What Are The Best Stoves For Camping

Types of Camping Stoves: What is the best camping stove?

If you’re going to be camping for any duration of time, at some point you’re going to have to eat. When this time comes, it is going to be a question of how you plan to prepare your food. If you’re into a simpler camping experience, you can always pack prepackaged food that can be consumed from the bag or wrapper. Think protein bars and trail mix bags. However, the true camper/survivalist is seeking a camping experience more in tune with nature. This means actually cooking a hot meal at your campsite. In this article, we will explore the various types of camping stoves and which of them is the best option for you.

What are the different types of camping stoves?

The common characteristics of stoves used for camping, backpacking and other outdoor uses are their lightweight, portable design that allows them to be used in remote locations while being easily transportable to other locations. However, this is where the similarities begin to diverge. Different types of camping stoves are characterized by their differing fuel sources as well as their differing surface areas. This means that one stove might be fueled by butane whereas another stove might be fueled by gasoline. One stove might have multiple burners whereas another stove might only have one burner.

Alcohol Stoves –

These stoves use denatured alcohol as their fuel source. This means the burn things like ethanol and methylated spirits to keep their flame lit. The benefit of these stoves is that the alcohol is inexpensive and its vapors are non-explosive. This means that you are less likely to experience an inadvertent explosion from a spark coming into contact with the vapors of the fuel. Additionally, the alcohol can be carried in any plastic container making it an extremely convenience fuel source four your stove. Alcohol also produces no smoke when it burns which makes it ideal for staying off the radar of other nearby campers.

Propane and butane stoves –

Both propane and butane are effective fuel sources which is why there are so many camping stoves that are designed to burn them for cooking. So which fuel source is better? Well for starters, butane is usually a little cheaper. Butane is also less dense than propane so you will usually get more of the butane in a container of in comparison to propane stored in the same size container. Beyond that, its all about boiling temperature. Propane has a much lower boiling temperature. What this means for you as a camper is that propane will continue to convert from a liquid to a gas (for your stove to burn) at very cold temperatures. For this reason, propane is typically recommended more for outdoor use and storage while butane is typically used more indoors. Thus, if you are camping in the spring or summer time, you would be fine to use butane. However, if you plan to ever camp during colder temperatures, a propane camping stove might be the more efficient fuel source for you.

Additionally, both propane and butane are usually stored in portable steel cylinders. This means that refilling your fuel source to your camping stove isn’t as simple as refilling a plastic container as you would with an alcohol fuel source. You might have to bring multiple fuel cylinders along with you on your camping trip. (1)

Gasoline camping stoves –

When we talk about gasoline stoves, the gasoline we are referring to is generally a white gas. White gas is a highly refined version of the same gas that is used in automobiles. As you’re reading this you may be wondering, “Does that mean I can just use regular unleaded gasoline in my camping stove?” Well, you’ll have to check and see if your stove is a “dual fuel” stove. These types of stoves can usually operate using the unleaded gasoline or the preferred white gas. However, it is important to note that unleaded gasoline has a tendency to cause gunk to collect within your stove due to its faster oxidation rate in comparison to white gas. Consequently, you’ll have to regularly clean the stove of this buildup to keep it operational. If you can help it, you should always use white gas since it burns cleaner and will help ensure the longevity of your stove for years to come.

Kerosene camping stoves –

People who prefer kerosene camping stoves generally enjoy the higher combustibility of kerosene in comparison to other fuel sources. This means that it gets hotter faster in comparison to propane for example. However, unlike propane, kerosene tends to have higher emissions. This means that you’ll have to make sure you are operating your kerosene camping stove in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling harmful byproducts.

Canister stoves vs. Liquid fuel stoves –

after you’ve selected a fuel type, you will sometimes have the option of either a canister fuel source or a liquid fuel source. Each of these has their own benefits and limitations. Typically, your canister stoves will be lighter than the liquid stoves. However, the liquid fuels will burn much longer than the canister counterpart. Ultimately, you’ll have to consider how long your camping trips will be. For longer trips, the canister stoves will require a lot of replacement canisters because you will quickly burn through them. So, if you are loading up with a large number of fuel canisters, you will quickly outweigh your pack in comparison to the liquid fuel stove. Basically, ten lightweight canisters will collectively weigh more than one or two liquid fuel containers.

What is the best camping stove?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this. It’s really a question of your personal camping practices. How long are your camping trips? How far do you plan to physically carry your pack before you set up your campsite? How many meals will you actually be cooking as opposed to snacking on trail mix and jerky? Will you be simply heating up pre-cooked meals or will you actually be cooking meat? The answer to each of these questions will play a part in your decision about what camping stove to purchase.

If you consider the needs of an average camper who only camps for a day or two at a time, you really can’t go wrong with a propane stove. Although the fuel is liquid propane that is converted to a gas as it burns the efficiency of the propane allows you to get a lot of use out of a single fuel container. The means that you’ll be less encumbered with this stove than if you were using a gas canister stove that required a lot of extra replacement canisters.

Additionally, the low boiling temperature makes them efficient in virtually any weather or elevation (if you’re camping at a higher altitude, this will be preferable). This is why many gas grills for home barbequing are usually equipped to burn propane as opposed to other types of fuel. You can operate propane in the most frigid winter or the scorching summer. Comparatively, if you want a versatile camping stove that you can use in any conditions, propane stoves are the way to go. Remember though, this is a recommendation to the average camper. If your needs are a little more specialized then another type of stove may be more preferable for you. You just have to determine your own needs and address them accordingly.