Backpacking Stoves I Wish I Tried Sooner!

Check out Garage Grown Gear: geni.us/m2tzeVo Stoves From This Video: MSR Pocket Rocket: geni.us/v2Yi MSR Windburner: geni.us/i8ez MSR Whisperlite: geni.us/F5GFS6F Toaks Wood Stove: geni.us/Y55E Vargo Solid Fuel Stove: geni.us/PFAP4lN Vargo Alcohol Stove: geni.us/nisld Pill Bottle Stove: geni.us/pHXY1C And Here Too: geni.us/gksFPG

a tip on solid fuel stoves - pop ino just about any home depot or lowes and check out their grill section. you will almost always be able to find the weber charcoal lighter cubes, which are the same solid fuel. you can get a 24 pack for about $6

I am an ex Overland Expeditions Leader for trans Africa wild camping journeys and others in different countries, you mentioned that with an open flame, you get a black sooty cover on the outside of your pots while cooking. I have done this for years and the trick is to smear washing up liquid (or similar washing soap you will carry anyway) quickly over all of the outside of the pots before putting them over the flame. You can use this for ages and still easily wipe off the blackness when cool with a bit of water instead of scrubbing them clean. It is very easy to do and I am always surprised that it is not widely known about on outdoor videos. Try it and see what I mean.

"People have been cooking using fire for years", kind of an understatement 😂

Based entirely on this review, I bought the pizza-stone stove, and have been absolutely loving it. There's a version with larger stones, in a small paint can, that holds enough fuel for a week on the trail and weighs next to nothing. I'm really happy with it, and the guy on Etsy who sells them is excellent about responding to questions and giving advice. Thanks so much for the tip!

In the Army, I carried an Esbit stove everywhere; it was always good for a hot beverage or to heat up a soup or (pre heat tab) MRE. Then I figured out that I could accomplish the same thing without the stove, just using a rock to contain the flames from the heat tab, and a couple of slightly thicker rocks or sticks to support my canteen cup. I’ve used this technique for backpacking ever since, supplemented by actual campfire cooking occasionally, but I’m intrigued by the pill bottle stove.

I'm still using the Whisperlite stove I bought in 1987. Still reliable and easy to use as it was when I bought it 36 years ago.

I use a small folding burner that my grandpa got in the army 60+ years ago. It uses hexamine tablets that are very common here. With it being so sturdy, my nephew might inherit it in the future. 😀

I use a "SoloStove"... and after using it I am sure that other handmade/cottage designs would work well. Been using mine for over 10 years now, I spent a winter cooking on it in the Oregon forest aka snow and below freezing for weeks ... I also walked with it for about 1000mi, rough estimate. It's the best by far and if you plan ahead and learn to keep the right wood/materials on hand - you never have to worry at all about it. Pine - Redwood - Cedar - Pitch matches - storm matches - jute twine - pine needles - oak sticks - cardboard... just wrap it in a plastic bag and keep it dry, keep a bic on you (you do anyway already)... you'll never carry a fuel can again. ...clear the ground at least even if you are using a gas stove, I got triggered seeing the start of this video.

Methinks one important difference between these stoves is whether you can actually cook on them (simmering ability, heat output) or really realistically only boil water (esbit/alcohol stoves), the latter being completely fine for coffee or freeze dried food.

It is worth mentioning that during fire restrictions in the U.S. National Forests, parks, and grasslands, you have to be able to use a switch or valve to turn off the fire or it could mean a hefty fine. Always scrape away the duff and other flammable material so that you are turning above mineral soil.

Thank you, although I'm 71 years old and never went camping I couldn't help enjoy your video! For emergency situations where you have lost electricity your camping reviews helped me decide on what I could use and have in a prep bag. Again thank you.

"Before you click off because you think you know the answer..." turns out the answer was the one we expected with a slight twist. Mindblowing stuff.

That pill bottle stove has me super intrigued. Would love to see a follow up video comparing this to other alcohol stoves.

I love this kind of stuff. I spent 3 years homeless and the first year was in Wisconsin it started in the winter. The best for heat and cooking was a rocket stove, cost less than 50 bucks. It takes some work, but it heated up a tin can travel trailer or a tent or a box. They sometimes require a wind screen, but a cinder block worked perfect.

The pizza-stone stove could be improved in terms of performance and safety by punching some air holes in an empty food can and putting the pizza stones in the can, so the can could act as a windscreen and a stand for your mug.

I didn't intend to watch all of this video but your no nonsense and quick talking kept me hooked. Well done. 👍

A tip about Esbit, normally as you burn it, it produces less heat as it gets smaller, but normally you need more heat towards the end to get it to boil. Depending on the amount of water and the wind this sometimes produced a fail to boil at the end of the tablet, needing a second tablet if you want it boiled. So I start with the leftover tablet of the last burn (Esbit is easy to blow out), to start heating the water and finish it off with the new tablet to bring it to a boil. The downside is that the Esbit seems to be a bit more odorous when stored after a partial burn, though after a multi-day long distance hike there are other odors to cover that.

While in the FDF/military, we used trangia stoves, and oh man I love them so much. Pots and pans with the alcohol burner and so much more, all fitting into a nice compact package.

One disadvantage of solid fuel stoves that is seldom discussed is that they often burn "dirty" and leave greasy soot all over your pot. It seems like a minor issue but it can become a real pain. Unless you are really really careful when using and packing, the soot will go EVERYWHERE.