Base stats:
– BTU: 5,300 (LPG vapor)
– BTU: 10,300 (LPG liquid-inverted)
– BTU: 9,500 (White gas)
– BTU: 7,300 (Kerosene)
– Weight: 11.5 oz min, 19.4 oz packed
– Stove comparison review
The short: If you’re looking for a liquid fuel stove, and are willing to compromise on a little weight and size to get better reliability, the MSR Whisperlite Universal is hard to beat. It is the goto choice for many experienced backpackers who need reliability in the field.
Subtitle: An expensive replacement for a $30 portable Asian butane stove.
Base stats:
– Usable with wind screen:
– Power: 12,700 BTU
– Weight” 24.9 oz (including carry bag, not including fuel)
– Boil: 35oz to rolling boil in 11 minutes
The skinny: While not a large stove by car camping standards, the ST-301 butane stove, coming in at 1.5 lbs, is a substantial piece of gear with solid metal parts. There is an attention to detail that is all about being a full on car camping stove, with ruggedness and long life, in a diminutive package. Continue reading
I have had some requests for stove comparison charts. So here it is, but it’s a work in progress, with lots to fill in yet. One chart for hard data and two charts with highly subjective “opinions”.
NOTE: Google sheets doc doesn’t show well in WordPress mobile app (no horizontal scroll)
Snow Peak Geoshield Stove Review
– BTU: 11,200 BTU’s / 2,800 Kcal/h
– Weight: 14 oz (including separate igniter)
– Stove comparison chart
I’ve now completed several tests with the geoshield, and while that doesn’t compare to using it in the field, I feel like I have enough to compare it to, to get a sense of when it would be most useful. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 9860
– Weight: 12 oz
– Stove comparison chart
Every once in a while, a piece of engineering, a gadget, comes along, that is so well done, that I just have to have it. Do I need it? No. Does it really fit in any scenarios I’m thinking of? Not really. Does it compare favorably vs. other gear that I know? Meh. And yet, it’s a gadget with engineering so attractive, so well designed, that the only way to properly appreciate it, is to use it.
The Soto STG-10 is just such a device.
JetBoil Zip.
Base stats
– BTU: 4500
– Weight: 12 oz
– Stove comparison chart
It’s not the size of the BTU, it’s the efficiency of heat transfer.
The JetBoil Zip has been around a while, and is the lowest cost JetBoil out there.
I already have the JetBoil Sol Aluminum and have been loving it. But for my wife’s emergency pack, I wanted a JetBoil as well. Looking at the various models, the JetBoil Zip was the least expensive, so at the risk of missing some features, I picked one up on Amazon. Continue reading
Base stats
– BTU: LPG: 11K+
– BTU: White gas: 14K+
– BTU: Kerosene, Diesel, Jet Fuel, unleaded, unknown
– Weight: 17 oz including pump (Not including bottle or carry bag)
– Stove comparison chart
Optimus essentially added different features from their other modern stoves to the Nova+ and released it as the Polaris Optifuel. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 7K (LPG)
– Weight: 21 oz (1.4 lbs)
– Stove comparison chart
The Primus ETA Spider is a wonderfully over-engineered hybrid of multiple Primus technologies all rolled into one. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 7K (Really the BTU of the Trangia burner)
– Weight: 2.7 oz
– Stove comparison chart
If you’re looking for a light Trangia stand that has a good windscreen and fits in a 1L titanium pot, this is a solid buy.
However, if you’re looking to also add the option of a gas stove, take note. There are slits in the triangular wall for the holder “plate” to go into. Continue reading
Base stats
– BTU: 4K-9K (depending on wood)
– Weight: 17 oz including pump (Not including bottle or carry bag)
– Stove comparison chart
This little number is not that much lighter than the steel version. I thought it would match the Emberlit mini in weight, but it’s far heavier.
Still, it’s also thicker than the Emberlit, and that gives greater confidence in terms of durability. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: White Gas: 6,825 (This is intentional and good)
– Weight: 18 oz including bottle and pump.
– Stove comparison chart
[EDIT: THIS DOES NOT FIT IN THE CLIKSTAND APPALACHIAN TITANIUM GAS COMBO]
If you use the Trangia 25 or 27 series, or other storm cook sets, and want the additional option of using liquid fuels or a gas canister, this is the way to go. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 7K (The Trangia burner)
– Weight: 36 oz (2lb 4oz) for the larger 25-2
– Weight: 29 oz (1lb 13oz) for the smaller 27-2
– Stove comparison chart
If alcohol fuel (and optionally, also multi-fuel) is more your thing than LPG gas canister stoves, but you want to cook with it and maximize heat efficiency with a really good wind screen, this set is very hard to beat. Some of the most experienced backpackers swear by these cook sets as they work in horrendous weather conditions, maximize the limited fuel efficiency of the Trangia stove, run silently, and avoids the mess and hassle of setting up and putting away liquid fuel stoves. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 7K
– Weight: 3.8 oz
– Stove comparison chart
What do you say about a stove with such a long history, that continues to be among the most sought after stoves on the market, and an entire industry of companies creating add-ons and peripherals around it?
There’s no other single stove product on the market today quite like the Trangia Mini. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 7K max (LPG or white gas)
– Weight: 29 oz (1lb 13oz)
– Stove comparison chart
As stoves go, the Primus ETA Power EF is an incredibly over-engieered work of art, best suited for a heavy cooking car camping trip.
While definitely not suited for a one person backpacking trip, it could be a great boon on a four person trip when distributing and sharing load. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 11K
– Weight: 1.9 oz
– Stove comparison chart
I own quite a few of thee types of miniature gas canister stoves. And this would have to be my second favorite of all. It has some wind resistance from being blown out, which is nice, and the flame egress surface faces outwards to cover wider pots. It is also well suited for small pots and any cup designed for this purpose. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 9,725
– Weight: 3.4 lbs (A bit of a beast)
– Stove comparison chart
The Optimus Hiker+ is probably among the most reliable stoves I’ve ever used. While it may be true that many years ago, it was likely considered a backpacking stove, these days, most folks, me included, use this as a car camping, or home emergency stove, and it works well in that regard.
Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 7K at the burner
– Weight: 14.7 oz
– Stove comparison chart
Esbit CS985HA 5-Piece Lightweight Trekking Cook Set with Brass Alcohol Burner Stove and 2 Anodized Aluminum Pots
The Esbit 5 piece cookset with alcohol stove…. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 10,500
– Weight: 15.6 oz (stove & pump, no bottle)
– Stove comparison chart
Many folks who have a history of picking up multi-fuel stoves and decide to go the Primus route start with the Omnifuel and moved to the Omnilite later because the Omnilite came out much later. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-9K depending on wood
– Stove comparison chart
I’m a pretty big fan of wood stoves. Starting a fire in the woods is always a chore for me since I don’t have the skills to really get a fire going without a little help.
But this little guy makes starting a fire using a magnesium fire starter fairly simple. Continue reading
I purchased this direct from the manufacturer, and got the deluxe bundle which included two extra sticks, and the various tops (grill plate and cut-out for cups), and also the bag.
Wow, this is some serious technology, and if I was going to go disappear in the woods for a month, there’s no question this would be my goto stoves. Continue reading
Butterfly #2412 Kerosene Brass Pressure Stove
Recently, I’ve become obsessed with stoves.
In researching a variety of them, I came across this kerosene stove. Continue reading
After experimenting more with this stove, I have to say the durability is really impressive.
I originally thought the air-holed storage cap, which also serves as the base for the wood fire, would be a weak point for long fires, but I haven’t noticed any warping yet. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 9,725 (on white gas)
– Weight: 15 oz with pump (not including bottle)
– Stove comparison chart
2013 November: I just picked up the Nova+ at AnyMountain. There have been some bad reviews of the Nova+ but so far, I can’t find a real fault with it. Since I already own the Primus omnilite ti (and now a few others), I can compare the two.
[NOTE: Since this review, I have gathered a few more. Check the Optimus Polaris Optifuel review for more comparisons with this Nova+. https://somecampingstoves.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/optimus-polaris-optifuel-801408-campinghiking-camp-stove-w0-4l-fuel-bottle/ Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4,780
– Weight: 32 oz (2 lbs)
– Stove comparison chart
Update Review:
With my stove collection growing further and quite a few more backpacking trips and hiking trips under my belt since my last review, it’s clear now that the SVEA is an even more reliable device than originally anticipated. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 12,500 in liquid LPG mode, 4,750 in standard LPG mode
– Weight: 6.28 oz
– Stove comparison chart
I’ve purchased quite a few gas canister stoves in the search for that perfect one, and also have gotten into alcohol stoves, liquid fuel stoves, and wood stoves. Sort of a strange hobby, but comparing these stoves in actual usage is the only real way to understand them.
The Optimus Vega, among LPG stoves, is my first choice when heading out and planning on doing a fair bit of group cooking, while still keeping weight and pack space at a minimum. Rafting weekends are ideal. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-9K depending on wood
– Weight 5.45 oz
– Stove comparison chart
The Emberlit Titanium is an über-thin wood stove, and despite it’s thinness, can handle a variety of fuels including charcoal, alcohol stove, fuel tablets, Sterno cans, pine cones, and of course, wood, without warping.
The titanium cools really fast which is also very convenient. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-9K depending on wood
– Weight: 4.5 oz
– Stove comparison chart
The Emberlit Mini is an amazing stove.
As a multi-fuel stove, this rocks, fitting alcohol stoves, sterno fuel cans, esbit style fuel gels, charcoal, and of course wood. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 11K
– Weight: 2.3 oz
– Stove comparison chart
Truly the best of the best of compact stand-alone LPG gas canister stoves. It has become my goto.
While it’s too bad that it doesn’t fit in a cup along with a gas canister and utensil, which would be ideal, this gas canister based unit has one incredible advantage in addition to the wind resistance, and two small negatives. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 11K
– Weight: 5 oz
– Stove comparison chart
This thing is truly a work of art.
It’s hard to believe that a stove setup could be this small.
This stove has two critical advantages:
First, it’s so small that when all folded up, it can fit inside a GSI Halulite mug (solo) sideways. SIDEWAYS!!! This means that I can have a gas canister, silicone pot holder, tiny folding utensil, AND this stove in the GSI mug and still completely close the silicone lid. Continue reading
Woah, didn’t realize how well this thing worked.
Light, incredibly compact, but highly useful on uneven ground.
The Jetboil Sol is such an efficient system that a simple (ingeniously simple), triangular rod and steel wire setup like this works very well. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 8900
– Weight: 2.6 lbs (including pump and bottle and bag)
– Stove comparison chart
(Long Term use update at bottom)
I own most of the currently sold liquid fuel stoves as well as quite a few older ones, and to my mind, the Primus Omnilite is the best choice of a fairly good sample of liquid fuel stoves for flexibility, compactness, fuel efficiency, and reliability, though, it has couple of small negatives.
Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-9K depending on wood
– Weight: 16.2 oz including snow and ash pan
– Stove comparison chart
EDIT:
First off, 180 stove sent me a replacement because they wanted to analyse the warping.
That warping was pretty easily cleared up as i was essentially over-abusing the stove, both in terms of going way too hot and cooling things down way too fast. Continue reading
Base stats:
– BTU: 4-12K depending on charcoal
– Weight: 2lbs (32 oz)
– Stove comparison chart
SHORT ANSWER: Great idea, Kinda Meh.
—-
Here’s the short review: If you can deal with the extra lb, this device is a good device to have in a pinch.
It’s highly compact, weighted well indicating a reasonable level of quality, and because something is better than nothing, I highly recommend this for when wood burning campfires are your only option. Continue reading
There really isn’t that much to say about this emergency stove. It is what it is.
The photo shows the walls vertical at 90 degrees, but there are notches in the hinge that allows the walls to lock at 45 degrees, which is better for smaller items like a cup instead of a kettle, and probably helps in windy situations. Continue reading
Camping Stoves and Other Gear Reviews 