Unless you are planning to eat cold cereal, sandwiches, and food straight from the can you're going to need some way to cook your meals.  The question is, “which stove should you use to prepare your meals?”  The answer to this question depends on what kind of camping you’re going to do as well as what you want to cook.  As with other camping gear, selecting a stove and cookware can be confusing.  The wide variety of stoves and fuels can leave the prospective camper wondering:  What's the difference?  Is one better than the other?  Each type of stove and fuel has advantages and disadvantages, making it great for certain types of trips but not so great for others.

There are many different types and sizes of stoves for you to choose from.  The mystery in selecting a camping stove disappears once you know the choices and have decided what type of camping trips your family will be taking.  Will the stove be used for backpacking, car travel, ice fishing, vacation cabin or family outings?  Will the stove be used in the United States, Europe, Africa or Asia?  Do I need to get the stove through airport security?  How many people will use the stove?  What kind of weather conditions will be present?

You can narrow your choices by determining which general type of camping you will be doing, either backpacking or family/group camping.  Backpacking requires appliances that are quick to set up, easy to light, stable, fuel efficient, dependable, durable, compact and lightweight.  The availability of fuel in other countries, and its performance at various altitudes and temperatures, can be a deciding factor, if using the stove for trekking or touring.  Whereas, family or group camping allows more leeway in the weight and size of stoves, since they don't need to be carried in a backpack.  Comfort and convenience, while cooking for a larger group, is usually the most important factor.  The fuel efficient, dependable, durable, stable, easy to light, and quick to set up stoves are still desirable.
 

WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU?
As you can see, size and weight are the two biggest factors in choosing a stove.  Many manufacturers provide ratings to assist in your selection, such as the BTU (British Thermal Units) output, burn time, and fuel capacity of the stove.  Other requirements, such as ease of use and packing, can only be judged from actual use and recommendations.
 

WEIGHT
Weight is particularly important when backpacking.  As a rule, the smallest stoves range from 15 ounces to 36 ounces (with fuel) whereas the family camping stoves rarely list weights but start at around 8 pounds (without fuel) for the lightest verities.  The type of fuel and size of the container also impact the overall weight of the system, as their weight will vary.
 

SIZE
Stove size, both in use and packed away, is almost as important as the weight.  A well designed single or double burner stove will be easy to set up and will fold down into a compact shape that also protects the components.  Single burner stoves are generally the most portable, although some are considered too heavy for backpacking.  The most common fuels for these are white gas, butane, and unleaded gasoline.  Double and triple burner stoves are good for family camping or trips that provide baggage transportation. Propane, white gas or unleaded gasoline is the most common fuel used in these stoves. 
 

Pocket stoves, for emergency situations, consist of a small tray to hold your pot or cup, and burn a small, compressed cube of fuel.  A few stoves use "canned heat" such as Sterno, however this type of fuel burns very cool and takes a long time to cook food or boil water.  It is therefore, best reserved for an emergency survival kit.
 

EASE OF USE AND PACKABILITY
Ease of use and packability is important to both individuals and groups.  Nobody wants to spend their camping or backing trip trying to outwit a stove.  The stove should be simple, with few parts (fewer to lose and easier to maintain) and store compactly.  Electronic ignitions eliminate the need for matches (dry or otherwise) and make lighting a snap. Stability, of both the stove and your pot on top of it, is more difficult to achieve on lighter weight stoves.  Adjustable legs can help compensate for uneven terrain and surfaces.
 

BOILING TIME
Boiling time is a rating that indicates how long it takes the stove to boil water.  The results are not concrete, since manufacturers don't all start their tests with the same amount of water at the same temperature so you might want to test your new stove in different conditions in your backyard before leaving home.

BURNING TIME
Burning time is the length of time that a stove will burn on a full "tank" or cylinder.  This rating is subject to altitude, pressure and temperature changes.  Again take this factor into consideration when buying your stove. 

CAPACITY
Capacity is the amount of fuel that a stove, with a fixed container, will hold.
 

BTU
BTU’s (British Thermal Units) are the maximum heat output.  The higher the number, the hotter, more efficiently the stove cooks.  Flame adjusters regulate the speed that fuel is released in order to control the size of the flame, and thus the temperature that you are cooking with. Though most 2 and 3 burner stoves can be adjusted, like your kitchen stove, some single burner stoves are either on or off.

Once you have clarified your needs, make a check list and head to the camping store.  The store employees are generally knowledgeable and willing to help you make the choice that is right for you. 
 

(This article is adapted from the following website:http://www.angelfire.com/ia3/camping2/stove.htm)

Tags: camping equipment, camping needs