Stove extreme comparison variable white gas vs isoprobutane canister

[petedelisio]

Ifin you had just one to put in your backpack for who knows, 5+ years... reliability and world travel, Which one,,sss and why?

[Leo L.]

For world travel of unknown length, I would go for a car gas stove.

[Tipi Walter]

In 45 years of backpacking all I ever used were white gas stoves---Svea 123s and MSR Simmerlites and Whisperlites. Fuel was easy to get and at one time very cheap and quarts could be carried for long trips without resupply. And in the old days we were dirtbag backpackers and carried lbs of lentils and brown rice and saved money by cooking up these items for long periods on white gas stoves. Meaning: We let a pot of rice and beans cook for a full hour.

I never went the canister route because I hated the idea of carrying empty containers plus I needed a reliable stove that could work at Zero degrees.

[gpburdelljr]

I’ve got a Jetboil MiniMo, and an old SVEA 123. I like the Jetboil, but if I was traveling in a country where fuel canisters might be problematic, or for extreme cold weather, I’d carry the SVEA. I’ve never used one, but the MSR Whisperlite Universal will burn white gas, unleaded auto gas, kerosene, or canister gas.
What you carry depends on where you will hike, what the weather conditions will be, and your own personal preferences.

[BradMT]

I currently have a pile of canister stoves because those are my preference for my typical backpacking trips. They're far lighter, simpler and faster to use than most WG stoves. However, for cold weather or your hypothetical 5 year journey to parts unknown, I'd go with a WG stove. I bought my Svea 123 in 1974, and it still works great. I've also got an MSR Simmerlite. But, given the unknowns of your theoretical adventure, I'd use an MSR Whisperlite Universal.

[Deadeye]

On a theoretical trip and for absolute reliability, neither - I'd take my Trangia alcohol burner. Fuel is as easily available as anything else, and there are no moving parts to break.

[gpburdelljr]

Kind of heavy, but a Kelly Kettle will burn anything….grass, leaves, twigs, etc.

[zelph]

reliability and world travel, Which one,,sss and why?

Neither one. I would choose a quiet alcohol burning stove. Alcohol/methylated spirits Is found world wide. I would chose a stove that has a built in pot support. A one piece

stove that fits inside my pot. I like a low maintenance stove. Yes, I like quiet. I want to hear the birds singing in the early morning hours, not the roar of a canister stove or white gas.

[Funkmeister]

MSR Dragonfly. Burns auto gas with no issues. I've had mine since they were first introduced and still use it in cold conditions and car camping.

[Odd Man Out]

I second the alcohol suggestions. The also function well in cold temps, although not the best for melting ice if necessary.

[CalebJ]

All three can be -extremely- reliable. The important question is where/when you'll be using them.

[LoneStranger]

For backpacking, alcohol burner. For post apocalyptic walking the earth, Whisperlite International. You can burn anything with those, except alcohol oddly enough, but you don't need anything special to burn that so whatever you find in the rubble will do

[cmoulder]

For world travel of unknown length, I would go for a car gas stove.

Leo, I'm just curious... is Esbit fuel available in EU?

[cmoulder]

I never went the canister route because I hated the idea of carrying empty containers plus I needed a reliable stove that could work at Zero degrees.

Empty WG fuel bottles are empty containers. There's a valid point to be made that they're reusable, although canisters can be refilled with cheap butane.

With a simple little adaptation canister stoves can be used to -25°F... and probably lower. David Thomas at BPL tested down to -25 in Alaska and I've used it at -15 in the Adirondacks.

[Leo L.]

Leo, I'm just curious... is Esbit fuel available in EU?

In Austria and Germany, yes.
In Southern and Eastern Europe, not so much.
One advantage of Esbit is, you might be sucessful in smuggling it in checked-in flight luggage.
(just sitting in Crete, Greece, sipping Coffe boiled by Esbit stove).

[cmoulder]

In Austria and Germany, yes.
In Southern and Eastern Europe, not so much.
One advantage of Esbit is, you might be sucessful in smuggling it in checked-in flight luggage.
(just sitting in Crete, Greece, sipping Coffe boiled by Esbit stove).

Ha, thanks! I guess the drugs dogs aren't sniffing for Esbit tabs. Heck, the average person could smell them.

[HankIV]

Ha, thanks! I guess the drugs dogs aren't sniffing for Esbit tabs. Heck, the average person could smell them.

Thanks for the link to “The Hiking Life” some funny stuff there