A review of various cooking equipment designed for outdoor camping use. The reviews are divided into categories according to suitability.
Anyone who has spent days camping in the great outdoors understands the need for reliable cooking equipment, especially when their outdoor adventure is a long way from the nearest city. Luckily, camping cookware has come a long way in the past few decades, providing today's outdoor enthusiasts with a lighter, more compact, and efficient means of cooking in the wild. Even more, modern camping cooking equipment comes in a wide assortment of sizes and weights from three-ounce canister stoves to heavy duty liquid fuel stoves. Now, the hardest part of cooking at the campsite is deciding which cookware is best suited for your particular outdoor adventure. Here is a quick breakdown of the most popular camping cooking equipment on the market today.
If you are planning a short camping excursion lasting from one to four days, canister stoves are your best bet. There are several models on the market from which to choose.
Coleman Exponent F1 Ultralight
Weighing a mere 2.7 ounces, this lightweight stove can boil a liter of water in less than four minutes. It is affordable at $40 and works best with small pots. If you anticipate using larger pots, you might want to opt for the Powerboost model that costs about $10 more and weighs an extra 1.8 ounces.
MSR Pocketrocket
Another lightweight stove weighing in at 3 ounces, the Pocketrocket is aptly named, being almost small enough to fit into your pocket and possessing outstanding power and reliability. The price is also comparable to other lightweight canister stoves at $40.
Brunson Raptor
This stove is ideally suited for larger pots and group cooking. Additionally, its weight is manageable at 5 ounces, and it folds neatly into a compact package. This stove is also economically priced at $40.
For outdoor enthusiasts anticipating spending a week or more in the field, or for those who are planning camping trips outside of the United States, the most reliable outdoor cooking equipment is stoves that use liquid fuel as opposed to gas. While priced slightly higher than their counterparts, most liquid fuel stoves can operate on white gas, unleaded gas, and even kerosene. In addition, the burn time for liquid fuel stoves is generally about twice that of canister stoves and their fuel bottles can be filled more conveniently. There are several high performing liquid fuel stoves on the market from which to choose.
Coleman Apex II Dual-Fuel Exponent Stove System
This stove offers not only wind guards, but also the option of both a low or high setting. Additionally, the stove features a leveling screw for extra steadiness and has about 2.10 hours of burn time on a high setting per bottle of fuel. The combined weight of the stove and full fuel bottle is fairly competitive for liquid fuel stoves at 35 ounces and the price is modest at $60.
MSR Whisperlite Internationale
In addition to white and unleaded gas and kerosene, this versatile little stove can also burn jet fuel. Furthermore, the burn time per bottle of fuel for this stove is excellent, ranging from two and a half to three and a half hours depending on what type of fuel is used. To maximize its performance, the stove also comes equipped with a windscreen and heat reflector. The weight of the stove is 14 ounces and its price is $80. Note: This stove does not come with a fuel bottle.
Finally, outdoor enthusiasts also have the option of stowing away larger two-burner stoves for the well-equipped camping expedition. Due to their larger dimensions and weight, these stoves are best suited for campers traveling primarily by vehicle.
Coleman Dual-Fuel Standard Compact 2-Burner Stove
This stove is ideal for family camping expeditions and outdoor recreational camping. The stove has built in wind protectors and uses either Coleman fuel or unleaded gasoline. A quart of water boils easily in four minutes and the fuel tank is able to last a full two hours with the flame setting on high. The stove weighs 11.5 lbs. and is priced slightly below $70.
Coleman Propane Stoves
These two burner stoves use propane and can be adjusted to flame settings of either simmer or high. They also have built in wind protectors and can burn for up to 4.5 hours on a low flame setting or slightly over an hour on high. Coleman Propane Stoves weighs 11 lbs. and are reasonably priced at $55. Note: This unit uses either disposable fuel bottles or bulk system, which are not included.
