Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Gear Reviews Help with backpacking stoves

I am looking for a good but not break the bank backpacking stove.We usually walk in 3 to 5 mile and stay for a few days.I would like something versatile something that does more then just boil water.Thanks

Pocket Rocket

Pocket rocket deluxe. Bigger burner and regulated flow makes it better for simmering.

The compressed gas ones are ok for light use but I like the gasoline white gas ones better.

I’ve got a whisperlite international, pocket rocket, and pocket rocket deluxe. The whisperlite is over 30 years old and still going. I suppose if I could have only one, the whisperlite would be it. That being said, for a few days in less than extreme conditions, especially if mostly boiling water the pocket rocket is super handy.

MSR Whisperlite Universal...burns canister gas, white gas, kerosene, Naptha, gasoline, etc.

Even the small foreign $12 stoves work well in harsh conditions.

Light weight costs money. I am still using an old Optimus white gas stove I bought in the 1960's. It has been rebuilt a few times but is reliable and functions at all altitudes I have been at and in all temperatures.

All the lighter weight back packing stoves I am familiar with are single burners. I don't know if that meets your definition of versatile or not.

I've got one of the small/light canister-top stove from Olicamp, for making quick coffee or tea or whatever.

My next stove up is also an Olicamp, it's called the Xcelerator. A little heavier at 4 oz, but it has it's own legs and a hose so it is remote from the canister, and is a bit more stable if you want to put a small pan or something on it. I don't know if the Xcelerator is still being sold, but it might be a style you would like.

Here's a couple pics,





My big stove is a Primus multi-fuel type. Runs on canister, white gas, kerosene, gasoline, etc. It's kind of expensive, and big. But it is great for cooking like here with a 1.8 liter pot of Ramen,



Primus in white gas mode,

I have a weakness for stoves and own a lot of them! Canister stoves like the Pocket Rocket are really hard to beat for convenience and if you are not back packing in cold weather are probably the way to go. Look for a model that is regulated for more even use as the pressure in the canister drops and with a built in wind screen.(Best I have tested are the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe and the SOTO Windmaster..flip a coin) The fuel is a blend of butane (0C transition temp) isobutane (-12C Transition Temp) and Propane (-40 Transition temp) for a pocket rocket type system when the temp drops below 0C ( 32F) you lose some heating power as the butane becomes liquid.

A little colder and you lose the isobutane too. I have a Optimus Vega which is a bit heavier but allows the user to flip the Canister once going and has a pre-heating coil that gasifies the liquid fuel and allows trouble free operation down to at least -20C (-2 F) and maybe lower but I haven't tested.

When it gets really cold (below 0F) a liquid fuel stove is the way to go. The MSR Firefly has great simmering ability and probably meets your desire to do more than boil water best. The Whisper-lite and Whisper-lite Intl.... are lighter if you just wanted to boil water and the XGK is a beast. I love MSR as they have a great warranty, but Optimus/Primus is in there as well. I still use an old Optimus 111(I have a fleet of them) in cold weather and after 35 years they are still going!

Will a MSR Whisperlite simmer?

I wish the MSR Pocket Rocket had been available when I did a lot of backpacking in the 1970's. I have one that only gets used for cool weather day hikes and fishing trips, but she brings a lot of water to a boil in a hurry.

The Optimus I used in the old days worked well, but preheating could be tedious after a long day on the trail.

It’s been a couple years since I used mine but I recall my Whisperlite Int’l simmering pretty well. I think you need to get the stove good and hot but it turned down to a simmer pretty well.

I like the Trangia alcohol stoves. The only one that performs better in windier conditions.

I use the Coleman Peak One. I thought it would be too heavy but since the tank can be filled while not in use I can carry enough fuel without causing the over-all pack rate to get too heavy. I also have a very light tent so that saves the extra weight to make up for it. The stove heats fast and burns very hot so it does not take long to do what I want it to do in higher altitudes. I have tried others, but I always go back to the Peak One.