Camp Stove Comparison

Choosing the right camp stove for your needs is very important. You don't want to go backpacking with the wrong camp stove. There are so many sites covering gas camp stoves and there are hundreds of those camp stoves on the market so on this site I have focused on non-gas camp stoves. I have included two gas camp stoves as a comparison to alternative camp stoves. I will be adding more camp stoves to this comparison table as time allows, so if you're into camp stoves please check back often.

MSR WHISPERLIGHT
COLEMAN BACKPACK STOVE
MINI TRANGIA
STRATUS TRAILSTOVE
SIERRA ZIP STOVE

FUEL GAS GAS ALCOHOL WOOD WOOD

WEIGHT WITHOUT FUEL 0.69 lbs (0.31 kg) 2 lbs (0.9 kg) 0.73 lbs (0.33 kg) 0.9 lbs (0.41 kg) 1.0 lbs (0.45 kg)

WEIGHT WITH 2 DAYS FUEL 1.08 lbs (0.49 kg) 2.2 lbs (1.0 kg) 1.35 lbs ( 0.62 kg) 0.9 lbs (0.41 kg) 1.11 lbs (0.51 kg)

WEIGHT WITH 1 WEEK FUEL 1.49 lbs (0.68 kg) 2.58 lbs (1.17 kg) 2.93 lbs (1.33 kg) 0.9 lbs (0.41 kg) 1.39 lbs (0.63 kg)

PACK VOLUME (WITH FUEL) 118 cubic inches 150 cubic inches 109 cubic inches 157 cubic inches 142 cubic inches

TIME TO BOIL 1 QT OF WATER 3.9 min 3.7 min 20 min 9 - 11 min (depending on type and dryness of wood) 4.0 min

RELIABILITY GOOD GOOD EXCELLENT EXCELLENT POOR

PRICE $ 59.95 $29.99 $ 32.95 $ 19.95 $52.00

OTHER NOTES - This camp stove is included as a comparison since it's been the top selling camp stove for many years. - This camp stove is included to represent the low cost alternatives for pricier gas stoves.
- Similar to the more expensive gas camp stoves in performance and reliability but heavier and cheaper. - The Trangia camp stoves are available in a variety of sizes, the one featured here is a "lone backpacker" model.
- Notoriously slow but very reliable and simple in design.
- Requires a quite large amount of alcohol, this brings the pack weight up significantly.
- No moving parts, nothing that can break on this camp stove.
- You can make a camp stove like this yourself with empty beer cans but the efficiency will probably be lower requiring more fuel and thereby raise your pack weight a bit
- Can be a bit hard to get started sometimes but once it's lit it keeps burning no matter what until the fuel is out. - The trailstove is the simplest camp stove available.
- There's fire and flames involved while you use the trailstove so it does require a bit more caution.
- Just like the Trangia stoves the trailstove has no moving parts and nothing that can break.
- The trailstove burns wood gathered on site and is started using starter material also gathered on site so the pack weight stays the same no matter how long the trip is.
- You can make a camp stove like this yourself but the retail price for the materials alone run about $20 (most of it for the stainless steel) so you might as well buy one.
- Can not be used if there's no wood available, but it does come with an optional alcohol burner if you go above the tree line.
- Especially good in the winter when you need a camp stove to melt water. -This camp stove burns wood that you gather on site but it does require starter material, the manufacturer suggests "zip fire sticks"or cotton balls dipped in vaseline, the weight of this must be included in the pack weight.
- This camp stove is also available in Titanium for $125, weighs 0.375 lbs less than steel version. This brings the total pack weight for one week of backpacking down to 1.015 lbs (0.46 kg) for the titanium version.
- This camp stove has an electric fan powered by batteries, this makes it very unreliable and unsuitable for long trips where reliability is a must, only use this camp stove if you are going where you know there will be other hikers to help you out in case of equipment breakdown.

COMPANY URL
www.msrcorp.com

www.coleman.com
www.trangia.se
www.trailstove.com
www.zipstove.com

TEST SUMMARY Good camp stove As good a camp stove as the MSR just weighs a bit more. Very reliable and dependable camp stove but requires a very large amount of fuel The trailstove is the perfect camp stove for most backpackers. The trailstove is a much better camp stove than this one if you're looking for a wood stove.

If there's a camp stove you would like me to review please contact me and I will let you know how you can send me a sample for review.

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	MSR WHISPERLIGHT	COLEMAN BACKPACK STOVE	MINI TRANGIA	STRATUS TRAILSTOVE	SIERRA ZIP STOVE
FUEL	GAS	GAS	ALCOHOL	WOOD	WOOD
WEIGHT WITHOUT FUEL	0.69 lbs (0.31 kg)	2 lbs (0.9 kg)	0.73 lbs (0.33 kg)	0.9 lbs (0.41 kg)	1.0 lbs (0.45 kg)
WEIGHT WITH 2 DAYS FUEL	1.08 lbs (0.49 kg)	2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)	1.35 lbs ( 0.62 kg)	0.9 lbs (0.41 kg)	1.11 lbs (0.51 kg)
WEIGHT WITH 1 WEEK FUEL	1.49 lbs (0.68 kg)	2.58 lbs (1.17 kg)	2.93 lbs (1.33 kg)	0.9 lbs (0.41 kg)	1.39 lbs (0.63 kg)
PACK VOLUME (WITH FUEL)	118 cubic inches	150 cubic inches	109 cubic inches	157 cubic inches	142 cubic inches
TIME TO BOIL 1 QT OF WATER	3.9 min	3.7 min	20 min	9 - 11 min (depending on type and dryness of wood)	4.0 min
RELIABILITY	GOOD	GOOD	EXCELLENT	EXCELLENT	POOR
PRICE	$ 59.95	$29.99	$ 32.95	$ 19.95	$52.00
OTHER NOTES	- This camp stove is included as a comparison since it's been the top selling camp stove for many years.	- This camp stove is included to represent the low cost alternatives for pricier gas stoves. - Similar to the more expensive gas camp stoves in performance and reliability but heavier and cheaper.	- The Trangia camp stoves are available in a variety of sizes, the one featured here is a "lone backpacker" model. - Notoriously slow but very reliable and simple in design. - Requires a quite large amount of alcohol, this brings the pack weight up significantly. - No moving parts, nothing that can break on this camp stove. - You can make a camp stove like this yourself with empty beer cans but the efficiency will probably be lower requiring more fuel and thereby raise your pack weight a bit - Can be a bit hard to get started sometimes but once it's lit it keeps burning no matter what until the fuel is out.	- The trailstove is the simplest camp stove available. - There's fire and flames involved while you use the trailstove so it does require a bit more caution. - Just like the Trangia stoves the trailstove has no moving parts and nothing that can break. - The trailstove burns wood gathered on site and is started using starter material also gathered on site so the pack weight stays the same no matter how long the trip is. - You can make a camp stove like this yourself but the retail price for the materials alone run about $20 (most of it for the stainless steel) so you might as well buy one. - Can not be used if there's no wood available, but it does come with an optional alcohol burner if you go above the tree line. - Especially good in the winter when you need a camp stove to melt water.	-This camp stove burns wood that you gather on site but it does require starter material, the manufacturer suggests "zip fire sticks"or cotton balls dipped in vaseline, the weight of this must be included in the pack weight. - This camp stove is also available in Titanium for $125, weighs 0.375 lbs less than steel version. This brings the total pack weight for one week of backpacking down to 1.015 lbs (0.46 kg) for the titanium version. - This camp stove has an electric fan powered by batteries, this makes it very unreliable and unsuitable for long trips where reliability is a must, only use this camp stove if you are going where you know there will be other hikers to help you out in case of equipment breakdown.
COMPANY URL	www.msrcorp.com	www.coleman.com	www.trangia.se	www.trailstove.com	www.zipstove.com
TEST SUMMARY	Good camp stove	As good a camp stove as the MSR just weighs a bit more.	Very reliable and dependable camp stove but requires a very large amount of fuel	The trailstove is the perfect camp stove for most backpackers.	The trailstove is a much better camp stove than this one if you're looking for a wood stove.