The great camp stove debate: canister vs liquid fuel for car camping?

I had a huge argument with my buddy Dave last month on a trip up near Lake Tahoe. He swears by his liquid fuel stove for reliability in cold weather, but I've been using canister stoves for 3 years and they've never let me down. He said "you're one broken O-ring away from a cold dinner" and that really got me thinking. Are canisters really that risky, or is liquid fuel just overkill for summer car camping? What do you all use and why?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_wilson182mo ago

Liquid fuel stoves are just extra weight and hassle for no real benefit.

masonm702mo ago

Cold weather is where they really shine though.

max4151mo ago

I've taken liquid fuel stoves on a dozen winter trips and @evan_wilson18 the weight is worth it when you're melting snow at -20F and canister fuel stops working. My white gas setup has never let me down no matter how cold it gets or how long the trip is. If you're only doing summer camping then yeah canisters are fine, but for real backcountry use the reliability beats the extra ounces every time.