June 11, 2019

Cooking gear - stoves and such

No Cook

This is a real option. Leave the stove and pots at home! It certainly saves weight. It saves time too. I have done a couple of week long trips this way. It works out just fine. It is actually liberating. The main thing I miss is my morning coffee.

Alcohol Stove

This is by far the lightweight option. Probably the cheapest option too, especially if you make your own out of cans from the trash and ignore the cost of a pot. Alcohol stoves are absolutely quiet. You can carry only as much fuel as you need in pretty much any old bottle. Some jurisdictions demand a "valve controlled stove", so be aware.

I like the Caldera Cone, and have the Caldera "keg" system which weighs 5 ounces and is $65 in its current form.

Jet Boil

16 ounces. Mine is ancient and probably the original model. There are now several models. The "Zip" sells for $80. Convenience and speed is the main thing here. You also have the weight of an empty canister. And you may have guilt about all the empty canisters you generate. Despite all of these options, I reach for this more than any other option.

Pocket rocket

Many people use and love these. You need a pot to go with it. It just screws on the same canister you might use with a jetboil. Not as fuel efficient as the jetboil, so on a long trip, you will use noticeably more fuel. The pocket rocket 2 is 2.6 ounces and $45. There is now a pocket rocket deluxe, which has regulated pressure for $70.

Would you want this (along with a titanium pot) or something like the MSR Windburner or the Jetboil. Well, you would save about 7 ounces with this setup and the hard core ultralighters would say it is worth it. On the other hand, the Windburner has a built in windscreen and is much more fuel efficient. If the fuel efficiency let you just carry one canister, it would be a win. I don't think there is a clear choice, but I carry the Windburner and don't feel bad about the extra 7 ounces.

MSR Titan tea kettle

You will need something like this if you have a pocket rocket or stand alone alcohol stove. 0.85 liter capacity. 4 ounces and $60. I would be reluctant to use it with the Bush Buddy and coat it with soot, but you could.

Bush Buddy

Here you get to play with fire, which is fun. $100 While you are playing around, your buddies will already be eating their dinner. Your pots will get black with soot. Bring a bag (or several) to contain the mess. I have one of these and have used it on several trips. View it as entertainment that gets things done. Made by a cool fellow in Alaska, which I like.
Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's backpacking pages / [email protected]