Backpacking stoves
 

Anyone have a favorite backpacking stove they recommend? Or any recommendations as to what kind of features are good vs. unnecessary.

Most of my backpacking I've just cooked over the fire. While I see myself still doing that, I'd like the added security of having a lightweight stove along for when it is really wet or when I don't feel like making a fire before eating.

Right now I'm leaning towards a MSR Superfly. Kind of a middle of the road canister stove. Seems lightweight, but cooks quick and a larger burner for when I want to heat a larger pot of water for more than one.

Any input?

I have a MSR Dragonfly. It's not terribly light, but it's very versatile. Have had problems with it.

I also have a Sierra Designs Zipstove. I like it, because you dno't hve to carry fuel, but it gets your pots sooty, and you have to constantly add fuel, and that makes it hard to regulate the temperature.

The Dragonfly is "set it and forget it."

I've tried lots of them. I prefer a simple Coleman:

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...Id=40000000226

Easy to light. Consistent flame. Simple construction and operation. Very hot flame.

Thanks for the input. The dragonfly looks nice and I was considering one of those. But somehow I convinced myself that I didn't want one of those stoves with the hose and canister and to just get one that the stove sits right on the fuel source.

Any input as to what makes one better than the other?

Dragonfly also can use unleaded gas. And kerosene and white gas.

It's also easy to light, and given that the fuel pump is not part of the stove body, it's arguably simpler.

Well, depending on what kind of cooking you want to do.

If for example you used a backpacking oven on your stove, you wouldn't want one where the flame was right on top of the canister.

Overall, the pre-bought canister backpacking stoves are the lightest. But you also have to buy proprietary disposable fuel canisters

I have used both. I just like to be able to grab it out of the pack, fire it up and start cooking. If you need more fuel, just carry a spare bottle.

I originally bought an expensive multi-piece stove. I thought it was really cool. I went backpacking with my brother who had a Coleman. He could always get his going in seconds, where it took me a while to get mine up and going. And his water would boil in half the time. I bought myself one and I love it.

How does that make it simpler?

Lebowski -

Have you used white gas or unleaded in your coleman? I'm curious if one burns stronger than the other.

I think my biggest hangup with the coleman is that I've got one of their larger camp stoves and it seems to always smell a little like gas. I don't know if that is just because it is so old and it probably leaks some, or what. But I'm hesitant due to my (perhaps unreasonable) thought that it would be more prone to leak and smell up everything in my pack.

http://www.rei.com/product/653565

I have one of these, an MSR superfly. I love it. No matches needed, very easy to adjust, no flooding of fuel needed to start. PLus it is very light and comapct. I prefer it to the Ccoleman and the Whisperlite. Plus they heat things very quickly.