll probably be looking at one of the multi-fuel stoves.
Our Ten Key Points
1. Fuels: gas is clean and easy to use and mixes like the
Go Gas Iso-Butane Propane and Coleman's Max cartridges are far better
than previous attempts at low temperature burns, however airlines
won't carry gas. Kerosene (paraffin) and gasoline (petrol) are almost
always obtainable.
2. Maintenance: gas stoves need very little cleaning, the
same is true of refined white gas or 'Coleman Fuel', but dirty petrol
will clog burners rapidly - stoves don't burn hot enough to combust
all the additives - so look for an easily strippable system. MSR's
Shaker Jet system gives them the edge.
3. Burn Power: we test the time to boil one litre of water
in UK conditions, but at altitude pressurised stoves and propane do
best. Unfortunately propane needs big, heavy canisters and isn't
available in the UK.
4. Spares: if you're off on an expedition, you'll need a
spares kit to keep things burning. If you opt for an MSR, a spare
pressure pump is also an idea. They have been known to break.
5. Carrying: keep fuel and stoves away from clothes and
sleeping bags unless you want to be Johnny (or Joanna) Paraffin-Pong.
Use proper fuel bottles and carry Meths in plastic, not metal
containers.
6. Ignition: don't bother with matches. Carry two or three
disposable lighters instead.
7. The Kitchen: Don't cook inside your tent, use the bell
end or porch and try not to set fire to the fly sheet.
8. Wind: using a wind shield and putting a lid on your pot
will make a big difference to boiling times. Both MSR and Primus sell
an excellent foil, roll-up version that'll work with most stoves.
9. Solid Fuel: the absolute lightest stove / fuel
combinations are the sold fuel, semi-disposable types used by
hardened adventure racers and military hard men, but they're a little
Spartan for general use.
10. Snow Melting: on glaciers, if you have to melt snow,
always keep a little water in the bottom of the pan, new snow and ice
will melt more quickly. Honest.
Our Top Choices
In The UK
Gas is the obvious choice, clean, easily obtainable and
maintenance free. We like stoves with a separate burner like the Go
Gas Summit or Coleman Alpine stove for their added stability.
Coleman's MAX system works very well, but the cartridges are pricey
and less readily available.
When Travelling
It's got to be multi-fuel for us. If there's any chance you'll be
burning vehicle fuel, then it has to be the MSR XGK Expedition for
its proven reliability and easy maintenance. If you want the option
of burning gas as well, the Primus Himalaya is your boy. It's not as
light or quite as maintenance friendly as the XGK, but the gas option
makes it more versatile.
Used this product? Got any questions?
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on the left and follow the instructions. If you have questions you
can mail us direct, ask Richard Gear or try a posting to our gear
forum. It's your site.
