Choosing a camping stove

Hi Dave,
I haven't used a camp stove in Europe. However, I checked the websites of a couple outdoor stores that I have shopped at in Sweden and the brands they carry are "trangia" and "primus". They show a "spirit" stove, a "multi-fuel" stove, and an LPG stove. The websites are all in Swedish, but if you want to see the stoves check either of these sites:

www.naturkompaniet.se and click on
Matlagning > Kök/Tillbehör > Brännare

or www.fritidsbutiken.com and click on
ÄTA> Kök

In years gone by (when we first discovered fire) I always used a liquid fuel stove for two reasons...first, it could burn almost anything (like the Whisperlite you mentioned)...and second, when cartridges finally arrived, I was always afraid the damned thing would tip over! Besides, I'm not a big fan of tossing out a perfectly good metal canister. White gas is more readily available in Europe, and you can always use unleaded gas, altho you'll have to clean jets and pots more frequently. I also always used to take a folded-up wad of thick aluminum foil and some paper clips to make a scratch windbreak for those breezy days.

Try a simple soda can alcohol stove. They've been the rage for many years for long-distance hikers, partly because they are easy to make/cheap to buy ($10), and partly because you can get fuel anywhere. Any gas station/grocery store on the planet carries fuel for them. HEET brand gas additive comes to mind, and any other source of alcohol, even rubbing alcohol in a pinch, will do the trick.

Just google "Ultralight Alcohol Stove" and take a look at the options. They only weigh about half an ounce, are very cheap (easy enough to make your own if you like), and fuel is everywhere!

Brian

Thanks so much folks, for your swift replies, I am grateful for all input and opinons!!

I'm quite familiar with Primus (used a Svea 123 backpacking in the 70's) and, alas, I don't have time to learn Swedish to wade through the "Trangia" website; (The Italian sites have been hurting my head bad enough lately).

I have encountered the home-made (and factory made) coke-can alcohol stoves a lot in my research this last week, but as an inveterate pyro-nut, I wish to stick with a concept (canister or multi-fuel) that I have used lots in adverse conditions.

OK: so as not to be stubborn: has anyone used a type, or brand of el-cheepo-alcohol stove that you swear by, rather than "at"?

(And yes, I know, most campeggia in italia have a $2000 espresso machine in the snack bar, but I like to "bere" a little something long before the sleepy italians have woken up.)

Anyway, thanks again. All opinions are welcome; no doubt other RS'ers behind us will benefit as well.

The only problem with alcohol stoves is that they only generate about half the heat of white gas, so it takes much longer to heat things up.