Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Cold conditions: Stoves canister vs. white gas/multi-fuels

There are a lot of folks who DO pack out their toilet paper and several books on backpacking tell you that you should. So as you said, there is MUCH truth in what he said.

Some areas of Federal Land require packing out your poop...

You guys might have to change your thread title

Nothing like defication talk to hijack a thread.

This was an accidental hijack. I referred to the poop packing yuppies who use disposable, polluting canisters and things took a 'crappy' turn.

Well it was SH&^Y thing for you to do.

Ok, I orderd a Coleman 502 on Ebay today. Now I know some of you will probably scratch your heads and say WTF that is too heavy for backpacking. But I have been thinking about this a great deal. Other white gas stoves like the MSR Whisperlites,etc are the stove without a tank and when you add a tank of fuel to their weight, it can't be that much more than the Coleman. I have also read that the MSR and other modern white gas stoves are finicky, while the Coleman is incredibly reliable and durable. Given these things and the price difference, I figured if the Coleman really turns out to be a pain, I can sell it for what I paid for it. Keep in mind when I go hunt, I don't need to backpack in more than a mile or so, so weight isn't quite as critical as it is for you western elk hunters. I also can't backpack in too far when I take my kids along on a backpacking trip.

A coleman 502 is 2 pounds 7oz. a whisperlight is 11.5 oz. The MSR bottle for whisper light is 5oz (20oz bottle). So you looking about a pound and a half more on the coleman.

Most peoples problems with MSR stoves is not keeping them cleaned. They are so simple all you need to do is keep the jet and fuel lines clean of soot. I used to fix stoves daily when I was a shop monkey. People would return them saying they didn't work right. Clean them out and they fire right up. Most people just think they are maintenance free.

Now on the cool factor the 502 wins. I remember my dad taking one camping when we were like 4 or 5. Pretty neat little stove just a bit bulky for my backpacking needs. Either way sounds like you got what you need and thats what matters.

Great choice if you ask me, some old pards ran those and they were simple and reliable! Another good one might be the Svea 123.

MtnHtr

Well, it should do me for the next few trips. I think I may get a pocket rocket for warmer weather trips and may invest in another less cumbersome white gas stove down the road. Let's hope this one works without too much fuss. It is from the early 1980s.

I bet it works well for you. If not coleman still makes spare parts for it.

I've purchased half a dozen or more "broken" whisperlites from REI scratch and dent sales and pieced together 4 or 5 working stoves for maybe $30 total--like Kenai said, one of them I just had to be cleaned. I gave away all but one as gifts, as they make a nice "back of the truck" stove if canister stoves are more your speed.

This little dude only weights 23oz, and is basically a scaled-down version of the 502.
http://www.rei.com/product/671668

It packs down nicely, and my only complaint are the sharp corners on pot supports which I could round off a little if I got motivated.

The Svea is one of the old timers but it's still one of the best. I'm wondering, though, why they've never made one easy improvement. It's too easy to tip over. Compare it to the one that 222Rem just posted. The Coleman has those little foldout legs that can prevent some nasty accidents.
Does anyone know of an aftermarket base for the Svea to prevent tipovers? I've thought about trying to rig one out of some heavy wire. Someday.

Rock Chuck:

Sorry no ideas for legs on a SVEA 123. I've stopped using mine because cannister stoves weigh less and are more convenient in the summer, and white gas pump stoves work better in the cold.

But I still think the SVEA 123 is maybe the most elegant stove around. It's a work of art when polished up.

The Coleman Exponent stove that you included in your post is a direct descendant of the original aluminum cylinder stove that Coleman built for use by G.I.s during WWII. All that's missing is the pots that twist together and are just the right size to hold the stove.

KC

Here's another one that works very well, although it's a bit heavy because of the propane cyl. Someone gave me two of these. I've used them and they do a good job heating although, like other cyl types, they're not so good in real cold weather.

Rock Chuck:

I have a single-burner propane stove similar to that. I use it to augment my Coleman two-burner "suitcase" stove when I need a third burner. They're very reliable and simple to operate. That design is a little too tall for my liking. Feels like it might be knocked over easily. I can't comment on how they work in real cold weather as I'm usually in a wall tent when base camping.

KC

There is another version of Coleman Exponent stove, this one is a bit lighter and has pretty good reviews: Coleman Exponent Multi Fuel Stove



MtnHtr

I have seen the Coleman Exponent at Campmor's store (highly recommend going their if any of you are ever out in NJ.) I thought the 502 would be around the same size, as I have never seen one. After seeing a video on youtube with them sitting next to one another and I realize the 502 is much bigger. Well, I'll see how practical it is on some upcomming trips. I have pretty much obtained all my gear through stuff I had, or cheap surplus stuff like this and my Alice pack. With a young family and mortgage, the more expensive gear will have to wait.

The little Feather 442 is quite a bit smaller than the 502. If all else fails, you could keep the 502 for car camping and power outages, and watch for a 442 on sale.

Here's one shipped for $60.
http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/CMNEF4.html?ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=CMNEF4

Or you can bid/make offer on this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PEAK-FEATHER-44...tZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19bb58fc8f