MuleyFever
WKR
This is why I ditched the stove on pack ins. I'm one of those that will choke down my calories and move on. I don't drink coffee and never looked forward to a dehydrated meal that I usually didn't have the appetite for.
Anybody go on multi-day hunts in the backcountry without a stove?
- Thread starter Loper
- Start date
This is why I ditched the stove on pack ins. I'm one of those that will choke down my calories and move on. I don't drink coffee and never looked forward to a dehydrated meal that I usually didn't have the appetite for.
Ecampbell25
WKR
I tired cold camping… eating green bellies and bars it wasn’t my favorite… but I can certainly see the appeal. Nice for the weight savings extra space and not having to deal with the canisters.
But there’s also something to be said about having a warm meal…
But there’s also something to be said about having a warm meal…
Sounds uncomfortable, I'll go with cold over trying to figure out how to make that comfortable under a pack belt.
Those actually sound good. I might add them.
Bobcat
Lil-Rokslider
At Basecamp I have a stove but I will spike out for 4 to 5 days without stove and eat cold soaked muesli for breakfast and bring an extra bar for dinner.
MREs, Bars, Energy Gu, etc lots of options if you want to go stoveless. I do whatever works best for the trip I am on at the time. Versatility and adaptation are king, be able to utilize all options when it comes to your meals.
Nope, and ain't planning on it.
It's all part of the process.
Randy
It's all part of the process.
Randy
david2duck
WKR
Hunts 5 days or less and weather that isn’t freezing it’s actually pretty easy to not bring a stove. I eat a huge shake for breakfast (1000+ calories) and then just eat the normal bars, diff nut butters, jerky, snickers, etc. I’ve never missed it on those type of hunts. Longer colder hunts I bring a stove.
COJoe
Lil-Rokslider
This year I skipped morning coffee and ate cold granola with water while still in my sleeping bag so I could get moving earlier. Always stopped for mid-morning coffee though which is a treat for me that I look forward to. I'll eat a tuna packet for lunch then a hot meal for dinner with more coffee. The extra pound for the stove and fuel is minimal but worth it for me mentally.
Last year on mule deer 3 day hunt in early Oct. I did. Cold soak oatmeal/cold instant coffee, bars/nuts/cheese for lunch dinner.
Personally, it worked for me… BUT if it were any longer or later in season I would definitely bring a stove.
There’s something about a hot beverage/meal in the backcountry, that I benefit from both mentally and physically
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Personally, it worked for me… BUT if it were any longer or later in season I would definitely bring a stove.
There’s something about a hot beverage/meal in the backcountry, that I benefit from both mentally and physically
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
wapitispokes
FNG
In the boy scout days and early backpacking (1970's) we relied on fires sometimes exclusively or extensively. Some of us eventually got Optims 8R's or Svea 123. Times have changed, and reliance on "open fires" is now unusual. Which usually leaves us with food that doesn't require heating or reliance on a confined heat source.
Me, I like to heat my food and have the option for hot tea, coffee, hot cider, etc. on a cold morning or evening. So I always have a way to boil water.
The question isn't just "would you bring a stove" but what stove and pot configuration would you bring and why? Because that comes back to the question of weight vs benefit.
For the way I hunt and what I like to eat, I believe my aggregate carry weight is lower with a stove and pot for trips longer than one night. Importantly, I think I'm happier and more efficient with that set up most of the time.
WOOD BURNING COOK STOVES:
One type stove of potential interest with good weight to benefit ratio is a small wood burner. This might be particularly useful to augment a hike/hunt that is mostly (but perhaps not exclusively) centered around foods / drinks that do not require heat.
Backpacking light reviewed a number of these wood burning cook stoves in 2011 (I'll try to include a link). More recently IIRC, Ryan Jordan of BPL reviewed a rather expensive, small, titanium body woodturning cooking stove that was extremely light and highly effective. He seemed to think it was the best of the best. But, I can't find that article.
I've always wanted one of those...they might "pay for their weight" even when already carrying a hydrocarbon fuel based stove. They might also offer an effective back-up solution to stove failure or fuel shortage. Depending on your geography and location, you can "almost always" find enough dry twigs somewhere to keep a small stove going. But that will generally work best in places like the more arid Rockies and desert SW.
Many of the wood burners reviewed in 2011 weighed 6 oz or less and could boil 2 cups of water in around 5 minutes and 4 cups in around ten minutes. This is from a 40-45 degree start. The time does not include the time to scavenge for wood/twigs or light the fire...
ALCOHOL STOVES:
If I'm going out for one day or maybe one night then most likely a small titanium pot and alcohol stove offers the best weight / performance balance. But I find alcohol stoves awfully slow and tedious in the wind ... and for some reason my alcohol bottles always seem to leak. Thus, I would personally go that route only for situations demanding the lowest weight and perhaps one night out. Or if I wanted a day time hot drink or meal during a day hunt.
STACKED CANISTER STOVES:
Next up would be a small titanium pot and a traditional lightweight stove like an MSR pocket rocket 2 . My experience with those suggests that the titanium pots do not collect heat and boil as effectively as aluminum. I've never tested it or researched it to death but it seems to be the case. What I know for sure is that an open air stove like the MSR pocket rocket wastes a LOT of fuel if there is any wind at all. So, for very short trips where fuel waste isn't a concern or a material part of carried weight - that is a good compromise at very low weight.
CANISTER STOVE SYSTEMS - MY NEW FAVORITE:
Next up - longer trips, trips with 2 or more people and trips with some wind exposure.
IMO, in "warmer" conditions the single best choice among canister stoves is the MSR Windburner or Reactor . The Reactor has some downsides including relatively high carbon monoxide levels which doesn't matter much if you are in the open. The Windburner is probably a better choice for summer backpacking and the Reactor a better choice for melting snow. The Jetboil has its fans but it simply cannot compete with the MSR Windburner or Reactor if there is any wind at all. It is not even close. Compete = the MSR uses a lot less fuel and boils water a lot faster under anything but perfect conditions. Throw in a good wind and the difference is shocking. The MSR is quite a bit more expensive...
Put another way, as much as I hate the relative bulk and weight of the MSR Windburner / Reactor I am 100% sold on that stove system for most of my multi-day and / or multi person hikes and hunts for the quantitative and qualitative benefits. Because I AM going to carry some method of boiling water.
BPL 2011 wood stove "state of the market"
MSR Windburner rvw "Adventures in Stoving"
BPL 2016 MSR vs Jetboil Stove Systems
The MSR Windburner "can" pay for its weight penalty if used for longer periods of time, or with multiple people or in windy locations. Vastly outperforms Jetboil in the wind, making fuel use forecasting better and saving weight / speeding up the meal process. The BPL article indicates that the Jetboil uses 2X as much fuel even under light wind conditions. These systems are NOT what I would choose for a fast and light one or two night solo trip.
With the MSR Windburner, I get 16-20 oz of boiling water in less than 3 minutes. Every time. Regardless of wind. If you don't mind eating the better Freeze Dried meals, this makes it practical to take a short break of ten minutes or less during a long day of hiking or hunting to boil 2 cups of water, mix a FD, throw it into an outside pocket of your pack (perhaps doubled wrapped in a ziplock) and continue on your way for 30-60 minutes to eat later. Maybe make a hot 16 ounce drink while you are at it - it will only take another 2.5 minutes. This works a little better in place like Washington State where it is hard to hike very far without crossing a creek.....I'd argue this ability to quickly make a FD (or other food item) can potentially save food weight vs. the typical cliff bars or even bagel sandwiches for lunch.
Me, I like to heat my food and have the option for hot tea, coffee, hot cider, etc. on a cold morning or evening. So I always have a way to boil water.
The question isn't just "would you bring a stove" but what stove and pot configuration would you bring and why? Because that comes back to the question of weight vs benefit.
For the way I hunt and what I like to eat, I believe my aggregate carry weight is lower with a stove and pot for trips longer than one night. Importantly, I think I'm happier and more efficient with that set up most of the time.
WOOD BURNING COOK STOVES:
One type stove of potential interest with good weight to benefit ratio is a small wood burner. This might be particularly useful to augment a hike/hunt that is mostly (but perhaps not exclusively) centered around foods / drinks that do not require heat.
Backpacking light reviewed a number of these wood burning cook stoves in 2011 (I'll try to include a link). More recently IIRC, Ryan Jordan of BPL reviewed a rather expensive, small, titanium body woodturning cooking stove that was extremely light and highly effective. He seemed to think it was the best of the best. But, I can't find that article.
I've always wanted one of those...they might "pay for their weight" even when already carrying a hydrocarbon fuel based stove. They might also offer an effective back-up solution to stove failure or fuel shortage. Depending on your geography and location, you can "almost always" find enough dry twigs somewhere to keep a small stove going. But that will generally work best in places like the more arid Rockies and desert SW.
Many of the wood burners reviewed in 2011 weighed 6 oz or less and could boil 2 cups of water in around 5 minutes and 4 cups in around ten minutes. This is from a 40-45 degree start. The time does not include the time to scavenge for wood/twigs or light the fire...
ALCOHOL STOVES:
If I'm going out for one day or maybe one night then most likely a small titanium pot and alcohol stove offers the best weight / performance balance. But I find alcohol stoves awfully slow and tedious in the wind ... and for some reason my alcohol bottles always seem to leak. Thus, I would personally go that route only for situations demanding the lowest weight and perhaps one night out. Or if I wanted a day time hot drink or meal during a day hunt.
STACKED CANISTER STOVES:
Next up would be a small titanium pot and a traditional lightweight stove like an MSR pocket rocket 2 . My experience with those suggests that the titanium pots do not collect heat and boil as effectively as aluminum. I've never tested it or researched it to death but it seems to be the case. What I know for sure is that an open air stove like the MSR pocket rocket wastes a LOT of fuel if there is any wind at all. So, for very short trips where fuel waste isn't a concern or a material part of carried weight - that is a good compromise at very low weight.
CANISTER STOVE SYSTEMS - MY NEW FAVORITE:
Next up - longer trips, trips with 2 or more people and trips with some wind exposure.
IMO, in "warmer" conditions the single best choice among canister stoves is the MSR Windburner or Reactor . The Reactor has some downsides including relatively high carbon monoxide levels which doesn't matter much if you are in the open. The Windburner is probably a better choice for summer backpacking and the Reactor a better choice for melting snow. The Jetboil has its fans but it simply cannot compete with the MSR Windburner or Reactor if there is any wind at all. It is not even close. Compete = the MSR uses a lot less fuel and boils water a lot faster under anything but perfect conditions. Throw in a good wind and the difference is shocking. The MSR is quite a bit more expensive...
Put another way, as much as I hate the relative bulk and weight of the MSR Windburner / Reactor I am 100% sold on that stove system for most of my multi-day and / or multi person hikes and hunts for the quantitative and qualitative benefits. Because I AM going to carry some method of boiling water.
BPL 2011 wood stove "state of the market"
MSR Windburner rvw "Adventures in Stoving"
BPL 2016 MSR vs Jetboil Stove Systems
The MSR Windburner "can" pay for its weight penalty if used for longer periods of time, or with multiple people or in windy locations. Vastly outperforms Jetboil in the wind, making fuel use forecasting better and saving weight / speeding up the meal process. The BPL article indicates that the Jetboil uses 2X as much fuel even under light wind conditions. These systems are NOT what I would choose for a fast and light one or two night solo trip.
With the MSR Windburner, I get 16-20 oz of boiling water in less than 3 minutes. Every time. Regardless of wind. If you don't mind eating the better Freeze Dried meals, this makes it practical to take a short break of ten minutes or less during a long day of hiking or hunting to boil 2 cups of water, mix a FD, throw it into an outside pocket of your pack (perhaps doubled wrapped in a ziplock) and continue on your way for 30-60 minutes to eat later. Maybe make a hot 16 ounce drink while you are at it - it will only take another 2.5 minutes. This works a little better in place like Washington State where it is hard to hike very far without crossing a creek.....I'd argue this ability to quickly make a FD (or other food item) can potentially save food weight vs. the typical cliff bars or even bagel sandwiches for lunch.
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2013
- Messages
- 1,565
I've continued to shed weight on my packing lists for 8-12 day trips and have needed an immediate fire source too often when time matters. I could never justify ditching a stove because it could be that valuable to either start a fire, warm the digits or boil water.
For me weight savings settled down to the food list after all common sense items had been high-tech replaced. Food weight fills 8-10-lbs more than most of us need in our packs. A couple years ago I went from 2-lbs food bulk per day to 1-lb food bulk per day. The loss of 10-lbs in my pack for a 10-day trip made a huge difference day after day.
At the end of the day, we only need about 2,000-2300 cals per day WITH a computation of protein (1gm/kg/day), fats (25-30%) and carbohydrates (50%).
I get the spartan approach but some pieces of kit are simply essential survival tools. Maybe it's an Alaska backcountry thing, but I couldn't leave the stove.
For me weight savings settled down to the food list after all common sense items had been high-tech replaced. Food weight fills 8-10-lbs more than most of us need in our packs. A couple years ago I went from 2-lbs food bulk per day to 1-lb food bulk per day. The loss of 10-lbs in my pack for a 10-day trip made a huge difference day after day.
At the end of the day, we only need about 2,000-2300 cals per day WITH a computation of protein (1gm/kg/day), fats (25-30%) and carbohydrates (50%).
I get the spartan approach but some pieces of kit are simply essential survival tools. Maybe it's an Alaska backcountry thing, but I couldn't leave the stove.
I use go on all my extended backcountry hunts stove-less to save the weight but just in the last 1.5 years I've gotten "soft" and now bring a jetboil. I think the comfort of a warm cup of coffee in the morning and a hot dinner at night is worth the 1-1.5lb weight penalty.
When going stove-less I always thought of food more as fuel than comfort. My menu was Greenbelly heavy, usually 2 per day. If fact, I would eat so many Greenbelly's the company gave me my own personal discount code. I would throw in trail mix, Fritos, banana chips with Justin's peanut butter packets, and other caloric dense dried foods.
There is something to be said about the water savings going stove-less provides. If your hunting somewhere water is scarce the weight savings can be substantially more than just the stove itself. But there are some dehydrated meals that use minimal water. A couple of my favorites are Packit Gourmet margherita pizza (2.5oz water) and their burger (2 oz).
When going stove-less I always thought of food more as fuel than comfort. My menu was Greenbelly heavy, usually 2 per day. If fact, I would eat so many Greenbelly's the company gave me my own personal discount code. I would throw in trail mix, Fritos, banana chips with Justin's peanut butter packets, and other caloric dense dried foods.
There is something to be said about the water savings going stove-less provides. If your hunting somewhere water is scarce the weight savings can be substantially more than just the stove itself. But there are some dehydrated meals that use minimal water. A couple of my favorites are Packit Gourmet margherita pizza (2.5oz water) and their burger (2 oz).
I suppose you could do without but I won't. I have my Snow Peak and Ti cook set in my daypack with coffee and Don't go anywhere without it. I don't want to look forward to hunting as punishment or just something to be endured. Never use store bought meals either. Dehydrate the same stuff I enjoy at home.
rclouse79
WKR
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2019
- Messages
- 1,887
I rarely bring one during archery elk, but they are nice to have as it gets colder. This is doubly true if you are taking young hunters out. Some soup and a hot chocolate can buy you more hours in the field.
With stoves these days getting increasingly lighter, concerns of weight and pack space is negligible at best. While I am out to fill a tag, I also set out to thrive, not just survive and a hot meal and of coffee scratches that itch for me. After spending 22 years of my adult life with Uncle Sam, a warm meal is not something I easily am willing to give up anymore while in the field.
for shorter backpack type hunts early season, I, like most, am up before dark and not making camp until well after dark. Don’t really want to mess with starting the stove, boiling, all the extra water use for dehydrated meals (which means water trips) than waiting for the food to be ready. I want to hydrate, eat and hit the sack. To me I don’t need the stove.
Dos Perros
WKR
Guys, being in the backcountry is about thriving, not surviving.
Fetty Wapiti
Lil-Rokslider
Nothing better for the money than a brs stove, as others have mentioned there is no need for a stove when you don't have access to water. Most of our high country hunts I op for cheeses and other items that require no water, can u find water? Not always and sometimes the calories needed to fetch water can take a toll. So yes go without, but damn if there is easy access to water why wouldn't you? It is a luxury worth the weight imho. Also a great backup if you crack a water filter or god forbid rely on a steripen.
RojoGrande
FNG
Cold soaking is becoming more popular in the backpacking/thru-hiking crowd. Lots of info on various backpacking sites. Takes some planning to re-hydrate meals to be ready at meal time. It can take 30 minutes to an hour+ to re-hydrate meals. Tons of recipes out there.
backcountryfoodie.com
I've done it for short trips from 2 to 5 days. That said, I prefer hot meals, coffee, and ramen. BRS stove and small fuel canister will last a week + with not much weight penalty. Food weight for dehydrated food is the same.
Cold Soaking Guide for Stoveless Backpackers
If you've ever considered cold soaking or had a bad experience cold soaking, this guide is for you!
backcountryfoodie.com
I've done it for short trips from 2 to 5 days. That said, I prefer hot meals, coffee, and ramen. BRS stove and small fuel canister will last a week + with not much weight penalty. Food weight for dehydrated food is the same.
Beendare
WKR
I've done the no stove thing- but only for short 1 or 2 day spike outs and that was long ago.
Now, I AM the guy you are waiting on to have my coffee. Grin
I think a hot meal...a hot cup of coffee just makes the roughing it part not so rough.
Now, I AM the guy you are waiting on to have my coffee. Grin
I think a hot meal...a hot cup of coffee just makes the roughing it part not so rough.
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