My kids want to get into tent camping as a family so I am researching what we need to do this... I used to have a small 2 burner Coleman propane camp stove, but when we got a big freestanding 3 burner Camp Chef style I got rid of the small Coleman.
Now I think we need something smaller for trips where I don't want to bring the big one... In my searches I ran across rocket stoves and am considering that instead of a small propane or butane stove... anybody use one? I like the thought of not having to pack fuel.
My concern is that it seems like it would be hard to control how hot the pot/skillet/pan gets with a rocket stove.
Looking for any thoughts from people who have/do use them
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit!
Sigs Owned - A Bunch
October 08, 2024, 02:33 PM
pace40
I use an Emberlit , but that's only when there is an open fire restriction in place. No need to carry fuel. Burns twigs and sticks you can pick up anywhere. Otherwise, it's a campfire. I carry the full size in my pack and a Fireant in my haversack. Takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it's a great piece of kit. Takes up about as much room as a folded bandana.
____________ Pace
October 08, 2024, 04:51 PM
sigarmsp226
My son has one of these and used it when they lost power this past year. They used a five lb gas bottle and also had the smaller Colman 1 lb bottles (not sure if he had to use an adapter) and they LOVED the simplicity of the unit and the ability to manage the temp. settings.
For $30.00 it is hard to go wrong with it and it does not take up a lot of space. Hope this helps.
For tent camping? A mess kit and a campfire. Perhaps a grate as Anush suggested.
Anything other than tent camping? Go with the Coleman stove (propane or white gas) and move on up as needed.
IMO, rocket stoves can serve a purpose, but they tend to be big, bulky, and heavy. OK for a semi-permanent camp set-up but not for a tent camping type thing.
To clarify, "tent camping" to me is camping away from established campgrounds. If you're just driving out to a campground and pitching a tent to sleep in in the campground, then that's a different story. I'd still not recommend a rocket stove for that situation.
________________________________________________________ "Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
October 08, 2024, 05:04 PM
HRK
Look into the Solo stove camping models, we have the large fire pit solo and it's awesome, lots of heat, little left but ash in the morning, the camp stoves have all kinds of accessories for cooking and you can run them with wood pellets which are easy to carry and travel with vs fuel cans or propane tanks.
Originally posted by HRK: Look into the Solo stove camping models, we have the large fire pit solo and it's awesome, lots of heat, little left but ash in the morning, the camp stoves have all kinds of accessories for cooking and you can run them with wood pellets which are easy to carry and travel with vs fuel cans or propane tanks.
Well - I am gonna have to check into this. HRK thanks for posting. I use a pellet heater to heat my shop in the winter so I always have 400-500 lbs of wood pellets on hand. Thanks for posting this.
October 08, 2024, 07:18 PM
powermad
Rocket stoves from a log works well. Just need to bore a couple of holes, I cheat and use a cordless drill and 3/4" bit.
There is the Minuteman rocket stove. Its in a 50 cal ammo can. Heated with twigs and such.Minuteman Rocket Stove
Let all Men know thee, but no man know thee thoroughly: Men freely ford that see the shallows. Benjamin Franklin
October 09, 2024, 06:57 AM
Apphunter
I like the MSR Whisperlite Universal It is light enough for backpacking but can cook for small groups if you are car camping.
You also have the options of white gas, kerosene, gasoline or butane cannisters for fuel. Each fuel requires changing the fuel jet but that is relatively easy with the included tools.
This is probably the most flexible stove out there.
There is a reason this design has been around and virtually unchanged since the mid 80s.
October 09, 2024, 07:45 AM
comet24
I've always liked the idea of such stoves and have wanted to try them, but I haven't yet.
A few things to consider. Do you want to mess with them in the morning when you just want to get food going. Same in the evening when you're tired. You may trade bringing fuel but you will have to find dry wood that is the correct size. Maybe not a big issue where you camp. I see them as I see the lightweight single burner stove that fits on a fuel canister or alcohol stove. Great for boiling water for freeze-dried food but not so great for temperature control. Stability can be an issue with the smaller ones if you trying to cook something in a frying pan and want to stir things in the pan.
The above reasons are why I have stuck to fuel stoves although I will admit I'm often backpacking to I'm carrying a small fuel canister and a lightweight stove.
_____________________________________
Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain. Jack Kerouac
And a two burner Coleman stove (uses white gas) in our stuff. The little green bottles are small enough to cook for a very long time and don’t take up much space
"Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein
“You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020
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October 09, 2024, 08:12 PM
Tonydec
My Whisperlite has fed my climbing mates at high altitudes and the wife and 2 kids on camping trips since the early '90's. I still use it on occasion. If I were to need to purchase a new one, I'd get the universal like Apphunter mentioned. You wouldn't need to worry about sourcing fuel anywhere in the world.
Tony
October 10, 2024, 12:07 PM
corsair
quote:
Originally posted by thumperfbc: My kids want to get into tent camping as a family so I am researching what we need to do this... I used to have a small 2 burner Coleman propane camp stove, but when we got a big freestanding 3 burner Camp Chef style I got rid of the small Coleman.
Now I think we need something smaller for trips where I don't want to bring the big one... In my searches I ran across rocket stoves and am considering that instead of a small propane or butane stove... anybody use one? I like the thought of not having to pack fuel.
My concern is that it seems like it would be hard to control how hot the pot/skillet/pan gets with a rocket stove.
Looking for any thoughts from people who have/do use them
Are you referring to the stoves for backpacking and climbing? If you're just car camping, setting up at the picnic table, that small Coleman or, Camp Chef is perfectly fine. You've got a lot of BTU's getting thrown-out there, you've got a bigger grate for wider pots/pans, with multiple burners you can get meals done faster and as you were asking, better heat control.
With the smaller collapsible backpacking/climbing stoves...you've basically got a blowtorch that is designed to heat up water/liquids as fast as possible, this is all based around the easy-to-make rehydratable meals that are common when further down the trail and up on the side of a mtn. Flame control is nowhere close to what you'd get in a camp stove and it's a very small cooking area; no kids running around these things. Can you cook a range of meals over these stoves, certainly, however those ideas are coming from longtime users who've got years of rucksack-wisdom. I've got years of use with me MSR XGK's, Firefly's, Whisperlite, Primus MFS, Svea's and JetBoil's...if I'm car camping cooking for multiple people, I'm using the camp stove, its just easier and less hassle.
October 10, 2024, 12:34 PM
mark60
Lots of good options mentioned. I have the Gasone burner mentioned above and use it for outdoor frying all the time, it's great. I also have a Solostove Campfire model with the pellet adapter and love it. On a load of pellets it'll burn for about an hour but you can add during the burn and keep it going. Solostove says you should only use smoker type pellets for cooking and I always have them on hand. They instruct that you shouldn't cook with heating pellets because they're softwood and fillers. I've cooked and roasted marshmallows over campfires forever with pine, cedar, plywood, etc in my campfire and none of us ever got sick.
October 10, 2024, 04:00 PM
thumperfbc
quote:
Originally posted by corsair:
Are you referring to the stoves for backpacking and climbing? If you're just car camping, setting up at the picnic table, that small Coleman or, Camp Chef is perfectly fine. You've got a lot of BTU's getting thrown-out there, you've got a bigger grate for wider pots/pans, with multiple burners you can get meals done faster and as you were asking, better heat control.
With the smaller collapsible backpacking/climbing stoves...you've basically got a blowtorch that is designed to heat up water/liquids as fast as possible, this is all based around the easy-to-make rehydratable meals that are common when further down the trail and up on the side of a mtn. Flame control is nowhere close to what you'd get in a camp stove and it's a very small cooking area; no kids running around these things. Can you cook a range of meals over these stoves, certainly, however those ideas are coming from longtime users who've got years of rucksack-wisdom. I've got years of use with me MSR XGK's, Firefly's, Whisperlite, Primus MFS, Svea's and JetBoil's...if I'm car camping cooking for multiple people, I'm using the camp stove, it is just easier and less hassle.
Not backpacking... there are currently no plans to have to hump all gear any sort of distance away from the vehicle. If that ever becomes a possibility, I understand that some gear changes would be advisable.
I've read all the posts and look at all the links suggested here... It still seems to come down to either a 'rocket stove' of this style: Rocket Stove
or a more traditional multi-burner gas stove like this: 3 burner stove
Both styles appear relatively compact, at least when compared with the big free-standing 3 burner camp chef. I do like the big one, but it is a huge footprint to travel with and if it is just me, or even just my only wife and kids for a couple nights, it seems like overkill. Whatever I end up getting would serve as the go-to when I just don't need that much space because...
The benefit to the rocket stove being the ability to not pack fuel... The benefit to the traditional style being more versatile. I've had a 2-burner small folding Coleman in the past, but must have gotten rid of it at some point.
I have two that I use all of time (because my stove sucks and I can't afford a Wolf right now) and they are fantastic. Toss it on the counter/picnic table, fire it up and cook away.
________________________________________________________ "Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
October 10, 2024, 08:50 PM
HGWTJWH
Check out kellykettleusa.com. They're not light weight backpacking gear, but fit into a manageable pouch. Different sizes from individual to small group. The base can be used alone like a hobo stove. Almost anything flammable can be used as fuel. Lots of videos on YouTube about how to use them and most seem pretty positive.
October 10, 2024, 09:57 PM
Flashlightboy
I have 3 stoves with pros and cons to each.
MSR Whisperlight. This is a white gas only stove but it works like a blowtorch. It's kinda a pita if you want to do more than boil water. Durable as can be but not my first choice for a stove.
MSR Pocket Rocket 2. This is a great cannister stove. It's loud, small size and just a great product. The downside is that it in a breeze, without building a windscreen around it or buying one, it tends to blow out on 1/3 of the head. It automatically relights but it's just an anomaly feature.
My overall fav is the Soto Windmaster. It has a built in wind screen that works pretty well. It has a wide head so the heat is spread out on our pan or pot, like a household stove. The PR2 is a tiny hotspot and makes it hard to evenly cook pancakes, for instance. The Windmaster has no such issue.
Windmaster is my first choice but buy the cannister stabilizer so it doesn't tip over. Pots on top of canisters on uneven surfaces is inviting a tip over, especially if you're stirring. They are universally sized and I think the one from MSR is better than the others.
