Tiny stoves

[uriedog]

I have a MSR Whisperlite Universal, and a jet boil. Burn anything in the whisperlite (probably even seal blubber) But the jetboil is my favorite. And now jetboil comes in 2 sizes.

 

[Christophe Noel]

For extended trips in remote locations, I've come to love the MSR Dragonfly. During my 97 day solo sea kayak trip I used my stove sometimes twice a day. I rebuilt it three or four times with fresh parts right on the beach in a matter of minutes. It was fantastic.

I only use isobutane stoves when space and weight are critical. I also use those stoves knowing if they konk out, nothing can be done to remedy the situation. I had one Snow Peak stove poop out on a backcountry ski trip and it sucked. No snow melting. No warm fluids. No rehydrated meals. It was a trip buster.

That said, that was the first cartridge stove I've had fail in the field.

 

[DueNrth]

FWIW:

Stove that never leaves my pack/bag/truck...MSR XGK, multi-fuel (white gas, Naptha, Gasoline (any type),Diesel Jet A/B...(pretty much anything you can find that burns), a little loud (but I've been using it for so long I don't notice) easy to prime no matter what the weather/temp (IsoButane has issues in extreme cold) and field serviceable, it's been on every big mountain there is, and will never let you down. I've used mine from deserts to over 20,000ft. Depending on what you will be cooking (i.e. just boiling water for drinks/dehydrated meals,melting snow...you can simmer with it, but it takes a while to learn) it's a legend (in the same class as the Svea 123). The new XGK-EX is just as good, a little more compact with a flexible fuel line and folding pot supports, but I prefer the original (can still find new one's on ebay).

I do carry an Isobutane stove on my motorcycle trips, my favorite is a few year old Vargo titanium (no longer made, but built like a tank) but own Snow Peak and MSR (MicroRocket). All the major players are pretty much good stoves. Something you may want to look at is the size of the flame spreader, as the smaller ones tend to overheat light cookware, especially titanium. The SP and MicroRocket are better than the PocketRocket at even heating, and the SP simmer's very well.

For complex cooking, hands down the MSR Dragonfly is the way to go (liquid fuel stove) but the Snow Peak white gas stove is equally amazing at simmering, just a lot harder to get parts for (MSR stuff is a staple at any mountaineering shop)

Some people dont like remote canister white gas stoves, or white gas in general, but depending on how much you'll cook, and the length of your trip, white gas may be the lightest option (depending on the number of extra canisters you have to carry) and the only option IMHO at high altitude or really cold WX. Propane is great in the cold, but tank pressure and weight makes it really a no-go for anything other than basecamp/car/vehicle use.

Sorry for the longish reply, I have a passion for stoves, and have collected far more than I will ever need/use...not sure if I added anything to the discussion, but good luck with your stove

 

[Hafwit]

One option you might not normally consider is the following. If you are not a minimalist looking to save every ounce in weight, some of the stoves that use kindling for fuel can be great for boiling water since you don't need to bring fuel with you as long as your travels keep you below the treeline and you can find dry combustible materials. These don't work as well for cooking as for heating water, but it really depends on what you plan to eat. I refer to the volcano-type stoves such as the Kelly Kettle and Ghillie Kettle. There are other brands as well that do the same thing. These are not tiny, but then you eliminate the need to carry fuel, so that may make them a worthwhile consideration.

Cheers,
Greg

 

[downhill]

After a lifetime of backpacking I finally settled on an alcohol stove of my own design about 8 years ago. I wouldn't touch anything else. Nothing beats it for weight, size, simplicity, and reliability. It is virtually silent. One of the biggest advantages is the ease of fuel management. No bulky containers to carry out, guess at the capacity left, or spare canisters to carry. In the last few years several commercial alcohol stoves have come on the market. I have no experience with them unfortunately, but it might be worth further investigation. It may not be for you. My entire stove, windscreen and pot suppport weighs just 2oz and collapses into a small titanium pot. 1oz of alcohol will heat an entire meal plus a cup of tea. I carry the fuel in a small plastic nalgene bottle. I have found methanol to be the best fuel for mine.

 

[Xterabl]

Well that's really nice, downhill! Can you share any design details?

 

[downhill]

Well that's really nice, downhill! Can you share any design details?

Well, short of a full blown write up, it wouldn't help much. The devil is in the details when it comes to alcohol stoves. I have dozens of prototypes to prove that, LOL. Even the method for creating the burner holes can have an effect. I had a contest with a buddy of mine who is also a mechanical engineer to design the most efficient alcohol stove possible. Basically that meant the least amount of fuel to boil 2 cups of water in the least amount of time. Lots of thermodynamics involved. There were safety concerns as well. After nearly six months we had a stove that bested every available design we could find. My design won the contest but we ended up incorporating elements of both in the final stove. My stove uses two sterno cans, one large and one small. It is an auto pressuring design that wicks fuel up the walls of the closed reservoir and vaporizes/pressurizes it. The design favored the use of methanol as fuel because it has a lower boiling point than some other alcohols. The space created between the two cans was used to make a convective chimney of sorts to feed air to the burner. Most designs neglect the other half of the combustion process. Sterno cans are unique because they have a good sealing lid. You can use that to great advantage. I was able to work inside the can, then seal it. The filler port was a nut-sert with a little screw plug. Very sanitary. The wind screen was integral to the design and minimized thermal losses. There are many tutorials online for simple alcohol stoves if you want to try your hand at building one. I really don't have time for all the photos and details it would take to explain mine. It is more complex than the other DIY stoves. Unfortunately I can't even get a picture of it at the moment because it is in storage some distance away. The point of my post was not to talk about my stove, but to bring alcohol stoves into the conversation. They are often overlooked. In a pinch you can create a usable stove in a few minutes from a discarded cat food can. They can be addicting.

 

[NothingClever]

http://www.trangia.se/english/

http://www.esbit.net/categories/category/cooksets-with-alcohol-burner.html

I've had every stove listed in this thread except the venerable Svea 123 and the twig-burning stove.

I have the CS2350HA from the Esbit link. It rocks, IMO.

However, what downhiller is referring to is more along the lines of the minibulldesign series of stove.

 

[Co-opski]

Anyone use any of the stoves from 'Primus'?

I just won a 40% certificate for anything from them. Look like decent stoves and lanterns.

Primus makes a good product I have the Omni Fuel stove, not what the OP is looking for but one of the better mountaineering stoves around. The Primus Eta Power and Eta solo stoves look like they have copied JetBoils well proven design, might be worth looking into.

 

[VATACO]

I love my Jetboil, but my Vargo Ti and a Ti pot work wonders when space is critical.

 

[Jeff Wanamog]

I have a Biolite stove and love it. I dont worry about fuel.
I have never had a problem finding twigs and sticks and I have a usb led light I plug into the side to add light to the situation.

Jeff

 

[Stumpalump]

I headed to REI today to buy a Jetboil and at least look over the other stoves. Jetboil is Made in China. We all have China stuff but the build quality on the working parts like the valve looked like typical China stuff. The aluminum threads that screew onto the bottle really looked like a problem down the road. Next up was MSR and Snow Peak. Korea and Tiawan. They looked better but then about that time an experienced REI rep stopped by and also sugested the SOTO OD-1R like Sawyer did. He said he liked the flame the best for its adjustability and size and said it had the best igniter. Made in Japan and probably why it's made more like a watch than a camp stove. It just boiled a cup and it should do what I need it too. Fwiw I picked up a Snow Peak titanium coffee mug that won't burn your lips and a Snow Peak fuel canister. Once again under close inspection they were a little nicer and also came from Japan. Funny that their stoves did not but my experience with Japanese products has been better often enough to buy the SOTO.
Thanks a lot for all the replies!

Update:
5 months and I'm never going back to a big stove. I never thought of using it in the van but its all I use unless I'm cooking my favorite blueberry pancakes or a steak. The little stove does almost every thing I need and fits in the coffee mug. I'd say that if you need a stove then buy any of the little guys in this thread first. Somebody has a tiny snow peak in the classifieds right now that made me think of it. Jump on it before I buy it as a backup! I'll even stop and brew a quick cup of joe, tea or hot lunch while on the road. It's become one of my favorite pieces of kit.

 

[Papa Tac]

What about meth/alcohol?

Sure, I love my Coleman single burner, and my MSR Whisperlite, and even my Coleman 2 burner propane for car camping.
They've all been stellar, lightweight, compact etc.
But I got bitten by a radioactive pop can last year, and started on an ocd journey of diy.
This site imho is the goto for DIY backpacking stove info: http://zenstoves.net/
Zelph is wealth of information as well: http://www.bplite.com/
I also made some Hobo stoves, and discovered the homemade version of the BushBuddy (here's one example from another GREAT website): http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php/23958-my-wood-gas-stove
This beauty is my most recent DIY and maybe my favourite: http://www.nimblewillnomad.com/stove.htm
So far, I've made >100 alcohol/methyl hydrate stoves from (mainly) pop and beer cans, a dozen wood gas stoves, 2 Nimblewills and multiple cooksets (bottles, pots, etc).
The woodstoves can be combined with alcohol (pop can, trangia, etc) stoves and solid fuel tabs so I have a 3 fuel stove system, low impact/weight/cost.
I have little stove sets of various styles stashed everywhere (and piles of empty cans just waiting) - I could boil up practically anywhere, anytime, but I sometimes give them away to people I meet who express an interest...
Caveat - you may end up liking this hobby too much...
Just to say, you don't have to buy to get a compact reliable stove.

 

[Michael Vincent]

The MSR pocket rocket rules.

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

Are you cooking or just boiling water? A pepsi can stove is fine for boiling and you can get fuel just about anywhere. I used to use a sterno stand for a pot holder/windscreen.

Cheap fun and American made. I assume or whatever your country of origin...