When Ian Schmeisser tracked me down and asked me to write a camping stove review, the timing couldn't have been better. Several months ago I had done a similar review, but for myself. In September of 1999 I took a leave of absence from my job and headed out for my "American Cross Tour," Durango, Colorado - San Francisco - Manhattan - Chicago - Tierra del Fuego.

Having e-mailed Ian some suggestions for the BMW MOA CampSite prior to my departure, his reply found me somewhere in Costa Rica, having logged some 16,000 miles and over 60 nights of camping. It's a wired world, so I was able to write this review while on the road and in the process of finding a way around, over or through Panama's Darien Gap.

It's a matter of style…

Over the past 20 years, I have used and tested every major brand stove on the market, so I felt that I could narrow my choices and still be able to use the U.S. portion of my trip to ensure that I had picked the perfect stove for my style, before I dropped south.

Did you notice that last sentence? There is a very important word that is often overlooked when shopping for a stove: style. Not just the stove's style but your style. Your style of cooking and your mechanical style are more important than boil time, your friends favorites or the pimply faced kid's opinion at the local shop.

Since you will actually be using the stove, let's first figure out your cooking style. The way you like to cook will largely determine the stove style to choose. Your mechanical prowess will narrow our choices even more by helping us select a fuel type. Eventually eliminating most of the confusion and leaving you with only a few stoves from which to choose.

Do you have more urgent needs? Are you usually hungry right after you finish your days ride and need to eat right away? Do you prefer to whip up a quick pot of pasta or packet of freeze dried food? If so, then getting a stove that simmers shouldn't be a huge concern because all you'll really need is one that boils water quickly. However, if you're the chef du jour and like to prepare delicate sauces, bake the days bread or sauté vegetables, then you need to find a stove that has exceptional flame control.

… & substance

The next consideration for selecting your stove is fuel type. Your mechanical know-how tends to narrow your fuel choices, because to a large extent the type of fuel your stove burns determines how easy it is to operate & maintain. For example, alcohol stoves are by far the easiest to use, simply light the cup of fuel and you're off and running. Stoves using blended fuel canisters are a close second. They work similar to your range at home. Turn on the gas light the match (or use the electronic ignition) and it will roar to life. Liquid fuel stove require some type of priming or warming (regardless of what the manufacturer claims) to turn the liquid fuel into a gas. Liquid fuel stoves require more patience, care and maintenance.

Since fuel type will narrow the field considerably let's start there. Alcohol has developed a cult following in recent years. They are extremely easy to use, just light the cup of fuel and throw your pot on. Alcohol has a low volatility so it's very safe. While they will simmer nicely alcohol is on the low end of BTUs (a measure of heat capacity), which makes it painfully slow to boil water. The fuel is also rather pricey and sometimes difficult to find in North America.

Stoves using pressurized canisters of blended fuel also blend efficiency, ease of operation and flame control features. The canisters of butane and propane (usually 80% and 20% respectively) screw onto the stove. Turn the knob and light the fuel and you're cooking. Flame control is exceptional, allowing the chef in you to simmer the most delicate sauces, but unlike alcohol, blended fuel burns very hot. However, nothing is perfect and blended stoves have their drawbacks. The canisters cannot be re-filled. This means that you never know exactly how much fuel is left in the canister, requiring you to carry extras or begin each trip with a fresh one. I have several partially full canisters rolling around my toy chest at home. And don't be surprised if you run out of fuel and need to change canisters mid-meal. With the Peak canisters (compatible with their stove only, discussed further below), once they are empty into the trash they go. Not the most environmentally sound way to cook.

The last class of stove are those using liquid fuels (white gas, unleaded gasoline, kerosene and diesel). We will concentrate on stove burning white gas and unleaded as they are more relevant to motorcycle touring.

White gas is an ultra-pure, additive-free form of gasoline. Also known as camp or Coleman fuel, it is widely available in the U.S. and Canada. In Europe it is much more difficult to come by and practically non-existent in Central and South America. All stoves that burn liquid fuels will burn white gas, burning unleaded gasoline in a stove that is not designed for this fuel and doing so will cause problems down the road.

Only stoves designed to burn unleaded gasoline will do so cleanly and efficiently. Unleaded fuel is processed to burn in large internal combustion engines and meet various government standards. Due to the impurities and the additives, it tends to leave carbon build up and produce more fumes than white gas. Patience and technique will help you minimize this. The greatest advantage of choosing these stoves is the availability of the fuel. By putting a quick release fitting on my fuel line, I have the luxury of always having a several gallons available. This also means that you can drop a little weight and save some space by not having to carry and additional fuel bottle. Flame control on liquid fuel stoves is mostly a function of stove design and not fuel. Don't forget, liquid fuel stoves take a little more patience and mechanical gusto to get them to perform well.

Other burning matters

While the style of the stove won't play as important a role as cooking or mechanical style, there are a few important characteristics that we should address. The fuel tank of your stove will either be directly under the burner or be remote and have a hose running between them. With burner-on-the-tank models there tends to be a stability problem, especially when using large pots. Also if you should happen to run out of fuel before your cream sauce is finished, you face the hazardous task of adding fuel or changing canisters on a very hot piece of metal. With a few exceptions, stoves that utilize a remote tank won't have the best flame control. Since the on/off knob is on the fuel tank, all of the fuel in the tube needs to burn before the flame is affected.

A few comparisons

Now let's look at a few stoves. Before we start let me just say that I have not found a bad stove on the market. Some are just better suited for different personal styles. I have tried to narrow the field by choosing my personal favorites for different style users, a few new arrivals and some old stand-bys. These are all particularly well suited for motorcycle touring.

Mountain Safety Research (MSR) builds several stoves, two of which excel for our needs. The Whisperlite International 600 is versatile and compact. It burns both white gas and unleaded fuel which is stored in it's remote tank. One thing I like about the MSR stoves the option of fuel tank size. You can choose from 11 oz, 22 oz, and 33 oz. For touring I like the smaller bottle since my PD can carry up to 9 gallons of back up. The wide base and remote tank make the International a stable unit. The disadvantages are few. Due to the fuel type is is a little more difficult to use and design makes it is extremely difficult to get it to simmer (this is an advanced technique).

MSR's newest stove, the Dragonfly, addresses the short comings of the Whisperlite. While it also burns white or unleaded gasoline, it is able to simmer the most delicate sauces. Its compact, lightweight frame provides a very stable base for your crepe pan.

Another favorite model among motorcycle tourists is the Coleman Peak Feather 400 Dual Fuel. The most obvious advantage of the 442 is its ability to burn unleaded gas. Unlike the MSR stoves, the 442 uses an integrated tank with the burner assembly on top, causing slight stability problems. Simmering is not a problem for this stove and has been one of Peak's claims to fame for many years. Even with the attached fuel tank, it will fit nicely into a 2 liter pot for easy packing.

Coleman Feather Dual-Fuel and Peak1 Expert Stoves

The latest innovations from Coleman is the Xpert which uses blended fuel cartridges. After purchasing the Epigas company in order to enter this market, Peak realized the pitfalls associated with blended fuel stoves and set about designing their own. By re-engineering the canisters themselves, Peak has been able to use the available fuel more efficiently and keep the fuel flow relatively constant regardless of pressure or fuel level. To make the Xpert more environmentally friendly, the cartridges can be punctured with the Green Key and tossed into the recycling bin with the rest of your aluminum cans. As with other blended fuel stoves, is simmers wonderfully and is easy to operate. The burner assembly attaches to the remote canister via an 8¨ fuel tube making mid-meal cartridge changes a breeze. The biggest disadvantage to the Peak stoves is that difficulty finding their unique canisters.

Primus Light Stove

While not as popular in the U.S., Primus has been building stoves for the European market for years. The Primus base is a basic, economical blended fuel stove. The burner assembly screws onto a various canister sizes to fine turn your fuel needs. Take the small canister for the overnight or quick weekend and a larger one for the week long journey. The major disadvantage here is the stability (remember?) as well as the game of Hot Potato you get to play when you run out of fuel.

For almost double the price the Primus Light is identical with the exception of the added piezo ignition. No need for matches with this one. Just press the red button and the flame jumps to life!

GigaPower Titanium

If your a minimalist and are always counting ounces and cubic inches, check out the GigaPower from Snowpeak. It is hands-down the smallest and lightest stove I have come across. The small burner head screws directly onto the canister so it shares the same advantages and disadvantages at the Primus stoves. It simmers quit well and kicks out a ton of BTUs to bring your pasta water to a rolling boil. It is also available with a piezo ignition for about 20% more.

What ever stove you decide fits your style, learn how to use it before you hit the road. Read the instructions, first word to last, then re-read them. Most of the problems that occur with these stoves is either user error or poor maintenance. Your directions will help you with this.

Well gotta ride! I need to figure out how to get past the Darien Gap.