Best stove for Winter

[Toddy]

I've been using the wee suitcase stove recently, it's very stable, very adjustable, very reliable, easy to use, easy to get gas, and I'm happy enough with it that I can use it inside the big entrance porch of my tent quite safely.

But....in the cold it's too, too slow. It chills right down and barely gives the heat of a candle.

So, there's the brief.

What stove will do all those things and still light and burn hot in Winter, or a cold morning

Stable, adjustable, easy to light, easy to acquire fuel, simple to use and clean, and safe inside the (ventilated) porch of a tent.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[spandit]

Kerosene pressure stove? If you can get propane canisters for your stove that will improve things a bit but you're right, those stoves are next to useless in the cold

 

[Ian S]

As Spandit says. An old Swedish one pint or 1.75 pint stove (Optimus 00, Primus 210, Optimus 45, Svea 106 for example) is fairly cheap, reliable, powerful and easy to service. Some guys on Classic Camp Stoves (I am a member there) have stoves which are 80+ years old and still work brilliantly. My own user Optimus 00 is anywhere between 30 and 50 years old and works superbly.

The only slight issue with these old stoves is their weight, but that's because the makers made them to last (which they have done, in spades).

Cheers

 

[Toddy]

I have one of the old primus stoves, but it sits high. That's really my only concern about it tbh. I do like the sheer low stability of the suitcase stove.

I tried the propane cylinders, but though a bit better, not better enough

cheers,
M

 

[Andy BB]

Must admit to having some qualms about using pressurised paraffin or petrol stoves in an awning. If you get a flamer, then your tent exit is blocked as your nice nylon tent melts onto you....................

Not that I'm recommending it, of course, but I did see a lad on a bike rally some years ago warm up his gas cylinder with "fresh" urine in a bowl.....................It worked very well once it got going (not sure you'd find that in a bushcraft manual)!

I'd be tempted to use an alcohol stove - as long as it's protected/insulated from the ground (a silicone sheet from a pound store does nicely) and you warm up the burner/alcohol by putting it in your pocket/sleeping bag etc - its safer, and I've had them working down to -20C.

 

[rik_uk3]

Butane stops working the colder it gets Toddy so while those little stoves are OK in warm weather they are very poor in the cold. The Butane/Propane mixes work much better and the Butane/Propane/Isobutane mixes work very well.

I love my pressure stoves (some pre 1915) but for ease of use you should go for a gas stove that lets you flip the canister which boosts performance in the cold, stoves like the Primus Omnifuel will burn gas like this and also burn naptha and paraffin (Kerosene is an Americanism) but ain't cheap (£100+ but worth it IMO)

If you don't want that sort of outlay go for
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Camping-S...amping_CookingSupplies_ET&hash=item1c1b14b299

These will burn paraffin/naptha-panel wipe and gas. He'll take an offer of £35, for the money you can't go wrong and its a very stable stove.

Or you could go for a marine heater. I burn methanol in mine
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGO-HEA...tEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item20ba2742a6

 

[spandit]

Whilst vehicle camping in March last year, I had the gas cans directly on top of the heater vents - worked for a bit but they still chilled very quickly. On the same charity event this year (Mac4x4) I used meths and kerosene stoves which were much better. Next year we'll be using the KK to heat water and I might look at one of those tiny folding woodburning stoves

 

[Toddy]

I do take on board what you're saying but I really like that broad stability of the suitcase style stove.

Usually if I'm camping in Winter I'm with friends and we have a fire. We use that for cooking or one of the petrol ones under the chute or tarp for a quick early morning brew up until the fire's going.

However, himself camps only to get someplace where he wants to climb hills, and right now that's not happening because of the midgies. Come late Autumn/ early Winter though he might well want to take off again and that suitcase stove is excellent in the tent where there is no sheltering tarp or chute. Except it doesn't like the cold
I might dig out and see about servicing the old primus stove... I like the campinggaz catalytic one too, but it suffers from the cold, and altitude, as well, though it's simplicity itself to use otherwise.

Thanks for the advice

cheers,
M

 

[rik_uk3]

They still use Optimus 45's in the Antarctic, they just work in any temp.

 

[spandit]

I do take on board what you're saying but I really like that broad stability of the suitcase style stove

Me too but shouldn't be too difficult to make a similar base to house a pressure stove. I do find priming my Primus painful

 

[Nonsuch]

No one has mentioned......the Optimus 111 range. The original Himalaya stove, very stable etc.

 

[rik_uk3]

Me too but shouldn't be too difficult to make a similar base to house a pressure stove. I do find priming my Primus painful

111, 111T or Army No12

Priming needs practice young Padawan but is second nature when the force is with you and the burner glows cherry red.

 

[spandit]

Priming needs practice young Padawan but is second nature when the force is with you and the burner glows cherry red.

My Primus stove has a silent burner but I find it difficult to get enough heat in it outside to really get going. It keeps catching fire underneath (where the paraffin gas squirts out). I've also got an Indian "roarer" stove I bought in Goa - much more stable and huge tank but the pumping piston is really temperamental - needs a new bit of leather, I think

 

[wizard]

The Optimus 111 models are very good in cold weather, it is a heavy beast to carry if you are planning on packing it. The MSR stoves work well also. The Whisperlite International handles cold very well and the Dragonfly is quite adjustable for precise cooking. Both are quite stable and repair parts are usually easy to find. I used a MSR XGK for mountaineering and it burns very hot in any climate. Pretty much only works at full throttle though. Optimus NOVA should be a good choice as well. Cheers!

 

[rik_uk3]

My Primus stove has a silent burner but I find it difficult to get enough heat in it outside to really get going. It keeps catching fire underneath (where the paraffin gas squirts out). I've also got an Indian "roarer" stove I bought in Goa - much more stable and huge tank but the pumping piston is really temperamental - needs a new bit of leather, I think

Are you using a windshield? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Highlande...amping_CookingSupplies_ET&hash=item1e640a5d6a Silent burners are really prone to problems with wind.

Best pump leathers you can buy (CCS member)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-PUMP-...241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4153fdb581

Let me know if you want rid of the big roarer chap, I'm interested in one.

 

[johnboy]

I've been using the wee suitcase stove recently, it's very stable, very adjustable, very reliable, easy to use, easy to get gas, and I'm happy enough with it that I can use it inside the big entrance porch of my tent quite safely.

But....in the cold it's too, too slow. It chills right down and barely gives the heat of a candle.

So, there's the brief.

What stove will do all those things and still light and burn hot in Winter, or a cold morning

Stable, adjustable, easy to light, easy to acquire fuel, simple to use and clean, and safe inside the (ventilated) porch of a tent.

cheers,
Toddy

Mary,

If it's generally for fixed camps where you're not far from the car etc I'd take a look at a Coleman 'suitcase stove'

http://www.coleman.eu/UK/p-23734-unleaded-2-burner-stove.aspx

For more portability one of the Sportster type coleman stoves is very good....

http://www.coleman.eu/UK/p-22746-unleaded-sportster174-ii.aspx

Gas while very good and making for an easy 'stoving' experience has problems in cold weather as others have said. Those cheap chinese table top cookers in the plastic case use a canister that is pretty much 100% Butane. Butane as has been said does not readily vapourise in cold weather so the appliance perfomance suffers.

You can get Gas stoves that run on a 100% propane canister propane is not as effected by low temps but the canisters are expensive and the availability in the Uk might be limited..

The coleman stoves I linked to are the simplest to light of any liquid fuel stove. Burn hot, are stable, and have a very controlable flame burn very quietly and the flame is very controlable so you can effectively cook. They often appear on Ebay and coleman has a very good parts network so bits for them are easy to get. Also you just need 1 fuel no meths or priming paste to carry around...

Another one to look at is an Optimus 111 they are very good stoves if they are running well. Probably the pick of the 111's for me is the 111T which uses a silent burner so It's quiet in use. There is a bit more involvement in the lighting process than the colemans but it's not that difficult.

If I was to reccomend a classic brass 3 legger it would be a 1 3/4 pint stove such as an optimus 45 with a silent burner fitted. Plenty of power and a good size for general use and they collapse down for storage or portage...

HTH


John

 

[Toddy]

Thank you John
I didn't know that Coleman made a suitcasey one that burnt a better fuel

I can (and did) buy propane cylinders for the wee one I have, and though it improved things, it's still not ideal. -7degC left it floundering tbh.

I originally bought the suitcase stoves (I've got two) to use on tables outdoors for public demonstrations of natural dyeing. They proved to be so simple, easy to use and stable that I take one along when I'm not having to carry far from the car, usually at one of the meet ups at a regular site.
I really liked that it's safe inside the tent porch, and Himself says the same thing, since it means he can brew up/cook without the midge attack

cheers,
M

 

[Nonsuch]

The coleman suitcase stoves run on petrol or coleman and are built to last. Woodsmoke do all their cooking on them at their courses. I find they run really well on petrol but stink and give off nasty fumes so wouldn't be good in a tent, and for some reason if I run mine on true Coleman fuel (about the same price as a fine wine) they guzzle fuel at an alarming rate. So I've stopped using mine. Toddy - if you want it - you can have it!

http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...TrHVMYeGhQfy7JD5Ag&ved=0CHIQ8wIwAA#ps-sellers

 

[para106]

How about a Trangia with a multifuel burner - you could use paraffin then. Even on meths you'll still get a brew on the coldest of days. I totally agree with the comments on the 111 & Omnifuel - brilliant kit in all weathers.

 

[Toddy]

The coleman suitcase stoves run on petrol or coleman and are built to last. Woodsmoke do all their cooking on them at their courses. I find they run really well on petrol but stink and give off nasty fumes so wouldn't be good in a tent, and for some reason if I run mine on true Coleman fuel (about the same price as a fine wine) they guzzle fuel at an alarming rate. So I've stopped using mine. Toddy - if you want it - you can have it!

http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...TrHVMYeGhQfy7JD5Ag&ved=0CHIQ8wIwAA#ps-sellers

If you're sure Chris can we barter ?
You wanted an archer's hood, iirc. I have some beautiful green, or brown, wools just now

atb,
M