To stove or not to stove

[skinnbones]

For the thru hikers who decided not to tote a stove, any regrets? If you were to do it all over again, would you carry a stove the second time around? And... those who did carry a stove, to hike the trail again, would you consider leaving the stove behind?

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

I pondered this one and decided that at the end of a long, cold day of hiking, the thought of eating a cold something or other wasn't too appealing, especially a long, cold, wet day of hiking where a wood fire wouldn't be an option. But that's just me and while I don't expect all fun and games hiking the trail I do want as much comfort as I can reasonably carry on my back. Of course, the trail could prove me wrong on this point :-)

[Des]

I pondered this one and decided that at the end of a long, cold day of hiking, the thought of eating a cold something or other wasn't too appealing, especially a long, cold, wet day of hiking where a wood fire wouldn't be an option.

I had about the opposite feeling. At the end of a long, cold, wet day, the idea of fiddling with a stove at all just wasn't appealing. All I wanted to do was get in some dry camp clothes, jump in my bag and eat something while reading a chapter or two of a book before bed.

I started the hike with an alcohol stove, which, to be fair, took very little fiddling. As it got warmer and the number of snow encounters dropped to nil, I found I wasn't really using it, and dropped it from my gear.

[Des]

To be clear, I am not saying Lady is wrong on this, just that a lot of it really depends on your personality and feelings towards food and cooking.

[skinnbones]

Thanks for the response DES and Lady. I'm 99.9% sure I will not carry a stove.

[DocMahns]

I will, I like hot coffee too much

[Starchild]

2015 Lady Thru-Hiker (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?52702-2015-Lady-Thru-Hiker)[/COLOR]]I pondered this one and decided that at the end of a long, cold day of hiking, the thought of eating a cold something or other wasn't too appealing, especially a long, cold, wet day of hiking


I had about the opposite feeling. At the end of a long, cold, wet day, the idea of fiddling with a stove at all just wasn't appealing. All I wanted to do was get in some dry camp clothes, jump in my bag and eat something while reading a chapter or two of a book before bed.

These are the best 2 posts I have ever seen on this issue, and gets right down to it, what type of hike would you prefer?

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

I had about the opposite feeling. At the end of a long, cold, wet day, the idea of fiddling with a stove at all just wasn't appealing. All I wanted to do was get in some dry camp clothes, jump in my bag and eat something while reading a chapter or two of a book before bed.

I started the hike with an alcohol stove, which, to be fair, took very little fiddling. As it got warmer and the number of snow encounters dropped to nil, I found I wasn't really using it, and dropped it from my gear.

I totally respect that and have considered that I may come to the same conclusion. Or, that I may decide I don't want to fiddle with it once the weather warms up and send it home to be sent back to me up north when the weather gets cold again.

[Tuckahoe]

Hey Skinnbones, this topic has been covered many times and there are a number of forum members that have successfully hiked without a stove, Garlic08 especially being one of those. He's been there and done that, so to speak, so he can actually answer your questions.

In the mean time here is a thread from about a year ago with a number of links to other thread discussions that should give some prespective --

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?94331-Going-cookless&highlight=stoveless

[skinnbones]

Thanks Tuck. What I was really trying to find out was, if your thru hike involved a stove and if you were to hike the trail all over again, would you carry a stove again. Likewise if you didn't carry a stove. Thanks for the link.

[Kraken Skullz]

To stove. Warmth, hot food, water purification. Well worth it in my opinion. Everyone says that you want your items to multi-function, well there you go.

[Starchild]

To stove. Warmth, hot food, water purification. Well worth it in my opinion. Everyone says that you want your items to multi-function, well there you go.

Also a stove can be used to carry no water, no purification and no water bottle, which adds up to a nice weight savings - but requires snow. Using the jetboil I used this as my sole source of drinking water by melting snow anytime I got thirsty - drinking all and moving on. Now I didn't purify the water, just getting it up to the temp I wanted and drank, moved on. While fuel intensive it still was only one small canister. The method would most likely have worked better if I carried a small amount of water, such as 2 oz to help the snow start melting, but either way it worked and was lightweight for all it did.

There was additional weight savings because all the for cook food was freeze dried.

[ChinMusic]

Haven't used a stove on the trail in years. Never regretted it on my '13 thru.
I warmed up a few pieces of pizza on a campfire but I wouldn't have started the fire myself

[garlic08]

I've hiked the following trails without a stove: Half of the PCT, the CDT, the AT, the AZT, the PNT, and the WT. Needless to say, I'm committed to stoveless hiking. After trying half of the PCT with a stove and half without, I discovered that my hiking is better, overall, without.

Try it both ways and see. It's easy enough to "bounce" the cook kit ahead a week or two. You won't get hurt from that and you may learn something.

[takethisbread]

I did 3 months on the AT a few years back, and I used a stove. I am thru hiking this year going stove less . I like the no hassle approach


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[Sierra2015]

I like hot food... I can't imagine myself choosing to thru-hike without hot meals.

[bfayer]

I like hot food... I can't imagine myself choosing to thru-hike without hot meals.

Going without a stove on the AT only means going without hot meals for a couple of days at a time. Between town stops, hiker feeds, and overly sympathetic section hikers, you should not go without hot food often.

It's not an option I would take but others do it, and it works for them. Have you read "Becoming Odyssa"? I believe JPD dumped her stove pretty quickly on her first thru.

[Sierra2015]

Going without a stove on the AT only means going without hot meals for a couple of days at a time. Between town stops, hiker feeds, and overly sympathetic section hikers, you should not go without hot food often.

It's not an option I would take but others do it, and it works for them. Have you read "Becoming Odyssa"? I believe JPD dumped her stove pretty quickly on her first thru.
I really like hot food.... Only eating trail mix, jerky, and peanut butter between towns for five or six months doesn't sound the most appealing.

I haven't read it... I read a blurb saying she decided to thru-hike after her mother died. I'm not into grief books. Her reaching every summit and contemplating what her mother would think about the view... is touching, but also uncomfortable and too intimate.

[bfayer]

I haven't read it... I read a blurb saying she decided to thru-hike after her mother died. I'm not into grief books. Her reaching every summit and contemplating what her mother would think about the view... is touching, but also uncomfortable and too intimate.

No, She just graduated from college and really didn't know what to do with her life, so she took a walk. She was not a hiker, and had never backpacked before (although she loved the outdoors). Not much grief in the book at all (yes a little, but all good books do). It's actually very upbeat and inspirational. She is also member on here.

Sierra2015, this book was written for you. Push away from the keyboard and start reading. I think you will be more motivated and confident in your ability to complete your thru hike after you read the book.

[WingedMonkey]

For the thru hikers who decided not to tote a stove, any regrets? If you were to do it all over again, would you carry a stove the second time around? And... those who did carry a stove, to hike the trail again, would you consider leaving the stove behind?

Carried a stove, would carry one again. I like to cook.

Sometimes if I'm just out for three or four days I will go stove-less, especially in the summer.

[Starchild]

Haven't used a stove on the trail in years. Never regretted it on my '13 thru.
I warmed up a few pieces of pizza on a campfire but I wouldn't have started the fire myself

ChinMusic want to ask about your exceptions during your thru. Yes in trail towns, but what about on trail, yes you already admitted to the campfire pizza but I am asking to come clean with anything else.

I

[Sierra2015]

No, She just graduated from college and really didn't know what to do with her life, so she took a walk. She was not a hiker, and had never backpacked before (although she loved the outdoors). Not much grief in the book at all (yes a little, but all good books do). It's actually very upbeat and inspirational. She is also member on here.

Sierra2015, this book was written for you. Push away from the keyboard and start reading. I think you will be more motivated and confident in your ability to complete your thru hike after you read the book.
Oh! Looks like I confused it with Wild. Which is a PCT tale.

Alright, I'll order it. :p

[ChinMusic]

ChinMusic want to ask about your exceptions during your thru. Yes in trail towns, but what about on trail, yes you already admitted to the campfire pizza but I am asking to come clean with anything else.

I
Warmed a ham/cheese sandwich in a fire once. Had a few great trail-magic hot meals. And that great Yogi at Ethan Pond. I'll gladly take warm food if the opportunity presents.

[ChinMusic]

I really like hot food.... Only eating trail mix, jerky, and peanut butter between towns for five or six months doesn't sound the most appealing.
It's not that austere. There are plenty of threads where folks shared their favorites. I had great lunch meat/cheese often which I wouldn't trade for any of those dehydrated meals. It was good stuff. For day one you can carry pretty much what you want out of town. During cool weather I would carry 6 plane double cheeseburgers out of town. I had a refrigerator on my back.

[garlic08]

It's not that austere....

Yeah, I don't get it when people think you're "doing without." My cold meals are actually more satisfying than the warm, salty glop I used to prepare when I carried a stove, especially considering that there's no clean-up, no fuel resupply, instant meals on cold wet days while wrapped up in down insulation under shelter, etc.

Needless to say, I'm not a camp chef. For those who really enjoy preparing, eating, and cleaning up after camp meals, or enjoy lingering over morning coffee, stoveless is not the best way to go.

It was several weeks into my PCT hike (and most of the way through my fifth decade) that I met my first stoveless hiker and that got me thinking. I wish I'd even known it was an option years earlier. For some reason, I never thought of it on my own, and ate a lot of gooey junk needlessly.

[rocketsocks]

A while back someone made what I thought was a good point. When heating food we soften it, and for people with dental work this can be a consideration, so as long as were considering all things, it is another check in the "to stove" column.

[rafe]

I got to where evening tea was my favorite ritual of the day, maybe even more so than dinner glop. Tried going without a stove for a section or two and decided I missed it.

I seem to recall some remark from a certain trail sage that "If you've got to light a stove more than once a day you won't make it to Katahdin." So for the longest time I stuck to just a hot dinner (with tea of course) but no hot breakfast. Makes for a quicker departure in the AM, in any case.

[MikeD]

I would carry a stove again. I really enjoy one hot meal at the end of the day, or stopping for a break and sharing tea or cofee with fellow hikers. I am also comforted by a hot cup when its cold and rainy. Pot,stove,fuel, windscreen, spoon adds an extra pound but well worth it for me.

[squeezebox]

I'll carry a stove, and will do real cooking. I agree how gloppy instant oatmeal is. I'll have steak 1st night out of town, real oatmeal with dried fruit & honey, cheese grits, Knor soups, pastas, mac and cheese, often home made. etc. doesn't take much to clean 1 pot. Hot chocolate before bedtime.
And if I don't "finish" because I lit my stove too often, it's the journey that counts, not the mountain at the end.

[bamboo bob]

I think the weather has a lot to do with it. In cold months hot food is appreciated. After hiking in 95 degree humid heat a cold dinner is nice, I did the Florida Trail with no cooking on one trip and it was fine. In grizzly country cold food solves some problems too. I think March on the AT is cooking territory for sure.

[lonehiker]

What problems does cold food solve in grizzly country?

[saltysack]

I assume food scent while cooking?


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[daddytwosticks]

I have almost kicked the caffeine habit. Down to just one cup of hot coffee in the AM. I will probably try stoveless this summer. Will plan on lots of wraps using whole wheat tortillas and sub sandwiches comming out of town. :)

[saltysack]

Cold wraps esp whole wheat are awful ... I had a fuel issue on my last winter hike.. I couldn't choke down the wheat tortilla cold. I guess u could put in your shirt for a few miles but I decided to stick w gorp and a protein bar


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[lonehiker]

I assume food scent while cooking?

Food has scent cold or hot.

[MuddyWaters]

Im not hung up on a stove.
I so prefer having variety on a longer trip, and a stove contributes to that somewhat. You dont have to use it all the time.

[pyroman53]

I've been stove less for my last two trips. First thing was to get away from the idea of a meal. I just snack all day as appropriate for the level of exertion. At the end of the day I just set up my tent and sit down with my back against a tree and continue grazing on my food bag. I usually focus on protein in the evening and I save some special treats for evenings. While I haven't had any rain on these trips I can really see the benefit of not standing around a stove in the cold and rain. In essence I have 5-6 mini meals all day. Oh, and I have cold coffee (cream and sugar) and some dry granola for breakfast. I love the chocolate granola. I usually pack up and hike awhile before eating in order to warm up a bit. Find a good spot for "breakfast with a view". So far it's working for me. I carry a very light wood stove (trail name Pyro) in case I have a desire for some hot coffee or chocolate but so far I haven't used it. 3 ounces of extra weight I may drop some day but for now I carry it.

I like the simplicity of it all. And no more pasta slop!!

[SCRUB HIKER]

I was stoveless on the AT and PCT. Like Garlic, I don't think it's that austere and there's only one part of my diet (cold Idahoan potatoes) that the average person tends to consider gross. The rest is stuff that no one can argue with--sausage, cheese, peanut butter, Oreos, etc.

I wrote a blog post about it before doing the PCT (http://scrubhiker.blogspot.com/2013/04/mayo-jar-spork-kitchen.html), listing pros and cons and my meal options. Since writing that screed, I've transitioned to a more snack-heavy "dinner" regimen and a more Pop Tart-heavy breakfast (muesli doesn't have the caloric density to sustain me in thru-hiker mode). Otherwise, my thoughts on the subject remain the same.

[garlic08]

What problems does cold food solve in grizzly country?

It's easier to eat away from where you camp.

[MuddyWaters]

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[MuddyWaters]

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[wnderer]

What is glop? I eat those Knorr rice/pasta dishes. I like them. I eat them at home. I also eat oatmeal. They come in the little pouches in a bunch of flavors. I think they are light weight because they are dehydrated. I tried going stoveless, but I don't like cold tortillas that much and cold cuts and cheese are heavy. I end up living on pop tarts and granola bars.

[squeezebox]

Nothing gloppy about pasta unless you seriously don't know what you're doing.
Even as simple as pasta, olive oil salt & pepper is okay

[bamboo bob]

What problems does cold food solve in grizzly country? At least there's no cooking smells to lure a bear. Even if you properly cook and camp further on, cooking smells carry I think. Bears have good noses of course but it helps I think not to cook. You think it makes no difference?

[SunnyWalker]

If you are worried 'bout weight you don't need to. One may carry a stove w/fuel for as little as 2 oz. Alcohol stove w/fuel is not much heavier. Hiking IS also camping, sleeping, eating, etc.

[ChinMusic]

If you are worried 'bout weight you don't need to. One may carry a stove w/fuel for as little as 2 oz. Alcohol stove w/fuel is not much heavier.

I do not recall ONE poster on here claiming that they went stoveless to save weight. Have you?

[lonehiker]

At least there's no cooking smells to lure a bear. Even if you properly cook and camp further on, cooking smells carry I think. Bears have good noses of course but it helps I think not to cook. You think it makes no difference?

Whether you cook or not makes no difference in my mind. You should eat, hot or cold, a distance from where you set up your tent. Some say 50-100 yards but I'm not sure where they came up with the distance (whimsical I'm sure). Likewise you should hang/store your food a distance from where you sleep as well. I also try to avoid camping close to trails and water. Trails are a corridor for many animals and water attracts them as well.

[daddytwosticks]

I do not recall ONE poster on here claiming that they went stoveless to save weight. Have you? Agree. Seems to me to be a simplicity and time issue. When I look at all the parts/pieces I need to cook (pot, lid, stove, canister, spoon, scrubby, stuff sacks, etc.) scattered all over the picnic table, I ask myself why? :)