The world of camp propane stoves has expanded and diversified over the last few years until some of us can feel quite lost. Gone are the days of "one size fits all" and one manufacturer is the source. When I was a kid, anyone who went camping had just about the same camp stove. It was green, had two burners, ran on white gas, had a pressure tank you had to pump, and they all said "Coleman" on the side.
These days camp stoves come in hundreds of colors and styles, most run on compressed gas of some kind with no pumping involved, and there are hundreds of manufacturers located in all parts of the world. They're used for the traditional family camping trip, but also for back packing, tailgate parties, back yard barbecuing, and simply being prepared for a disaster that disrupts normal gas or electrical service.
Camp stoves come in many different sizes now. They range from tiny, single burner units that are designed mainly for back packing, to large three burner models on stands designed to be the hub of a semi-permanent camp kitchen. Many now have both burners and grills built right in. That's really nice as traditional camp stoves simply mimic the typical kitchen stove and haven't, historically, been good for grilling meat or poultry. Being able to grill items on your camp stove is more ecologically friendly than using wood to cook them over a fire.
When deciding which portable camp stove is best for you, you'll need to consider several points carefully, and take them into consideration when buying. These mainly fall into two categories. I've listed them each below with some simple discussion of their individual contribution to your portable stove purchase decision.
1) What size do I need?
Portable stove size is going to be your first decision. Consider carefully what kind of use your stove will get. Will it be for weekend camping trips with the whole family... or will you be the sole user on back packing trips? Will the stove be packed in your car and used in one location... or will it be loaded on your back and hiked around the countryside?
If the stove is going to be for back packing and you're going to have to lug it around, then obviously smaller is better. If you're going to be cooking for an entire gang and you can transport the stove by vehicle, then larger would work for you and might be more efficient.
Also, tabletop models are great for weekend camping, disaster preparedness, and tailgate parties, but stand-alone models are usually best if you're looking at back yard barbecuing or long-term camping.
2) What kind of fuel is best for me?
In "the old days" we thought of the white gas, pump style stove as the typical unit to have. These days, in addition to the white gas models, we also find propane, butane, isobutane, combination fuels, and even alcohol fueled stoves available.
The most common stove is the propane or butane compressed gas model. Propane is great, easy to use, and most propane stoves can be connected to a large bulk canister or the smaller disposable units. However, transporting canisters can be a problem for backpackers.
Additionally, butane is not good for camping in very cold weather as it becomes inefficient. If you're going to be camping in the winter where it's very cold, you'll want to stick to a white gas model which won't lose its efficiency in the very cold weather you'll encounter.
If you take just a few moments before you purchase a camp propane stove, or any kind of portable cooking device, and consider the points above, you'll save yourself a lot of frustration in the long run. With the right portable stove you can be comfortable and happy on that family camping trip, efficiently fed and nourished on your back packing wilderness trek, or still able to prepare hot food in case of a disaster.
