Best Stove to use... [Archive]

MtDoraDave

04-03-2016, 15:36

I don't know if this should be in this thread or in the general section, but the moderators may chime in and move it if they feel it's better in the general section.

A poll would be a nice idea, sticky if possible - though I don't know if polls are part of the software here.

By my observations of what people I've camped with on the trail use, it seems the vast majority use a jetboil...they really seem to be the hands down winner in boil time. Second, I would say are the pocket rocket users. Next come other gas canister stove users, followed by the alcohol stove users, then the white gas stoves. Friends out west swear by the Solo Stove (wood burning), but I haven't seen one used on the AT.

I have the Snow Peak Gigapower Auto ($50) and bought the windscreen made for it separately for about $10. The windscreen seems to really help in windy conditions (all too common on the trail)... but I haven't seen anyone else with one even though they are supposedly very highly rated.

http://cdn.tahoemountainsports.com/images/uploads/2787_6130_large.jpg

What do YOU use, and why?

left52side

04-03-2016, 16:56

I have switched to an alcohol stove full time now,before that I used A pocket rocket style stove with the canister. I have found that I prefer the alcohol stove to any other stove I have tried and I prefer the fancy feast style of alcohol stove.
When temperatures are colder I will use the zelph version of the fancy feast stove with the tomato paste can.
My reasons for this is the weight first of all,by switching to alcohol stove I have saved a considerable amount of weight in my pack,also I like the variables that alcohol stove brings me,I can bring as little as 1 ounce of fuel for an overnighter or as much as 8 ounces for for a week plus of fuel,
The fancy feast stove weigh almost nothing comparable to anything else that requires a canister.
Anyway this is my choice of stove used with A 900 ml titanium pot by vargo and a titanium long handled spoon.

nsherry61

04-04-2016, 13:38

My favorite cook set, is one I like to think of as my fancy feast alcohol system. You can kinda think of it as a combination JetBoil like "system", but one that uses alcohol as fuel. It's also a great emergency stove because, being solid sterling silver, if I run out of money on a thru-hike, I can sell my stove and pay for my next year of backpacking.

34384

Now, if this forum software would let me upload this picture in a vertical format, I would be even happier . . .

turtle fast

04-04-2016, 13:54

Nsherry61 I thought was having outdoor high tea, just needed some Wedgewood cups/saucers with cucumber sandwiches and scones!
I'm another alcohol stove user using an Etowah stove (I prefer the combo fuel one) I also use a supercat stove as I like the availability of the fuel on the AT (I've ran into canister users who ran out and had problems refueling). In non dry states, I fuel up with Everclear alcohol which has dual purposes as a disinfectant, and as a beverage additive around a campfire in moderation! I wondered if anyone used high proof moonshine on the AT.

DuneElliot

04-04-2016, 14:39

I have the SP Giga also, with the wind shield. It was given to me and I haven't had the chance to try it out yet...I didn't realize the screen was supposed to sit so low but I guess now I know.

swisscross

04-04-2016, 14:50

Nothing wrong but plenty right with the SP GigaPower.
Wonderful stove. Many consider it having the best burner heads of all canister stoves, myself included.
It is a work horse and will last you years.
I love the brass threading instead of alum. Many will tell you that anodized alum threads used on other stoves is stronger than brass. True, until the anodizing is worn off (would take quite some time to wear it off).
Sort of heavy considering some of the newer designs out but at 3.1 oz it should not break your back.

The auto lighter is junk. Remove it, it will fail over time, and you can save a little weight.
The wind screen works ok but not as well as one hung from the pot.
I made one from a SP titanium bowl using the one in your pic as a template. Weighs about .5oz instead of 2oz.

I used my GigaPower this past weekend (mine is the titanium version that is no longer made) and AGAIN it was flawless.

That being said, my go to stove is a Zelph Fancy Feast stove. I like the fact that I can carry 1oz of fuel for an overnighter, it is silent, weighs less (stove) and I don't have to deal with recycling the canisters. All wins in my view.

Again there is nothing wrong with the Giga. You own it, use it.

MuddyWaters

04-04-2016, 15:15

There is no " best". Not for stoves, or anything else.

There is only options which are best at different circumstances

They are all the best under right conditions

nsherry61

04-04-2016, 15:45

There is no " best". . . They are all the best under right conditions
Really? ;-)

Hosh

04-04-2016, 16:12

+ 1 on the "best" analysis, the internet is cluttered with people who think their way is the one and only.

I also own a GigaPower non piezo with the windscreen. It runs like a hose, has decent simmering control, although I usually just boil water or maybe a 1 - 2 minute simmer for hard to re-hydrate meals. The windscreen is heavy, I've looked at options, the SnowPeak bowl is a good one, but I don't have a dremel tool.

I looked at the Snowpeak Litemax, it's lighter but with an addition of a windscreen it's not much lighter and almost 80 bucks if you do titanium windscreens. It would be my choice if I ever lost my GigaPower or my kids stole it.

Solo, I too use alcohol, David Gardner's GOLD beer can set up. It's light, his stoves work pretty good and it can be used with esbit, wood or alcohol. The Jetboils are very efficent but I would think you would need a long time between re-supply to make it more weight efficient than alcohol or esbit setup.

So make sure you bring along a secondary fire starter, run the p*** out of the Gigapower and then give it to your grand kids.

Another Kevin

04-04-2016, 17:58

No "best", surely! It really is a factor of what you use it for.

In deep winter, I use a Whisperlite. Nothing beats the fuel efficiency of a naphtha stove (except perhaps a kerosene one), and you go through a LOT of fuel if you have to melt your drinking water. Canisters are cantankerous in deep winter unless you use an inverted feed stove, and inverted feed stoves are just as fiddly as naphtha, so why not just go with that?

In more temperate conditions, I use a homebuilt alcohol stove. Fuel is easy to carry, I can see how much I have left, and for my short trips it's nearly the lightest option.

Esbit is perhaps even lighter, but it's expensive, dirties the pot, and STINKS. I can't abide the stench of Esbit. But it's a great option if you want to carry a stove that you don't expect to use but might have to.

If I ever had to confront hiking under a fire ban, I'd get a canister stove. Also, if I were a less patient man, I'd ditch my alcohol stove in favor of the faster heating that a canister gives.

And for that matter, there's nothing like my Coleman stove for cooking up breakfast for a big group in a campground. :)

Different tools for different purposes.

Mags

04-04-2016, 18:01

Doesn't really matter on the AT for three-season backpacking. Take an alchie stove or any of the myriad of sub-3oz canister stoves. You'll be fine.

(And AK's stove use pretty much mirrors mine. Including the dual burner stove for campground use! :D)

BubbaGump

04-04-2016, 18:42

Homemade wood burner from a baked bean can. Cheapest and lightest. Definitely not luxurious.

Bubblehead

04-04-2016, 20:48

Anyone on the trail using an esbit stove?????

buckeye49

04-04-2016, 21:01

I use the Gigapower with the same windscreen. Works great in all 4 seasons.

One Half

04-04-2016, 21:06

Anyone on the trail using an esbit stove?????

I have used an Esbit on short hikes.

nsherry61

04-04-2016, 22:10

I frequently use an Esbit when I am not planning on a lot of cooking and I'm solo (i.e. only one hot meal a day or trips that are mostly no-cook). They are the lightest, the tabs make absolutely awesome fire starter, and they work as well or better than many alcohol stoves. The fuel is a bit more expensive, they have a smell some people don't like, and they leave some very easy to clean off deposits on the bottom of your pot.

If I'm planning on hot meals twice a day and/or have a hiking partner, I generally take a canister stove. I frequently carry a few Esbit tablets in my pack just as stove backup and fire starter. That way I feel comfortable packing light on my stove fuel because I've got reliable backup.

sheepdog

04-04-2016, 22:12

If you know how many stoves you have: you don't have enough stoves. Most times I hike with two stoves. just because.

turtle fast

04-04-2016, 22:23

Esbit works ok, but it can get pricey if your out for a thru hike.

sheperd80

04-04-2016, 22:49

Ive used a variety of canister stoves over the years, then finally bought a jetboil flash, then made an alc stove which i havent used on a real trip yet.

Ill never get rid of the jetboil. Its convenient, fast and self contained which i love for overnight and weekend trips. I like to have options so ill probably bounce between that and the alc stove.

Long distance, hiking intensive trips...alc stove. Casual trips with friends...jetboil and/or campfire when possible.

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QiWiz

04-07-2016, 16:06

In eastern woodlands I like my own FireFly wood burner with Esbit tab backup. Before it was a product it was a DIY project I made for my own use. Above tree line in windy heights out west I like the original Caldera Cone with an Esbit burner. If this is not allowed by an existing fire ban, I would use a canister stove like a LiteMax or MiniMo.

QiWiz

04-07-2016, 16:07

If you know how many stoves you have: you don't have enough stoves. Most times I hike with two stoves. just because.

So true, so true. . . .

CarlZ993

04-07-2016, 22:46

I've owned & used the same stove for many years. It was consistently my go-to stove for one-person backpacking. I've used that windscreen quite a bit as well. Eventually, I decided it didn't help enough to justify the additional weight. With 2 people, I'd sometimes change it up some & use different stoves.

Currently, I used a Soto WindMaster stove. It is designed to work quite well in the wind. It has its own built-in windshield surrounding its concave (vs convex) burner head. The stove seems to boil water faster under similar conditions when compared to the SnowPeak (or PocketRocket for that matter). Here's a video showing the Soto Windmaster vs Soto MicroRegulator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_yy0v1hq6w

double d

04-08-2016, 01:47

I like the Pocket Rocket stove, its compact, fairly lightweight and easy to store in your backpack. Alcohol stoves are not for me, but do some shack down hikes and see what works for you on the AT.

Bark

06-14-2016, 10:05

Hubby and I are in this discussion right now. He wants to ditch the old alcohol stove cuz he's concerned with availability of fuel (and the weight) along our 2017 AT thru hike. He figures canister stoves are the way to go. (looking at ordering BSR 3000). I'm worried about the availability of CANISTERS along the way.

Thoughts???

Feral Bill

06-14-2016, 11:28

I find that my Svea stove (white gas) has served me well for the last 48 years.

Connie

06-14-2016, 12:02

The SOTO OD-1R w/windscreen sold for it is my go-to canister stove. I like the Regulator technology, burning steadily to the last drop in the canister.

I looked at the SOTO Windmaster. I have also looked at tiny UL burners for the cannister, but why? They still work on a cannister. The SOTO burners fit inside the cook pot, as well.

The SOTO OD-1R setup I have also holds the cook pot well:

I use a zelph EZ fold windscreen around the cook pot, propped atop the pot supports, held in a circle aroung the slightly smaller cook pot diameter only by a bobby pin and a paperclip will do but not as nicely as a bobby pin. It is my experience, the EZ fold windscreen rolls up, nicely, and does not become un-useable so easily as ordinary foil.

The Toaks 550 or the Toaks 600 looks desireable, if I could have a Caldera Cone and a zelph modified StarLyte fit inside the cookpot. The modified StarLyte has no pot support. The Caldera Cone holds the cook pot at the correct height.

Meanwhile, my stove option includes the zelph modified StarLyte w/cover and Suluk46 titanium windscreen. I have the titanium windscreen because it doesn't become un-useable after awhile.

For winter conditions, I have a zelph folding wood stove made from hardware cloth. The zelph Companion Stove sits inside, as an alternate fuel. I use wood no more diameter than my finger. I have used either configuration to cook or melt snow in "Montana winter".

If you noticed his name, here, it is because I found him at White Blaze forum.

Mags

06-14-2016, 12:52

One that heats up water. The rest is just details.

Connie

06-14-2016, 12:58

The rest.. is fun.

I like "you are using what?"

I have Mountain Dew pop cans, a "tea light" stove, folding hardware cloth, a tuna tin stove, and more. I also have rather more expensive stoves.

No matter what, the cookware and the windscreen must work with the stove.

plexusbritt

06-17-2016, 11:29

Am I the only one who is oddly content with one of those bunson burner thingies?? Not sure why I haven't ever upgraded lol I started out with one ten years ago, it heats water, and I never gave it another thought.

now gear to keep me warm... I guess its true, we pack our fears.

RockDoc

06-17-2016, 13:50

ha ha, you ask what's "Best" and everyone just says what they use.
That's not what best is.

tflaris

06-17-2016, 14:30

When we find out what's best I would also like to know.

; )

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Feral Bill

06-17-2016, 14:47

ha ha, you ask what's "Best" and everyone just says what they use.
That's not what best is.
It is what's that individual finds best for them. If there were one "best", everyone would use it.

rafe

06-17-2016, 15:05

zelph

06-17-2016, 17:47

Shug and his buddies have been backpacking for as long as I can remember. He knows what the "best" stove is;) He's tried them all;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKAFAsPfC4s

A quote from Shug:

Published on Jul 17, 2014
This is a wonderful stove and I have boiled coffee water from it at minus 34º...though I slept with the fuel in my pocket to keep it warm....
My buddy Stormcrow sold me on this stove....thanks Adam.

CamelMan

06-18-2016, 12:38

http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/

Gotta make the beer cook pot to go with it, too. :)

zelph

06-18-2016, 19:53

http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/

Gotta make the beer cook pot to go with it, too. :)

His Supercat inspired the use of the cat food cans and the one piece stoves I make. Long live the Fancee Feest :-)

Fredt4

06-18-2016, 20:56

Whisperlite, Peak-1, Svea (Coleman fuel) -- Heavy. Good for winter, or cooking for a group.
Canister -- convenient, fast, relatively light, high output if needed.
Alcohol -- light, but limited output & burn time, no real "cooking"
Esbit -- lightest, but very limited output
Wood-burning -- unlimited cook time, high output, but dirty and labor-intensive. May be restricted in no-fire areas.

Most long distance hikers are using canister or alcohol stoves nowadays.

As in most things, "best" is an absurd point that it's impossible to define. Pick a decent stove, learn how to use it and enjoy. If you’re willing to learn how to use an alcohol stove and can accept their limitations, such is life. Otherwise use a cannister stove. Jetboil is merely one variation that has its limitations and burdens. It's all good in the end, especially if you choose your food well. And even if you don't it's still a good passion. I've had each variation and currently use a canister stove, but that's just my choice.

CamelMan

06-18-2016, 21:33

Long live the Fancee Feest :-)

A stove with more than one part? Way too complicated! Plus the SuperCat looks just like a gas burner when it's on. Seriously though, the Fancee Feest is a nice looking stove and it would be interesting to compare them. I would imagine that a wick stove like that uses a bit less fuel and saves some weight overall.

Connie

06-19-2016, 02:08

Esbit can be efficient and UL.

http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/brian-green-esbit-tray.php

I had a Gossamer Gear esbit version Caldera Cone. I would think the Brian Green esbit tray would work even better. I haven't fooled around with it, because I don't like the odor of esbit.

I did read there is are low odor cubes. Maybe WetFire?

Pheral

06-19-2016, 10:15

I'm right there with you on this choice. There are still a few of us out there, but I suspect a lot of folks will be rolling their eyes at us right about now. ;-)

Pheral

06-19-2016, 10:16

I find that my Svea stove (white gas) has served me well for the last 48 years.

Meant to add this to my previous post.

Wise Old Owl

06-19-2016, 10:55

Fire Maple and Qwiz Wood stove!

plexusbritt

06-21-2016, 09:44

Disregard my previous comment! I spent the weekend in the woods and was joined by a friend for Saturday night and got to see her two stoves in action. I was blown away! She had a jet boil and a solo stove. So glad that fellow backpackers are always willing to show what they know!

I ordered a wood burning backpacking stove off of amazon last night and it should be here tomorrow. It is not the solo but I wanted something just a tad bit more versatile as far as fuels that could be used. I will update you guys after dinner tomorrow! Then I may have a different opinion on the best backpacking stove!:banana