There are lots out there of all different kinds. A quick search on Google and you can find all these different types of backpacking stoves:

• Canister
• Liquid Fuel
• Alcohol
• Solid Fuel
• Wood

Or not even bring a stove and just light a fire to cook your food and boil your water. Or you could just bring food that doesn’t require a stove at all. Then you don’t have to bring any kind of fuel.

But a few questions come up when trying to pin down what makes a true backpacking stove.

• Does it have to be small?
• Does it have to be packable?
• Does it have to use a certain fuel?
• Do you have to buy them or can you make them?
• Do you even have to cook your food?

Does it have to be small?

You could say that all backpacking stoves are just small stoves. That is true.

Smaller stoves are lighter. They are lighter than bringing a 10 pound car camping stove. But what if someone really likes to cook and decides to pack a larger stove because they want more space. Is it a backpacking stove then? Where is the line to say one is and one isn’t?

Smaller usually means lighter and if you have to carry the stove with you on your backpacking trip, you probably want something smaller.

Even the larger MSR Dragonfly stove is considerably smaller than the 15 pound Camp Chef Everest.

Does it have to be packable?

Often stoves pack down into parts or fold up smaller. Does this make it a backpacking stove?

Large car camping stoves do the same thing. Some alcohol stoves don’t pack up at all, they are just small to begin with. Some stoves have to be put together before you can use them.

There’s limited space on a backpacking trip so you probably want it to be small and packable.

Does it have to use a certain fuel?

Stoves have one thing in common: a fuel that burns. They have to burn something, that’s how they cook. Until we get portable power that can run a portable hotplate, we’ll be burning some kind of fuel to get the heat we need.

Stoves these days are burning anything that can burn from combustible chemicals in a solid block to gas line antifreeze to propane to jet fuel to plain old wood. If it burns we can use it as fuel.

The stove does need to be set up to burn that kind of fuel. You can’t just light a bucket of kerosene and cook your food on it.

Do you have to buy them or just make them?

Most of the stoves out these days are purchased from a store but more and more folks are making their stoves. Wood and alcohol stoves can be made fairly easily. Most people don’t have the metal machinery required to make a liquid fuel or gas canister stove though. In the end though, it doesn’t seem to matter if you build it or buy it, you can get a backpacking stove either way.

Do you even have to cook your food?

Does it have to cook your food? I’m going to say yes! That is the one requirement of a backpacking stove to heat your food to cook it or boil your water.

Of course, you don’t need to heat your food to eat it. You could just pack food that doesn’t require cooking. Or you could just eat rehydrated cold pasta salad for dinner every day.

Whether you need to bring a stove on a backpacking trip isn’t the question of this article though.

Conclusion

So what’s the only requirement of a backpacking stove?A backpacking stove has to cook your food.Is that it? Is that the only requirement for a backpacking stove? It doesn’t seem to matter how that’s accomplished as long as it’s going to cook your food.

What do you think? What makes a backpacking stove a backpacking stove?

Updated August 27, 2022. Original article posted September 24, 2015.

The post What exactly is a backpacking stove? first appeared on Pack & Trail.

It’s still possible to burn your eyebrows off but much harder than with a liquid fuel stove.

Because you can boil water for your lasagna and still keep your eyebrows, I like to recommend canister stoves to beginners for that reason. At the end of a long day, you just want to savor your lasagna, not stop drop and roll.

Since you don’t have your giant BBQ lighter handy, what do you use to light a canister stove? What’s the easiest way to do without having to carry your backyard BBQ gear with you.

There’s 4 main ways to light a canister stove: a piezo igniter, matches, a lighter and fire steel.

You can use any or all of them.

First a quick note about backups. Have at least 2 with you on every trip. That might be 2 lighters, a lighter and a fire steel or a piezo igniter and matches. They fail. They get wet. If you’re depending on that stove to eat and drink, then you need it to work. Besides, rehydrated food with cold water sucks. Crunch. Crunch.

Here’s a quick look at the 4 methods.

Piezo Igniter

A piezo igniter are small tools that use a piezoelectric crystal to make a spark.

They can be attached to the stove or a separate igniter. You’ll never misplace the ones that are attached to the stove. If they do stop working, you’ll be stuck with it attached to your stove though.

The separate igniters are a button on the end of a stick. Turn the gas on and put the sparky end near it and press the button. It might take a couple click to light it but it will spark the gas and light it. Time to cook. They’re good to use in the wind.

Piezo igniters won’t run out light matches or a lighter will but they can stop working at some point. Some people report their piezo igniters not being very reliable.

MSR has a separate piezo igniter available.

Matches

Matches are easy to light and easy to use. Just don’t get them wet. You can get waterproof matches but they’re a bit harder to light.

To light your stove, light your match and hold it it close to the gas. Careful with your fingers. You get to hold the end of the match but it’s still not that far away from where the gas will light. Your reactions will be fast if your fingers are too close when the stove ignites!

Make sure you have enough matches for the trip and watch the wind. A quick breeze and another one is gone.

Lighter

Lighters are my favourite way to light canister stoves. Small Bic lighters are portable, reliable and easy to use. Your fingers have to be pretty close to the flame when you’re lighting the canister but when it lights, you can usually get your hand out of there pretty fast!

There are lighters like the SOL Fuel Free Lighter that use two crossing arcs of electricity to light something. They can just be recharged by USB.

Unlike matches, lighters can usually be dried out quickly and work again. Even if the fuel isn’t working or it’s empty, it will probably still spark and light the gas. If you can get a flame, it will work better but all you need is a spark.

The flame you get with a lighter is easier to light wood for a campfire or other things if you need to. A piezo igniter is only going to give you a spark.

Fire steel

You always need a backup way to light your stove. Fire steel is a perfect backup.

You can use it in any conditions, any altitude. Fire steel sets are a magnesium rod and a chunk of steel. When you rub them together, sparks fly off in the direction you’re pushing. Eventually the metal will run out but you can usually get thousands of uses with it.

Lighting a stove with fire steel is a little bit harder; you need 2 hands to hold the rod and the steel. If you have 3 arms or another person around, they can turn your stove on while you shoot the sparks at the stove burner. Or just turn on the stove and then start making sparks.

You may not want to use the fire steel all the time but since they work in any condition, they’ll give you peace of mind as a backup you’ll hopefully never have to use.

MSR make the Strike Igniter.

So which is the best method?

It’s tough to say which is the best method flat out. There are pros and cons to each.

Lighters are popular. They are nice and easy. Fire steel is a solid backup plan.

Everyone has their favourites. Maybe you prefer to rub some wood together long enough to create fire and then cook on that. Totally up to you.

I think I’ll just use my mini lighter and canister stove so I can eat my lasagna.

Nom nom.

Updated August 27, 2022. Originally published October 15, 2015.

The post 4 Ways to Light a Canister Stove first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Some people go stoveless on backpacking trips. All their food is raw, packaged or cold-soaked. It doesn’t reduce your weight not needing a stove. For the rest of us, a hot meal at the end of the day is one of the joys of backpacking.

On this page

• Answer these questions before buying a stove
• What kind of stove should I buy?
  • What is a canister stove?
  • What is a liquid fuel stove?
  • Canister and liquid fuel stoves
  • What is an alcohol stove?
  • What is a wood backpacking stove?
• Stove Buying Tips
• Recommended Stoves
• Stove Reviews
• Glossary
• Accessories

What exactly is a backpacking stove?

There are many different kinds of backpacking stove but they are basically small stoves with small portable fuel canisters. They can be iso-butane gas, liquid white gas, wood or alcohol. Basically anything that burns in a controlled way.

See more about what exactly is a backpacking stove is.

Answer These Before Buying a Stove

Before buying a stove, it’s helpful to know these answers to these questions. There are no wrong answers but they will help you find a stove that works well for you.

• What kind of cooking do you want to do? Are you just boiling water for coffee and dehydrated meals or are you simmering gourmet meals on the trail?
• How much do you care about weight? Does 70 grams (2.6 oz) sound heavy or can a 400 gram (14 oz) stove still be allowed in your pack?
• How many people are you cooking for? Cooking for groups and families is easier with bigger pots and stoves.
• Will you be backpacking in temperatures below freezing? Some stoves don’t well well below freezing.

What kind of stove should I buy?

There are 2 main kinds of stove you’ll see when you first start looking, canister stoves and liquid fuel stoves. We’ll look at each here and a couple other types you may want to consider down the road.

What is a Canister Stove?

Snowpeak Litemax on an iso-butane canister.

Canister stoves are small stoves that connect to an iso-butane canister (like propane but lighter). They can connect directly to the canister or by a gas tube. This tube lets you put the stove directly on the ground and place the fuel canister away from the flames and food.

Canister stoves are typically small and light. The Snowpeak Litemax (review) weighs 56 grams (2 oz), about the weight of a tennis ball.

These stoves are easy to light as well. Turn it on and light the gas like a BBQ. There’s no priming involved. They’re usually less expensive than liquid fuel stoves as well.

The downside to canister stoves is that it’s hard to tell how much fuel is left in the canister and it’s not recommended to refill them. Canister stoves can be hard to use in temperatures below freezing as the gas becomes a liquid. Some stoves can use this liquid but most cannot.

Some canister stoves have a fuel line from the stove to the canister and are called a “remote” canister stove. Having the stove sit right on the ground means it’s more stable and can have a windscreen around it.

Find out more about canister stoves.

More about Canister Stoves

4 ways to light a canister stove

Why you can’t use a windscreen around a canister stove

Integrated Canister Stoves

Another category of canister stoves are integrated stoves. These stoves screw onto the top of an iso-butane canister just like a canister stove. The difference is they mount directly to a specialized pot.

Being attached to the stove makes them more stable and very wind resistant. The wind can be blocked on the side of the stove.

Since the wind is blocked and the stove is very close to the pot, these kinds of pots can boil water very fast. They are more difficult for regular cooking and simmering.

What is a Liquid Fuel Stove?

Liquid fuel stoves are larger backpacking and basecamp stoves that use liquid fuel instead of gas canisters.

They tend to use white gas (naptha) but some can also use kerosene or gasoline as well.

The benefits to using liquid fuel are the fuel bottles. You can just pour whatever fuel you like and however much you need into the fuel bottle. For your next trip, just refill. Some of the stoves can use different kinds of fuel like kerosene or gasoline but most can’t.

Liquid fuel works well in the cold below freezing. Cold expeditions always use liquid fuel stoves.

The downsides to liquid fuel stoves is that they’re usually bigger and they take a bit of time to prime and light. It’s a process to prime the stove with a bit of fuel, light it, then slowly release more fuel from the bottle.

More about Liquid Fuel Stoves

Pros and Cons to Liquid Fuel Stoves

Canister and Liquid Fuel Stoves

Some stoves can use both gas and liquid fuel. They do require pulling it apart and changing the jet to make this possible though. The jet is part of the stove that shoots the fuel out to be ignited. This jet is different for the gas and the liquid fuels.

These stoves are good for someone who wants one stove all year. Summer months can just use canisters so it’s easy to use. Winter months and longer trips can use the liquid fuel so you can work in the cold or refill.

More about canister and liquid fuel hybrid stoves.

What is an alcohol stove?

If you venture into the ultralight backpacking word at all, you’ll see some people using what look like a small tin can for a stove. Some of them might actually be cat food can with holes in the side.

Alcohol from drug or hardware stores can be refilled in a small bottle to power these stoves so it’s easy to take just the amount of fuel you need.

The downsides to alcohol stoves is there is no on/off switch. The alcohol you put into the stove needs to burn out. They don’t have the same output as a larger canister or liquid fuel stove and will take a bit longer to boil water.

What is a wood backpacking stove?

If you are in an area that allows burning wood, you might be able to use a small wood-burning stove. They are typically a small cylinder or foldable box made of made. After putting the box together, you can add small pieces of wood and branches and light.

The obvious benefit to wood stoves is not having to bring fuel. You can find wood on the trail. This is also the downside. You’ll need to be allowed to burn wood on your tip. Many sensitive areas and parks do not allow burning wood part or all of the year.

If you are allowed to burn wood, you’ll need to gather it. At the end of a long day it can nice just to press the start button on a canister stove.

Stove Buying Tips

Weight

A stove is yet another thing to put in your backpack so keep in mind it’s weight. Try to go as light as possible while getting the features you need. Don’t forget the fuel. Take as little fuel as possible with a bit extra in case you are out longer than you anticipated.

Burner size

Small stoves will have small burners and larger stoves will have larger burners. Small burners will boil water fine but likely create hotspots on larger pots. If you are looking to use bigger pots or pans look for something with a larger burner. If you are just looking to boil water, any size burner is fine.

MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Canister Stove

Air Temperature

Canister stoves don’t work well in temperatures below freezing. The gas turns into a liquid below freezing which doesn’t work well with most canister stoves.

Some canister stoves are able to use a ‘drip feed’ mode where you turn the canister upside down and the stove has been built to burn the liquid as well. This lets you use canister stoves in cold weather.

Recommended Stoves

MSR WhisperLite liquid fuel stove

For most new hikers, we recommend small canister stoves start. They are small, lightweight, easy to use and ready available in North America. Stoves like the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 (pictures to the right).

If you are backpacking in sub-zero temperatures, something like the MSR Whisperlite uses liquid fuel and works well in very cold temperatures.

If you need more options for fuel, there are multiple versions to the WhisperLite. The standard WhisperLite burns standard white gas liquid fuel. The International version can burn other liquid fuels like kerosene and gasoline. These are useful in places where you may not be able to buy white gas. The Universal version can also swap parts to connect to canisters for warmer weather.

Stove Reviews

Our thoughts on the latest and greatest camp stoves.

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  Jetboil Stash Stove Review: Light and Packable

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  Review: Snowpeak LiteMax Canister Stove
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Glossary

For a whole glossary on backpacking stove terms, see our Backpacking Stove Glossary.

Accessories

Lighters

You’ll need to light your stove somehow. Some stoves come with a lighter built-in but often they do not. Small lighters like a mini BIC are great for easily lighting stoves. Peizo igniters and flint rods work well too. There are also rechargeable electric fuel free lighters. Always have a backup in case your main lighter gets wet or stops working.

Windscreens

Windscreens just block the wind from hitting the flame on your stove. If the wind is hitting your stove from the side then it’s blowing the heat out the side instead of up onto your pot or may blow the flame out completely. Liquid fuel stoves and remote canister stoves don’t sit right on top of the canister and can have windscreens around them. Windscreens around the stove and fuel can heat it up too much.

Bases

Some companies sell stabilizer legs that attach to fuel canisters to make them more stable. Some of the integrated canister stoves can get very tall and top heavy so it helps to have legs to stabilize the whole thing.

Fuel Canisters

Canister stoves need a canister of iso-butane gas for fuel. These can be found at any outdoor store. Some places more off the grid may not have this kind of gas fuel. If you are travelling, check where you are going has fuel as you can’t fly with these canisters.

Fuel canisters come in different sizes. I like to get the medium size (8oz) and take more than 1 if I need to. They’ll be easier to split up into multiple backpacks and less to carry when they are nearly empty.

Fuel bottles

Liquid fuel stoves will need a bottle for the fuel. There are different sizes available for the length of your trip. Try to get one that will be just big enough for the trips you’ll do.

Other Backpacking Gear

You’ll need more than just a stove to head out backpacking. Here are buying guides to all the other gear you need for backpacking.

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  EXPED MegaMat LXW Sleeping Pad Review
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• Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Watch
  This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a watch? Having a watch… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Watch
• Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Hiking Clothes
  This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Clothes for hiking are an important part of staying warm, dry,… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Hiking Clothes
• Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Satellite Communicators and Emergency Locator Beacons
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• Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Batteries and Battery Packs
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• Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Sleeping Mat
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The post Backpacking Stoves first appeared on Pack & Trail.

On the other hand there are the liquid fuel stoves that use refillable fuel bottles and a liquid fuel of some sort, usually white gas (aka naptha or coleman fuel). These stoves burn hot and loud and are good for cold conditions or melting a lot of snow. They tend to be larger and heavier than their little canister cousins.

There are always trade-offs.

What if you could get the advantages of both without buying 2 stoves? You could get the simplicity of a canister stove (screw the stove on and light) when you want it and the cold weather performance and refillable fuel bottle of a liquid fuel stove. Now you can.

Some new stoves allow you to connect a liquid fuel bottle to the stove, then swap a couple parts and connect an iso-butane canister. You probably wouldn’t be taking both on one trip unless it was it was long enough but it still gives you the option to choose for each trip, without having to go buy another stove. One stove, 2 fuel options.

What stoves do this?

MSR Whisperlite Universal

MSR Whisperlite Universal

A modification on the old classic WhisperLite, the Universal has been updated to connect to iso-butane canisters as well. A quick change of the jets for each fuel and the fuel bottle attachment and then you’re using a different fuel. Uses MSR Shaker-Jet jet cleaning technology (shake it to clean it).

Weighs 329 grams. 

Primus OmniFuel

Uses any type of fuel. Just change the bottle connection and jets. You can use diesel, kerosene or gas canisters in liquid feed mode for cold temperatures. Comes with a maintenance tool with a cleaning needle for cleaning the jet.

Weighs 350 grams. 

Primus OmniLite TI

Same as the OmniFuel but smaller and lighter. Burns the same things.

Weighs 239 grams. 

Optimus Polaris Optifuel

The problem with most of the multi-fuel stoves is that you have to change the jet. Each fuel requires a different part in the stove to work properly. The Polaris Optifuel has changed all that. No more changing jets and possibly losing or breaking parts. Just hook up a different fuel and away you go. Use the gas canister upright for efficiency mode. Turn it upside down for liquid feed mode in cold temperatures.

Weighs 475 grams. 

Kovea Booster+1

Burn white gas or butane gas canister without changing canister.

Weighs 530 grams. 

Kovea Booster Dual Max

Burns white gas and butane canisters, but not any of the other liquid fuels. Less expensive than some of the other brands.

Weighs 340 grams. 

Kovea Hydra

With the Hydra you can burn white gas and butane canisters. Save time and fiddling without needing to switch nozzles.

Weighs 422 grams.

Know of another stove that can do iso-butane canisters as well as liquid gas? Let us know!

Last updated August 27, 2022. Original article published August 13, 2015.

The post 7 Stoves that can burn liquid fuel and iso-butane gas first appeared on Pack & Trail.