How to choose the right stove.
Stoves fall into 3 main categories, Multi Fuel, LPG Gas and Trangias.
Multifuel stoves as the name suggests run on a variety of different fuels. These are normally liquid fuels like petrol, kerosene, white gas and even diesel. The fuel is pressurised in a bottle and then pumped into the stove, on it's way in the liquid fuel is heated ( by passing over the burner unit) to turn it into a gas and then into the burner head just like a LPG stove. This systems only works when the burner is running so you have to preheat the system to get it started. These types of stove are excellent for remote international travel where you may be unlikely to source gas canisters. Running dirty fuels like petrol and kerosene means the flame can be more sooty and the stove needs more maintenance. Liquid multi fuel stoves are cheaper to run then LPG canister stoves, and a 1 litre bottle of petrol will run the stove for longer than several gas canisters. The downside to Multi fuel stoves is that they take longer to set up than gas stoves and are messier, more fiddly to use and less adjustable than gas. The stoves need to be pre heated and used correctly or they can be temperamental. Once you have the knack they are fine but you have to learn about your stove.
LPG Gas stoves use self sealing threaded gas canisters that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Although there are many brands of stove most use the same thread attachment made popular by Coleman. Some stoves have a universal attachment that will fit any canister. Gas stoves are simple, clean and fast. Screw in the canister, light and you are cooking, no pre heating or flare ups to deal with. Gas stoves are great for European and US use where the canisters will always be readily available. Gas stoves are also great for car campers who can use the largest size of gas canister at the car and switch to a smaller one when hiking with your kit.. For long trips with LPG stoves bear in mind that you will have to pack out your empty canisters as rubbish. Minimalist LPG stoves are also lighter than multi fuel stoves so a tiny stove with just the right amount of gas is the lightest option for the weight sensitive. Several gas stoves now come with a dedicated pot and heat exchanger system, (MSR Reactor , Jetboil PCS, Jetboil GCS and Primus ETA Power) which gets the most cooking out of your gas. The gas canisters and burners also generally pack into the pot for space saving.
Trangias are actually liquid fuel stoves but differ from the multi fuel stoves because the fuel is not pressurised and there is only one choice - methylated spirits. The fuel is poured into the burner cup and lit. The design of the burner cup means that the top layer of the fuel turns into a gas and is diffused around the edge of the burner cup to give an even flame. The flame can be adjusted crudely by using a cap to cover part of the burner unit. The beauty of the Trangia is that it has no moving parts at all. No pumps, valves or tubes. Just pour the liquid in and light. Not much to go wrong. However a Trangia needs good airflow to work really well, is difficult to adjust and does not work well in the really cold or at altitude where the fuel struggles to evaporate. It is however a reliable, simple to use and economical system for european type climates.
Now you know which type of stove will suit you best please use the your back button to see the stoves.
