Overview
Camping is a time-honored way to spend quality time with friends and family, replenish your energy, escape technology, and enjoy the great outdoors. Whether you’re going on a weekend fishing trip or a summer-long adventure, a camping stove is an invaluable piece of gear that can make your trip more comfortable. With a camping stove, you can quickly set up an outdoor kitchen to prepare hot meals for your hungry campers.
Function
Camping stoves are portable cooking stoves designed for preparing food outdoors. Most camping stoves break down and fold up into a compact package for easy transportation and storage. Camping stoves burn liquid or gas fuel, such as gasoline or propane, to create a heating flame like a gas kitchen range.
Types
Camp stoves typically have two burners, mounted in a metal case that folds down into a rectangular box. These types of stoves are designed for car camping and boating. Backpacking (or trail) stoves are specialty camping stoves designed to be very small, light, and easily stowed in a backpack. Backpacking stoves are single burner stoves mounted on collapsing legs or directly on top of a fuel bottle.
Features
Most camp stoves have a wind screen built into the stove case or as a separate piece that folds or rolls up for storage. A wind screen helps deliver and hold more heat to your cooking pot, heating your food faster and conserving fuel. Some camp stoves are freestanding, featuring telescoping or folding legs. Adjustable burners allow you to set the amount of flame.
Fuel
Camping stoves commonly use propane or white gas (naptha), but may also use fuels such as alcohol, butane, kerosene or gasoline. Propane bottles are the easiest to use, but nonrefillable bottles need to be recycled. Liquid fuels involve less waste to recycle, but require priming and pumping the tank before use. Gasoline and kerosene are inexpensive and usually available in remote areas where specialized fuels are not.
Benefits
A camping stove is not required equipment for camping. You can choose to not cook at all, or cook everything over a campfire. Eating cold food can be boring, and in cold weather, a hot meal can warm you up quickly. Camping stoves are easier, faster and more convenient than campfires, particularly for simpler tasks like heating beverages. In some regions, particularly in dry or windy weather, campfires may be prohibited.
Considerations
Before purchasing a camping stove, think about where you will be camping, what you will be cooking, how you will transport the stove, and how your camp will be set up. Small, single burner stoves are suitable for simple cooking needs for a few people. For more complex meal preparation and families, you may want a larger stove with multiple burners.
Warnings
Never use a camping stove in an enclosed space, such as a tent or vehicle. Camping stoves are designed for use in the well-ventilated outdoors. Improper use of your camp stove can lead to a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Tent material is highly flammable. Allow your stove to cool before handling it after use.
About this Author
Deborah Lee Soltesz is a web developer who has been creating web sites, promotional materials and information products for over 20 years. Soltesz has a Bachelor of Science in computer science and engineering, and has worked in earth and space science research for over a decade writing for scientific and general audiences.
