Take me to School: Camp Stoves

[doug720]

Coleman for all the above reasons. I have 1, 2 and 3 burners and they work great. Dependable, basic and cheap, and something about using a simple tool makes me smile.

Plus they work well with a old school Coleman gas lantern!

 

[Junkinduck]

No leakage or fumes. I keep a single burner in the truck 24/7 with no issues whatsoever. I also keep spare fuel in an MSR fuel bottle with no issues. I cannot count the amount of miles I've had a Coleman dual fuel bouncing around my truck over every terrain with no issues. A Coleman dual fuel is bombproof.

My 533 is always behind the rear seat of the truck in a flea market Coleman 502 aluminum cook set box. I do think the 502 is a bit more rugged and I would run unleaded in it in a pinch but the Coleman or crown fuel is cleaner. Never had a 2 or 3 burner leak either. As long as the fuel cap is good. I have left the fuel tank under pressure in the fall when I put the three burner up and it was still under pressure in the spring. Go buy a 20.00 two burner and give it a try. If you don't like it send it on. Always a market for a sub 20$ Coleman stove. Don't worry if it is a bit rough. If it will hold pressure and the tank isn't too rusty it will probably cook. The one I usually take camping is not a dual fuel and was made in the 60's. Still cooks like a champ.

 

[Lieutenant Van]

I doubt this fits your needs but if anyone out there is doing "Van Life" or overloading in a larger vehicle without preexisting appliances, I can highly recommend the Camp Chef Oven. While too large and heavy for practical car/suv camping, it shines as a cheaper vehicle mount option. At only $132 and relatively compact, I built mine into my cargo van instead of buying an expensive and bulky permanently-mounted RV unit. I keep a pocket stove in the pantry for backpacking duties or to make coffee while the stove burners are in use making breakfast for everybody.

Having an oven is totally unnecessary for most but we love it. We've used that oven to keep multi-course meals warm and cook things like semi-thawed frozen pizzas.

Buying through Amazon was actually a great experience. I goofed and broke off the propane fitting sticking out the back of the unit and they sent a replacement unit in three days- no charge, no questions asked.

 

[Herbie]

The only thing I worry about with a dual fuel though is leakage and storage. Granted I could use propane exclusively with it until I find myself in a pinch, so it's a nice back up. Although I've read that the liquid fuel lasts far longer.

For those of you with a dual fuel, have you found any issues with venting, fumes, or leakage during transporting or storage?

Cool story: Like most adults, my Mom eventually made the phone call that begins with "Come get the rest of your childhood crap out of my garage." I dutifully went over and cleaned out a bunch of crap, but also found a cardboard box with all my old Boy Scout backpacking gear in it, including my late-'80s or early '90's MSR Whisperlite (white/coleman gas) stove, along with 3 fuel bottles, two of which had been stored full. After more than 20 years in the garage, the fuel was still the right viscosity so I thought "what the heck". I blew the spiderwebs out and tried to light the stove. Pumped up fine, primed and lit just fine.

After all that time, the only noticeable degradation was that the O-ring seals on the bottle caps and the pump were pretty cracked (but still holding fuel). I put new rings on everything and went through the stove with a rebuild kit and the stove still works like new.

Similarly, I've pulled coleman stoves out of their cardboard boxes from garages, etc. and they all seem to do just fine. The only leaker I've ever come across was an early 1970's model at a yard sale that had been stored such that the leather gasket/cup thingy in the pump had dried out. Replaced, and that stove still runs 100% also.

The only reason I don't use white gas more often is that I'm a zombie in the morning and prefer the pump-less ease of a butane burner to get coffee going, and I've had issues with hot-re-lights on coleman stoves (they don't always re-ignite cleanly after being off for ~20 minutes) - required a lot of fiddling.

 

[Biker Eagle]

Basecamp by Mr. Heater

Basecamp propane stove is similar in size to the Coleman stoves, 18x3x3. And price, about $60. After using a Coleman for 40 years I switched. The Basecamp has all copper tubing and has separate lines to each burner unlike my old Coleman. Having separate supply lines lets each burner have flames that are equal. On my old Coleman, the burner on the left never burned as hot as the one on the right. Also, it has a real handle, not just a slot in the body of the stove. This is my 2nd season with it, and we'll see if it holds up like the Coleman.

 

[Ovrlnd Rd]

Just got a Camp Chef Everest. Right out of the box the ignitor is non-functioning. I like the control of the burners and the BTUs but the ignitor is crap.

 

[Stumpalump]

Spend the money on a Partner Stove if cooking for three. This thread has turned in to a China stove thread. That's fine if you want temporary but if you want to use it with your grand kids and give it to them then buy it once and get the Partner. It cooks perfect, won't break, is simple to clean ect ect. Liquid fuel is a hazard and a hassle that you don't need. If you still want to eat in the back pack mode and I suggest it then buy a butane stove. I use mine 3 times for every time I pull out the Partner. If I had to keep one then this would be it. http://www.sotooutdoors.com It lights, burns and cooks absolutely perfect. It weighs nothing, the larger cans lasts for months and it doesn't take up space. Buy one first and see how you make out then buy the Partner if you want to cook two large pot meals all the time. You will use both. Last 5 day trip was done with just the SOTO stove but I cooked meat on a freinds Webber Q propane grill. I could live with a SOTO and a Weber Q1000 or Q1200 for meat and use as an oven. Those Q grills cook so perfect it's unbelievable. I bought one for the house and use my buddies when camping.

 

[ttengineer]

Spend the money on a Partner Stove if cooking for three. This thread has turned in to a China stove thread. That's fine if you want temporary but if you want to use it with your grand kids and give it to them then buy it once and get the Partner. It cooks perfect, won't break, is simple to clean ect ect. Liquid fuel is a hazard and a hassle that you don't need. If you still want to eat in the back pack mode and I suggest it then buy a butane stove. I use mine 3 times for every time I pull out the Partner. If I had to keep one then this would be it. http://www.sotooutdoors.com It lights, burns and cooks absolutely perfect. It weighs nothing, the larger cans lasts for months and it doesn't take up space. Buy one first and see how you make out then buy the Partner if you want to cook two large pot meals all the time. You will use both. Last 5 day trip was done with just the SOTO stove but I cooked meat on a freinds Webber Q propane grill. I could live with a SOTO and a Weber Q1000 or Q1200 for meat and use as an oven. Those Q grills cook so perfect it's unbelievable. I bought one for the house and use my buddies when camping.

I've always said buy once cry once.

I've got a little pocket rocket that I would bring as a back up for dehydrated meals.

I'm still up in the air as weather to buy a partner or a Coleman dual fuel. I will probably end up getting a partner and I'll just limp buy on a butane stove for now.


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[Kerensky97]

For those of you with a dual fuel, have you found any issues with venting, fumes, or leakage during transporting or storage?

No. And I've transported my stove flat, and on end. I've dropped it twice in the last two years, enough to put some sizable dents on the top of it due to it falling right on a pointy rock (I keep a lodge cast iron griddle in with it which gives it some heft). The trails I go on are bumpy enough that half the nights I stop to setup camp I find out the vibrations broke off the mantels off my Duel Fuel lantern.

Through all that I haven't even smelled even the slightest wisp of fuel leakage.

BTW if anybody has ever wondered. The Lodge Reversable Grill (http://amzn.to/2yH90DE) fits like a glove under the smaller Coleman Guide Series Dual Burner (http://amzn.to/2zNjXRL) rack so you can close the lid and not have to carry it separate. And when in use it covers the entire top cooking surface. Good for morning bacon and french toast.

The Guide series does not fit two 10" pans like the more common Powerhouse model but it will fit a 10" cast iron pan and a kettle or pot if that's how you like to cook.

Edit to Add: The modern coleman stove stands are pure trash (refer to my stove dents as examples), but you can still find the sturdy classic aluminum stands on Ebay for less $$$ than the brand new modern stands.

 

[Peneumbra2]

I just eat everything raw.

Which can make life interesting if you enjoy things like oatmeal. And liver.

 

[chris the ogre]

I use a Coleman Grill/stove.

https://smile.amazon.com/Coleman-Ca...9023571&sr=8-8&keywords=coleman+camping+stove

I like having both options in 1 unit. It works well for 6 people.

 

[ckkone]

Camp Chef Mountaineer 2 Burner Aluminum Stove is awesome! Much better value than the Partner Steel and the Camp Chef has better features.

https://www.outdoorcooking.com/camp-chef-mountaineer-2-burner-aluminum-stove.html

 

[jpachard]

. Liquid fuel is a hazard and a hassle that you don't need.

Not sure how liquid fuel is any more a hazard than a propane bottle that can leak, are hard to tell when the valves are going bad etc. Plus in many states it is required that one store them outside a vehicle which comes with its own set of problems. Everyone has different needs and as long as one is aware of the pros and cons of each fuel then one can make a decision based on that.


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[Mgyver1]

It would be worth $100 not to have that stupid gas line on the front! Moving on.....BTW, Partner will customize the gas line location, extra grill bars, adjustable feet etc....I spent $310 which included all those options plus a extra 4' gas line and a $20 bag from Amazon.

And Partners are made in the USA