Backpacking stoves?

[OneTime]

Im looking at two different MSR stoves. The MSR Whisper Lite and Pocket Lite. Not sure pro and cons of gas vs cannister. I'm guessing you have to refill gas and canister and you just buy the prefilled cans for the cannister stove. Its been many years since I used a stove. Looking to get back into to some backpacking and hitting the trails with my boys.

[Superu]

Can't speak directly to the specific units you mentioned, but there are a number of things to consider in fuel sources.

• Availability of fuel
• Amount of fuel you will need. (depends on length of trip and number of people for whom you'll be cooking)
• Whether you will carry fuel in packs or will be using a vehicle as base.

Canister gas stoves are typically a great choice for cleanliness, portability and controllability of flame. They tend to burn clean and eliminate some of the potential mess of spilled liquid fuels.

Personally, I like to take a smaller stove with a 20lb propane tank and adapter hose if we'll be out for a week or more and plan to be based around the vehicle.

All that said, a multi-fuel stove has advantages if you are unsure of canister availability and want the flexibility of using the best of whatever is available.

Depending on the type of trip, we use everything from a Tool Box Grill, to a Coleman Fold-n-Go to a Coleman Peak 1 Feather 442 Dual Fuel.

For short backpacking trips with the kids, I would probably favor a canister type for the ease of use and cleanliness.

Good luck with your decision and good on ya for getting your boys out with you.

[vanderpooch]

I was a wisperlite guy for years and years backpacking but now I only use this for backpacking solo.

http://www.rei.com/product/761095

If I have company I take with us a jet boil pot also.

I could not be happier with teh system and jetboil products. Plus it boils water wicked fast! the canisters are the way to go...fuel is messy and dangerous. but I do have a whispelite sitting on a shelf in the garage i could sell you on the cheap.

This looks cool for group trips:
http://www.rei.com/product/769451

J

[Rallyroo]

I have both a white gas stove and a canister stove for backpacking. Which one I use depends on the type and duration of the trip.

My MSR Whisperlite (not the International multifuel version) is over 12 years old and has never failed me. I reserve it for long duration trips and for snow camping trips now. Weight is 14.5 oz without fuel or the weight of the fuel canister. Some people don't like having to prime the stove because of the liquid fuels. The Whisperlite's stovetop is very stable for large pots.

My Snowpeak LiteMax I use for short weekend trips. Weight without fuel is 1.9 oz. I love that it's lightweight and low in bulk. Less weight on my back means I can hike faster. The stovetop is designed for smaller pots so you need to be more careful as to not tip over your food.

You may also want to consider the long term cost of fuel. 1 gal of white gas is about ~$4.50. One 250 grams of fuel in a canister costs ~$4.50.

[paulj]

You may also want to consider the long term cost of fuel. 1 gal of white gas is about ~$4.50. One 250 grams of fuel in a canister costs ~$4.50.

Overall fuel costs are a minor part of a backpacker's budget, especially if you are only going out a few times a year, and just on overnighters. If doing long trips (like the PCT), fuel weight (including container) is a bigger issue, along with resupply options.

My fuel of choice is alcohol. When I bought a gallon last year it cost close to $15/gallon, well up from previous years.

For someone just getting into backpacking, especially with a couple of kids, I think the simplicity of a canister stove is a big plus. But a couple of things to watch out for regarding canister stoves:
- simpler, lighter stoves perch on top of the canister. With pot, to combination is tall and top heavy. Thus you need to be careful that it is on a sturdy surface, and that no one bumps into it while in use.
- simpler stoves do not have good wind shielding. Presence of wind can significantly increase the water boiling time
- canister stoves do not perform as well in cool weather. That's because the fuel does not evaporate as readily. The canister cools during use, as fuel evaporates.

Pot supports, wind screens, heat exchangers can as important as the details of the stove itself.

Regarding long term storage of unused fuel (say to next year or later) - canisters are nicer. I've had white gas cans leak and smell. On the other hand, I still have canisters that I bought 5 or more years ago.

[matt s]

I have the whisper light. It is a great stove. One thing to keep in mind is that propane performs very poorly in cold temps. I also have a stove that uses the small propane canisters and when winter camping it's almost useless. White gas is better in that situation. Also I find that I can find white gas nearly anywhere. Since you cannot take fuel on aircraft/ferries/etc. It's nice to know that you can find fuel easily where ever your destination is.

Also MSR makes a version that runs on almost any fuel from white gas to kerosene, even paint thinner. We bought one of these for my dad to keep in his cessna. Pretty nice to have options. I have heard that running the other fuels can gum it up and should only be done out of necessity.

I also have one of these (pic below) and have to say that while a bit heavier, it's a pretty sweet option

[agavelvr]

My fuel of choice is alcohol.

After using a Primus canister stove for 10 years, I recently began converting to alcohol too. It fast and readily available. If you use Everclear (expensive) you can use the fuel for other purposes.

Another great choice is a small Kelly Kettle. You can boil up some water using found twigs, pine needles, leaves, etc...Thanks Graham & Connie

I think it all comes down to what you want to cook. If you are just doing the occassional backpacking trip w/dehydrated foods, you don't really need a fancy stove. Trying to make dulce de leche in the bush, you might want something with really good simmer control

[paulj]

...Trying to make dulce de leche in the bush, you might want something with really good simmer control

Either that or a compact pressure cooker However, the 1.5L Hawkins PC that fits in my Trangia stove isn't deep enough to hold a can of condensed milk covered with water.

[Rallyroo]

I think it all comes down to what you want to cook. If you are just doing the occassional backpacking trip w/dehydrated foods, you don't really need a fancy stove. Trying to make dulce de leche in the bush, you might want something with really good simmer control

Oh yeah, that's right.

OneTime: The MSR Whisperlite is basically either off or on full blast. It doesn't simmer well.

[OneTime]

Hey guys thanks for all the info. I think the cannister is the way to go. Right now at least for the type of over nighter stuff i'll being doing with boys. I like the Jet boil, but wonder how it would be for cooking for more than one person. Seems like soups would be great but if you tried to cook a freeze dried dinnner for more than one you would need a bigger pot.