Tips on Buying a Camping Stove

Have you ever noticed that food tastes better when you’re camping? Well, that’s absolutely true because when camping, or rather when you’re on a vacation; it’s usually the best time to put your culinary skills to the test.

Camping is not always a walk in the park. There are lots of things you have to endure such as the horrendous weather and getting tired after erecting the tents. When the tent is up, the next priority is to get a hot brew while roasting some hot dogs in the open fire.

One of the gears that will help you accomplish this is a camping stove. But, how well are you acquitted with camping stoves? Well, if you’re reading this and you don’t know much about these camping accessories, this article will give you useful tips that will help you through when buying a camping stove.

Type of Camping

Before buying a stove, it’s advisable that you first consider the type of camping you’re planning to do. If you intend to drive to the camping ground, a car camping stove is the best option as it comes with additional accessories that make your camping experience more fun-filled.

On the other hand, if your intention is hiking, bike trips or kayak touring, a backpacking stove is the perfect option as its both light and well built to deal with harsh weather conditions.

Consider The Weight

The heavier your camping stove is, the more uncomfortable you’re likely to get when hiking or camping. Camping involves trekking for long miles deep into the woods; a backpacking stove appears to be a realistic option as it’s not only light but also meticulously designed to combine performance, efficiency and power into one package.

So, when shopping for this type of a stove, ensure that you pick one made of aluminum as they tend to be light.

Alone or Group Camping?

Some people enjoy camping alone and there are others that enjoy interacting with nature alongside their families and close friends. If you’re camping alone, a Personal Cooking System (PCS) is the best option as these stoves are light, compact, and come with fewer accessories.

On the other hand, if you’re camping as a family, a dual burner stove is the best to consider as it’s able to handle more cooking assignments than a PCS stove.

Efficiency

This is another key consideration that must be considered when shopping for a camping stove. You see, when you’re in the wild, resources are scarce so you have to economize on what you have to avoid messing up.

Here, you need to focus on how fast the stove heats your food while consuming the least fuel possible. According to the best camping blog, some of the features that boost the efficiency of your camping stove include;

  • The BTUs rating (the higher the BTUs rating, the faster your camping stove is able to heat food)
  • Insulated pan to prevent heat loss
  • Folding windscreen to block wind away when cooking in the outdoors
  • A heat reflector to reflect the heat back to your cooking pan to save on fuel

Stability

Imagine waiting for the water to boil then out of nowhere, your camping stove loses balance and tips over. I mean, it’s a shame, right? Back in the olden days, camping enthusiasts used to improvise traditional hacks of digging their stoves in to keep them stable.

Thankfully, in the 21st Century, you don’t have to struggle much as today’s stoves are designed with adjustable legs for stability, stands for the gas canisters and separate burners/fuel bottles to help maintain a low center of gravity.

Fuel

Finally, there’s the issue of fuel. If you’re looking to enjoy the best camping experience, it’s paramount that you invest in a stove fuel that’s readily available in your country or region. In most cases, liquid fuel is considered to be the best as its cheap, easy to use and readily available. Gas fuel is another option you may consider. Now, while gas takes a shorter time to heat water than liquid fuel, it has a high risk of becoming totally inefficient when used in high altitudes where it tends to liquefy.

Conclusion

Apart from the tips we’ve shared here, there are other factors you need to think of such as stove accessories and learning about the various types of camping stoves. You also need to research the best reasonable deals either online or in your local stores to ensure that you shop for these accessories at discounted prices.

Also, joining a mountaineering club is another great idea as you get to learn about the best camping tips from professionals and patrons across your region.