As I always try to do here is the youtube review first if you don’t want to read about it.
I was looking for a new stove for a few weeks, reading reviews and checking prices and it seemed like everyone had “The Best” stove and you had to pay for a big name brand. I finally decided to go a different direction. The camp stove I picked up from Amazon has exceeded my expectations, and at under 10 bucks delivered it has been worth every penny. The link is below.
I have not had a problem with it at all, every time I have tried to use it it has worked with one or two clicks of the ignitor. The only time it gives me trouble is if I do not have it turned all the way on when lighting. It seems to like to light better when its fully open – just a heads up. Here is its folded up size.
I have had this stove for about 4 years now and I have beat it up and left it outside my tent in the rain on accident and it has yet to have any issues with rust or corrosion, just the normal color change on the metal that always happens. I do worry that I will bend an arm one day on accident but so far it has been a champ, plus at its price even if I do bend an arm I will just buy another one.
In the cold the flame is a little lower – thats the gas not the actual stove though. In the snow in Yosemite it brought water to a boil almost as fast as normal for hot tea on the trail – to the jealousy of those passing by. That is an issue with most stoves, there are a few that have longer lines to let the compressed liquid gas in the bottle reach its boiling point and have a more efficient flame. One work around is to keep the bottle in your pack near your body to absorb some heat – it will allow the gas to change phases easier. I have not had a true issue yet and have used it down to the teens in temperature. Much colder than that and I will usually have a fire going so I wouldn’t even need the stove.
For emergencies this stove is also great, I have an extra one in my disaster kit just in case. Its cheap and small and versatile so its a great addition to any disaster preparedness bag. If I was not so leery of keeping a bottle of compressed gas in my truck that sometimes gets extremely hot I would keep on in the vehicle to.
I have a few of these stoves and have recommended them to anyone that has asked. Usually its a truism that you get what you pay for, but in this case you get much much more. Its a versatile stove that backs down small and light and always works. If you do lose it your not out a ton of money like some stoves. I like it a lot for airline travel to backpacking locations because if its stolen or damaged I shrug it off and am not worried about it. It may be an inconvenience but its not a big deal. The fact that the stove, utensils and gas fit in my travel mug is a huge plus since its a space saver and makes pack organization better. I would rate this as a great buy – pick one up and you wont regret it.
-Review and Photos by Scott