These are great for Alcohol stoves.
They are very convenient and fairly reliable. Continue reading
wilderness
MSR Alpine Deluxe Kitchen Set Review
Great set.
Love that there’s two bottles. This only has two powder shakers though (well one, but it’s double ended). Would prefer 4. Also, tongs would be nice (for pasta or bit of meat)
Otherwise, great kit
Bushbox Titanium Outdoor Pocket Stove Review
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
Trangia X2 Multifuel Burner Review
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
Optimus Heat Insulation Pouch Review
This heat pouch isn’t bad. It does what it was meant to do, and it has the advantage of looking tough enough to last quite a while, but I didn’t find it particularly convenient.
Getting the Terra HE Weekend pot into this unit is, while easy, not very smooth. For this reason, it’s easy to spill some hot liquid while transferring the pot from a stove to the cozy. Continue reading
Optimus Hiker+ Repair Kit Review
If you have an Optimus Hiker+, this unit will come in handy.
The magnet on the multi-tool is really designed for the Nova+, so it’s a bit of a waste on this unit, but oh well. It works. And you need the spare parts. The most important pieces are the o-rings. They’re the parts with the shortest lifespan.
I’d like a spare parts kit that doesn’t include the multi-tool.
Trangia 27-2 & 25-2 Ul Stove Kit Review
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
Trangia Fuel Bottle Review
What’s there to say about the Trangia .5L fuel bottle?
It’s light, it holds a good amount of alcohol for a week long trip (assuming simple water boiling for hot drinks and re-hydrating food, but isn’t so large as to get in the way.
Rock on Trangia, this is the perfect compromise.
Trangia Spirit Burner with Screwcap Review
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
Esbit Solid Fuel Cubes Review
Base stats:
– BTU: 12K at the source (Note: lower depending on the stove)
– Stove comparison chart
Esbit 1300 Degree Smokeless Solid Fuel Cubes for Backpacking, Camping and Hobby – 12 Pieces Each 14g
Because this tablets smell, it’s great that they come individually wrapped. Continue reading
Sven Saw 15in Review
I have a few different portable saws.
This is by far the best one.
I wish there was a lot to say about this to help in making an informed decision, but there’s really not that much to say except that hatchets, other folding saws, and portable chains all tire me out a lot faster. The Sven Saw make pretty quick work of sawing 6″+ branches with minimal effort. And it doesn’t get stuck. Continue reading
Primus Eta Power EF Stove Review
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
Kuhn Rikon Cool Gripper, 7″, Review
The plastic material feels solid, but has some give, and that give makes you use more energy to keep a firm grip.
The plastic needs to have less give.
But the Silicone pads are the best I’ve found for protecting non-stick coated pots. There’s really nothing better that I’ve found. Continue reading
Snow Peak LiteMax Stove Review
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
Quietstove Silent Cap for Primus OmniFuel Review
I have previously purchased the the Omnilite muter damper cap and while these units are heavy for their size, the Omnifuel muter cap is significantly bigger and heavier than the Omnilite muter cap. (I also have the muter cap for the SVEA 123R)
Also, this muter cap has has four legs on it, which does add to overall bulk when packed separate from the Omnifuel. The Omnilite muter can has no legs, so ends up packed much flatter when separated. Continue reading
Optimus of Hiker+ Stove Review
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
Snow Peak Titanium Multi Compact Cookset Review
What a great two person cookset for the backpacker who likes to spend a little extra time to cook up better food than your basic rehydration.
Apart from these, I also own the trek combo pot set (basically the trek 900 nested in the trek 1400), and while that set is nice because the hybrid summit also nests inside, the trek combo lacks a little in diameter. This isn’t a problem for stews, but it’s a bit of a problem for breakfast since the larger pan is still too small to place whole slices of spam in it. Continue reading
Primus Service/Maintenance Kit for OmniFuel Review
This is a must have and a good service kit.
However, it should include the multi-tool. spares are pretty useless if the multi-tool breaks. Okay, that’s an exaggeration as you can take apart an Omnifuel using a leatherman, but brass damages easily, the the perfect fit of the multi-tool to the key components of the Omnifuel allows for less damage. And the leatherman doesn’t have the clearing thread used to clear the jets. Continue reading
Snow Peak Mini Solo Hybrid Summit Cookset Review
In the last 3 years now, I’ve amassed so many stoves, pots, pans, cups, and other assorted backpacking cooking paraphernalia, and experimented with all of them both at home and on well over 30 backpacking trips and maybe 6 or 7 car camping trips that I’m starting to get pretty good at knowing what is needed for different types of trips, what’s overkill, and what’s not enough. Continue reading
Esbit Cook Set – Alcohol Stove Review
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
TOAKS Titanium 1600ml Pot and Pan Review
This Toaks Titanium 1600ml Pot with Pan is awesome.
I have quite a few titanium pots and pans from different manufacturers, because there’s been so much progress in lighter pots and pans for hikers and backpackers.
But this is one of my favorites. For two reasons: Continue reading
Optimus Terra HE 3 piece cookset Review
What a great piece of gear.
This set is heavier than a lot of titanium or anodized aluminum pot/pan setups out there today, but it’s also wider than many of them. I own quite a few pot-pan sets and for 3-4 people, this is my favorite setup. Continue reading
Primus OmniFuel Stove Review
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
South Bend Fish Mouth Spreader Review
Can’t really comment on how this does as a fishing tool.
I use it to connect to a metal cup so I can hang it over a fire. In that capacity, it does just fine.
Will post some pictures sometime soon.
Lightweight Folding Stool Review
I was expecting this to be smaller than it actually is.
While it’s still small enough to fit in a backpack, I wouldn’t have minded if it was smaller. Still great for a little sit down. No comparison to my camp chairs that allow leaning back and are about the same weight, but still, this fits into flat spaces and I imagine it will come in handy once in a while.
ShowerPill Athletic Body Wipes Review
Excellent product. doesn’t leave any noticeable film on the skin. comes in a 10 pack. Great for car camping and backpacking
Seattle Sports Camp Bucket (Blue) Review
Having just recently used this on a car camping trip, I’m now pretty confident in thinking you need to have a few of these with you, and these are not luxury items but a necessity.
With an RV, you might have hookups for water at your site, but with non-RV car camping, you’ll need water for everything, be it basic hygiene, doing dishes, or whatever. Continue reading
Garmin GPS V Review
——EDIT——-
August 2014
One of the very first reviews I ever wrote in the US was in 2004 on epinions, about this GPS V. I found it, and am therefore posting it here.
The Garmin GPS V deserves a 2014 mention because I’ve had quite a bit of experience with a variety of other GPS’s in the last decade and am still really stunned at the reliability of my Garmin GPS V. Continue reading
BushBox Pocket Stove Review
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
Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System Review
I can’t say enough good things about this water filter. Of all of Sawyer’s portable water filters (all pointone family), this one is by far the most useful and the most used.
It comes with the reverse “syringe” to back wash the filter, a small aluminum dirty water back and a rubber hose/straw. Continue reading
ECOXGEAR ECOROX BT Speaker Review
ECOXGEAR – ECOROX Rugged and Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – Black
If there’s one thing I’m a huge fan of, it’s rugged gadgets. I purchased this because I recently went on a camping trip and the el cheapo blue tooth speaker I purchased just stopped working. I realized that it had gotten a little wet. not soaked, mind you, just a little wet. Continue reading
Helinox Chair One Camp Chair Review
I now have three backpacking chairs, they all wei about the same, or, at least, close enough to be negligible for me. I would likely select a different chair for different types of trips.
When hiking alone, I’d probably go with a competitor’s chair that has the same seat height. When hiking in a small group for extended trips, I’d probably go with a competitor’s chair that sits lower. Continue reading
ESEE 6 Fixed Blade Knife Review
If you’ve read my other reviews on camping knives, you know well that I don’t know much about them.
For me, a camping knife needs to be just sharp enough to do camping chores and be able to baton/split wood, and maybe do some occasional hacking and maybe just enough chopping so that I can snap a branch by stepping on it. Other than that, I don’t know or care much about the type of steel used, how well it holds an edge, etc. etc. Most camping knives fit that bill… Continue reading
Goal Zero Sherpa 100 Battery Review
Earlier this year, at Macworld, Goal Zero was there and offering a variety of their products at a slight discount so I picked up the Sherpa 100, a solar panel, and power inverter.
Having come from another company that makes a waterproof all-in-on solar battery with 5400 MaH, I was really looking for a battery that had four things: Continue reading
Firebox 5″ Folding Campfire Stove + Grill Plate Review
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
Alite Designs Mantis Chair Review
I’m not able to speak to how long this will last, but in terms of initial comfortt, this is probably the best I’ve seen. It’s very stable, seems reasonably durable, and not excessively difficult to get into and out of. As a backpacking chair, I haven’t tested anything better in terms of weight to price to comfort. Continue reading
GSI Outdoors Macro Table Review
The GSI Micro table is a “better than nothing” table
the GSI Macro is more of a car camping table.
I genuinely wish GSI would build a middling table that is right in between. Continue reading
Butterfly Kerosene Brass Pressure Stove Review
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
VitalGrill Survival Stove Review
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
Okeba Foldable adapter for Asian Gas Can Review
This is a great device.
If you have a lot of the asian style gas canisters, but have a US style gas canister stove with a lindal valve, this device would allow you to use them together, dramatically expanding the flexibility of lindal style stoves overseas in japa, korea, taiwan, and othe places where this style of gas canister is ubiquitous. Continue reading
Mountain Hardwear Epic Glove Review
Since the original review, I’ve gone to New York for a winter holiday and spent 3 days in the Sierra Nevadas in below freezing weather.
Final verdict? pretty darn impressive. Continue reading
Optimus of Sweden Nova+ Stove Review
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
Optimus Svea 123R Stove Review (White gas/Naptha only)
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
Optimus Vega Review
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
Snow Peak Hotlips 2 pack Review
Very simple but great idea. The outer silicone lip is good enough for your lower lip. The inner is not the same size but rather just enough of a rim to cover the rim of a snow peak cup.
So this will not work well with other cups. Continue reading
Kovea LPG Adaptor, Small, Silver Review
This is a pretty amazing piece of gear. It allows you to use coleman propane stoves on lindal connector stoves like a gas canister only stove or a multifuel stove. Continue reading
Voodoo Tactical Drop Leg Pouch Review
I was on the hunt for a drop leg pouch, and I chose this one because of the color.
Because I use an external frame backpack while hiking, it’s hard for me to get to loose items while on the trail. So a drop leg pouch is ideal as it gets out of the way of the backpack’s waist belt. Continue reading
Soto Pocket Torch Review
The fact that this only works with the transparent disposable lighters doesn’t bother me much since they’re readily available all over the place.
The jet works really well when the disposable is brand new, but even before the halfway point the jet starts to reduce strength significantly, and by the halfway point, it barely works. Tried a few lighters and its been consistently weakened at the same point, so i now have less confidence than before Continue reading
Emberlit Titanium Review
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
Primus OmniLite TI Service Kit Review
This is a great maintenance tool kit, with spare jet bolts and a spare splash guard and base bolt.
The case is also a hard plastic to ensure that all the soft metal parts are well protected inside a stuffed backpack. Continue reading
Camping Stoves and Other Gear Reviews 