The Ultimate Camp Stove
Have you ever wondered what the ultimate camp stove would be? The ultimate camp stove is the campground fire pit, I’m sure you will agree. But there are issues using the fire pit for your cooking needs. First, you can not control the flame like you are used to with a home stove, and secondly you get burned pots and pan bottoms from the flame. Every weekend, I see cooking pots and pans in the trash because they were used on a campfire and the camper did not want to clean the soot off the bottom of their cookware.
Emulate Your Home Stove
The stove in your kitchen at home burns fuel at a measurement of 7,000 to 12,000 BTUs. (BTU) stands for British Thermal Unit and is the measurement of the amount of energy which is needed to raise one pound of water by one-degree Fahrenheit. Most home stoves use natural gas, electricity, or propane in order to produce the energy needed to achieve this.
The camp stove you choose needs to emulate your home stove so you can cook efficiently while enjoying nature. There are many different styles of camp stoves and fuel types to operate them. Let’s examine the different types of fuel:
- Kerosene- Kerosene is an incombustible hydrocarbon liquid made from petroleum, it is widely used in Asia. You will find it in blue containers, some states require blue containers, in fact, gasoline is stored in red containers and diesel is stored in yellow.
- Coleman or White Gas- White gas is naphtha or Coleman gas. It is highly flammable but is refined to be purer than standard gasoline, which produces a higher heat output from this type of fuel. A draw back to using white gas, is that it can be messy when camping because you need a funnel, and at night it can be tricky to pour it in a stove or a lantern without spilling it all over.
- Charcoal- Charcoal is a black carbon product produced by removing water and other materials from it. You can effectively use it safely in a grill or in a firepit. Cooking over it can be effective, but you will not achieve 7,000 to 12,000 BTU consistently from charcoal. As the coals begin to become ash, the heating principles will diminish.
- Butane- Butane often is sold in canisters, it is lightweight, can be used for special made lanterns, backpacking stoves, and some camping stoves.
- Solar- Solar stoves are relatively easy for anyone to make as a source for cooking, and the sun is readily available.
- Sterno- Sterno is a jellied fuel made from denatured alcohol. It is made to be burned directly in it’s can. It can be used for warming food, certain types of stoves, and for emergency heating. As a fuel for camping though, I do not recommend it because it does not burn hot enough and you can not control the flame.
- Propane- Propane is the best fuel for camping, it is a by-product of natural gas and in its compressed liquid form, it highly transportable. There is a wide choice of propane stoves in the marketplace, and you can control the flame. Having the right camp stove, like a Camp Chef brand stove, can come close to emulating your home stove. I had a Camp Chef stove, and I can tell you, they are bulky and heavy.
Propane is Easiest to Use
Propane stoves are the easiest to set up, they are the least messy because you do not have to pour fuel into them, and they give off heat that is like your home stove. There are many makes and manufacturers of propane ready camp stoves. I personally have used most brands, but my personal recommendation is the Camp Chef brand. This stove costs a little more than the Coleman brand, but it gives off a larger more adjustable flame. Could call it the ultimate camp stove.
How do You Plan to Use a Camping Stove?
Types of camp stoves vary according to your individual use. Do you backpack? Do you camp? Do you use it on your boat? Backpacking stoves are usually low cost, but not as useful for tent camping trips. Tent camping camp stoves are too bulky for backpacking trips. Looking into how you will use your stove will help you to decide which type of stove to buy. Budget can be a factor, however, if you are going to spend the money anyway, get the stove that will work for you, but don’t forget to factor in the altitude that you will be using the camp stove at, this too will determine the type of fuel to use.
