Tried a cheap camp stove vs my old Coleman last weekend

I picked up one of those $30 butane stoves from a discount store to compare against my Coleman two burner I've had for 5 years. The cheap one couldn't boil a pot of water in under 15 minutes on a breezy day near Lake Tahoe. That Coleman took maybe 6 minutes and didn't flicker out every time the wind picked up. Has anyone else found that the budget stoves just aren't worth the hassle for real camping trips?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryantorres1mo ago

The wind at Lake Tahoe is brutal, totally feel you on that. @the_xena is right about the fuel waste too, my buddy went through three canisters cooking bacon and eggs on his cheap stove there.

nancy8171mo ago

Get a windscreen for your stove setup if you haven't already. Even a piece of cardboard taped up helps a ton with keeping the flame steady and not wasting fuel. Saved me from going through canisters like crazy on windy trips to Tahoe.

the_xena1mo ago

Consider how much fuel those cheap stoves waste trying to overcome their poor design. You probably burned through two or three butane canisters just to cook one meal, which ends up costing more than the splash of white gas your Coleman used. So even if the initial price tag looks attractive, the long term cost might actually be higher.