Backpacking stove - Wood VS Gas Systems?

[SeriousStudent]

A Svea 123R is very simple, with very few parts to possibly lose. Compact, hot, but relatively loud.

I do like the Svea's as a tribe. In cold weather, a wee bit of Mautz Fire Ribbon at the base of the vaporizer is quite handy.

http://www.amazon.com/Peregrine-Outf.../dp/B016DS9XJ6

I used to work summer staff at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, and we used a LOT of the Svea's. Easy to wrench on, but parts were a bit less easy to find, compared to an MSR.

[SeriousStudent]

Irish, I just remembered I have one of the Coleman small butane/propane canister stoves someplace here in the house. It's like this one, but a slightly older model:

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Expone...p_89%3AColeman

If you want it, it's yours.

[Bluedreaux]

I've done gas, esbit and wood on backpacking trips. They've al got their good and bad.

But in cold weather a small wood stove will heat a tent, and that's a huge plus for a sissy like me. They'll obviously lose heat quickly, but can be kept very comfortable as long as you're willing to feed them. Getting the tent warm before you have to crawl out of the sleeping bag is a good way to start the day, for me anyway.

[Mr. Goodtimes]

@Irish Something else to note is that not all brands of gas canisters are the same. They will all interchange but their mixtures will vary from brand to brand. Ive been told by many people that "it's all the same," well it's actually not.

I had initially noticed when I bought another brand of fuel for the first time that with my Snowpeak stove, the snowpeak canisters boiled water faster and in turn lasted a little longer than other brands. I forgot what component of the mixtureit was (I think propane) but the Snowpeak brand fuel has a higher concentration of one of the components than the other brands that lends it to burn hotter.

After digging a little I found on another forum that almost all the manufacturers very their mixtures a little. Some burn hotter, some burn better in cold weather, some burn better at retarded altitudes etc...


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[Irish]

Thank you all for the great suggestions and advice. Much appreciated!

[Jim D]

Thank you all for the great suggestions and advice. Much appreciated!

I might be late to the party, but I'll use a canister or liquid fuel (whisperlite) stove for expected cooking needs, but I'll have an esbit or canteen cup stove in addition to use should the stove break, leak, run out of fuel, etc.

If you have the time and want to practice the skill of gathering fuel and making a fire, then you can always do that... but if the goal is to eat and move on, then gas is the way to go.

I was out in the woods of Maine leading a camping trip when some remnants from hurricane Katrina came through. We had a Coleman dual burner propane stove for most of the cooking (16 people) but it wouldn't stay lit under those conditions. The Whisperlite I had as a backup did, though. A twiggy fire would have been rough to keep lit... I doubt I would have been able to do it then.

[pinzgauer]

Some additional experience: the dragonfly is less "fiddly" to set up and use. Easier with wider pots, better low flame control, easier (none, really) cleaning.

I'll always keep my whisperlite, but the dragonfly gets more use.

Wish they made white gas lanterns as compact and well made as msr stoves!

Sent from my PRC-104 using phonetics

[JasonB1]

The only alcohol stove I have tried and liked, but it will hold it's own against gas or canister stoves in getting water to boil especially when considering set up times:

http://www.supercatstove.com

Just purchased a Vargo titanium hexagon wood burner so I will be trying it soon.

[JasonB1]

Very hard to beat a Whisperlite. I have one from the early 80's (International?) that has been great. Picked up an open box Dragonfly for $30, and its a bit faster to setup, and just as hot. But much noisier and not multifuel like the whisperlite international..

Isn't the Dragonfly multi fuel?

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/st...gonfly/product

[Turnkey11]

Picked up a emberlit fireant today at bass pro, using twigs in the backyard I had a canteen cup boiling in about 15 minutes. I like the way it packs down, and the accessory shelf if you decide to burn fuel tabs or canisters instead of plant matter. The wife and I will be using these on a 110 mile hump in June, as our sole cooking sources for the trip.