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Old 04-11-2018, 04:17 AM   #1
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Name: Sam
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Portable stoves - wood or gas?

I'm in two minds about my next outdoor purchase, a portable stove.

I've always heard great things about the Jetboil https://jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com/...ystems/halfgen but it's pretty pricey.

I've also stumbled across various wood-burning stoves such as https://professionalcamping.com/quic...e-full-review/ but I'm unsure whether they would provide enough heat for all my cooking needs.

Would you recommend coughing up the extra cash for the gas stove or will the wood-burner be enough to cook my two meals a day?
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Old 04-11-2018, 06:21 PM   #2
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That quick stove is a fancy version of this $9 stove. https://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-9560...K0A3QWJT6&th=1

Same company has 72 packs of the heat tabs.

These stoves go back to around WW2 GI heat tab stoves one thing is the fumes are probably toxic, and they typically don't push a lot of heat. Good for some instant soup or instant coffee, or tea not so great for cooking a meal on unless it's heat water for freeze dried.

I carry the inexpensive one of those heat tab stoves in my day pack because the tabs can be used to start a fire in bad weather. Or for a quick cup of warm up. But as a main stove I have little interest in a stove with odd fuel that I probably won't find widely available. I would go with a single burner propane before a stove using an odd solid fuel.

Look into alcohol stoves a lot of models to pick from. Fuel widely available, car fuel deicer additive can be used comes down to it. As can pharmacy alcohol.
https://www.amazon.com/Solo-Alcohol-...ustomerReviews

Trangia is the granddaddy of the alcohol stove and stove kits. I might suggest drop the $15 to buy their most basic one, try it. If you like it get the larger kits, and you still have the small one as an extra burner or day pack stove.

https://www.amazon.com/Trangia-Spiri...3491830&sr=8-1

A whole assortment of Trangia stoves and kits.
https://www.amazon.com/Trangia/b/ref...se-bin=Trangia

On the single burner propane stove I mentioned earlier I would avoid the ones that go on top of a tank so the burner and pot are way up on top of a canister of propane. The ones with a burner and spider legs that attach with a short hose seem by far the safer choice in single burner propane.
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Old 04-11-2018, 06:38 PM   #3
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We tried a Coghlan's stove one year when fall camping in the BWCA. The temps were in the teens and it was windy .
We tried to make a pot of coffee , two hours later all we had was warm water . Summer time they work okay , winter time not so much.
I have been able to make coffee with an old fashioned Coleman stove in temps from 100 above to 30 below.
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Old 04-11-2018, 07:44 PM   #4
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Just my take on this topic, but as a kid, I remember growing up in the 50's with the old trusty Coleman pressurized white gas stoves, and you know what? That old technology can stay in the Smithsonian where it belongs. Besides having to carry a flimsy tin can of highly flammable gasoline around to fuel it, it always made the entire campsite reek of that gasoline smell, and everything I can ever remember that was made on it also reeked of gasoline. Yuk! No thanks.

Get yourself a good Propane stove. I have, and use, a couple of Camp Chef stoves, (a single burner and a two burner model,) and I have enjoyed them for many years. One of these stoves, and a light-weight composite Propane tank, and you're set.

If you want the flavor of a charcoal BBQ for camping, I also have the Weber "Go Anywhere," (actually, I have them in both Propane and charcoal burning models,) but there is no way that I would ever entertain using a gasoline stove for camping these days. YMMV
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Old 04-11-2018, 07:56 PM   #5
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I would never want to rely on woodburnning stoves of anykind. Wood at times is nearly impossible to acquire.
I've cooked over a wood fire, propane stove, coleman gas stove, butane or isotane stove. All have there pros and cons. Propane is mostly weight, butane is cold temps, (butane doesn't work below 32° F), isotane you have to deal with disposable canisters, coleman fuel (white gass) you've got liquid spillage to worry about. Alcohol stoves don't produce the heat the others do.
My preference is coleman fuel, an MSR Drangongly is my go to single burner stove. Next is the single burner is a coleman that uses colman fuel. I also have and 3 two burner stoves all coleman. 2 are porpane (one converted from white gas) one is very old 1940s white gas stove. All work good.
There's lots of options out there, I would evaluate them and choose according to you needs and wants.
FYI Mostly I use the two burner propane stove inside my trailer these days.
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Old 04-11-2018, 10:00 PM   #6
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I agree, the propane stove is about as handy as one can get. I bought one of those little alcohol stoves on a lark (it was cheap) and I have yet to use it... why lug around liquid fuel that can spill when a tidy sealed LP bottle is more convenient and makes a hotter flame.

To burn charcoal (or hold miscellaneous fuels), I am fond of this Portable Grills | Ecoque - A Greener Way To Grill which folds flat for travel. Just 9 charcoal briquettes will make a really hot fire for grilling in my 12" EcoQue. It's 2 years old and not a speck of rust yet after a number of uses, so they use good stainless steel. They're kind of hard to find, but Mountain Equipment sells them for $40.
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Old 04-11-2018, 10:02 PM   #7
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In the summer time there are many areas of the country that will have a burn ban active. They would fine you if they caught you using a small wood stove for cooking. They also don't let you use charcoal during burn bans.

So if you only want to have one type of stove as your cooking equipment then go for one type or another of a gas/propane unit.

If you are not going to be cooking much of anything a jet boil will do. But if you want to cook some meals in a frying pan then get a propane or butane stove that is large enough to prevent accidental tip overs. Getting burned or having a mess to clean up is not much fun. I would suggest you look at one of the dual fuel cook-tops such as made by GasOne. They can use either small canisters of butane or be hooked to a 1lb propane cylinder or even a larger propane gas line. Then put back in the case and stowed away when not needed. You won't have any issue using it during a burn ban.
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Old 04-12-2018, 04:33 AM   #8
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I have a Primus Grasshopper propane stove I used in my backpacking days. I preferred propane over white gas. I also have used it during power outages before we switched to gas. Indoors it works quite well. Outside can be a different story. The problem with any of these stoves is wind can effect performance. Even a makeshift wind shield helps. There is a version of the Grasshopper sold on Amazon.
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Old 04-12-2018, 07:08 AM   #9
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I have ran the 2 burner coleman stove running on white gas for years. I flew that stove to Europe thinking no problem well no coleman fuel in Europe I don't know why. my solution I got an all fuel single burner stove by coleman that thing cooks.


easy to store and use lightweight also


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Old 04-12-2018, 09:45 AM   #10
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For backpacking a while back, I checked into small wood stoves that would run on pine cones, twigs, etc., but decided gas was more reliable and I didn't have to worry about a wood fuel being dry. Certainly for outside trailer use I'd get gas, of the type you prefer. One thing to think of is other devices you might want that use the same fuel type.
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Old 04-12-2018, 10:27 AM   #11
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good ideas

bob p/o took out our stove and sink I thought I would put it back in but we have worked out simpler things.

no sink we just use a little tub heat our water on our portable coleman stove.

I did finally relent and buy a portapottie it didn't have one of those we could have made it but it helps.

we use our little gas stove in the camper a lot when wx in the 20s hard to stand outside and run a stove in those temps. I couldn't believe I was able to fly our stoves to Europe by the way.
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Old 04-12-2018, 10:39 AM   #12
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We have a little wood/charcoal kettle BBQ and a one-burner butane stove. Both were fairly cheap (cheap is something that works that you find beside the road or on Craigslist free...) and the fuel is fairly easy to get. Sometimes we take both, usually we keep the little (blue!) butane stove tucked in a niche in Peanut with a couple cans of butane carefully packed nearby. So far no troubles with either.

We also bought a (blue) non-stick fry pan to use on the stove...and a blue silicon spatula. Oh, we be glamping, we be! (OK, Paul was merely the recipient of these blue camp items...I was the instigator of the color. Besides, they were on sale.) [Isn't everything you buy "on sale?"]

We use them outdoors, never inside Peanut.
Though we used to use Paul's childhood Coleman stove inside the GetAway Van. Looking back, having read about the possible 5-foot high flames if something goes awry, guess we were lucky. Our son sold it with the van.

Bye-bye, vintage Coleman.

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Old 04-12-2018, 10:41 AM   #13
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glamping

so now I know what glamping is!!

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Old 04-12-2018, 11:54 AM   #14
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We have the Cobb grill (kitchen in a bag) and love it! I suppose that we could use wood in it if caught without charcoal and I even have one of those tiny alcohol burners that we could use with it if we find ourselves really out of luck.

However, the stove/oven has been removed from our Bigfoot and replaced with a two burner electric portable hot plate that can be used inside or out. We usually cook outside and having all these options seems really flexible to me.
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Old 04-12-2018, 12:08 PM   #15
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MSR as well as others make small extremely sturdy fuel bottles. Some fit directly onto the pump mechanism of stoves such as the Dragonfly model mentioned above. I have used them for Coleman fuel, and for extra gas can for a small (less than 1hp) outboard. I'm sure they would do alcohol too.

https://www.amazon.com/MSR-MSRFUELBO...ews/B002L1413S

The Coleman single burners really crank out the heat. I percolate a 16 cup pot on one and it is as fast as my two burner. Spendy at $70 but I have seen them at garage sales for as little as $15 Too heavy for backpacking but for an outside stove with your camper it would be fine.
https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Guide...ner+camp+stove

Propane has one advantage, instant light. But for BTU's of heat packed into small storage space I think the Coleman beats it.

Alcohol works, fuel bottle to transport refill, screw lid to seal unused fuel. Of the inexpensive options I think they are probably one of the better ones.

In winter the only way to make a "pot" of coffee with those heat tabs is to use them to start a fire. With a wind screen of sticks or snow the stoves using them can heat up a couple of cups of water if you throw a few tabs on them. A full quart pot is probably not going to work.

Burn bans are a fact of life in much of the western states. Some areas even in winter have them. Too many dead pine trees from the beatles I guess.


I should add we also get good use from a smaller electric skillet and hot plate. Getting lazy in my old age. Find a wind up 4 plug extension cord reel is just the ticket for an outside electric kitchen.
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Old 04-12-2018, 12:38 PM   #16
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READ THIS

I would suggest that you read REI's stove reviews concerning fuel. There's pros and cons to each type. Then decide what you would like to have.
Here's a link to the web site.

The site is aimed at backpacking, but I think it applies to anybody want a single burner stove.
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Old 04-12-2018, 02:31 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
I would suggest that you read REI's stove reviews concerning fuel. There's pros and cons to each type. Then decide what you would like to have.
Here's a link to the web site.

The site is aimed at backpacking, but I think it applies to anybody want a single burner stove.
Most informative article at REI.

For Coleman stove (single burner) I use this fire starter paste to pre-heat the generator tube rather than dribbling some fuel as they mention. With care I can use the lever that pushes a needle into the vent to keep stove from flooding as it warms but the paste is way better.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QJFKIM...a-315455077385

One reviewer claimed the Swedish army mess kit alcohol stove would boil small pot of water in 6 minutes sitting on sticks in snow at below 0 F Swedish Army Mess kit makes a compact set up for minor cooking. But you probably ain't making blue berry pancakes for breakfast with it.
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Old 04-12-2018, 03:34 PM   #18
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If you use the stove for backpacking get a Svea 123r. Or the fancy new stoves. If for use a trailer get a Colman dual burner gas or dual burner propane. If propane get a 10 lb bottle and hose adapter. You will go thru a lot of 1 lb bottles. Also look at the Volcano stove. Can burn wood or propane.
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Old 04-12-2018, 03:51 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
...Too many dead pine trees from the beatles I guess...
The Stones could kill 'em, too.

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Old 04-12-2018, 07:29 PM   #20
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Wood

If you want to get a wood stove, consider, or build, a Rocket Stove.
Here is a recent review from someone using it for the first time.

"Used this rocket stove 2x yesterday and this morning and I love it. It is hands down the fastest, most fuel efficient way of cooking outside for me. There is a little learning curve how to start it, best is to light a few sticks outside the stove and stick them in instead of trying to light them in the stove. Once you have it going it gets very hot instantly but by reducing the number of sticks you can control heat some. It only has one drawback the pot gets sooty but no big deal to me they go in a bag and mess is contained."http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=117695&stc=1&d=1523583 065
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