Triad Camping

14 November 2008

Finding the perfect campstove

Posted by admin under: cooking; gear .

There is nothing like having something really warm and filling to eat after a long hike into camp, is there?. Imagine your family of tired kids all swearing that they’re starving to death, but your campstove won’t light. These are two different needs but all require the same thing: a good reliable campstove. Campstoves today have really advanced since I was a child. I can vividly remember my parents trying to get our campstove to light; a big green beast that weighed a ton. There were few choices then - all very similar. Now the world of campstoves has increased to many choices, designs, weights, and even types of fuel used. Campstove technology has advanced, but prices are still very reasonable for this crucial camp item. Let’s look at some of the many factors that impact your decision when purchasing this very important piece of equipment.

The Backpacking Campstove

As with any piece of equipment, you have to look at what your needs are and how you will use your campstove. Are you looking for a campstove for backpacking, or for your family camping trip? Each area has its own special needs and considerations. If you are looking for a good campstove for backpacking, then you are going to want something that is compact, lightweight, and reliable. The environmental side of you may also want to find a campstove that uses more of a “green” fuel. As a hiker, you know that you are going to need a campstove that you can count on. When you are out on the trail and run out of fresh water and then you must have a stove you can really rely on. The stove will become part of your survival strategy. The campstoves for backpacking range from 1/2lbs to over 2lbs (without fuel). This can make quite a difference when you are carrying this weight on your back for many miles. You’ll also have to consider the weight of the fuel as you determine your final pack weight. The next big choice is concerning the type of fuel you choose to use. The types of fuel you use can be one of the following: gas, alcohol, or wood. Of course the gas and alcohol will have to be brought with you while wood can be gathered at the campsite. If you do use wood, you will still need something to get the campstove started, such as matches, cotton balls with Vaseline, or perhaps a store-bought firestarter. The wood campstove does need some sort of starter to get a good fire started. Another factor is going to be how much you’re willing to pay. A good backpacking campstove can range from $50 to $250. The higher-end campstoves can be made of stronger lightweight materials like titanium. As you shop for your stove, consider how often you’ll be using it, how far you’ll be carrying it, and what type of fuel you expect to use.

The Camping Campstove

Whether you are in a private campground or cooking out by a lake, the needs are very different for the camping campstove. The camping campstove has some of the same considerations as the backpacking stove but there is another factor that also needs to be looked at such as how many people are you going to be cooking for and the amount of food to be prepared. Are you a Scout troop leader looking to feed your troop or a family of four on a weekend camping trip? The big deciding factor for the camping campstove might be the number of burners and the ease of how it starts. When feeding a large group, the last thing you want to worry about is wrestling with getting your stove to start. Most campstoves that are designed for camping have two burners and this also means that they weigh more, but this does give you more room for cooking. This is great for the family or cooking multiple items. Just like with the backpacking stove you are going to look at types of fuel as an issue. Many times when using the larger campstoves, the issue can be more related to the cost of using the fuel if you are going to be cooking for large numbers of people. Weight of the fuel usually is not an issue with this type of use. The camping campstove has many different aspects to consider, so this also goes back to what the user is really looking for. The price range is very similar to the backpacking campstove and also still very reasonable just like the backpacking campstove.

As you can see, campstoves differ in types of stoves, price, fuel types, size, and weights. The main point in purchasing a campstove is deciding what your needs are and how are you going to use the campstove. Campstoves are a vital piece of equipment that can make a cooking experience enjoyable or a terrible time for all. Before going out to make your campstove purchase remember this is still an important piece of equipment and do your research to have a really good idea of the many types and brands that are available. You are going to find many choices, so decide what is important to you, research, and get ready to cook your first meal on your new campstove in the great outdoors.

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