The Best Backpacking Stove For You

Any camping trip can be made even better with a backpacking stove in tow. Before you buy, consider that each type of stove can serve better or worse in certain conditions, circumstances and climates than others. You will need to decide what type of fuel to use, how much you can carry and how much you want to spend. Here are three of the most popular types of backpacking stoves.

Petroleum Stoves

Petroleum stoves are the original trusty camp stove. Cooking with this type is similar to cooking on a conventional gas stove. Since it has a large cooking surface, this type of stove can be bulky and heavy if you plan to carry it any long distance. Petroleum stoves are fueled by white gas or kerosene, which is inexpensive and easy to find, but can be messy and dangerous. These stoves are probably not the best choice for use in an exceptionally dry climate. They can also be quite loud, but if you're looking for a cheap, easy way to cook a lot of food quickly, this can be the right one for you. The large cooking surface makes petroleum stoves ideal groups of people, and they perform wonderfully in cold climates.

Alcohol Stoves

Many alcohol stoves are homemade, but there are some retail versions available that work quite well. Since these stoves are so small, they tend to be very light and easy to carry. However, its compact size also means a slower cooking time. Fuel is cheap and plentiful, since they can burn many types of alcohol and they are easy to make. Some of the more efficient retail versions work faster but can be expensive. An alcohol stove can be a good choice for serious backpackers who will travel a long way on foot, need to make the most of available packing space and aren't in a big hurry. This type of stove is not good for cold climates.

Liquefied Gas Stoves

These stoves use propane, butane or isobutane fuel. Clean, safe and easy to carry and use, they provide flexibility. The fuel is easy to find but is more expensive and comes in non-refillable containers. LG stoves don't have a large surface area, but they heat food hot and fast. They work well in high altitudes but don't do very well in cold climates. Light and compact, these stoves are easy to pack. Ideal for the moderate backpacker, the LG stove is very reliable and efficient.