Cooking fuel

[Johnny 5]

Do you have a favorite fuel to use for cooking while remote camping?


Examples:

Solids - Wood, Sterno can, Hexamine tablets

Liquids - White gas, Kerosene, Alcohol

Canister - Propane, Butane, Isobutane


While remote camping I no longer actually cook, I only use a stove to heat water. Isobutane canister stoves are my favorite followed by alcohol stoves.

John

 

[Jatfomike]

My first "backpacking" stove as a kid (in the early 70's) was sterno.......I think I still have a sterno stove out in the garage somewhere.....If I am only going out for a day or even a weekend.....unless it's super cold, I will probably take an isobutane stove for convenience sake....more than a weekend or in the winter, white gas....white gas can be a little finicky at times, especially if not used regularly, but still my favorite.

Mike

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

I like an alcohol stove for coffee in the morning and an afternoon break. It’s quiet.

I cook over the fire or a twig stove the rest of the time. I use a ghillie kettle or Kelly kettle from time to time as well.

Bob

 

[Cruiser]

I use butane with a "dual" mode burner .... above 5C and I just burn gas, below that, the tank is flipped over and the burner adjusts to burn liquid butane ... effectively removing the lower temp limit for butane fuel.
Most of my meals are home prepped dehydrated meals, so heating water and a bit of simmering are the usually needs, but I have also done pancakes and bacon .... so it's pretty versatile for such a little bit of kit.

 

[Johnny 5]

My first "backpacking" stove as a kid (in the early 70's) was sterno.......I think I still have a sterno stove out in the garage somewhere.....If I am only going out for a day or even a weekend.....unless it's super cold, I will probably take an isobutane stove for convenience sake....more than a weekend or in the winter, white gas....white gas can be a little finicky at times, especially if not used regularly, but still my favorite.

Mike

Sterno is what I first used. I used Heximine tablets to heat C- rations a few times. I also used a white gas / kerosene stove for a few years.

John

P.S.
An off topic incident regarding C-rations. This week I was invited to a holiday dinner with friends and the topic of C-rations came up. My friend referred to them with the commonly used term " C-rats" and his daughter, knowing that we were both in the navy thought that he was referring to " sea rats ". Knowing her dad she was not surprised that he would eat a rat.

 

[Johnny 5]

I like an alcohol stove for coffee in the morning and an afternoon break. It’s quiet.

Bob

The simplicity and quietness of alcohol stoves is what I enjoy most and why I still use alcohol in place of isobutane occasionally.

John

 

[snapper]

In the past few years I've moved over to alcohol stoves when weight is an issue and started using canister stoves when it's not; i.e. on paddling trips. With the alcohol I'm just doing "boil in bag" meals that I make up on my own. The canister gives me some control with the flame so I can be more imaginative with my meals when using one.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

 

[Alan Gage]

When canoe tripping at least 95% of my cooking is done over a wood fire, usually a twig stove. It's fast to start, fast to boil, and doesn't leave embers that need to be doused. I'm mostly boiling water to rehydrate but also cook bannock over it most days for lunch.
I carry an alcohol stove as a backup that usually only gets used after prolonged stretches of rain when I'm tired of being out in the wet and want to cook in the vestibule.
When car camping I carry a whisper light liquid fuel stove since I'm often stopping to cook where fires aren't practical/allowed.

Alan

 

[recped]

Isobutane virtually exclusively. On a 30 day trip I might "cook" on an open fire once.

In my early days it was all white gas.

 

[Odyssey]

Fire bans aside fuel stoves remove the work, time, and skill sets required for wood fires. For this reason once upon a time I relied on both white gas and open fire cooking. Then I became somewhat proficient at fire making/cooking, and using the single burner Peak 1 became a pita. A larger 2 burner had been employed for a couple glamping trips but it has since forever been retired to car camping duty. Amen. Over the years wood fires took precedent, the Peaky serving as backup only. But that too has been retired since purchasing a Littlbug Sr twig stove. (It's been years since we tripped during a fire ban.) So for the last several trips it's either been a twig stove or an open fire for all cooking. I do carry a Vargo alcohol stove and fuel for emergencies but am disappointed in it's performance. The Trangia may be in my future. The isobutanes look interesting.

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

I started with white gas and an Optimus 8r stove. We called him Fafnir after his loud hissing noise. The white gas can be somewhat finicky.

Next came the Kelly Kettle which, of course, burns wood. Wood should be dry which might take some effort after a rain.

During last year's fire ban we used Coleman's butane/propane mix in a Markill stove. The Markill was hard to beat for weight, bulk, and convenience but might be less useful during very cold temperatures.

I will go back to the Kelly Kettle barring fire bans.

 

[Mason]

I'm a new age geezer. I probably haven't cooked over a fire since high school almost 50 years ago. Solo trips--canister stoves. Longer (4-6w) trips w/4--liquid fuel (gallons).

 

[Aslowhand]

Why should I bring fuel in the bush when it's already there? I use wood for cooking on fire, in very wet conditions a twig stove. As a back up I bring a trangia alcohol burner that fits in the twig stove.

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Why should I bring fuel in the bush when it's already there? I use wood for cooking on fire, in very wet conditions a twig stove. As a back up I bring a trangia alcohol burner that fits in the twig stove.

Because 1. It may not be allowed- In Manitoba it is illegal to have an open fire from Spring to Summer and your twig stove may well not be approved. Last summer NW Ontario also had a fire ban (and alcohol stoves were also banned)
2. There are times when even if technically not prohibited having a fire is just foolish, think 30 deg C weather strong winds blowing and thousands of hectares of very dry forest. Just not worth the risk unless you're really hankering after a ride in a helicopter.

 

[sweeper]

Wood, I only carry a Kelly Kettle

 

[sweeper]

Because 1. It may not be allowed- In Manitoba it is illegal to have an open fire from Spring to Summer and your twig stove may well not be approved. Last summer NW Ontario also had a fire ban (and alcohol stoves were also banned)
2. There are times when even if technically not prohibited having a fire is just foolish, think 30 deg C weather strong winds blowing and thousands of hectares of very dry forest. Just not worth the risk unless you're really hankering after a ride in a helicopter.

I don't canoe in Manitoba, Problem solves

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Fire bans! Coming to a Province/ State near you soon. Sponsored by Climate Change.

 

[goonstroke]

This might be worth a poll thread. Everyone has a favorite (or three), and even thermophobes who eat nothing but gorp have an opinion.

I've always been a white gas fan, Svea 123 then Whisperlite, and sometimes a big Coleman suitcase when car camping. I don't usually have a wood fire when solo tripping, but if I do (e.g., when bugs and firewood are plentiful) then I'll cook on it. I mainly trip in Maine and fire bans are uncommon, at least for now.

 

[ppine]

I spend time in drier country were wood is not as abundant and lately fire danger precludes fires some of the time. I use a propane stove for warmer weather trips. I have been packing a regular two burner stove, but lately have gone to a one burner.

For colder weather a white gas MSR stove.

I like to cook with wood when it is legal and there is time. I often bring an aluminum Dutch Oven which also works on a stove.

 

[Aslowhand]

Because 1. It may not be allowed- In Manitoba it is illegal to have an open fire from Spring to Summer and your twig stove may well not be approved. Last summer NW Ontario also had a fire ban (and alcohol stoves were also banned)
2. There are times when even if technically not prohibited having a fire is just foolish, think 30 deg C weather strong winds blowing and thousands of hectares of very dry forest. Just not worth the risk unless you're really hankering after a ride in a helicopter.

Thank you Bothwell Voyageur for your answer!

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not the one who wants to start a forest fire!

1. I'm aware of the open fire rule in Manitoba and can imagine the reasons why it's like that. I follow the rules when a fire ban is imposed.
2. Here I'm with you! The boreal forest can get very fast very dry! One has to adapt to the conditions!

The thread opener asked:

Do you have a favorite fuel to use for cooking while remote camping?

My favourite fuel is wood because it's already there!

Greetings from Switzerland
André