10 Best Stoves for Camping & Backpacking
Backpacking and camping stoves are both essential pieces to a quality outdoor experience when cooking is involved. Whether it's warming up your morning cup of coffee or ending the day with a delicious, hot meal, stoves make even the worst day a little bit better.
With so many backpacking and camping stoves, it could be difficult to find the right one for your needs. Burners, fuel, budget, and more are all deciding factors when picking the stove for you. Below we've comprised a list of the top five camping stoves and top-five backpacking stoves to help you find the right fit for your outdoor adventure.
Camping
When it comes to camping, a solid stove is a must-have. Often with camping, weight is not as significant of a factor due to transportation being readily available. Easily stowed in trailers, trucks, and trunks, the camping stove provides everything you need to turn your outdoor adventure into a culinary masterpiece.
Often, the more space, the easier it is to cook for a broader swathe of people, something familiar on camping trips. Additionally, the ability to regulate heat is another factor in good camping stoves.
Below are our top five choices for camping stoves.
Single Burner:
Price: $25.99
Weighing in at 3.1 pounds, the GS 1000 is an affordable, portable, and easy-to-use single burner stove. It's an excellent choice for those in need of a compact stove in outdoor and camping situations where the basics of cooking and water heating or required. It's quite astonishing how well the stove performs for the Price point. Comprised entirely of metal and expertly assembled, the GS 1000 can be stored in a compact container that doesn't take up much room. Capable of burning propane and butane, this simple camping stove won't break the bank but is well worth the money.
The downsides of this particular model are that it has less power than many of the stoves on the market, and the singular burner may be a no go for some.
Double Burner:
Price: $149.95
Though bulkier and certainly heavier than many alternatives, the auto-ignition and powerful burners make the Chef Everest 2x the top choice for a two-burner stove. Ideal for people who want both speed and power when cooking, the two massive burners produce a high volume of heat with enough room for full-size pots and pans to be stacked next to one another. A great buy if precise temperature regulation, cooking power, and compact design factor in your purchasing decision, the Chef Everest is a workhorse of a camping stove.
The downside of this model is that its price point is quite high, and all the positive attributes certainly add to the weight of this stove. However, this can be negated by storing it in a tote or case, making it easily accessible and transportable.
Budget
Price: $89.99
A stove I began my camping career on, the Coleman classic is a durable, collapsible, and affordable option for those looking not to break the bank on their first camping stove. Weighing in at 9.8 pounds, this is no wilting flower of a stove.
The Coleman classic camping stove is nearly impossible to rival at its price point, which provides a quality alternative to the more expensive stoves on the market. A camping staple for years, this classic stove strikes a blend of solid heat production and efficient fuel output. This rugged stove is perfect for small groups or families; this rugged stove can handle mild weather and Will far out its expected lifetime.
Its single point of the detriment it is that it has no automatic starter.
Durability:
Price: $154.95
Weighing in at about 12 pounds, this stove has a large cooking area, is incredibly durable, and can withstand even the most aggressive outdoor conditions. Designed for the most austere environments, the Eureka ignite is a two-burner stove with extra-wide cooking space. With a convenient push to start and excellent swimmer control, it's the perfect choice for camp cooks who are incredibly finicky over their heat settings. The flexibility of micro-adjusting heat combined with the thick gauge steel frame and manufactured latches which happen to be incredibly sturdy, make this an excellent purchase.
The downsides of this stove are that it is pretty heavy and far from compact. Although compact options are available, the elbow room provided by the igniting plus is a feature that any camp Cook will love.
Wood Burner:
Price: $109.99
Weighing in at 2.2 pounds, the solo stove campfire stove means you don't have to bring a few with you. Although not as easy to manage as a butane or propane-powered stove, this wood-burning stove doesn't emit large quantities of smoke, and it's honestly quite fun to cook from. The solo stove campfire stove makes it a campout while still providing a quality cooking experience around the campfire. Its roaring fire with minimal smoke is capable of burning everything from the commonly found twigs and bark to medium size logs that fit inside its chamber. Perfect for delicious and easy-to-make single pan or pot dinners, this stove will make intimate gatherings that much better. Additionally, this stove can go on for hours utilizing any fuel at hand, keeping the onlookers warm while taking in its beautiful flames.
The downside of the stove is that it is much harder to control the heat on this platform, the suit output can be problematic, and it has a single burner.
Anyone looking to purchase this particular platform should be aware that With would fire stoves, cast iron skillets work best. These are easily found at most camping or sporting good stores and provide an even more authentic fuel to the wood fire stove.
Backpacking Stoves
When it comes to backpacking stoves, there are three rules of thumb. Ounces equal pounds, size matters, and speed is the key. Yes, all of these are cliché, but they are also incredibly important to backpackers looking to get an early start on the trailhead or catch some precious shut-eye before an early morning.
When looking at a backpacking stove, one must consider how much room it will occupy in the ruck, how much it and its fuel sources add to your load, and how long before you can get a cup of coffee boiling in. Frigid temperatures?
Below is comprised a list of our top five backpacking stoves to help you make the proper gear selection for your next trip.
Overall
Price: $114.95
Weighing in at 13.1 ounces, the jet boil flash cooking system is an integrated pot and feeds directly from a fuel canister. With a rapid boil time and svelt price, it drastically improves the dehydrated meals so commonly used by hikers in the wilderness. Weatherproof and rugged, the jet boil can bring a liter of water to its boiling point in under 3 1/2 minutes.
Some of the perks of this model include the fact that separate parts are not needed, and its robust design allows it to be used in even the most austere of conditions.
Though not perfect, its lightning-fast boiling time means hikers can get their meals up and running and be on the trail or in their sleeping bags in short order.
This model falls short in two ways. The first is that it lacks the capability of doing anything other than boiling water at high speeds and has little simmer control.
High-end
Price: $154.95
If price is an issue, the $154 jet boil minimal is the way to go. With an excellent simmer regulation, the jet boil is an all-in-one stove whose portability and cooking capabilities set the standard for what hikers desire on the trail. Its 1 L cooking pot comes with a safe handling feature of a neoprene sleeve which doubles as a bowl when the cooking is done.
Taking about 4 1/2 minutes to boil a liter of water, it's heavier than many on this list, but its increased stability and wind resistance are well worth the money spent. Particularly with backpacking stoves, the built-in 1L cooking pot is a highly prized commodity in saving both space and weight, and the Jetboil MiniMo delivers.
The downsides of this model include longer cooking times at a much higher price tag then many of its competitors on the list. However, with all of its features, the Jetboil MiniMo proves itself worth the $154 spent.
Budget
Price: $54.95
The most affordable of quality backpacking stoves, this 2.9-ounce system is a fantastic addition to any hiker's arsenal. Reasonably priced and perfect for beginners or those on a budget, its compact size and built-in igniter provide premium features without lightening your wallet. This easy-to-use backpacking stove also comes with a cook set for the more frugal and first-time hikers.
As a kit, the two pots that come along with the equipment are the highest quality material, adding unnecessary ounces to one's backpack. Another negative of this stove is that the entire set weighs just over 11 ounces.
Ultra-Light
Price: $49.95
Lightweight, one of the best backpacking stoves available is the MSR Pocket Rocket 2. Weighing at about 2.6 ounces, this powerful yet inexpensive stove punches well above its class in power. This compact stove has excellent simmer control and can directly interface to isobutane canisters. One of the most beloved options available today is a commonly used stove out in the wilderness.
Due to its compact design and potent burner, it's a favorite among hikers and backpackers looking to warm up their next meal or a cup of coffee in the backcountry. Upgraded version such as a pocket rocket deluxe include features like regulators and push to start for a significant upcharge.
The drawbacks of this model include a lack of wind resistance and stability. However, what you lose in these areas is more than made up for in the minimalistic design and lightweight frame.
Wood Burning
Price: $69.99
Weighing in at 9 ounces and with no integrated pot, it would seem as though the solo stove light isn't worth it. When it comes to alternative fuel sources, it's hard to top this wood-burning stove; rather than lugging canisters of butane or propane through the woods, alcohol, wood, or burnable tablets may be used instead.
Capable of doubling as a windshield and pot support for others alcohol stoves, the solo’s design features a double wall that recycles heat and provides fresh air to the embers while concentrating the flames at a narrow hole at the pinnacle of the stove. This drastically reduces the time taking a boil which is unusual for wood-burning stoves. The solo stove is an excellent choice for backpackers looking to reduce what they have to pack in, and as long as there is dry wood around, you'll never run out of fuel.
The downsides of this model include the fact that not all areas have fuel readily available, and in some Premier backpacking destinations, the burning of wood is illegal or restricted. It's important to pay attention to the rules and regulations of wherever you plan on backpacking and to ensure this is the right stove for you.
While this list is not comprehensive of all backpacking and camping stoves available today, it is indicative of some of the highest quality products on the market. Before setting out on a camping or backpacking trip, ensure that the stove is in working order and proper fuel sources will either be on the trail or packed in advance. And a word to the wise, a secondary ignition source is never a bad idea. Two is one; one is none.
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