My cheap camp stove almost ruined a trip in the Smokies

I bought a $25 single burner stove for a backpacking trip last fall, thinking it would be fine. The first night, it took forever to boil water for dinner, and the flame kept sputtering in the light wind. The second morning, it just wouldn't light at all, even with a fresh fuel canister. We ended up eating cold oatmeal and had no hot coffee, which was a miserable start to a chilly day. I realized I'd saved money on the gear but wasted it on the whole trip experience because a key piece failed. It felt like such a dumb mistake when a reliable stove is so important. What's a good, simple stove you've used that actually holds up in the woods?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancybailey6d ago

Switched to a PocketRocket, never looked back.

charlie_ellis5d ago

But come on @nancybailey, it's just a little camp stove... how life changing can it really be? My old one takes maybe 30 seconds longer to boil water, which is fine by me. Seems like a lot of fuss over saving a tiny bit of time.

grace5085d ago

Seriously, it adds up fast on a long trip.