Stoves are one of the staples of camping, this is widely accepted. We are probably all familiar with the most common type of stove...the threaded canister with a burner that screws in top. There are so many more options though....
A few factors to take into consideration when choosing a stove are stability, availability of fuel, price of fuel, size, weight and time to cooking temperature. Obviously for people cooking out of the back of a car weight is less of an issue and so on for most of those variables.
When using gas you will need two components; the burner and the gas canister. Gas canisters are expensive, take up a great deal of room in a rucksack and need to be carried out (still weighing a fair amount) and disposed of (far from eco friendly!). The gas burner I use is an MSR pocket rocket which weighs 85g and folds in on itself fairly well. It takes up very little room, even if stored in the plastic protector it is supplied in and will fit inside most mugs/pans.
Another popular gas stove is the Jetboil which uses a variety of features such as built in windshields, heat exchangers and insulated containers to boost performance. This gives an extremely efficient gas stove which loses very little power in cold weather, something of a problem with most gas stoves. The jetboil (whole system, from burner to mug, not including gas canister) weighs 395g and up depending on which model you opt for. It is expensive but you will save money in the long run over other gas stoves due to its greater efficiency.
Both of these systems lack stability, the jetboil less so as it comes with an optional canister stabilising stand and can be hung from a tree/tent/trekking pole when space is at a premium.
The MSR windpro and similar stoves get around this problem by having the burner separate to the fuel. This allows a larger, more stable base and the use of a windshield, further lowering cooking times and saving fuel. They are heavier than the MRS pocket rocket, weighing at least 200g.
The pros for gas probably explain their popularity. They are easy to use....open a valve, light it and cooking is straight ahead. Fuel is easy to find if pricy and they will not break the bank or your back depending on the model. That they are not ideal for cooking at altitude or in extremely cold temperatures will probably not put most customers off buying one.
Another factor in gas's popularity may be that manufacturers have been pushing it as the ideal choice for years, perhaps due to their desire to buy their shiny own brand canisters?
Petroleum based liquid fuel stoves have been the norm for generations. They are harder to use than gas, heavier (as a pressurised bottle similar to a Sigg must be carried) but are far cheaper to run and the fuel can be found anywhere.
The MSR whisperlite is fairly typical. The specs on its page show that it fits into the mould cast above.
I am using one of these as the basecamp stove on an upcoming expedition and will see how it performs.
Methylated spirits seems to have fallen out of favour amongst all but terminal alcoholics who no longer value their eyesight. Trangia have been making these for years, following a design for a double walled stove that is over 100 years old. Meths vaporises at 12 degrees centigrade so they may be difficult to use at lower temperatures. They burn at a lower temperature but can easily bring 2l of water to a boil. Usually used with a large cooking set including windbreak and heatshield they weigh a great deal (Trangias are made from brass) however lightweight versions do exist.....my current favourite is one made from two coke cans, which follows a similar design to the Trangia and weighs next to nothing. Methylated spirits, while easy to find in the UK, can be harder to find elsewhere. £2 for 1l is normal.
Solid fuels, for example hexamine tablets and various gels are used by the British army. They are slow, messy and unadjustable. They will take a fair beating though, weighing a great deal more than they should generally.
So there it is, an incomplete list of stove types, attributes and my own thoughts on them. Please feel free to add your own views in the comments.
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