Backpacking Stoves: Compact Canister Stoves and Liquid Fuel Stoves

After a long day of hiking in the woods, it can be wonderful to sit down and enjoy a nice warm meal. At Hunting Camping Deals, we sell a variety of discount backpacking stoves including canister stoves and liquid fuel stoves so that everyone can find a stove that fits with their desired cooking style. Whether you need just a single burner stove for heating water or a larger stove for preparing several dishes, you can buy the stove to meet your needs through our online store. As we strive to be your one stop shop for all hunting and camping supplies, check out our other discount camp cooking equipment as well as our broad selection of discount hunting and camping gear.

Choosing a Backpacking Stove Fuel Type

There are two main types of fuel from which to choose when buying a backpacking stove. In general, your main fuel choice options include liquid fuel stoves and canister stoves. Each of these stoves is available in lightweight, compact sizes and offers a variety of advantages and disadvantages to the backpacking enthusiast.

Liquid Fuel Backpacking Stoves

Liquid fuel stoves use a liquid fuel, such as white gas or kerosene, attached with a small hose to the stove unit. These are, in general, less expensive and burn hotter than cartridge stoves making them an ideal backpacking stove to buy for hiking in cooler climates. In addition, white gas is readily available throughout the United States and burns relatively clean compared to other liquid fuel options. The downsides to buying liquid fuel backpacking stoves include that liquid fuel can be heavy to carry and fuel tanks may be too bulky for the extreme ultra-light hiker. In addition, liquid fuel stoves require regular cleaning and maintenance and may leak or spill during travel.

Canister Backpacking Stoves

Canister or cartridge stoves are stoves made of small burners that screw on top of fuel canisters filled with pressurized gas such as butane, isobutene, or propane. These are ideal backpacking stoves for the beginner because they are easy to set up and ready to use with minimal upkeep. In addition, this fuel burns clean, and canister stoves can easily be adjusted to your desired heat. These stoves also often come with a built-in igniter making them the best choice if you are looking to buy a simple, user-friendly backpacking stove. A downside to canister stoves for backpacking is that they are unreliable in extreme cold conditions. In addition, these stoves result in empty canisters that must be carried and properly disposed of resulting in a lot of waste and therefore, are often not preferred for long backpacking trips.

Buying Backpacking Stoves

When buying backpacking stoves there are a number of other important issues to consider in addition to selecting your preferred fuel type. At Hunting Camping Deals, we supply a wide variety of discount backpacking stoves so that everyone can find the stove that best fits their needs and their budget. Some of the factors to consider before buying your stove include:

Weight: Weight is important when buying a backpacking stove because you will be carrying the stove on your back, and therefore, you do not want to add unnecessary pounds. In general, you should buy a stove that is large enough to cook your food, but lightweight and compact so that it is easy to carry around.
Ignition: How a stove is ignited can be important because, while most more expensive canister stoves come with a simple push button ignition, many liquid fuel backpacking stoves require the use of a match or lighter to start. You will need to consider if using a lighter or match will be difficult for you in the wilderness in order to determine the level of importance that ignition type has on your stove purchase.
Durability: Since you will be carrying your stove on your back, it is often difficult to treat it with the caution and care that you would prefer at all times. Therefore, durability is an important consideration when buying a backpacking stove. In general, liquid fuel stoves may be less durable than canister stoves and can require repair or modification during a trip.
Size: The number of burners you will need in a backpacking stove depends on the type of cooking you plan on doing while backpacking. In general, most backpacking stoves we sell at Hunting Camping Deals are single burner stoves ideal for simple cooking and food preparation. If you plan to cook full meals while backpacking, this may require a two-burner stove and will add additional weight and space as well.