Stove Needed For The AT

[Venchka]

I'm an old guy, so take this with a grain of salt. Svea123.

I think mine dates from 1974, + or -. I still have the fuel bottles, pump, spare parts, SIGG Tourist cookset, etc. that I bought so that my wife & I could go backpacking. I made these purchases before I learned that my first wife didn't sleep on the ground in a tent. Kinda put an end to backpacking together. I kept the gear. I kept my first wife too.

Wayne

[whiteout]

Jetboil will be in my pack.

[George]

my choice is more rare than the wood burners -

http://www.amazon.com/Esbit-Ultralig...ds=esbit+stove

http://www.amazon.com/Docooler-Ultra...ium+windscreen

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Peak-Trek...up+backpacking

http://www.bigsupplyshop.com/Coghlan...5_p_29415.html

tablets are the only stove fuel that you can fly with and ship priority mail

[Googan]

I think I'm going to go with the pocket rocket. I'm looking at the Toaks pots right now. Any idea what size pot I should get?

[Harmless]

I finally retired my Svea this year. I got it for my 14th birthday. I'm 56. Loud a Krakatoa. Heavy as a tank. Reliable for 42 years.

I replaced it with... nothing. I just quit cooking.

I'm an old guy, so take this with a grain of salt. Svea123.

[Googan]

It doesn't have to be a toaks pot

[SkraM]

MSR Pocket Rocket is my go to trail stove.

[Casey & Gina]

I think I'm going to go with the pocket rocket. I'm looking at the Toaks pots right now. Any idea what size pot I should get?

Mine is 1100. I got that because the Toaks wood stove nests perfectly inside of it (and my 650ml cup inside of that), but it's the perfect size regardless.

[frontovik193]

Just to chime in some more... I used my pocket rocket for breakfast this morning on a trip I just got back from. Great piece of gear. I like the ability to use different pieces of cook wear depending on the situation. I used a small nesting cook pot to boil water this time, but i have used the same stove with a small fry pan to cook potatoes and even fish.

[Mtsman]

You can laugh at me if you want but I prefer the solo stove with my evernew pot and pan

stove: http://www.amazon.com/Solo-Stove-Bac.../dp/B007DBD3IU

Evernew: http://www.cyclocamping.com/proddeta...y2saAs2H8P8HAQ

I went through the pocket rocket and canister setup and I liked it i just hated running out of fuel or carrying extra canisters. The only thing I carry is an esbit tablet or two just in case it rains too much to find a few dry sticks on the ground. When all else fails I have used a bit of hand sanitizer to get the damp sticks going.

I also went through these stoves before i finally liked the evernew (with the snowpeak and toaks cup being the only other ones i didnt give away)

Snowpeak: http://www.rei.com/product/768602/sn...cm_mmc:cse_PLA

Toaks cup: http://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-CUP-450-.../dp/B008NOYQ6E (too small, kept it for possible coffee cup though)

Toaks pot pan combo: http://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-Titanium...tanium+pot+pan

GSI: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...3998013&page=3 (that is the dualist i tried because i thought family would be into it, they weren't lol)


The only thing I am not crazy about on the evernew pot/pan combo is the non-stick. I havent run into any problems yet but we will see.

[Casey & Gina]

You can laugh at me if you want but I prefer the solo stove with my evernew pot and pan

No laughing here, glad to see another wood-burner! I'm using a Toaks setup myself. Curious what made you give up on the Toaks pot and if you also considered the Toaks stove but had some specific reasons for going with the Solo?

[Aram]

If weight is a concern go with alcohol stove. If weight is not a concern it's because you're reading on the internet and aren't currently carrying your equipment. This is because an empty small canister is heavier than most complete alcohol setups.

Fuel type vs. Fuel type the alcohol burns at a lower temp requiring slightly longer boil time but offers less burning of food in your pot. Titanium cookware transfers heat so quickly that burning food to the bottom does happen.

Canister stoves are excellent and I enjoy them. The MSR are very popular but there are much better options these days.

Consider a Fire Maple, the people over at a lightweight backpacking forum perform testing and not just anecdotal responses, they are pretty happy with the fire maple right now.

Personally I would buy a SnowPeak over an MSR.

[aero-hiker]

I haven't used it yet but I plan on buying the Emberlit Fireant and then carrying a few Esbit tablets around with me.... looks like a pretty awesome way to cut weight.... although probably wouldn't work some places out west...

[Smoky Spoon]

I love my Esbit stove and only use half a tablet in the morning and half of one at night. Works perfect and cuts my weight down. Boils 20 ounces of water in my Stanley container around seven minutes with half a tab. But I only use meals that require water like freeze dried.

[BirdBrain]

Gratuitous point coming. Titanium does not transfer heat faster than other options. In fact, aluminum transfers heat 10 times faster than titanium. Titanium makes a good insulator relative to aluminum. There is no advantage over aluminum for a pot. There is an advantage over aluminum when it comes to a cone. Not trying to say you should not own a titanium pot. I personally think it is a waste of money. Look up the properties of the 2 metals if you doubt me. In the end, the differences in boil times are negligible because aluminum pots are typically thicker. Some fear cooking with aluminum. Those fears are based in myths too. I cannot speak with authority as to why food might burn in a titanium pot. I only boil water. I suspect it might be because the pot does not evenly distribute the heat because it is transferred slower. This would be less of an issue with water. Convection in the water would compensate for the uneven heating.

Carry on.

[Casey & Gina]

Some fear cooking with aluminum. Those fears are based in myths too. I cannot speak with authority as to why food might burn in a titanium pot. I only boil water. I suspect it might be because the pot does not evenly distribute the heat because it is transferred slower. This would be less of an issue with water. Convection in the water would compensate for the uneven heating.

Cook long enough in an aluminum pot, and you will find you have a hole through the bottom, and have eaten all the aluminum over time. This is a bigger issue if you cook acidic foods, but it is an inherently soft metal and small amounts scrape off easily when you stir with a spoon, etc. As for whether that is "safe" or not is a debatable topic - I wouldn't go so far as to call it myth as much as a topic there is lack of consensus on - but personally I would rather eat less metal with my food, whether or not it's toxic, so I wouldn't want to use it to cook food in or eat out of (that said, I wouldn't turn away free food if it was cooked or served in aluminum, haha!). But if you are only boiling water, I don't think this is a concern.

Interesting facts to chew on - stainless steel which most consider safe contains nickel which is highly toxic, and most "titanium" cookware uses an alloy which contains some aluminum as well. Not voicing an opinion on safety of using these choices, just pointing out some facts. Things aren't always so black and white as people make out...

Titanium is in nearly twice as heavy as Aluminum, but it is a lot stronger, so you can make up for the increased weight by making things thinner - the end result is that titanium products are usually lighter in the end, and are less bulky as well (which matters if you are nesting a lot of pieces, not so much otherwise). Titanium is much more difficult to scratch, dent etc. I would suspect burning food in an aluminum pot to be just as easy as burning food in a titanium pot - neither are going to compare to your thick steel pot (or even a thicker aluminum pot) in your kitchen at home, so some adjustment will be required either way. I blame burnt food on the cook not the cookware.

I love cast iron, but won't be carrying that on the trail!

Ultimately my preference usually falls with titanium assuming I can afford it, as it has better longevity and less bulk than other choices.

[BirdBrain]

It is all just choices. No big deal. I just boil water. I would likely concider changing my choice if I actually cooked food. KMart grease pot at about $6 is good enough for my needs.

[Mockernut]

+1 on the Soto. They've made a couple different models in recent years. All are good, especially in cold weather, as they micro regulate.

Not all canister stoves are equal but they do all work pretty much the same. The difference is on the margins with respect to weight, cold weather, burn time, fuel usage. Again, the differences are marginal but they exist.

[Odd Man Out]

It is all just choices. No big deal. I just boil water. I would likely concider changing my choice if I actually cooked food. KMart grease pot at about $6 is good enough for my needs.

What do you do for a handle?

[BirdBrain]

What do you do for a handle?

Chopped down MSR pot gripper. It is amazing how much you can chop off that thing and drill holes and still have it functional.

Ugh. I typed "concider" above. I need a proof reader to fix all my typos.