Buy Budget Backpacking Stoves
Table of Contents
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Canister Stoves
MSRP $16.90
Canister stove
Fuel: Standard liquefied petroleum gas canisters
Weight: 1.44 oz
Pros
- Affordable
- Ultralight
- Easy to set up
- Easy to use
- Fast boil
- Lights easily
- Flame adjusts easily
- No cleaning or maintenance necessary
- Popular among ultralight through-hikers
Cons
- Hard to tell how much fuel is left inside the canister
- Doesn’t burn very hot at very cold temperatures
- May not work as well at high altitudes
- Fuel expensive
- Fuel canister bulky and heavy
- May not hold large pots securely
- Fuel hard to find in some countries
- Not safe to use windscreen because it could trap heat and cause fuel to explode
Solid Fuel Stoves
$23.46 as of 5/4/2025
MSRP $29.99
Fuel: Fuel tablets
Material: Titanium
Weight: 0.4 oz
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Small
- Easy to use
- Works well in cold weather
Cons
- Doesn’t burn very hot
- Slow
- Can’t control temperature
- Fuel tablets leave soot on pots
- Fuel tablets toxic
- Chemical odor
MSRP $15.95
Be sure to buy the small size. The large size won’t work with standard 750 ml cooking pots
Fuel: Fuel tablets
Material: Galvanized steel
Weight (including fuel tablets): 6.3 oz
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Works well in cold weather
Cons
- Doesn’t burn very hot
- Slow
- Can’t control temperature
- Fuel tablets leave soot on pots
- Fuel tablets toxic
- Chemical odor
Wood-burning Stoves
MSRP $44.95
Non-foldable
Material: Titanium
Weight: 5.4 oz
Pros
- Simple
- No fuel cost
- No fuel weight
Cons
- Assembly not intuitive; instructions not included
- May be hard to find dry wood
- Hard to control flame
- Banned in some areas because of fire hazard
MSRP $39.99
Foldable
Titanium
6.9 oz
Pros
- Simple
- No fuel cost
- No fuel weight
Cons
- May be hard to find dry wood
- Hard to control flame
- Banned in some areas because of fire hazard
MSRP $39.99
Foldable
Titanium
7.6 oz
Pros
- Simple
- No fuel cost
- No fuel weight
Cons
- May be hard to find dry wood
- Hard to control flame
- Banned in some areas because of fire hazard