Camping stoves are a must. I need my coffee in the morning! Even when I'm out in the boonies.
I've done a lot of research on them and used a few types.
That beer can stove is a decent idea and they work well. They will work in a pinch but after one trip, however, you will decide that you need a little more than what it offers.
My daughter has a small liquid fueled stove and while it worked well, It sucked after the first couple of years when the seals started leaking (which you wont know till you start using it). Of course, you have to use it because you're a long way from civilization. One time, I had a little puddle leak out and pool on a State Park wooden picnic table. Of course, it promptly caught fire and if I hadn't nipped it in the bud, I would have ended up with Forest Rangers pissed off at me because I destroyed government property.
Erm... whatever you do, don't pour water on a liquid fueled fire because it just uses up your scarce drinking water and it spreads the fire. Ask me how I know?
The Pro's of that beer can stove is that they are cheap, disposable, lightweight and alcohol is not an expensive fuel.
The cons, in my opinion outweigh the Pro's
The issues that I have with the beer can stoves are:
1. They are flimsy
2. There is no adjustment to the flame. You have the same flame if you are boiling a large vessel of water or if you're just trying to lightly saute some mushrooms and onions in butter.
3. I really don't care to carry flammable liquids in my backpack, whether it is in a glass bottle or a plastic bottle. Once, in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, I stepped on a wet rock when crossing a stream and my feet shot out from under me. I landed with all my weight on my backpack. It was quite a spectacular flip and even Charlie Chaplin would have been proud! A glass or plastic fuel container might not have survived.
4. It is hard to find an absolutely flat area when in the woods and the base would be a little tippy when set on the ground with a pan on top. Depending on where one is camping, there might not be a nice picnic table to set it on. Unlike Minnesota, not every other state's campsites have picnic tables. Some primitive campsites have no amenities.
5. That stove set on a dry forest floor could get exciting really quick. The Rangers
really frown on campers setting their forests on fire.
6. You want a little more surface area to set a pan on. Unlike in my kitchen, if I spill what I am cooking, I can't just go to the fridge and get more. Everything I have with me will have to be hauled in. I prefer a little more substantial platform for my pans.
I looked at many stoves:
This is what my daughter uses (she doesn't like it very much anymore):
Information
HERE
I like the stove but there are too many connections that could leak. Adjusting the fuel supply valve, adjusts the flame intensity.
The liquid canister unhooks and the legs and pan supports fold up for easy packing. It is also very lightweight.
Liquid fuels are very cheap and in a pinch it will safely burn Gasoline, Kerosene or even Diesel.
I almost bought this one (below) but the pan supports are way too small.
More info
HERE
Everything folds up into that little plastic container. Very handy!
The only thing that bothered me was that the pan supports seemed flimsy and too small.
This is what I ended up with:
More info
HERE
A simple touch that I liked was that there was a heat shield over the flame adjustment knob, so you could adjust the flame without discomfort.
It is stable, uses cheap canisters that are available in every department store and it has a halfway decent pot support.
It is also cheap and if I lose it, its no big deal. It is a few ounces heavier than the fancy MSR stoves in its class.
The canisters are sturdy and relatively lightweight. They also last a long time.
It will get you a rolling boil in under three minutes (at 70 degrees F) and I'm still on my first canister of gas.
100% metal, it has no rubber or silicon parts, no O rings, nothing to wear out.
...and it is made in the USA and not in China. I'm not sure why that makes a difference but it does.
Tonight when I get home, I will post a photo of it folded so you can see how little space it takes in a pack.
If you really like liquid fuel stoves and are car camping, these little things work well too:
more info
HERE
If you have a large number of people to cook for, then you might want something like this:
Obviously that is out of the question when backpacking.
If you want a nice little propane/butane stove, something
like this will last a long time.
