hiking gas stoves

introduction

a gas canister stove is a favorite choice for short, fast, and light backpacking trips for 1 or 2 people
- they are lightweight, small, and easy to use
- issues with gas canisters include:
  - once they are empty you can't do anything with them and have to carry them out with you, whereas liquid fuel bottles are reusable and refillable once emptied - although you still need to carry the empty bottles out, so this point is not really a great advantage
  - need to be weighed to determine how full they are
  - need to be holed then crushed to be recycled
for short trips to alpine or windy conditions, the MSR Windburner is a good choice for 1 or 2 people
for longer expeditions, liquid fuel stoves are usually preferred, especially for 2 or more people
- the most versatile stoves are the MSR Whisperlite Universal and the MSR Dragonfly, both of which are multi-fuel capable, have good simmer control and are great for cooking for large groups, unlike the Dragonfly, the Universal also allows gas canister usage which then allows simmer control, and is also much less noisy.
  - they are meant to hold all kinds of cookware from large pots to skillets
  - liquid fuel stoves need to be primed before each use and this will take up to 90secs.
  - it does take a bit of know how and time to change out the different fuel adapters
  - more stable than basic stoves and come with a windscreen but are bulky to pack
  - the Whisperlite line of stoves are the easiest to take apart, troubleshoot, clean, repair, and put back together in the field (if you know how) and pack into a 2L pot
  - http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Stove-Reviews/MSR-Whisperlite-Universal

hiking gas cartridges are made light with thin walls and use a MIX of isobutane and propane - DO NOT refill these with propane only as they may explode as propane has much higher vapour pressures and requires a much stronger cartridge!

ultralight gas cartridge stoves

fuel requirements for those without a windscreen:
- one person: 25g per day
- two people: 40g per day

model	price $US	weight	cup size	size	water boiled per 100g fuel	features
MSR Pocket Rocket	$40	85g	nil			compact, light, but no boil in wind at 10mph
Soto OD-1Rx WindMaster	$	67g	nil		?>6L	compact, light, piezo, simmer improves efficiency of boil, fast boil, some wind protection but no boil if >20mph and slow boil at 10mph¹⁾, still works well with very cold canisters, consider use with Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot or 900ML Evernew pot, optional large 4-flex pot stand for > 900mL pots
Campingmoon Frex-MicroMax XD-2F Stove	$		nil			cheaper version of the Soto Windmaster but may have issues with connections to gas cartridge and it only has one o-ring so unlike the Soto with its 2 o-rings, it can attach to heavier propane cartridges as well although this is NOT recommended as the extra height makes it dangerous from ease of tipping over
Snow Peak Giga	$94	187g	600mL	100mm x 95mm	5L	compact, light
Brunton Crux	$119	255g	1300mL	159mm x 85mm	5L	wide cook pot but bulky to pack
MSR Whisperlite Universal	$140	326g	nil		6L	versatile, multi-fuel, windscreen, simmer (when used with gas)

heat exchanger gas cartridge stoves

the heat exchanger technology (eg. “flux ring”) burns fuel more efficiently especially in windy conditions (~1.3-1.8x more efficient) and provides a faster boil time (usually around 2 minutes for 2 cups water) BUT at a significant cost in weight and are less versatile when it comes to cooking
for shorter trips when cold, windy conditions are not likely, the increased fuel efficiency of the Jetboil Stove will not save enough fuel to make up for the additional weight and bulk of its components compared to basic stove and pot kits although it may be more convenient to setup.
MSR took the best of the MSR Reactor and Jetboil's designs and melded them into the MSR Windburner
The MSR Windburner and Reactor are much more wind resistant than either Jetboil model.
fuel requirements:
- one person: 15g per day
- two people: 25g per day

model	price $US	weight	cup size	size	water boiled per 100g fuel	features
JetBoil Zip	$80	345g +27g stabilizer	0.8L	104 mm x 165 mm	10.5-12L	basic model incl. neoprene insulated cooking cup; doesn't boil in wind
JetBoil Flash	$100	400g +27g stabilizer	1L (can boil 500-800mL water)	104 mm x 180 mm	10.5-12L	Piezo button ignition, boil indicator, doesn't boil in wind
MSR Windburner (WindBoiler)	$130	432g	1L	108mm x 171mm		better cozy and lid design than JetBoil, no Piezo, great in the wind

¹⁾

http://www.trailgroove.com/issue8.html?autoflip=59

Table of Contents

hiking gas stoves

introduction

ultralight gas cartridge stoves

heat exchanger gas cartridge stoves