Help me choose a stove

“Pekka,
What do you do with the Coleman Fuel container when you empty it out? Probably the same thing we do with canisters when we finish them. Trash them. Not trying to be a smartA$$ but just making a point.”

“Toast, you can't tease us like that. Now tell your canoe story.”

“Solitary, I'm not trying to be smart a$$ either. I agree it must be considered. For the gallon can, I try to follow whatever disposal rules are advocated. That may prevent recycling these days, though it doesn't seem to be the same contiminant issue there is with plastic containers. But I'm not sure at the moment. It takes awhile to use up a gallon at boil-a-cup-of-water rates, so rules may have changed since the last time. The canisters are pressurized, though the new Coleman canisters can be punctured with their "key" so they've figured it out. Aren't the Coleman canisters aluminum, while the Primus/MSR etc. are steel?

BTW, the steel to fuel ratio in Coleman white gas can vs. a butane/propane canister would be interesting to figure out. Again, I'm just debating whether it evens out or is a plus/minus in choosing one stove over another. A Sierra Zip Stove doesn't use any petrol, but it does use batteries, which end up being tossed. So battery content/recycling is the Zip concern in this area. Resource consumption is an issue for wilderness travelers, so we might start with what we carry.

Heck, even Backpacker magazine is looking into the affects of trekking poles on trails, admitting that a cursory examination of some trails shows scarring on rocks and torn up turf. Enough to outweigh their use? Maybe. Worth considering? Certainly.

So any info canister users can provide is welcome here, including safe and appropriate disposal of empties.”

“pekka, of course you're right about recycling, and the metal-to-volume use is much higher on a canister stove.

I just tire of people slagging canister users for having to pack out their empties, as if liquid users don't. I also believe that with the enormous amount of garbage I personally generate in a week, I can't really imagine that a handful of canisters over the course of a year adds up to much.

Really, I'm defending my own laziness, because when I'm bp'ing I don't spend much time over the stove, and the canisters are so very much easier.
Twist, light cook!”

“Now what's this about hiking poles being evil? I just started using them, and DON'T want to give them up.
Don't take them away from me!”

“Oldie, you can analyze until you die: there are quaite a few stoves out there that are VERY acceptable, and you won't be making a bad decision to go with any of them. Having said that, I will tell you that we recommend the MSR Whisperlite to the Boy Scouts in our troop...we have 30 or more stoves in use at any any one time... so far, the boys haven't managed to break, or bend beyond repair, any of them. I defy anyone to come up with any other stove that beats the BASIC Whisperlite.”

“I bought a Dragonfly for baume66 for Valentine's Day. The price gave him heartburn and he took it back!”

“hehehe, so I may be a bit of a tightwad sometimes. I do like the reports on the Nova though.”

“Worried about recycling? Make a can stove from your recycle and then brew your own alcohol for fuel.”

“I have been fairly pleased with my Peak Multi-fuel. I have never had any serious problems. Heavier than most but it fits pretty well into the cook set and bag. No priming but pumping just twist and light simmer and/or boil. I also paid under $40 for it, so I could not pass that by.”

“whoa. . . I never woulda thought a stove thread would stomp on so many peoples' toes. wow. I too have my strong opinions though. the MSR Dragonfly is by far your best option. Screw the price. They are mantainable, and that's what counts in the long haul for a piece of gear like a stove. And it does simmer - down to a freakin birthday candle dude. And it roars too. I don't think it's quite as quirky as the primus. And with the peace corps in store for you (you lucky !$%&!), it can really take some nasty fuel and make dinner with it. I've heard stories about people having to use motor oil and working. . . . I've never done that, but I can tell you that it works great with kerosene and auto gas as well as your standard white stuff.”

“Yeah, I've flipped again. I'm going with the dragonfly. And for anybody who's interested. On Ebay, some outfitter is selling 12 Dragonflies for something like $77 each. The auction ends on the 25th (I think), and last time I checked there were no bidders. So, after shipping, save yourself about $15.”

“i started a new thread about the flaming canoe.”

“tommy, I have the same attitude toward cooking while BPing. I like to boil water and pour in a pouch, or at most my cup that holds dehydrated something. So I'm with you on the convenience attractiveness of the canister stoves, especially for warm weather trips, or if you have a good filter and don't need to boil your water supply. It would be a more pressing issue if I didn't have three stoves already.

As for Oldie going to the Third World, that certainly limits the choices to multi-fuel stoves. Along with auto gas and kerosene, don't overlook the option of indigenous liquors. Some are pretty high test. In China, there is a liquor called "baijou" that tastes like fuel. It's used to disinfect surfaces as well as to drink, we found out. It would definitely run a multi-fuel.”

“I was about to come down hard on the concept of wasting alcohol to cook with, but geez, if it's used as a disinfectant, maybe burning it's the way to go.

Good luck, Oldie.”

“tommy, they were trying to get us to drink this stuff at various occasions, but it was vile. Turpentine smell. Does come in various grades, probably like tequila. We finally tossed back a thimble-sized sample at a food exposition, supposedly award-winning variety. Burn baby burn. It left a taste that was really hard to suppress, even with spicy noodles. Just remember, you can politely decline if the Chinese try to get you in a toasting duel with the stuff.”