View Full Version : Car Camping stove suggestions
MDhiker1967
11-13-2008, 20:32
I wanted to know if anyone has input on say a 2 burner stove for example (coleman) or any other brand We do quite a bit of hiking but want to do some car camping and figured might as well have some creature comforts. kinda of like the primative hotel base camp...
any thoughts or ideas would be great!!:D
Hikes in Rain
11-13-2008, 20:37
LOVE my old 2-burner Coleman white-gas stove. Nearly 30 years old and going strong. Usually use one of my various one-burners as a supplement, say, for coffee while using a griddle on the old Coleman.
Sure, Coleman stoves work well. They can be easily found on Craigslist for very little. I bought one off Craigslist last month for $10.00, I couldn't pass up such a bargain.
I spent about an hour cleaning and painting it and you would not know it is actually 35 years old.
My regular Coleman 425 is actually 3 years older than me and works like new.
If you get a white gas stove, a propane conversion can be purchased at Campmor for about $20. Nice to have a choice of fuels.
You could go deluxe.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=421617
Blissful
11-13-2008, 21:28
I still have my old coleman stove from college. Not in the greatest of shape but has lasted a good long while.
You just can't beat a Coleman for car camping. I have a one burner, just jacks on a can of propane and a two burner I inherited that is at least 15 years old. Works great. Snag a used one, if the fittings are decent, you are in business.
Wise Old Owl
11-13-2008, 22:30
If you get a white gas stove, a propane conversion can be purchased at Campmor for about $20. Nice to have a choice of fuels.
I am sure folks have had good experiences with propane to gas conversions. On a recent trip my friends couldn't get that converter to cook an egg. I gave up and left it for them to fix. I am a big fan of using a half tank (10 gallon) and tree for lamp & stove & OVEN/BROILER!
Steaks are awesome - so are the biscuits. Coleman propane and look for a one that has a modifyable connector (about five years ago).
if you can hit a old farmers market & snag the original black iorn flat plate too. Best for quality group breakfasts!
adventurousmtnlvr
11-14-2008, 00:09
I do a lot of car camping and use a 2 burner coleman and also an off brand 2 burner. Love mine. they both use those green smaller propane bottles you can get just about anywhere. And when I lived on a mountain prior and power went off all the time ... I cooked on it IN side the house ... but be careful to vent for fume sake :)
mister krabs
11-14-2008, 10:29
I agree with the folks who say get a coleman white gas from craigslist or ebay. I'd go even further and say to get one of the bigger 17x24 (http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=414-A00&categoryid=2020) liquid fuel stoves if you can find it. It makes a huge difference if you want to put two regular sized pans on it. No need to buy a new one, they're practically indestructable. Mine's 25 years old, I got it nearly unused for 40 bucks on ebay and it works every time. Walmart around here sells the propane converters for 20 dollars, but honestly I like the white gas better. It's cheaper than propane in 1lb cylinders and readily available. If you get liquid fuel, be sure to buy this no spill nozzle (http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5103A703T&categoryid=27400) for your can.
pure_mahem
11-24-2008, 00:42
I know you asked about a two burner but when I car camp I prefer to just pack a grate to go on the campfire. I can cook just about anything on that with a cast Iron skillet and a home made reflector oven.
I am sure folks have had good experiences with propane to gas conversions. On a recent trip my friends couldn't get that converter to cook an egg. I gave up and left it for them to fix. I am a big fan of using a half tank (10 gallon) and tree for lamp & stove & OVEN/BROILER!
Steaks are awesome - so are the biscuits. Coleman propane and look for a one that has a modifyable connector (about five years ago).
if you can hit a old farmers market & snag the original black iorn flat plate too. Best for quality group breakfasts!
I agree for car camping the bulk propane tank (#20, 4gal) gas grill style with a tree is the best, run up to two propane appliances and a lantern at the top all at the same time no performance hit that I noticed. Cheaper too as you probably already have the tank and it's cheaper than the green bottles. We take this setup for a 5 day trip each summer and fall and I don't think I use even half of the tank cooking for a large group of people. Sometimes I'll switch a hose from the tree to a friends gas grill and he's got the steaks going while I'm making the trimmings. Oh and we can see due to the lantern. :)
As for stoves themselves, I got a 3burner and would NOT do so again, just something about the placement of the burner and the spacing of the grate over the burners. 2-Burner Coleman style stoves take a beating but keep on ticking.
I like liquid fuel stoves and experiment with them as well but for large group cooking in the summer and also with the Boy Scouts propane is king.
I'll need to take a look at the oven/broiler setup as well.
-Stephen
taildragger
11-24-2008, 10:24
Coleman propane stove and a dutch oven.
That'll cover all your backwoods epicurean needs. Bon-apetite
Mrs Baggins
11-24-2008, 10:52
Used our first Coleman 2 burner propane stove for 31 years before buying a bigger Coleman 2 burner dual fuel stove. We only bought the bigger one because the old one was packed away in a storage facility and we couldn't get to it. Hubby prefers the dual fuel one now over using propane canisters. Since he does most of the cooking on our camping trips it's his call.
The stainless 2 burner propane stoves with auto-ignition are the best for camping in moderate weather. The Coleman white-gas stoves are the only thing (other than an alcohol stove) that I can count on to work when the temps get really cold. But the Coleman gas stoves require more work (pumping) and maintenance (pump assembly).
My recommendation goes to propane stoves other than Coleman simply because others give you stainless and auto-ignition at a better price than Coleman. Check out Brinkman for high-end and Target's Greatland for low-end.