How to Choose a Backpacking Stove?
Cooking on a backpacking stove can create some of your most relaxing times during your hiking trips, like sitting quietly drinking your morning coffee at sunrise, or create your most rewarding times, such as a hot meal after a long push to the summit.
However, finding the right stove can be quite challenging due to the many overlapping features and complexities that stove designs can have.
This article breaks down this process so you can see what types of stoves exist and how to find a stove that matches how you camp and how you prefer to cook.
Here is an outline of the content in this guide to picking out a backpacking stove.
Table of Contents:
Cooking on a backpacking stove can create some of your most relaxing times during your hiking trips, like sitting quietly drinking your morning coffee at sunrise, or create your most rewarding times, such as a hot meal after a long push to the summit.
However, finding the right stove can be quite challenging due to the many overlapping features and complexities that stove designs can have.
This article breaks down this process so you can see what types of stoves exist and how to find a stove that matches how you camp and how you prefer to cook.
Here is an outline of the content in this guide to picking out a backpacking stove.
Table of Contents:
Types of Stoves Available
When categorising backpacking stoves by their fuel type and how they connect to the burners, here are seven categories of backpacking stoves and their features:
1- Standard Canister Stoves
Standard canister stoves use gas canisters and screw onto the top of the canister. They are compact in size, lightweight and simple to set up and operate.
2- Integrated Canister Stove Systems
An integrated canister stove system consists of a stove, pot and heat exchanger designed to work together. These systems burn gas very efficiently with little waste and produce boil times that are quite quick compared to traditional stoves
3- Remote Canister Stoves
Remote canister stoves use a hose connecting the stove to the gas canister. This improves stability and makes it easier to use a windscreen.
4- Liquid Fuel Stoves
Most liquid fuel stoves burn shellite, kerosene and/or unleaded petrol that is connected to a hand-pressurised tank via a hose. They will work reliably in subzero temperatures and at very high altitudes, and are often used in many remote areas of the world where gas canister access is not available.
5- Alcohol Stoves
Alcohol stoves are simple and very reliable, only burning methylated spirits. They operate more quietly and at a slower burn rate than pressurised fuel stoves, making them ideal for slow-paced camping trips.
6- Wood Burning Stoves
Wood-burning stoves are an option for campers who like to cook on a small fire and do not want to carry fuel. They can burn small sticks, leaves and twigs.
7- Solid Fuel Stoves
Solid fuel stoves are designed to burn hexamine tablets and provide consistent heat output. They are extremely compact and lightweight, and often collapse to a very small size.
Your Trip Type
First, think about the types of trips you’ll do when choosing which stove is best for you.
Consider the location and conditions of your trip, as well as its duration. When you only go on simple trips, your stove selection can be very easy when you know what you’re going to do with it.
On shorter trips, such as overnight or weekend walking trips, canister stoves will often be the easiest choice. They’re easy to set up and carry in your kit, and will provide the most basic types of cooking (boiling water and heating up meals).
With longer trips, there will usually be more opportunity to spend time actually cooking and preparing food in camp rather than just refuelling after a long day of hiking. Cooking becomes more of a part of the experience over this length of time, thus making things such as pot support, stability of cooking equipment, and simmer control become much more important.
Additionally, over the course of a longer trip, the efficiency of fuel will play a bigger role, as small inefficiencies can add up. This is where more efficient stove designs, such as integrated systems, will make the most sense, as opposed to alcohol or standard canister stoves.
Remote Access and Conditions
For long-distance and remote international trips, liquid fuel stoves are typically the preferred option since gas canisters can’t be transported by air and may not be available at your destination.
Conditions matter as well. A standard canister stove may not perform well as the temperature drops compared to liquid fuel stoves. In these situations, remote canister stoves with an inverted canister perform more reliably.
How You Cook
The chart below compares different stove types based on their cooking capability and ease of use.
In the left lower section of the chart, there are very simple systems, such as the solid fuel, alcohol and the basic screw-on canister stoves. They are user-friendly and easy to set up, and are very effective for heating water, but require more attention when cooking actual food.
Integrated canister systems eliminate many of these variables associated with cooking actual food by pairing the stove and pot, which creates more stable and consistent cooking experiences with significantly less effort.
Remote canister stoves sit slightly higher on the chart. Separating the burner from the canister provides greater stability and gives a larger amount of space around the pot when cooking, which makes tasks such as stirring, flipping, and adjusting the heat source much easier.
At the top right corner of the performance scale are liquid fuel stoves. They give you the most control over your flame and work very reliably in most conditions, while also being the most involved to operate, requiring setup and priming before each use.
Features To Look For
Pressure-regulated Stoves
Pressure-regulated canister stoves are designed to maintain consistent flames while fuel levels decrease due to low temperatures and falling fuel levels. The pressure regulation results in better simmering control and overall cooking performance. This feature can be found on all canister stove types and is usually responsible for the price difference between models.
Canister Fuel Mix
Gas canisters are available in different fuel blends, which can affect performance in different temperatures. These fuel blends may include propane, isobutane, or butane, and the ratio of each component affects how it will perform under different temperatures.
Ignition Systems
Some canister stoves include a built-in piezo igniter. The piezo igniter allows you to light your canister stove quickly without using matches and eliminates the possibility of matches getting wet.
Packed Size and Noise
It is important to consider how your stove system will pack together, with integrated systems having the benefit of often packing into themselves. Noise is an important aspect for some backpackers, especially in the early mornings and also when camping in quiet areas. Camp stoves that use liquid fuel or gas can produce much more noise than a single-burner type stove.
Our Top Backpacking Stove Picks
The 360 Degrees Furno Stove is a great beginner camping stove. It is an easy-to use camping stove that is compact, packable, and affordable. It also comes with a hard plastic carry case for easy packing. The stove was designed primarily for boiling water or warming simple meals and for use on solo trips.
The Soto Amicus Stove with Stealth Igniter is a dependable canister stove designed for consistent performance in a compact and lightweight package. Featuring a built-in stealth igniter and a stable four-leg pot support, it offers easy operation and reliable cooking in a range of outdoor conditions. With solid flame control and efficient fuel use, it maintains steady output as gas levels drop. A great option for hikers and campers looking for a durable, no-fuss stove without adding unnecessary weight to their kit.
The Jetboil TrailCook 2.0L Cooking Stove is a versatile all-in-one cooking system that balances efficiency, capacity, and control for backcountry use. Built around Jetboil’s FluxRing technology, it delivers fast boil times while maximising fuel efficiency, making it ideal for longer trips or cooking for multiple people.
With a generous 2.0L pot, precise flame control, and a reliable push-button igniter, it goes beyond simple boil-and-eat setups, allowing you to simmer, sauté, and cook proper meals at camp. A great choice for hikers who want a compact, packable system with the flexibility to handle more than just dehydrated meals.
A long-standing group cooking system used to prepare real meals in a variety of conditions. Designed to be stable in windy conditions while providing excellent performance. The Trangia Stormcooker 25-1 HA allows for the alcohol burner to be replaced by a gas burner for when cooking conditions or style call for it.
The Jetboil Zip 0.8L Portable Stove is a compact, efficient cooking system built for fast boiling and minimal pack weight. Using Jetboil’s FluxRing technology, it delivers quick heat-up times while keeping fuel use low.
With a simple, integrated design and 0.8L capacity, it’s best suited to solo hikers and minimalist backpackers who mainly need to boil water for dehydrated meals, drinks, or quick stops on the trail.
A multi-fuel based reliable cooking system developed for individuals who require a reliable source of cooking fuel in high elevation, cold weather and isolated/remote locations. It is suitable for long-duration, multi-day trips when reliability is more important than simplicity.
In conclusion, the best stove for backpacking will depend on the type of trips you plan on taking, the style of cooking you prefer, the length of the trip and the weather conditions you might encounter.
Longer trips and colder temperatures will typically be better served with heavier, more stable and more efficient cooking solutions, while lighter-weight cooking solutions are better suited to shorter duration and less complex meals.
Are you still undecided about which one to choose? Come visit K2 Base Camp and talk it through with one of our expert staff - a few minutes in store can save you carrying the wrong stove for years!