Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Ultra lite stoves

Guys whats your go to UL stove. I've been using the snow peak giga peak Ti and like it alot. My mulie killin pard has an MSR pocket rocket and I'm sure he has NO complaints.

Been hearing about the MSR Reactor. Heavy but can prolly bring less fuel??????

Shag, I've got more limited experience than a lotta guys here--------my only multi-fuel stove is an Optimus Nova which works great BTW. But since discovering the little White Box stove a few years ago I haven't looked back. Unless you're trying to melt lots of snow (a poor use of fuel IMO), then the White Box will do everything you want. No moving parts, a lifetime warranty, clean fuel, and it weighs only a shade over an ounce----two counting the wind screen. I use about 1oz of denatured alcohol per burn, which is enough to easily boil a liter of water even in the winter time. I carry fuel in 20oz Pepsi bottles which are also very light. A 12oz would easily be enough for shorter trips.

If you buy one now, while it's still cold and windy, you can test it and have full confidence before spring.

http://www.whiteboxstoves.com

Chuck, you can get away without a stove if your hunt locale includes some deep woods or a location with reliable squaw wood. Your cookpot will get sooted up something fierce, though.

I think the Giga Ti is the lightest with out going to alcohol. I like mine a bit better then the pocket rocket I had. No complaints with either though. I did pick up a wind screen for the giga which I hope will help consume less fuel. The reactor is pretty neat but not ultra light.

The whitebox is only one of probably hundreds of "home made" alcohol stoves. Most would work as well and weigh as little.

Pocket rocket for light overnights. I like the alcohol burners but I like the high heat output more.

canteen cup heater stove and esbit or trioxane. i just wish i could get a ti cup.

snow peak giga here have a 4 oz. one for general travel and the Ti for sheep hunts.

have a couple versions of the white box too neat little stoves, but I like my snow peak.

it makes a dandy little firestarter when you want a fire right now in wet timber, no splitting, shaving etc to get to acceptable tinder, just get the starter stuff assembled crank the stove and blowtorch that stuff then add bigger


we've got it sooo freaking good

No complaints here on the Snowpeak Giga.

MtnHtr

I used the snow peak non ti version for several years and I doubt you'd find anything much better.

Like others above I most often use alcohol stoves and the white box is a good one though the super cat is the one I usually fire up.

I don't know anything about the reactor, I suspect it has it's place but a quick look at the number of pieces in the field repair kit they sell for it is enough for me to lose interest.

Here's a picture of my kitchen, the whitebox and cat stove nest inside the container.

I own an alchohol burner identical to the White Box stove. But it takes a few minutes to warm up and start auto-generating. So I prefer my MSR Pocket Rocket butane stove, because of the immediate high heat output.

My buddy owns a Brunton Crux butane stove. It folds up into tiny bundle that fits inside a fabric pouch. The pouch snugs just right around a butane cannister and the bulge of the stove sits inside the dome on the bottom of the cannister. It's a really neat package. I looked on the Brunton web site and they didn't show it, but they were still on the shelves at Sportsmans Warehouse last week.

KC

I like the Snow Peak Giga Ti and also the Crux, which is made by Optimus and found under Optimus, Brunton and I think one other brand.

I will be testing a Snow Peak Lite Max soon. It's lighter than the Giga Power(1.9 oz vs: 3,) with more output( 11,200 BTU vs: 10,000,) and better wind deflection. All this and it's $20 less as well.

I think you have to break this down by category(been done already)white gas, alcohol, ect for what your needs are. For white gas I have used a MSR simmerlite for years and has worked great. For alcohol, I have made a few stoves over the past couple of years and my hunting pard has a white box but the one to check into is the trail designs caldera system. THey make dif systems to match up with many of the common backpacking cooking cups/pots out there. I have the MSR titan kettle and was able to buy the caldera system that matches that pot. Used it second season rifle here in Colorado this past season and it worked great. Check it out, my .02
MIke

Ed,
Keep us posted as I'm real interested a reveiw from ya.

Thanks

Ed_T

So Optimus makes the Crux. Thanks. I found the link.

http://www.optimus.se/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=65

I just ordered one. $50 + $7 shipping = $57. After seeing my buddy's, I have to have one.

KC

yep have one of those too, good little stove, I'm just used to my snow Peak, anything that heats your tent while bringing your dinner water to a boil is a good thing provided it makes weight and is dependable.

did I mention we have it good? (grin)

Anyone using a JetBoil? I've got one and like it so far, but it has yet to go on an extended trip.

http://www.jetboil.com/products/cookingsystems/personalcookingsystem

One thing I haven't seen mentioned about the alcohol stoves is that they are quiet. We have all felt that deep relief that occurs when the whige gas stove stops its roar. And it's easy to come back with no fuel and a crushed flat soda bottle fuel container...

There are various discussions around on what stoves work best when here, on backpackinglight.com, etc. I burn four (alcohol, butane, white gas, and a cheapo twig stove) and marvel at how well all of them work. It has gotten to the point that a lot of this gear is almost better than it has to be.

That's another great point. The quiet AL stoves are very easy on the nerves. I've never been under "expedition conditions," but hunting/hiking at up to 7K ft, and temps down to 0 degrees, I've been perfectly happy with my little White Box. I'm sure I'd enjoy a canister stove if I gave them a chance (my new Pocket Rocket is still unused), but I just can't see the advantage to messing with the fuel canisters for only boiling water. For cooking and simmering, then yes.

How durable are the Whitebox stoves. One thing I never liked about the white gas is the potential for a spill. What kinda container do you use for the alcohol.

Will they withstand a guy sitting on his pack and not worring about smashing the stove or spraying alcohol all over his gear?

I like what I see and at $30 bucks cheap enough to give a try.