Propane Stove

More accurately called a Canister Stove

People often ask me what type of propane stove they should purchase for hiking. Upon further questioning, I often find that they are really asking about a canister stove.

A canister stove consists of a compressed gas bottle (could be propane or butane) that snaps or screws onto a burner. It is lightweight, versatile, fuel efficient and easy to use.

To operate, simply screw a canister of compressed gas onto a burner, turn the knob and light the gas that escapes from the jets on the top of the burner. The size of the flame is adjustable allowing for a full flow to quickly boil water or a simmer to slowly cook food or anything in between. Ease of use, an adjustable flame, and reliability at high elevations are a canister stove’s primary advantages.

Propane stoves (or, more accurately, canister stoves) are less reliable in very cold conditions. Cold conditions cause the pressure inside the canister to decrease and therefore the fuel is not efficiently expelled. This can be minimized by placing the canister inside your coat to warm it before attempting to light or by sleeping with the canister inside your sleeping bag.

It is hard to accurately determine how much fuel remains in a canister. Because of this, a hiker can either run out of fuel unexpectedly or will carry more weight than necessary in the form of an extra canister to be sure that adequate fuel remains for the duration of the hike.

The connections on stoves that use canisters are not universal. You must be sure that you purchase the specific connection that fits your stove or the canister will be useless to you. Canisters cannot be carried aboard airplanes, so if traveling abroad, be sure to ascertain the availability of the specific canister that you need at your intended destination.

Canister stoves are easy to use, reliable in all but cold conditions and efficient at bringing water to a boil. If you are certain of the availability of fuel at your destination, are fairly certain of the climate conditions, a canister stove may be a good choice for you. There are many well-experienced, die-hard canister stove carrying hikers who wouldn’t use anything else.

Return from Propane Stove to Backpacking Stove

Return from Propane Stove to Ultimate Ultralight Backpacking