Best/lightest propane cannister stove?

There are very few propane canister stoves to choose from, here is one:

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000004124&categoryid=2010

How do you define 'best'?

This is the lightest:
http://www.fire-maple.com/myWeb/EN/Productscont.php?pId=17&pType=14&bigid=11
also sold by Monatauk as the "Gnat"

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see the 'propane' bit

That's not a propane stove

Propane has low boiling temperature so at room temperature it has a lot of pressure, so you need very thick (heavy) canister, so it isn't really appropriate for backpacking.

Butane or iso-butane is better for backpacking

Roger has several articles that go into infinite detail

I’ve been using this Transformer X1 Stove for a while. Seems to be doing good so far, nice and small…propane/butane.

http://www.northterrain.com/north-terrain-camping-backpack-stove.html

Its nice and small but sometimes I find that the legs can get lose, I need to tighten them on occasion.

EDIT: I guess at 6.5 oz would not be considered super light.

"Propane has low boiling temperature so at room temperature it has a lot of pressure, so you need very thick (heavy) canister, so it isn't really appropriate for backpacking."

It seems to me that a very thick (heavy) canister is not what is needed. It simply must be very strong and able to hold higher pressure.

Thick and heavy can't be correct, or else we would see empty canisters made out of lead or depleted uranium.

–B.G.–

If you made a canister from depleted uranium, there would be a little extra heat from radiation, so maybe that would counter the extra weight.

Maybe that would be good in cold temperatures, would keep the butane/propane a little warmer so it would evaporate better.

Are you guys all on drugs? The guy wants a recommendation for a canister stove. Ok, fine he said propane, so a gentle correction to butane or isobutane might be in order, but geez, if you can't help him, what is the gain? LALALALALALALALALAAAAAAAAAA!

I'll ask: what are the newest developments in ultralight canister stoves? I have heard that the Monatauk Gnat is one of the lightest. Any other models to consider? Any feedback on the Gnat? http://monatauk.com/inc/sdetail/509

A lightweight stove for the small canisters suitable for lightweight backpacking.

Snow Peak has the LiteMax stove that is also in the sub 2 ounce range- not sure how it compares to the Gnat, I use the discontinued Ti Giga stove that it is very easy and efficient to use- can't see a new stove in my near future

Okay, sorry, just responding to the question as written, and Bob's comment about lead and depleted uranium, probably too many drugs…

The Gnat weighs 1.6 ounces – $60

Generic stoves like the MSR pocket rocket weigh 3 ounces – $40

$20 to save 1.4 ounces? If you use it for many years might be reasonable.

One thing about the Gnat and other lighter stoves, is they don't have as much history. There was a recent thread about a lightweight stove that broke after a few trips. You might want to stick with the less risky Pocket Rocket.

That Snow Peak Lite Max is a good performer and has been around for several years.
I have the Kovea version , works well for simmering but can be relatively fast boiling too.
There are several versions of it (all made by Kovea)

The only problem is that you need to make sure the arms are correctly extended before (and during) putting the pot on them.
Franco

10+ years old and going strong. my Snow Peak Giga GST-100 has never let me down. No longer the lightest, but one of the best.

I just picked up an Optimus Crux at the last minute before a family trip and used it once. It's supposedly a little more stable than the Pocket Rocket and folds smaller. I think it's 3.6 oz with the case which allows it to fit into the hollow bottom of a canister. There's a lighter non-folding version which saves around 0.5 oz, but I prefer the heavier folder.

Someone did a review with good photos of it:

http://www.woodlife.co.uk/2008/06/18/optimus-crux-review/

+1 GST-100. 3.1 oz on my scale, cost about $40. Roger Caffin calls it the gold standard. IIRC, the levels of CO it produces when running are pretty low (could be important if you use a stove in an enclosed space).

I got to see a prototype Micro Rocket a week ago at a Stovies campout in OR. The MSR reps showed off their new stove lineup, the Micro Rocket comes it at 2.5 oz. now and has the same output but is more efficient, folds much smaller with some niffy pot supports. Depending on cooking style, match the stove to the pot. Different btu's and shape of burner need to be considered. MSR is another American company that has great Customer Service.
Duane

Exactly 1.6oz on my scale. Nice wide pot stand and even flame. This IS the gold standard (3.1oz…really?)

+1 on Snow Peak GST-100 (if you can find one) [2.5 oz.]
-1 on LiteMax (not nearly the performance in my anecdotals)

Have you looked at the Soto Microregulator? It weighs 2.6 oz.
http://www.rei.com/product/785338/soto-od-1r-micro-regulator-stove

I loaned it to a friend who used it at 12000' in July on Mt. Whitney and had no reported problems.

EDIT: I just looked at the Monatauk Gnat…impressive at 1.6 oz. I don't have one…..yet. ;)

There is no such chemical called isopropane – propane does not have a structural isomer.

Small canister stoves use either butane or a mixture of butane and propane, or butane and isobutane, or butane, isobutane and propane.

There are many of this type of stove and almost all of them are tested in the reviews section.

What I don't like about Soto is that it's $70 and 2.6 ounce.

MSR Pocket Rocket is $40 and 3 ounces.

$30 to save 0.4 ounces. Kind of expensive.

And why do you need a regulator? You have to sit there and watch it anyway. If you want to turn it up you can just do so, you don't need a regulator to do it.

In their ad, they put the canister in a bowl of ice water and the flame stays the same. So what? I've never put my canister in a bowl of ice water so I don't care.

And you still have the basic limit of canisters, that upright isobutane slows down and stops working somewhere between 30 F and 20 F.

I used my Soto on my JMT thru hike last week and my buddy used his Pocket Rocket. There was definitely a difference in preformance on the two with the Soto winning by a long shot in regards to heat output, efficiency and consistency.

@Stuart
You are correct. It has been a while since I was in organic chem. I was using the label on the MSR canister which says isopropane since perhaps many would be familiar with that.

Soto