How to choose a camping stove?

In a summer hike, it is most convenient to cook food simply
at the campfire, but sometimes the weather can ruin everything

In a light summer hike through the forest area, the issue of cooking is solved very simply — collect firewood, light a fire and sit around it together, singing songs and drinking hot tea. But this is in perfect conditions. But if already on the first day of your trip the sky was born with rain and it is absolutely impossible to light a fire to heat yourself at least a cup of hot tea? In this case, already at the beginning of your journey, you risk sitting on a stump and regretting the burner, which you could have stocked up in advance. And along with it, not only tea, there is also a great soup you can cook.

So let's not condemn ourselves to such regrets and just now choose a burner that will be convenient for you. Moreover, it is by no means difficult.

Gas or liquid fuel?

It is the type of fuel that is the main criterion for self-selection of the burner. My advice to novice tourists: if in the near future you are not planning long expeditions to areas remote from civilization, if you do not plan to fly with a burner in an airplane or go hiking in a twenty—degree frost, then your choice is a gas burner. Such models are safe, easy to operate and very affordable.

But for more experienced extreme tourists, the best choice will be a burner on purified gasoline or a multi-fuel solution (kerosene, gasoline, alcohol, aviation fuel, diesel). Now I will explain why.

Liquid fuel works better in cold conditions, and its stock can be easily replenished in almost any village. As we have already said, you will not be allowed on the plane with a gas cylinder, but nothing prevents you from flying in an airplane with a burner for liquid fuel, and buying the fuel itself after landing, directly in the travel area. And here's another argument — liquid fuel, anyway, is cheaper than gas.

Of course, a spoonful of honey was not without a barrel of tar. Liquid fuel burners require regular cleaning, some of them are very troublesome in terms of operation and, of course, the prospect of smelling all the things in the backpack with the smell of gasoline will not please everyone. Well, if we are already talking about money, then burners for liquid fuel themselves are more expensive than gas.

A burner with a direct mounting type is suitable for small groups

Mounting the burner on the cylinder

This question is important, but very relative. The terms "collet" and "threaded" fastening may scare at first, but in fact everything is extremely simple and does not require studying the features of each of them. Just find out what type of cylinders you can buy at the nearest tourist store to your home, and select the appropriate burner. Or vice versa — choose a burner, and then start looking for cylinders with the appropriate attachment. You can also make your burner more versatile, but for this you will need special adapters from one mount to another — this is also on the market.

What is really important when choosing a mount is to decide between the direct and remote type. The burner, which is directly attached from above to the cylinder, wins in terms of lightness and durability. It is suitable for traveling in solo format, maximum — trio. To heat a pot of water for a large company on such a model is quite difficult and, more importantly, very dangerous. The pan may just tip over from an unstable base.

The lamp is a very atmospheric solution,
but the extra weight in the backpack

But remote burners, in which the fuel from the cylinder is transferred to the nozzle through a special hose, are much more stable and powerful. But at the same time they are heavier, more expensive and require more careful handling during packaging and transportation.

The stove is like at home

A separate item will consider burner stoves - a kind of variation on the theme of a home kitchen stove, but only in field conditions. Once I happened to use a similar device in a bike ride and the experiment left an exceptionally positive impression. Nothing needs to be screwed-attached, easily ignited, easily adjustable, the surface itself is powerful and stable — beauty. But I must admit that the issue of transporting the plate did not concern me, which allowed me to fully enjoy the benefits of this solution. In fact, an additional one and a half kilograms of ballast on the road pleases little. The burner-stove can be recommended rather to those who are planning a car trip.

Finally, we remind you that gas and liquid fuel in the campaign can be used not only for cooking. Caring tourprom has also provided special accessories that allow you to use it for heating or lighting. Of course, such tricks can provide additional comfort, but at the same time they take up extra space in your backpack.