A good portable camping stove is an important piece of equipment to have if you’re going to be spending any considerable amount of time in the outdoors. You can survive on cold food, after all, but a good, hot meal at the end of the day is a whole lot more satisfying than digging in to something cold. But before you go and buy a portable camping stove you need to make a few decisions, because camping stoves come in all different shapes and sizes.
Portable Camping Stove
What to look at when reviewing a portable camping stove.- Fuel Source – One of the bigger differences between various camping stoves is the fuel source. Some will work with wood, which you can find at your campsite, or even alcohol, which is easy to find and cheap. But the two most popular options are canister stoves that run on propane canisters and then liquid fuel stoves.
- Weight – Another important difference between any two stoves is the weight of the stove. If you’re car camping then you’re probably not concerned, but if you’re putting that stove in a backpack you will likely be a lot happier with a lightweight stove that you will hardly even notice you’re carrying.
Best Portable Camping Stove
Some of the best portable camping stoves in a few different categories.- Littlbug Junior Stove - The Junior from Littlbug is an ideal stove for backpacking or those looking for something a little simpler in a hiking stove. It will work with wood or other solid fuels like Esbit tablets, and will also work with alcohol, which a favorite fuel of many backpackers. It's made of stainless steel, and the whole thing weighs just 5.1 ounces, or 144 grams, which is rather good when you consider that your fuel might already be waiting for you at your campsite.
- MSR Pocket Rocket Stove - The Pocket Rocket is a fantastic little canister stove. At just 3 ounces, or 85 grams, it's best feature is its lightweight design. It's made with steel, and you can expect about 60 minutes of burn time with a full canister from the Pocket Rocket. You can also expect to boil water in approximately 3.5 minutes. So a fantastically lightweight and very portable camping stove.
- MSR DragonFly Stove - Another very portable camping stove from MSR, this one intended for use with liquid fuels, specifically white gas, kerosene, gasoline, and diesel, among a few others. The burn time varies, depending on the fuel, but averages around 30 minutes, while the time to boil also varies, but is roughly 4 minutes. The whole thing weighs in at 14 ounces, or 396 grams, so it's not the lightest camping stove out there, but it's versatile when it comes to fuel choice and a very popular camping stove.
