The Gear House

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When you are deciding what kind of stove you want to purchase for your backpacking or camping trips, there are a ton of different features and different types to consider. Today, I’m writing about a few of the different features that you should look at when you are deciding on a stove for backpacking or camping. they can be expensive purchases, so you want to make sure you get the right thing!

• Stability - There is nothing more frustrating than simmering a big pot of spaghetti on a precarious little ebast that wobbles with every stir of the spoon. Remember that just because it looks great in the store, the stove could tip over in the field.
• Ease of starting - Butane and propane stoves start instantly. Gasoline and kerosene models reqire priming. Some models flare violentl until warmed so be careful! Fast, easy ignition is a plus for any stove.
• Susceptibiltiy to wind - The firs time you have to build a rock wall around your stove to keep it perking you’ll undersand the value of a good windscreen. Avoid stoves with thin aluminum windscreens that burn up, or detachable ones that can be lost.
• Adjustable Flame - If ou intend to fry pancakes or simmer stew, you will want an infinitely adjustable flame - a feature most compact trail stoves don’t have. The Coleman twin burner camp stoves probably offer the best adjustability, however, many backpacking stoves can offer you a great range of flame heights.
• Plastic parts - Plastic is bad for stove parts. Plastic hardens with heat and age and will eventually break. If there is a stove flare up, plastic will melt and burn. Also, stay away from any stoev that does not have a flameproof armored fuel line.

In our next post, we will point out some of the do’s and don’ts for operating your stove and keeping it running as it should!