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Cooking on the campfire is Romantic! Unfortunately, campfires
are often restricted during summer months and many campgrounds
prohibit the gathering of firewood for environmental reasons.
This means you should always bring a camping stove and
expect to use it.
Deciding on a camping stove for Romantic Camping depends
largely on whether you will be car-camping or backpacking.
Car-Camping Stoves
The BEST car-camping stoves have two burners. The extra
burner makes cooking much more convenient. Car-camping
stoves tend to use a pressurized canister fuel source.
These fuel canisters are relatively clean and easy-to-use.
Romantic Camping is all about CLEAN and EASY!
I recommend using camping stoves that have a pressurized
canister fuel such as propane or butane. Be sure to pickup
an extra canister for your camping trip. You don’t want
to run out while frying up your breakfast. The following
are the most common fuel options for car-camping stoves:
- Butane: This
colorless, odorless, easily liquefied gas is available
internationally. Butane is not considered an ideal fuel
for cooking in cold climates.
- Isobutane and Propane/Butane
Blends: Similar benefits of butane with higher
performance in cold temperatures.
- Propane: Offers
the BEST performance of all pressurized gas canister
fuels. This fuel is not readily available internationally.
Backpacking Stoves
Popular camping stoves for backpacking are small, lightweight,
and have a single burner. These camping stoves use an
independent refillable liquid fuel bottle. Compared to
car-camping stoves, these stoves are MORE work to both
operate and maintain. When Romantic Camping, I recommend
cooking with a backpacking stove only if you have some
previous experience using this type of stove. They can
be tricky to light and stay lit. Definitely bring a wind
guard!
The primary benefit of backpacking stoves is they are
often capable of burning a variety of liquid fuels. Fuel
flexibility is certainly beneficial when camping internationally.
The specific fuel type used will affect the stove’s burning
efficiency and cleanliness. The following are the most
common liquid fuels for backpacking camping stoves:
- White Gas:
Limited availability outside United States and Canada.
This fuel burns hot and clean. This is your BEST option
for stove fuel!
- Kerosene:
Although this fuel can be difficult to start, kerosene
does burn hot and is available internationally. Kerosene
is a dirty flame!
- Gasoline:
Still available (although becoming more expensive) everywhere
in the world. Gasoline is a last resort option for your
multi-fuel camping stove. Be extremely careful when
lighting!
REMEMBER: Always TEST your camping stove the day before
your trip. Make sure everything is working properly. I’ve
made the mistake of not testing my stove before a camping
trip and had to go without my stove. It turned out my stove
had a broken hose that was leaking fuel when pressurized.
It would have been good to know this before I was miles
from civilization! Also, do NOT use fuel that has been sitting
on the shelf since last season. Fuels begin to deteriorate
after a couple of months and will not burn clean. |
