Recommend me a hiking stove

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Andy T

Settler
Sep 8, 2010
899
27
Stoke on Trent.
A good lightweight solo set up would be a snowpeak 1400 pot, £40 a trangia triangle, £20 and a civi trangia, £10. Good for two people as it's not the lightest but possibly the best cookset you can get, a meta 50. Costs around £20 and £10 for the burner.
Best home made burner ? I'd go with the flat cat. Costs nothing, very light, very very efficient and you don't have to wait for it to prime. Only drawback is you would need to buy/make some sort of potstand.
 
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SJStuart

Settler
Jan 22, 2013
997
2
Suffolk Coast
I'm burning Diesel in my DragonFly... so far without issue.
It only smells while priming, and once you gently open the valve and allow fuel to start actively flowing that smell disappears pretty-much entirely.

Some mild sooting, but that doesn't bother me at all given that I typically cook directly on a fire anyway so I'm used to soot :)

I've also burned some home-made biodiesel (had to see if it'd work) and that was even better... less soot, and smelt like a chippy, which was nice :)
 

Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
65
50
Saudi Arabia
I use one of the Chinese clone stove from ebay.
It burns liquid fuel and takes gas cartridges.
It means I can choose which fuel I want to use depending on where I'm going and how long I'm I'm going for.
It's been nice and reliable so far.
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
depends if your goung to be moving alot or not.

Wood burning isn't quick to pack or unpack and light, neither are multifuel stoves with exeption of the coleman style. Multifuel is also quite heavy before any fuel when you add up the bottle spares tools pouch pump and stove.

Gas is quick to pack but is less versatile, and the cannister mount ones are a little bit weak and do not like the cold

meths is quick to pack, light, quiet, simple,relaxing, work in the cold and not technical but if you do alot of cooking the fuel doesn't last long, and you loose the weight saving quickly.

Hexi - too simple

Not really. If the weight is an issue then you really shouldn't be out camping.

I'm a big fan of real Trangia stoves, simple, work in any weather, thrive in high winds. I'm also a fan of multifuel stoves like the Omnifuel which give you the options to burn paraffin/naptha and gas canisters. You can also mount there burners in a Trangia setup giving the ultimate winter combination. If your on a budget go for one of the Chinese Booster type stoves for around £40. As funds permit you can then add a Trangia as the burners off the Booster also will mount in the Trangia.

If your just hiking then http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bulin-T4-...039?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20dd85adff will do the job nicely. Note the pre heater tube running across the burner, this will let you flip the gas canister upside down in the winter to boost performance. If I was younger/fitter and hiking I'd go for one of these types (even if I knew all I do about stoves) as really for cooking for one or two and cooking more 'modern' type meals they fit the bill and will cope with the UK climate.
 

789987

Settler
Aug 8, 2010
554
0
here
7135882215_3e026d6ea8_z.jpg
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Not really. If the weight is an issue then you really shouldn't be out camping.

What does that statement even mean Richard? :)

My choice for hiking trips is either a Bushbuddy Ultra and meths stove back up or my WhisperLite for snowy trips

P1010704P.jpg
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
What does that statement even mean Richard? :)

My choice for hiking trips is either a Bushbuddy Ultra and meths stove back up or my WhisperLite for snowy trips

P1010704P.jpg

It was in reply to petro whats his names comment about how heavy multifuel stoves are; if they are too heavy then you won't be able to carry all your other kit so best you stay home.
 

kiltedpict

Native
Feb 25, 2007
1,333
6
51
Banchory
Not true Richard. I didn't have room in my pack, nor did I want the additional weight of a Multifuel burner when I did the TGO challenge. Because of that should I not have entered?
 

wales1

Full Member
Aug 3, 2011
133
8
dumfriesshire
If you want portability and ease of use, you wouldn't go wrong with a trangia. I have had a few different types of stoves and for ease of use, practicality and reliability whilst giving various cooking options and a stable base to cook from then the trangia ticks all the boxes.

I use the gas burner in mine, and just use a neoprene cover for the canister to help stop it getting cold too quick when you have it out of your pack in the winter and faced with a bitter breeze. Also just invert the canister when it is really cold.

Steve
 
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Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
I have one of these...

http://store.primuscamping.com/backpacking-stoves/single-fuel/butane/express-stove-w/piezo-ignition/

Which will go from simmer to rocket ship and the igniter has lasted about 6 years of abuse so far. I use this fuel...

http://store.primuscamping.com/backpacking-stoves/fuel/primus-powergas-230g/

Which is available everywhere (though no idea where the price on the primes site came from!) and lasts about 5 days. I use this wind shield...

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/bushcraft/QE105.html

Which is brilliant, clips over the gas for storage and along with the stove, titanium spoon and fork, cut down washing sponge and a little washing liquid all fit inside this pot along with the stove...

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/pots-pans-and-mugs/SC122.html

It takes up very little room in my pack for the whole lot and without trying is pretty light weight.

I'll try and get some photos as I think it's a great compact little system.
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
It was in reply to petro whats his names comment about how heavy multifuel stoves are; if they are too heavy then you won't be able to carry all your other kit so best you stay home.

to be honest thats a point. Also I said about set up times, if there are 2 of you the weight and set up times dissapear, where as if your on your own you can take more fuel for the same weight and have an easier set up time. If you go for a multi the diesil/parrafin side gets my vote. The more fuel you carry the better parrafin gets in weight terms, and if there are two of you, you will pass the threshold.
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
Not true Richard. I didn't have room in my pack, nor did I want the additional weight of a Multifuel burner when I did the TGO challenge. Because of that should I not have entered?

I think you know what I mean. 0.3 litre fuel bottle and an Omnifuel/Nova et al does not take up a mass of volume and is not that heavy I'd have thought; weight is subjective though and this is just my opinion and not a rule written in stone. I can no longer hike but if I could I'd prefer something like a multifuel or Trangia at the end of a long day hiking rather than be messing about with twig burners or for that matter an open fire...sit down, brew and food on and relax in my tent (I know, tents are heavy).
 

kiltedpict

Native
Feb 25, 2007
1,333
6
51
Banchory
I can't disagree with you there to be fair. I've tried twig burners but I too prefer something I can just light up and "forget" at the end of a day in the hills etc.
 

Quixoticgeek

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,483
23
Europe
I think it is worth a short discussion on the availability of fuel.

When you travel you need to take into account the availability of the fuels you need for your stove. In the modern age of air travel and security on the Eurostar, you can't take any fuel with you, it all has to be sourced at your destination.

The wonderful thing about standards, is there are so many to choose from. On a trip to Scotland a friend of mine said "it'll be fine, my stove uses normal gas canisters you can get them everywhere", we arrived, I got some petrol from a local petrol station, and he spent a morning scouring the village to find a shop selling the right gas, before finding that the three outdoor shops in the village did not stock the right gas for his stove.

My housemate went for a hiking trip to the Dolomites, I offered to lend him my Whisperlite, but his hiking partner said it wouldn't be needed, they were taking a smaller lighter gas stove, and you can get the Cylinders everywhere. They spent 10 days cooking on the crusader my housemate had with him as it was attached to his water bottle when he packed.

After 3 trips with my Whisperlite where I found that I was surrounded by diesel vehicles, and noone had any petrol, I went out and got the MSR Dragonfly which will burn anything.

What I am trying to say, is think about what you want your stove to do, and where you are going to get fuel from en route.

J
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
I think it is worth a short discussion on the availability of fuel.

When you travel you need to take into account the availability of the fuels you need for your stove. In the modern age of air travel and security on the Eurostar, you can't take any fuel with you, it all has to be sourced at your destination.

The wonderful thing about standards, is there are so many to choose from. On a trip to Scotland a friend of mine said "it'll be fine, my stove uses normal gas canisters you can get them everywhere", we arrived, I got some petrol from a local petrol station, and he spent a morning scouring the village to find a shop selling the right gas, before finding that the three outdoor shops in the village did not stock the right gas for his stove.

My housemate went for a hiking trip to the Dolomites, I offered to lend him my Whisperlite, but his hiking partner said it wouldn't be needed, they were taking a smaller lighter gas stove, and you can get the Cylinders everywhere. They spent 10 days cooking on the crusader my housemate had with him as it was attached to his water bottle when he packed.

After 3 trips with my Whisperlite where I found that I was surrounded by diesel vehicles, and noone had any petrol, I went out and got the MSR Dragonfly which will burn anything.

What I am trying to say, is think about what you want your stove to do, and where you are going to get fuel from en route.

J

Good point. Around 1973 I went camping in France and ended up buying a Camping Gaz stove as I couldn't get gas for my Primus Grasshopper stove. These days you can get adapters for the likes of the cheap butane canisters and the Camping Caz CV range so if your touring it may be worth you getting these as well.
 

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