Stoves for the backcountry.

[GerminationStation]

My wife decided to make a video testing out various camp stoves. She did pretty good although sometimes her technique was lacking a bit. Also we were informed that she was setting up the Trangia improperly. If your interested in stoves like the Trangia, MSR Whisperlite, MSR Pocket Rocket, or the old Coleman 1 burner you might want to check it out.

4 Stoves For The Backcountry - YouTube

 

[Black_Fly]

I'm a firm believer in twig stoves. I carried a Dragonfly for a decade. Don't miss the bottles. A pocket rocket and my solo stove are all I need.

 

[stripperguy]

I switched to a Kelly Kettle 10 or 12 years ago
No moving parts, no carrying, spilling, running out of fuel.
Not legal where campfires are banned, but I don’t visit those places anyway.
surprisingly fast

 

[Canotrouge]

We do 95% of our cooking on fire using a CRCO fire box(older model, they changed them in the last year or so and they are not as good) the one we have a great for up to 6 people and I wouldn’t go any smaller but I would love to go lighter hahaha!
we also use different types of camps stoves from twigs of different types to Trangia to white gas etc.
the Kelly kettle type are great in all seasons but winter cause it sucks trying to fill that thing with snow lol!
but of course when we are back packing for sheep or caribou hunt, hard to beat the MSR pocket rocket, or even the jetboil stove!

 

[alsg]

How timely. I was just trying out my new Solo Stove and Pot 900 today (was an X-mas present). I didn't time it, but it brought 30 oz of water to a rolling boil with a handful of sticks none thicker than my little finger. I definitely see this as a great addition to my gear. Curious whether cook over their twig stoves or do you just use it to boil water for freeze-dried/dehydrated meals?

 

[Alan Gage]

Curious whether cook over their twig stoves or do you just use it to boil water for freeze-dried/dehydrated meals?

I've cooked over mine plenty of times. It's not the easiest thing but gets better with practice. Usually you'll want bigger pieces otherwise you burn super hot and then drop to nothing with no coals. Oftentimes I'll split short 4-6" rounds into chunks when I'm going to cook. Get a fire going with little sticks, feed it some bigger pieces and let them burn down to coals (coals is kind of a stretch but at least they don't go straight to ash) and then start cooking. I try to only feed big sticks/splits when cooking but sometimes the fire gets too low and a few little twigs will get it going good again. Sometimes it just gets away from you and you need to pull the pan for a minute or two, or else hold it up a little higher.

Alan

 

[Patrick Corry]

Thanks. I enjoyed the video. Most of my outdoor life I've used the Svea 123 & Sigg Tourist cook set, a French Bleuet gaz canister stove, or more recently a MSR Pocket Rocket 2. However, at the end of last season I bought a 180 stove:

https://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/180tack-stoves/180-tack-stove-2

I'm looking forward to trying this out in the upcoming season. Big enough for a large pot or frying pan, and to take substantially larger splits than a traditional "stick" stove. Easy access for shoving in fresh fuel too.

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

I’ll use an alcohol stove for coffee in the morning because it’s fast and easy and a twig stove or grill on an open fire for the rest. If it is rainy and tough to find dry wood I will fiddle with a twig stove at night under a tarp.

Bob

 

[Turtle2]

I use a super lite take apart titanium twig stove when going lite. i don't cook--i just boil water. A twig stove requires almost constant attention, so I cant multitask or daydream for long. When going heavier and feeling lazy,I bring my jetboil, but i don't like the noise. thanks for the idea, I may start bringing my alcohol stove for coffee.-Turtle

 

[Guest]

My backcountry “cooking” is 90% boiling water, and for that simple task a Jetboil has proven ideal.

As a backup, in case of Jetboil failure or running out of fuel, neither of which has yet happened, I bring a billypot. One that the Jetboil nestles inside.

https://www.canoetripping.net/forums...jet-boil-stove

And a Purcell Trench Grill. I can use the Trench grill to boil water over the fire in the billypot or, more rarely, actually cook something on the grill.

 

[Iskweo]

I have taken to using one of those little propane burners that screw onto the top of a one lb tank. Quick and easy in the morning or for coffee on the trail. Lights every time and you can control the heat easily. Packing the tanks in and out is a bit inconvenient but there is no mess or spillage.

I still love my two burner Coleman naptha stove but its getting to be a bit heavy these days, and is a pain to light when cold.

 

[Keeled Over]

Another Jetboil fan here. I hate cooking either at home or when camping. Jetboil for boiling and I bring that small metal pot from my Boy Scout mess kit with the plastic measuring cup inside as a back-up. Never had to rely on it.

Always amazed at how long those fuel canisters for the Jet Boil last.

 

[PeteStaehling]

I have used a lot of different stoves and still own quite a few. More of my usage has been for bicycle touring and backpacking than for canoe touring and that has influenced my preferences. A few of my favorites and why:

• Home made pop can alcohol stoves - lightest choice if only a few days of fuel needs to be carried (if more fuel needs to be carried more btu dense fuels start to be advantageous). These stoves are simple and I don't worry about the TSA confiscating them (if in doubt take a new one on the way to a trip), The whole deal. stand, burner, and wind screen weighs 1.4 ounces. I find it adequate for cooking for one or even (barely) two. It is not ok when there is a fire ban though. I burn readily available yellow bottle Heet gasoline de-icer or denatured alcohol from a hardware or paint store. This one is still my go to bicycle touring stove because I can easily fly with it and can buy fuel in 12 ounce bottle pretty much anywhere. I am less likely to take it on a canoe trip, but for a weekend or a few days solo it would be great.
• Pocket Rocket Iso butane canister stove - A light simple functional little stove. Works great, fine during fire bans, good for small groups.
• MSR Whisperlite International - A great universal multifuel stove. Burns a variety of fuels including gasoline. A modern workhorse.
• SVEA123 - A classic white gas stove. I gave up on it decades ago as old fashioned. Recently I rediscovered it and realized that it is still a great stove.

 

[pblanc]

I have used gasoline stoves in the past including MSR Whisperlite, the old Optimus 8R box stove, and the original Coleman Peak 1. Nowadays I generally just take a Jetboil MiniMo. For just boiling water to sterilize it, make tea or coffee, or rehydrate freeze-dried meals a Jetboil is very fast and efficient unless you are in very cold conditions or high altitude where an isobutane cannister just doesn't work that well. But I also have the Jetboil fry pan and with practice I can use it to cook sausage patties or links and eggs over easy, or even toast (sort of) bagels. The MiniMo has much better burner control and can simmer much more effectively than most of the Jetboil burners. But I have also an MSR Pocket Rocket that I sometimes bring along as a backup. I use the coffee press made for the Jetboil MiniMo to make coffee.

When camping, mostly canoe camping these days, I just don't care to take the time to mess around building fires and I really don't care for cleaning up smoke-blackened pans or pack them with my gear.

If I ever find myself preparing for an extended backwoods trip in which I did not want to carry a bunch of isobutane canisters (full or empty) I might look into a small Kelly Kettle like the Trekker or some similar biomass stove.

 

[Iskweo]

I am with you on the soot covered pans...I can really do without that. No matter how much you clean them, they get black all over everything, mostly me.

 

[Canotrouge]

Since I deal with wood, I always have gloves, all the pots and pan are stored in a “canvas” bag and that goes into our wanigan! The pots are cleaned only on the I side and basically stay black on the outside! Not a problem really! As for fire it is for us the easies, fastest and simplest way of cooking meals for 3-6 people!

 

[Patrick Corry]

With regard to the sooty pots & pans, for group campfire cooking in my youth we used to bring along a small supply of powdered soap which was then mixed in a cup with a small amount of water, making a paste. This paste was then applied with fingers to the outside of the pot or pan. If left near, but not on, the fire for a few minutes, it hardened up a bit and could then be put on the grate or directly on the fire. The soot collected mostly on the dried paste. At cleanup time one simply scrubbed the sooty paste and the vast majority of the soot came right off. Then a scrub with sand or grass, etc did the final cleanup. These days a small square of 3M scrub pad works but they aren't as hygienic as an organic scrubber and hot water rinse (in my opinion).

I always felt sorry for the poor SOB who got the coffee cup with detergent residue for his morning coffee or tea...

 

[scratchypants]

Cheap and simple fuel canister stoves from the evil empire: an Etekcity (orange box) and a BRS 3000 as a backup. Less than 50 Canadian pesos for the pair. Anything requiring more elaborate preparation happens over the campfire.

 

[recped]

Solo paddler mostly and since I usually am on a long trip it's mostly meal in a bag....

Go to stove for heating water...

MSR Reactor, ridiculously expensive, ridiculously easy, fast and reliable.



On occasion when I need to use a frying pan or a pot on simmer I switch to this sub $10 beauty.....

 

[Black_Fly]

How timely. I was just trying out my new Solo Stove and Pot 900 today (was an X-mas present). I didn't time it, but it brought 30 oz of water to a rolling boil with a handful of sticks none thicker than my little finger. I definitely see this as a great addition to my gear. Curious whether cook over their twig stoves or do you just use it to boil water for freeze-dried/dehydrated meals?

I boil, cook, simmer - all of it. It actually works better for cooking because you can feed it less and simmer. The black pots are an issue, but a scrubbie and a little water cleans it up well enough to keep it from being messy.