Anyone using old timey Coleman stoves? Picked up a 413e and a 425e for a few bucks this week, seem to work fine.
More "Overland" "Expo certified" meals have been cooked on Coleman stoves than any other. They are perfect. Cheap, reliable, compact/easy to find fuel source, works in all environments, easy to field service, fuel efficient, last for decades, repair parts available at the local hardware. Seriously they are perfect for vehicle based travel. I'm surprised more people here don't snap up the 60's-70's models that remain perfect to this day, and are built with more a bit more pride than the current lot of dual fuel stoves (which are still good stoves), because all Coleman stoves can burn regular unleaded gas.
What's not to like? Other stoves have more sex appeal, but honestly don't work as well for vehicle based travel. When you travel in a 3 ton vehicle, you don't need ultra light weight, and even there a Coleman stoves contains it's fuel. So a propane stove plus it's fuel tank weighs at least as much as a Coleman stove with it's fuel tank.
Now if you're reluctant to learn how they work, and take the extra 30 seconds to pressurize the fuel tank beofre cooking, then propane is for you. Just don't cry when you melt the o rings out of your Partner stove's burner valves 100 miles from anywhere, or you run out of propane on the White rim. There is a craft to master when it comes to a Coleman stove, but once mastered, it sticks with you for life.
So yes, "old timey" Coleman stoves are still around. Still cooking dinner, and making breakfast. They probably are not expensive enough for the overland crowd, but from a practical perspective they are actually better than the alternatives.
Here's 6 burners of 1963 Coleman still cooking at an undisclosed location on Lake Powell.
