The stove, whether gas, gasoline, multi-fuel or even wood, is an essential piece of equipment for all outdoor activities:camping, hiking, bivouacking, fishing, hunting, mountaineering, etc. Discover the different types of stove !
It allows you to cook hot meals and boil water in various weather conditions.
This avoids you having to depend on refuges or eating only cold meals/food found on your trails.
Here are our tips for choosing the right stove!
First of all, it is important to know your needs and this is broken down into different criteria:
- The ignition: It can be automatic and integrated into the stove:it is a piezo or manual ignition (with a lighter, a flint, etc..
- The use: in what context do you use your stove, we will see later what the differences are according to various activities.
- The power of the stove:is determined by two elements.First, the heating rate, this is the time required for water to boil, i.e. at a temperature of 100°. This can of course vary outdoors depending on the altitude, wind, temperature, etc. Second, the number of watts, this corresponds to the power of your stove. The higher the number, the more efficient it is and therefore the heating time will be faster. This data, usually between 1200 and 3000 watts, is a technical measure of the amount of heat released. It represents its power but it also influences its consumption emitted (g/hour).
- The autonomy compatibility with cartridges, connection, fuels, etc.
- The accessories:the options you deem necessary for your activity, for example: an integrated or not windscreen, a more or less wide pan support, a remote stove (the stove is not placed on the cartridge), a storage bag or a carrying case, fine flame adjustment …
- The ease of cleaning, if the different parts can be separated or removed to be washed, such as the grids or the plates for example.
- The weight and volume:you usually use a stove when you are away from home, so it will either be transported or carried. If you are going by car or if it has to fit in a backpack, the constraints are not the same.
- The size of your cooking set and the number of people to feed, will impact the capacity you need, for example the number of litres of water to heat, the size of your pan, the number of burners, etc.
Once this information has been established, you will need to choose the stove model. Here are the main types of stove that are on the market and that are the most used.
Choosing a stove can be complicated given the diversity of stoves, ignition methods, systems, burners, manufacturers, etc. We explain the characteristics of the stove models. Several families of products exist, it is the source of energy used by the stove which makes the difference.
Finally, to find a good gas stove, you have to find the balance between weight, power and stability. All in the most compact format possible because you have to carry it.
Our favourite?
The separate gas stove with piezo - MT500, combines stability, power and comfort!
To fully enjoy your adventures and the meals you will make with your stove. Here are our practical tips that can help you in the great outdoors:
Don't hesitate to insulate your cartridge in your clothes or sweaters in order to keep the gas at an ambient temperature. The performance will then be better and the full power of your stove will be at its maximum capacity.
Have you forgotten your wind-shield? Don't worry, you can dig around the stove or surround it with stones to protect it from the wind or different weather conditions.
And lastly, it is always better not to forget your lighter or your fire stone to always have a source of sparks.
Avid hiker and former scout