Looking for a good small stove. Just starting out backpacking and I don't know what I need. On a fixed income and can't spend a lot. Need to keep it below $50.00 and would prefer way below $50.00 Anyone got anything?

Edited by hrairoorah on 06/30/2011 12:59:43 MDT.

Welcome, Tim! You will find lots of good info around here and very helpful people. Do you know what type of stove you are looking for? I assume from your budget that you are talking about a canister stove. Check out this link for LOTS of reviews on gear:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/index.html

Scroll down to the stoves section and you have a choice of several types. If you are willing to go the DIY route, you can even MAKE your own alcohol stove for free.

Decide what type of stove that you really want, and then watch the Gear Swap forum (the one you posted in) for some deals to come up. You can also search the forum for specific ones.

To answer your question...

My favorite all time canister stove is the Optimus Crux. It works very well and folds up into a very small package that will actually fit under a canister when not in use. It also meets your budget. Here is a link to Amazon:

http://goo.gl/QfL0i

There is a LITE version of this that does not fold up, but is even cheaper.

Good luck and happy trails!

Just make an alcohol stove out of an old can. Do a search for 'home made alcohol stove' and you'll come up with a bunch of hits.

+1 on the aluminum cat food can. That's all I use unless it's winter. Andrew Skurka used one for months on his Alaska trek as well.

Skurka's page on it.

I've tried DIY aluminum alcohol stoves and the boiling time is more than I can stand. I am too impatient. I was hoping for a small canister stove like a MSR Pocket Rocket.

Seems like you have a couple of choices.

1. Go cheap and use a cat stove

2. Go to REI and pay $40 for a pocket rocket

3. Wait till a canister stove comes up for sale and buy it on this site.

PM sent offering a Coleman F1 Exponent and 2 fuel canisters.

Here's a light remote canister stove which you could use all year round. $27, free shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Camping-Backpacking-Gas-powered-Stove-Butane-Burner-/130448000460?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5f4e85cc

Had a problem with my email address. It has been corrected. Anyone that sent a PM, will you please resend it.
Thanks.

I use MYOG Super Cat and Penny stoves--paired with a wide-bottomed aluminum pot, both will bring 2 cups to near boil in 5 to 6 minutes.

For a narrow pot, I use the "Half-Penny" alky stove, or Snow Peak GS100 (manual ignition, ~$40) canister stove. With the canister stove throttled back for max. fuel efficiency, there's no real difference in boil time between the two--if anything, the alky stove is a bit faster.

Testing indoors with water around 70 F, I can bring 2 cups water to near boil with either 0.5 oz by volume (12 grams) of alky (Ace hardware shellac thiner/stove fuel) or 5 grams of canister fuel.

In my experience, the Super Cat does fine *if* paired with the right pot and is almost fool-proof to make. The penny stoves require a bit more care to build, but are pretty efficient, and fast for alky stoves. I suppose I could run my SP canister stove at max. and boil 2 cups more rapidly, but I'd pay for it in fuel efficiency. For a 7 day trip, that would mean carrying 2 canisters instead of one, and that's real weight.

For me, the Snow Peak is a bit more convenient than the alky stoves, and is a jewel of engineering--I love using it. But the alky stoves were virtually free, and I like using something I made myself to prepare a meal deep in the backcountry. I love the simplicity and silence of alcohol stoves.

Backpacking teaches me patience--if a minute or two faster is that important, why am I walking?

David, that was very insightful and informative! Well said. I made some penny pressurized stoves from aluminum beer BOTTLES (not cans) and they are darn near indestructible. I can stand on one and not crush it. I too love it for the simplicity (not to mention weight) and the lack of jet engine sound. =)

I like Esbit.

Caldera Cone will run you $35 new to fit your pot of choice. Incredibly efficient alcohol setup.

Canister stoves are convenient (and yes, heavier).

I was given an Optimus Crux canister stove from a member on another forum so I no longer need a stove. Many thanks.