[pct-l] Camping Stove

[Will M]

For a short section hike, I would use a light-weight canister stove (Snow
Peak Giga Power is the one I use).  One  canister  should last for a  couple
of weeks depending on use.

For a longer hike, I would recommend an alcohol stove.  Alcohol fuel is more
readily available and the weight savings are worth it.  Thats what I used on
the AT.
Other advantages of the alcohol stoves include its simplicity( no moving
parts, gaskets, valves, etc..) and ease of use.  Just pour out a couple of
capfuls and light.  Be careful though as the flame is invisible in daylight.

Of course a lot depends on individual taste.  With an alcohol stove you're
pretty much limited to boiling water.  You can buy a pot cozy that will
allow you to basically simmer your pot using retained heat.  If you want to
actually do some real cooking though , you're better off with a canister
stove where you can adjust the flame.

My impression is that the  vast majority of thru hikers seem to be using
alcohol stoves though the jet boil system also seems popular.  Some hikers
just eat dry food and save time and weight.

Although I haven't used the esbitt stoves, I'm told the tablets are toxic
and shouldnt be handled with bare hands.  That, and the availability and
transportation issues would make me wary of using that particualr stove.

Of course thats just my personal opinion. I'm sure others will disagree.


On 5/13/08, Eric Lee (GAMES) <elee at microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> Eaglescout wrote:
> >
> As my grand-dad says "Hows your Trail,"? I am looking around at diffrent
> camp stove like at REI or Camp more. But there are so many. What types of
> Camping Stove do you all use.
> >
>
> The three most popular types for long-distance hikers are homemade alcohol
> stoves (you can find plans for many different designs on the web),
> lightweight canister stoves (like the Snow Peak Giga Power and others), and
> Esbit stoves (solid fuel tablets).  I've also seen a few people using
> wood-burning stoves like the Zip Stove.  Very few people use white gas
> stoves for long-distance hiking.
>
> Eric
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