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marienbad
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marienbad
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PostFri Jun 24, 2011 12:33 pm 
As with other equipment, I’m willing to pay what it costs for something that will last so I don’t have to deal with broken equipment and lost investments. I have nearly zero experience with camp stoves, and I know the internet is chock-full of stove fanatics. What are some compact 1-burner stove models (new or classic) that are tried-and-true for durability and for convenience like easy to dis/assemble, stable, and usable in a variety of situations?

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jenjen
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PostFri Jun 24, 2011 3:28 pm 
canister stoves are hard to beat for ease and durability. Here's one example: http://www.rei.com/product/660163/msr-pocket-rocket-backpacking-stove

If life gives you melons - you might be dyslexic
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sarbar
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sarbar
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PostFri Jun 24, 2011 4:44 pm 
MSR PocketRocket, Snow Peak Giga, MSR WindPro. In stoves you get what you pay for. Off brands in both stoves and fuel rarely turn out to be bargains.

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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HikerJohn
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PostMon Jun 27, 2011 12:34 pm 
I remain a true fan of my old, but trusted SVEA (now Optimus) 123--- indestructable, compact, easy to maintain. Not as cheap as a Pocket Rocket, but I prefer a stove that is super reliable. One challenge: it takes a bit of practice to get used to priming the stove to start it, but I carry and eyedropper and it works amazingly well. http://www.amazon.com/Optimus-Svea-Climber-Outdoor-Stove/dp/B000XZ5FDY

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Hulksmash
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PostMon Jun 27, 2011 1:02 pm 
I have more stove than i can fit in my back pack. lol.gif I have two stoves i keep coming back to. Canister, despite my loathing of the canister it's self. I agree with jenjen, it hard to beat the convenience of instant on/off of one. The cat food can. So dam simple. Just a can with holes drilled in the side, the only way to break it is to step on it.

"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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yowzer
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PostMon Jun 27, 2011 4:55 pm 
MSR Whisperlite.

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Opus
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PostMon Jun 27, 2011 5:50 pm 
Pocket Rocket, Snowpeak, etc, any reputable brand of canister stove. On and off easily, simple, little to go wrong. Just have to deal with the canisters themselves. Or a Jetboil. Same reliable canister fuel stove but with a pot that snaps into place as well.

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iron
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iron
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 12:22 pm 
depends what your cooking needs are. if you're just boiling water, you have a few options that are really good: --- for 1-2 day trips and 1 person, an alcohol stove (e.g. cat stove) works fine. not the most efficient on fuel, but small, light, and free. --- for 3+ days and/or more people, i can't see anything beating the msr reactor. i love this thing. i melted snow on top of rainier on sunday for 8L of water. didn't take any longer than at sea level. if you're cooking and adding ingredients and all that jazz, you need something with a simmer. whisperlites are pretty durable and have a great/unmatched customer service department.

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Allison
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 1:44 pm 
If you want a stove that simmers, the canister stoves with the remote canister work really well for that. You get the simmerability of something like a Whisperlite with the dead simplicity of a canister stove. I've not understood the big deal with the hassle of canisters I hear of. They are VERY easy to use, there's no priming or clogging, the stoves are indestructible, and the canisters are recyclable just like a soup can. The cost is slightly higher for the fuel, but in the grand scheme of things we are talking about pocket change.

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sarbar
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sarbar
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 2:07 pm 
The MSR WindPro stove is to me the Gold Standard for one pot cooking where a highly controllable flame is needed. Easy to use. Canisters are simplicity. +1 to what Allison said above.

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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alpinelakes
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 4:58 pm 
Years ago I used the white gas MSR stoves. The remote fuel bottle design was reasonably reliable, but somewhat inconvenient. (extra parts to keep track of, you had to pump and prime) Using a hose to seperate the fuel from the stove allows the use of a windscreen, which improves fuel efficiency. The real problem was that the jets would eventually get clogged and the little cleaning tool tended to break. I had one of those blue GAZ cannister stoves for a few years, but the MSRs ended up being lighter on long trips, and the stoves performed better. The GAZ cannisters were too heavy for the amount of fuel they held, and didn't allow the use of a windscreen. They performed poorly in cold wether, at high altitude and when the cannister was running low. Modern cannister stoves solve all those problems, for the most part. They use improved fuels and a better, lighter cannister design. I really liked my Coleman Peak cannister stove, but it uses a proprietary, remote cannister design which they seem to be phasing out. I was able to walk 7 or 8 days on one of those cannisters I'd recommend Jetboil or MSR cannister stoves. The MSR Reactor is a better design than the jetboil, but it's also larger and heavier. The Reactor encloses the flame better and provides more wind protection. The Jetboil Titanium is half the weight, but performs poorly in windy conditions- I frequently need to use my hands as a windscreen on this stove- and the stove is kind of flimsy compared to the Reactor. The Jetboil uses a sketchy twist-lock system to connect the stove to the pot. This makes the unit more stable, but it means you have to untwist the burning hot components in order to remove the pot from the stove. Another opportunity to burn the sh## out of your hands. The Jetboil allows the use of a frying pan, which the Reactor •cough• does not. The Jetboils and the Reactor are integrated units, meaning they have a titanium pot that's basically part of the stove. This makes them useful for freeze dried meals and coffee, but little else. (Jetboil has an expensive frying pan option) If you want to cook real food or use a frying pan, the Whisperlight is a good option, but it's white gas- an inconvenience, and sooty. I don't know if they've solved the clogged jet problem- the stove comes with a wrench, which I take as a bad omen. I don't wanna work on my stove- I wanna cook dinner! The Wind Pro uses a remote cannister and allows the use of a wind screen. Pocket Rocket is a nice, lightweight, cannister-top burner, but you can''t use a windscreen. Catfood can is the ultimate lightweight option, but alcohol fuel is inconvenient and potentially messy and dangerous. (well, okay, a fire is the ultimate lightweight option...)

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dave allyn
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dave allyn
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 5:07 pm 
I've had a Whisperlite for years, never cleaned it, never had problems.

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alpinelakes
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 5:21 pm 
I may have overprimed my whisperlights. Burning the fuel openly, without jetting, seems to create a lot of soot... I must have gone through a dozen of those little cleaning tools.

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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 5:41 pm 
MSR reactor is the best for melting snow for water. up.gif

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ASBrauer
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ASBrauer
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PostWed Jun 29, 2011 6:47 pm 
Another canister option (if you can still find one) is the Brunton Raptor with built-in ignitor. I've had mine for perhaps 6 years now and it's still going strong. I must admit that the Piezo ignitor has become a bit finicky, but it still never takes more than 3 clicks to start.

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