..another stove ??

[Hooligan]

I'v been researching stoves here and elsewhere trying to determine the 'best' for my needs. Now that i am older and the kids are getting old enough to hike and camp comfortably, I am thinking of upgrading from my old faithful camp-fire-cooking. I've read here that the Dragonfly sounds something like being on an aircraft carrier deck, but that it may be good for cooking for small groups...or large groups with small mouths. We will camp in every season, however winter in our region (PA) does not usually drop to sub artic temps. I'd 'like' something versitile enough to suit those needs and well as a solo or duo outing.

Also, I've been camping and hiking since I was a young kid in scouts, and have used different fuels (propane, wood, fuel tabs), but am not sure exactly what type of alcohol is being burnt? Could anyone please help out the uninformed new guy? Thank you!

[Two Speed]

. . . Also, I've been camping and hiking since I was a young kid in scouts, and have used different fuels (propane, wood, fuel tabs), but am not sure exactly what type of alcohol is being burnt? Could anyone please help out the uninformed new guy? Thank you!

Most folks run denatured alcohol in their alky stoves. Don't know if that's appropriate for a MSR Dragonfly.

IMHO alky stoves are somewhat underpowered if you're cooking for four or more people. I'd lean towards a white gas stove for that kind of use. That is in spite of the fact that I'm a dedicated alky stove user.

Lots of opinions on the subject. Any particular reason a wood fire isn't working for you any more?

[Bob S]

The noise that several of the Coleman Fuel stoves make is over stated by a lot of people. I have a Svea 123, I would guess it’s about the nosiest stove made (XGK may make more noise) and from 50-foot away it’s pretty much not an issue. Even up close it’s not that noisy really.

There is no wrong answer to what stove is best, buy quality and they all work. Some have clogging issues, some don’t simmer, some put out less heat then others, some are a solo person stove.

You need to decide what type of cooking you are going to or may want to do in the future and match the stove to that.


Gasoline (Coleman fuel) Stoves gives you a lot of heat, it’s probably the best choice for winter. If you buy a stove that is made as a multi-fuel stove it will also burn gasoline. I have the Svea 123, it burns gasoline great. It’s a 100-year old design that still works well. Gasoline stoves themselves tend to be more expensive then other stoves, but this is offset by the lower price of the fuel. Making them much less costly in the long run to use. Gasoline stoves require you to prime them, other then some of the Coleman brand of stoves. To prime them you fill a small cup with fuel and light it to warm up the generator. If you use the stove fuel to do this you will get soot on your stove. I use denatured alcohol to prime my Svea and it burns clean with no soot.

Alcohol stoves put out much less heat (but normally more then enough to do the job) they are the lightest of all stoves. They also work well for a solo person. Alcohol stoves can cost nothing as there are many designs that can be built for free. Lots of web sites are devoted to how to build them. Alcohol stoves don’t burn for more then 15-min before they run out of fuel. Many only burn for 7 or 8-min before running dry. This is usually long enough, and if not all you do is refill it and cook more.

Canister stoves also work great, these allow you to go from a simmer to a raging boil better then any other type of stove. Canister fuel is more expensive then other fuels, but the stoves are less complex then gasoline stoves and cost less then a gasoline stove. They also don’t clog up as it’s a very clean fuel and in a gas state.


Wood stoves are another option if you want to have a stove with no fuel cost. You should have a zip-lock bag to collect small pieces of wood as you walk and put in the bag for later use if it rains. Wood stoves do leave a black soot on your pans, you will have to carry your pans in a plastic bag to keep the mess down. Wood stoves are also easy to make and there are many web sites that have plans for them. There is a design of wood stoves called gasifiers that greatly reduce the black soot (75% less) on the pans.

[daibutsu]

I think denatured alcohol is one of the things to definately NOT put into a MSR Dragonfly or any other multi fuel stove. Other than that, to feed a few people imho alcohol just won't do it.

[Peaks]

Your answer really depends on what type of cooking you are doing, and for how many, and in what season.

For long distance hikers, the alcohol stove works because cooking usually consists of boiling 2 cups of water, and then throwing something into it.

For what it's worth, most Philmont crews use white gas stoves like the Whisperlite. That's because they are boiling several quarts of water at a time.

If working with a small group of youth (4 to 6) , and assuming it's short term, I'd definately consider cansiter stoves.

[Obiwan]

Any particular reason a wood fire isn't working for you any more?

I would not presume to speak for hooligan, but wood fires are not real popular with anyone other than the boy scouts any more

I would never belittle the art associated with cooking over any open fire or coals, but I have seen the aftermath of both forest fires and excessive wood gathering and I would be happy if I never experienced either again

Here in Colorado there are areas where only stove use is allowed

And there are times of the year where no fires are allowed much of anywhere.

Bob S stated some good guidelines...the search feature would probably bring up a lot more

[mudcap]

I would not presume to speak for hooligan, but wood fires are not real popular with anyone other than the boy scouts any more

Way off,where allowed, fires are part of the tradition. Where did you come up with that one????

[Bob S]

All one has to do is go to any camping area to see smoke to know camp fires are popular. Yes they take care to control (as do lots of things in life) but baring the government making them illegal they will continue to be part of the outdoor life.

[mudcap]

ditto on that one Bob. Primal in my book

[Lawn Sale]

Getting back to the original question at hand, the Dragonfly is a great stove, I highly recommend it, especially for your application. I have cooked rice in an 8 quart pot and eggs in the morning on a frying pan. It's infinitely adjustable and doesn't burn through a ton of fuel, about 9 ounces will last an hour at full burn (from my real-world testing). It is on the loud side, but who cares, it's a great stove and hasn't let me down yet, even in sub-arctic temps

[CBSSTony]

I have a coleman/peak 1 #442, a Dragonfly, and a jet boil. I have used the coleman for years after I bought it for $2.50 at a yard sale, its still my favorite for over night single or double person trips. The Dragonfly is a bit loud, but it does simmer well and out right roars if you want to melt ice/snow. Another draw back to the Dragonfly is the pot supports are a bit wide in my opinion, something to consider if using a solo type pot with a small diameter. The jet boil I will reserve judgement on, because I have only used it two times on single night camps. I boiled mine over so I need to use it more to be familiar with it.

[OldStormcrow]

My buddy has a Dragonfly and you can't even carry on a conversation any where near it. For a group of people I would carry the Whisperlite. Mine has worked great, gets pretty good "milage" on Coleman fuel, and you're probably not going to have that much trouble finding white gas wherever you are going. The canister stoves are great for smaller pots and will boil a liter of water in 3 minutes.....indoors on a warm day with no wind! They don't like cold weather at all and it takes more like a half hour to boil a liter of cold spring water. The other problem with one of these is that you never really know just how much fuel is left each time, so you end up carrying an extra can. I only use mine in the summer when I am trying to go ultra light.

[Two Speed]

. . . I boiled mine over so I need to use it more to be familiar with it.

Based on experience with a friend's Jetboil you probably are used to using more "throttle" with a canister stove than the Jetboil takes or likes; really don't need to use the wide open setting much. The couple of times we set that sucker wide open it was tough to catch the boil over. Went from just sitting there quietly doing it's thing to doing a real good imitation of a small volcano in about 2 nanoseconds.

[yaduck9]

You may want to consider a remote canister stove. Jet Boil, Coleman, and Primus market them and they all three can be liquid fed.

Safer then gasoline, less fiddle factor. check out this site:

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_GasStoves.htm


If you can't decide go with a multi fuel stove. MSR , Primus, Svea .

I have several stoves, one is the Primus Omni fuel. Works good lasts a long time. It is a bit loud.

[Hooligan]

Almost all of our cooking lately (this weekend was flame and coals)has been done over a camp fire, except for 1 or 2 times that the kids wanted to see how the small folding fuel tab stove worked. Even then we were also using the fire.

I've been looking for an alternative to the messy soot that now encases my vintage cooking pots. It will also be nice for those times we want to cook without making a fire and having to wait for the fire to be completely out. I've known people who will build a fire, step on it, then leave while it is stil smoldering. ??? Am I correct in that the Dragonfly won't be suitable for those solo/duo because of the wide pot supports? I really like the stoves that can go from boil to simmer. ...thanks to everyone for their input, it is greatly appreciated!!

[Bob S]

I've been looking for an alternative to the messy soot that now encases my vintage cooking pots.

Spray your pots with oven cleaner, they will come out looking nice and clean.

Copper and aluminum don’t like oven cleaner much, it eats them somewhat. But if you have stainless steel it will work great.

[Hooligan]

I have been using aluminum mostly, some of my old BSA kit actually.

Anyone try the Simmerlite? Supposedly it can go from boil to simmer as well, and looks as though it could hold small to larger pots. However, looks can be deceiving, especially in internet pics.

[Obiwan]

I have never used a simmerlite....but based on my experience with their XGK, Whisperlite, etc. I owuld expect good results

The burner style looks like it would give good even heat

The main trick with the liquid fuel stoves is the quality of the fuel. Many of them will burn almost aything but they need the least cleaning and maint. when you use good quality fuel

And I stand by my earlier statement

All of the serious outdoor people that I know may appreciate a fire, but they use a stove (of some type) for cooking

Not just when it is mandatory or fires are forbidden

[Hooligan]

What would be some good fuel options to keep them running well?

[Bob S]

What would be some good fuel options to keep them running well?

It depends on your stove.

MSR stoves are known for clogging up and needing to be cleaned in the field. Coleman stoves are known for needing the generator replaced every few years. The Svea 123 is known to light every time with no maintenance of any kind for 25 to 30-years.

Coleman fuel or MSRs fuel (white gas) is the cleanest and will give you the best chance of having less fuel problems. Gasoline is going to give your stove the most problems, other then a Svea. I have 2 Svea’s, one is 30-years old and has only had gasoline in it and it never once let me down. All I have ever done to it is put gasoline in it and cook. To clean it you just turn the valve on all the way and a needle pops up to clean the orifice. You can clean it while it’s running if you do it fast, if not it puts the flame out and you have to relight it. I can’t give this great stove enough praise, it’s the most reliable white gas stove made.


New Svea’s are $100.00, this price usually stops most from buying one. But honestly it’s worth twice that for a new one. Lots of them on e-Bay.