What's your favorite backpacking stove?

[Yellowknife]

It's a quick and easy place for viewers to see what most are using and why.

So instead of digging through all of the different threads on equipment (although they still can and will if needed), they can just read through these threads.

What are you thinking? I'm open for ideas.....

These threads compile a lot of good information on popularity of certain brands/types of equipment, which I think is worthy information to collect. Seems like it's just going to get lost down in archives.

I'm no forum expert, but it seems to making all of these stickies would get pretty cluttered on the front page. Maybe one sticky of links to these and other good gear threads?

Yk

 

[realunlucky]

Like a FAQ sticky?

 

[Yellowknife]

On second thought, considering how the various polls are scattered over several sub-forums, just making them individual stickies (as Aaron has done) may be as easy as anything, and will be more obvious to people searching for information.

Yk

 

[Chuffness]

I have a Jet-Boil but since ive started packing around an Esbit Ti with Ti pot i never even use the Jet Boil any more. I love the Esbit Ti mostly for the weight and lack of space it takes up. I like the Small Fuel tablets that it uses. But if I ever run out or if i ever need a longer burn i just add some small sticks to it and keep a fire burning. Or if i ever run out of tablets i could just always uses sticks.

 

[Becca]

We used the jet boil Sumo pretty much exclusively this season, and I suspect it will be our go to stove for quite awhile. While it's a little heavier, if you are consistently heating water for more than one person it is the fastest way to heat water without anyone having to wait. So nice to boil up enough for two breakfasts or two dinners in one boil. The sumo will boil more than 1L of water at a time, and the accessory set includes two bowls/cups that will fit inside the sumo cup.

We initially had the titanium version, but the conductor coils melted off on our first trip so we returned it for the aluminum model, which is still going strong (thank you for superior customer service, backcountry.com!)

We still carry a soto as our backup stove (it weighs so little, it would be silly not to have it!) and I suspect if going solo Luke or I would use the soto with the modified "jetboilette" cup.

 

[stephen b]

Yup- those little Esbit stove work well for most application. I can get 16-18 oz of water to boil with about 1/2 tab, and still have enough left to boil 12 oz for either tea or coffee later. I have found that a good wind screen and wind break makes all the difference with these. If was going to be on an exposed ridge for most of my use, I would bring a different stove. But I usually have my 1 oz. Esbit stove burner and a couple of tabs with me anyways- even just for emerg. use. Does not weigh hardly anything.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Been using a pocket rocket for the last 5 years with no issue, but I haven't used any other stove besides an alcohol burning stove before the jetboil. So I didn't vote... Thinking after doing some of my late season trips this year I'll likely switch to something that's a little more cold weather compatible!

Mike

 

[BowElkStalker]

I have a whisperlite that I have had for over 20 yrs, MSR quality. But I did hear that Santa is getting me a JetBoil Sol, so I am excited to use it this summer.

 

[JasonWi]

I use the SOTO stove with a jetboil cup. I really like this combination. Used it for the past 2 years and no complaints other than really high wind.

 

[Yellowknife]

I have a whisperlite that I have had for over 20 yrs, MSR quality.

Growing up there was a NOLS school base in my hometown. Every year they would have a surplus sale of (VERY) used gear. They always had a bin of rusty, half smashed, gummed up, old Whisperlites for cheap. Consequently, every kid I knew owned one. No matter what kind of ugly shape they were in, you could get them cleaned up and running in 30 minutes at the bench. Many of those guys are STILL running those surplus stoves. In fact one went along on this years caribou hunt.

Not a convenient as the modern stuff, but solid pieces of equipment for sure.

Yk

 

[AitchAr]

Voted for Pocket Rocket because that is what I've used for the past several years and it always got the job done. I broke it right before a trip earlier this year and needed a quick replacement. The replacement ended up being an Optimus Crux HE and so far so good.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I figured 1-3 sticky's in each forum wouldn't be to bad, but if it's to much, everyone can let me know. No worries either way.

On second thought, considering how the various polls are scattered over several sub-forums, just making them individual stickies (as Aaron has done) may be as easy as anything, and will be more obvious to people searching for information.

Yk

 

[eleaf]

I like a couple of stoves.

My favorite stove is the Bushbuddy wood burning stove. There's something about actual fire that's good for the soul, and I'm not one to have a campfire unless there's already an existing ring or it's REALLY cold.

I also like the White Box stove for bigger pots, and a smaller Mini Bull Designs alcohols stove for my beer can pot.

 

[Bmcox86]

Jetboil, hands down

 

[Larry Bartlett]

I actually prefer a whitegas stove...MSR Whisperlite or XGK II. The fuel is easier to fly with on bush planes and easier to obtain fuel types in rural communities. Not much help in your neck o the woods, but here it can be tough to fly commercially then hop a bush flight and find isobutane fuel sources locally. The MSR stoves can run multi-type fuels like kerosene, unleaded, whitegas, or AV gas.

just a thought...however, most of my bros have jetboils and lean on my stuff when they can't get fuel spur of the moment in bush communities..

larry

 

[ridgefire]

I have a pocket rocket and a jetboil and have used the pocket rocket way more than the jetboil. I wish it was self igniting though. My brother has had his jetboil for years with no problems and loves it.

 

[Mike7]

I would have to vote Pocket Rocket because it is so light and has been bombproof for me. And I never run out of fuel with one canister on my trips which are just 3-4 days with the family and less than 7 days when by myself. I can use a little bit of a wind screen if needed without any problems (I do have some flashing covering the canister though) and can put the canister in my pocket to keep it warm in really cold weather for improved performance if needed. I just don't see the need for myself at this point to carry a heavier yet smaller capacity heat exchanging pot, and haven't needed a liquid feed canister stove like the Windpro II.

If I wanted a heavier do everything stove especially if traveling by air and/or overseas, then I think I would try something like the new Whisperlite Universal stoves. I used to have an old Whisperlite and it worked great but was heavy and inconvenient compared to the canister stoves. I also have tried wood gasifier stoves but outside of fun summer camping with the family, they are a real pain when tired from hunting and the weather is cold and wet.

 

[Brent1321]

Snow Peak Giga for me, been using the same one for probably 10 years now. It just flat out works really well during archery season and preseason scouting. Rifle season, when temps start to drop, it is pretty slow to boil. I love the thing for the warmer weather hunting, the thing just keeps on boiling water!

Brent

 

[Hardway]

I had been using a SVEA 123 for 30 plus years. went to a pocket rocket. had to lighten the load on these old bones. And if i am in a camp ground nobody comes over to see what is making all that noise.

 

[Jared Lampton]

Used to run a pocket rocket but switched to the jetboil (sol)a few years ago because everything fit together nicely and it's faster.