You have a few different options for camping stove fuel sources, but propane camping stoves, also often referred to as canister stoves because of the distinctive canisters that the propane comes in, are an excellent choice. They are lightweight, easy to replace, and fool proof to use. They don't do so well in winter, or at higher elevations, but for general use for three seasons camping, they are an ideal choice for campers.
Camping Stoves - Propane
Features to look for when you are shopping for a new propane camping stove.- Lightweight - There's no sense in carrying a heavy camping stove when you could be carrying a lightweight camping stove instead. Putting aside the fuel and its weight, there are many extremely lightweight propane camping stoves on the market. For many of them, you will hardly even realize that you are carrying them.
- Time to Boil - An important metric when it comes to camping stoves is how long it takes for the stove to boil your water. This number will change, based on how much water you are boiling, what kind of pot you are using and even what the weather is like, but still, no one wants to wait forever for water to boil.
Best Camping Stoves - Propane
A few of the very best propane camping stoves out there on the market.- Optimus Crux Lite Stove - A great little propane camping stove, the Crux Lite weighs in at just 2.5 ounces, or 72 grams. It will bring 1 liter of water to a boil in 3 minutes, given average conditions, which is a fairly impressive time. It doesn't fold, which wont help to save on bulk, but the not folding is part of what helps it to weigh so little.
- Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator Stove - Another extremely lightweight stove, at 2.6 ounces, or 74 grams. The difference in weights between the Crux the this stove are fairly negligible, however this one needs a full 52 seconds more to produce a boil, with a boil time of 3 minutes, 52 seconds. This stove did, however, win the 2010 Backpacker Magazine Editor's Choice Award, so you know it's an excellent product.
- Snow Peak LiteMax Stove - The lightest stove on this list, at just 1.9 ounces, or 54 grams, the LiteMax is an excellent choice for those looking to save every gram possible. No boil time is advertised, but with as many positive reviews as this stove receives from customers, it wont be high.
