If you are planning on camping and hiking in the UK, chances are you will need a camping stove. Over most of England and Wales, it is pretty rare to be allowed to light an open fire on access land and even where it would be allowable (Scotland), in many cases, it would not make sense. Much of the UK’s remote walking areas are relatively short on trees, with centuries of sheep grazing leaving upland areas bare of anything taller than the ubiquitous bracken fronds. Add in the threat of wildfires, damage to delicate ecosystems and strict campsite owners and it becomes pretty unlikely that you will be able to warm yourself next to a fire.
As such, having a piece of portable equipment to cook wherever and whenever you need it, often complete with its own fuel source is pretty handy. These range from ultralight gas stoves that can be stowed into a pocket to full-size woodstoves to toss into the back of a 4×4. The simplest way to begin deciding which stove suits your particular outdoor life the best is to narrow down what type of fuel source you would prefer to use, so here are the five main stove types and their relative pros and cons:
Solid fuel stoves
These stoves are primarily used in the military and similar expeditions as they are extremely reliable by virtue of having virtually no moving parts and being incredibly easy to light and manage. They work by lighting a chemical fuel tablet on a small metal tray and then cooking directly over the flame. The system is designed to be smokeless, odourless and leave no ashes. However, there are no heat controls and each tablet is relatively short-lived, making the stove good for boiling water for hot drinks and dehydrated foods but not much else. If you are looking for an emergency stove to add to the bottom of your pack or stash in a car these stoves could be the right ones for you.
Pros – Extremely reliable, durable and rugged, fuel and stove are relatively cheap and easy to use.
Cons – No heat control, limited run-time, chemical vapours.
Wood stoves
As the name suggests, wood stoves burn firewood or specially designed pellets/fire logs. This does mean that in some cases you won’t have to carry fuel with you but can gather fuel for your stove from the local environment. Wood stoves range in size from small twig stoves that can fold flat and be stowed in a cargo pocket to stove and chimney sets that can heat a large group tent. How well these stoves work depends on your fire lighting and fire management skills, so are often not the best stove for beginners. However, if you do a lot of solo camping in woodlands, a small twig stove can often be a better option than a full-sized campfire for quick morning coffees.
Pros – Cheap or free fuel, a good source of heat, very satisfying to light and cook on.
Cons – Challenging to light and maintain, may not get around fire bans, requires readily available fuel.
Alcohol stoves
Alcohol/meth-burning stoves have been around in the world of camping for a long time, the most widely used version being the Trangia system. These work by igniting the vapours of denatured alcohol (methylated spirits) and funnelling them through small jets on the sides of a burner. The burner itself is very lightweight and in the case of the Trangia often comes as part of a pretty comprehensive cookset in a relatively compact package. This makes the Trangia set very good for backpacking groups, particularly DofE and Scouts. Additionally, denatured alcohol is relatively easy to find across the world, particularly in places that won’t have gas canisters.
Pros – Durable and reliable, fuel is easy to obtain, cooks well at lower temperatures and makes a good comprehensive cookset.
Cons – Fuel is messy and can be dangerous to use and store and the stove takes a long time to boil water.
Gas stoves
By far the most common type of camping stove, compact gas stoves can put out a lot of heat using a relatively small about of space in your pack, whereas larger basecamp stoves running from larger gas bottles can keep multiple burners on the go for more complex meals. To use a gas stove you will need either a small aluminium gas canister or a larger (and heavier) bottle. The smaller canisters are usually filled with a mix of butane/isobutane and propane to give a decent cool-weather performance in a lightweight package, the ratio of the two gases determines what temperature they will work down to. If you plan to camp in minus temperatures it is a good idea to look at the cold weather-specific canisters. For the majority of people that camp and hike outside of woodlands, a gas stove is the best choice as they are easy to use, safe and offer an all-in-one cooking system.
Pros – Easy to use, adjustable heat settings, fast boil times and pretty safe.
Cons – Canisters are bulky and not available in all countries and locations.
Multi-fuel stoves
Similar in design and looks to gas stoves, multi-fuel stoves are designed to operate from a number of easily available liquid fuels including petrol, kerosene and white gas (Coleman fuel) meaning that wherever you go internationally you can find fuel for your stove. Some multi-fuel stoves are also designed to run with standard gas canisters, giving you more options. However, multi-fuel stoves are more difficult to operate and maintain than your standard gas stove and are also usually more expensive. Unless you are planning remote, long-distance travel, a gas stove may be a better option.
Pros – Fuel is readily available, good flame regulation for cooking, and fast boil times.
Cons – Expensive, loud and more difficult to operate and maintain.
As you can probably tell, this only scratches the surface of the options available when choosing a gas stove. Nevertheless, I hope this helps you to begin to narrow down the options available to you when buying a stove and keep an eye out for part 2 in the near future. Thanks for reading and keep adventuring!