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Your day hike stove choice?


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  • #1239497
    Jeff Antig
    Member

    @antig

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Lets say you are going on a day hike from 8AM to around 3PM. What type of stove would you carry and why?

    -Alcohol
    -Canister
    -Wood

    or would you carry pre-made food?

    #1529226
    Willem Jongman
    Member

    @willem

    I don't think I would carry a stove. What's wrong with a sandwich? If I really wanted something warm to drink or eat, I would take a little thermos flask or pot. On the other hand, since you would not be carrying either shelter or sleep system, weight is hardly an issue. So you can really take whatever you have lying around, even if it is a "heavy" multifuel stove.

    #1529230
    Art Sandt
    Member

    @artsandt

    The only time I cook on a day hike is when I'm picnicing, in which case I might bring anything from an alcohol stove to heat up some water for couscous+summer sausage, or I might bring a variable heat canister stove to fry an egg or pancakes or whatever else I might bring from the pantry. Otherwise, there's really no point. I'll just take pre-made food so I can spend the extra hours hiking another couple miles.

    #1529231
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    I've used a Vargo Triad XE base and ESBIT tablets on winter day hikes for hot soup. It beats cold sandwiches.

    I can easily see taking the smallest canister and my Vargo Jet-Ti burner also. I use the folding plastic tri-leg under canister support when using those small canisters.

    Eric

    #1529236
    S P
    Member

    @highaltitude

    titanium cup with a gram weenie type stove.

    #1529243
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Snow Peak GST100 with a Trangia kettle.
    Morning tea (coffee) somewhere with a view around 10 am.
    So it takes half an hour – so what? It's not a race.

    Cheers

    #1529246
    Hendrik Morkel
    BPL Member

    @skullmonkey

    Locale: Finland

    I guess I would take either the Ti-Tri + Inferno or my BushBuddy Ultra, weight is hardly an issue for a day trip and I value a nice hot cup of tea or coffee on the trail. A thermos would work too, though its probably double the weight of the above two.

    #1529253
    David Brown
    Member

    @like2hike

    Canister. Unless I wanted to show off my can cutting skills. In that case, home made alky!

    #1529272
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    It depends on where and when for what I carry. Often my main kit is a GSI Soloist and a Primus canister stove – quick and easy. But again, if am doing big meals for a group then I carry differently.

    I like a hot meal midday so I rarely bring just cold pre made food. I hike to have fun, not suffer over a semi-warm Subway loaf. ;-)

    And lunchtime forces the fast people to chill out as well!

    #1529273
    Dean F.
    BPL Member

    @acrosome

    Locale: Back in the Front Range

    +1 on questioning the need for a stove for a day-hike. Heck, for a day-hike you can take fruit, cold cuts, pepperoni, cheese, or other stuff that would just spoil on a longer hike (and that you always find yourself craving at the end of that longer hike).

    But if, like others above, having a warm meal is an aesthetic thing for you, heck, take anything. Your pack will still be light without the shelter and sleep system. If you are fanatical, the titanium mug and esbit thing sounds handy.

    #1529274
    Eddy Walker
    Member

    @ewker

    Locale: southeast

    I never take a stove on a day hike. I usually take snacks, drinks and some kind of sandwich.

    #1529287
    Rog Tallbloke
    BPL Member

    @tallbloke

    Locale: DON'T LOOK DOWN!!

    I like a fresh brew at lunch on a cold day so I carry one of my beercan Kelly Kettles. It works in the wind, and is light.

    .clever kettle

    #1529288
    Walter Carrington
    BPL Member

    @snowleopard

    Locale: Mass.

    Day hikes can be a good way test out new stoves.
    For hot tea I would agree with Roger, snowpeak GST100 and small canister.
    In cold winter weather, I would be tempted to bring my SVEA 123, if I can find it.

    #1529295
    Jason Klass
    BPL Member

    @jasonklass

    Locale: Colorado

    The only time I take a stove on a day hike is if I want to do some field testing. Otherwise, I just bring a sandwich or some other food that's ready to eat.

    #1529299
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    I'll admit I probably carry a lot more cooking gear than most of you – since I happen to love trail cooking!

    http://blog.trailcooking.com/2009/09/15/what-is-in-your-dayhiking-food-bag/

    I made Mini Trail Sliders for Rooinater and me on our Friday day hike – which was a whopping shy 4 miles rt of bushwhacking. He went fishing at lunch and I cooked. The lakes we went to were so pretty it just deserved a long break and a hot lunch ;-)

    In most cases I do use my day trips as a testing zone as well. You hike with me, you often get used as a tester. Heck, on Wed's hike I was carrying a 2L pot and 3 meals :-D

    #1529302
    Hendrik Morkel
    BPL Member

    @skullmonkey

    Locale: Finland

    Rog, that looks sweet! Do you have a Guide somewhere for the MYOG folks? This would be a nice project for a free Sunday.

    #1529308
    Rog Tallbloke
    BPL Member

    @tallbloke

    Locale: DON'T LOOK DOWN!!

    Hendrick, they are pretty tricky to make. I have been trying to perfect a soldering technique, but the material is so thin, the failure rate is high. It takes a bit of time to get the pieces to the soldering stage too, so it's not an economically viable process at the moment. I will write it up and post it once I have the problems solved though. I have given up on the idea of becoming the patented manufacturer. ;-)

    #1529316
    tommy d
    Member

    @vinovampire

    Over the past few years, as the base weight of my pack has gone under 8 lbs, I've begun to just carry my full set of backpacking gear for 75% of day hikes. Sometimes I will just carry a day pack, but it's older and heavy and ends up weighing about the same anyway, so it makes more sense to me to just carry my overnight gear. For one thing, you never know when a quick day hike will end up being an overnight.

    Thus, on all my hikes I tend to carry my tea light stove and Heiny pot.

    best,
    vip

    #1529330
    Lori P
    BPL Member

    @lori999

    Locale: Central Valley

    I've taken my alcohol stove on a night hike to Half Dome to have coffee in the morning. I take a stove when I want to test it, too. Nothing wrong with wanting a hot drink. A GSI stainless cup and a tiny alcohol stove, with foil for a lid, will get the job done. I tend to filter water and then get it "just hot enough" rather than fuss with boiling.

    #1529331
    Art Sandt
    Member

    @artsandt

    >I've begun to just carry my full set of backpacking gear for 75% of day hikes.

    Just read this and realized I do that too, particularly for the really long day hikes where I think I won't get back to my car until after dark. Though usually I bring ready-to-eat foods on these kinds of hikes, a couple ounces of alcohol, a redbull can stove and a 500mL pot are light as can be.

    #1529354
    Jared Cook
    Member

    @rooinater

    Locale: Northwet

    um… depends on the goal of the trip… Most solo day hikes I don't bother bringing a hot meal or never get around to cooking it if I do. If it's a group thing and miles aren't the issue than I'll bring something.

    Heaviest option if 2 people or more are with and will be needing warm water or a meal.
    Evernew 1.3L pot, Coleman F1 canister stove, a spork, a cozy and a lighter.

    Lighter option, most common carry.
    BPL esbit wing stove, BPL Trapper mug, a spork, a cozy, and a lighter.

    Lightest Option!
    Have Sarah carry the cooking gear and only bring a cozy and spork! :p

    #1529356
    Dan @ Durston Gear
    BPL Member

    @dandydan

    Locale: Canadian Rockies

    I normally don't bring a stove, but it's not a bad idea. I would bring an alcohol stove rather than a canister because it's quite a bit lighter. With a canister stove, you are carrying 4-5oz for just the empty canister. You can bring a complete alcohol stove setup for that. With the alcohol stove, you need a bit more fuel (ie. 1oz vs. 0.5oz) but your fuel container is much lighter (ie. 1 oz) and you don't need to carry extra fuel, so overall you way ahead with the alcohol stove.

    If you take a full 8oz fuel canister, you are carrying about 13oz plus the weight of your stove (ie. 3oz). So with a light canister stove that's about a pound total.

    With an alcohol stove (2oz), windscreen (1oz), fuel bottle (1oz) and fuel (1oz) you've got a total weight around 5oz….much lighter.

    You could definately argue that saving 11oz doesn't matter for a day hike….kinda depends what your priorities are and how hard the hike is.

    Going with wood would be even lighter. One of those Tri-Ti Cone is probably 2oz. Some people may like this, but I've never been into wood stoves, mainly because they make your pot disgusting which is a pain to put back in your pack. If I was cooking with wood, I would just leave the cone at home and make a camp fire and then cook sausages over it.

    #1529392
    Frank Deland
    Member

    @rambler

    Locale: On the AT in VA

    I would carry the alcohol stove for all the reasons Dan mentions. The same could be said for an esbit stove.

    A friend carrys a mega thermos on a winter day hike filled with hot soup.
    NB its hanging from the waist of the guy on the right
    http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1228164053045831896kNRcgR

    Once I took a Coleman Peak One with me to heat up a hot lunch on a winter day hike. By the time I got the stove going and the water heating up, I looked around me and all the kids were standing in the cold freezing. We forgot about the hot lunch and hiked on.

    If you do carry a stove on a day hike, be sure it is your lightest option, then you won't leave it at home in the last minute before you pack up!

    #1529400
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Hi Frank

    > By the time I got the stove going and the water heating up, I looked around me and
    > all the kids were standing in the cold freezing. We forgot about the hot lunch and hiked on.

    Could be dangerous. Suppose one of the kids sprained an ankle or slashed a leg, or you had to stop for a while for some other reason. The kids would freeze? Maybe you should make sure they are carrying enough warm clothing that you *can* stop for a while.

    Just a thought.
    Cheers

    #1529477
    Ethan A.
    BPL Member

    @mountainwalker

    Locale: SF Bay Area & New England

    Roger, the GST-100 looks like a wonderful light little stove, but with the fuel canister it adds up in weight and volume – why not take a lighter option like an alcohol or esbit stove? Faster boil time?

    Your our stove guru, so sincerely appreciate your thoughts.

    + 1 on making sure the kids have warm enough clothing. Synthetic puff insulation jackets which they can throw over shell and other layers at rest stops, like the Montbell Thermawrap or Patagonia Hooded Micropuff or similar should really help. Insulated sit pads will help too.

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