Stove choice for 2 on an two week trip

…..on a two week trip.

That typo bothers me, but I can’t edit the title.

I am pining to take a longer trip like this.  I have the windburner for scout trips (they discourage alcohol stoves) and a caldera cone and several other alcohol kits.

Weather predictions and food plans would play into my choice.  Good weather and anything but boil-n-steep would suggest you go with the Caldera setups, and I like you have the 900 with probably enough room for 2 backpacking meals, and the 550 presumably with a cozy want your mug to to heat  a small amount.

The windburner excels in windy conditions, but you knew that already.  ;).

Just saw your spreadsheet, same answer even without the 550, but I would consider still taking that with some extra fuel or esbit for a hot drink during the day.

Have an awesome trip with your dad!

if you do take a jetboil/windburner …

i would also take a BRS 3000T as a backup/secondary … you can use it to brew tea or such while the main burner is occupied

for 2 weeks and for 2 people it makes sense for 28g

;)

I and my partner have done 2 trips of 2weeks or so (Pyrenees) and several of 3-10 days in the UK.

We used an Evernew 900 and Sidewinder cone with a starlyte stove this year, and before that, an MSR TiKettle  and cone.

We make hot drinks during most days at lunch, as well as using the stove morning and night for meals and drinks.

As we were resupplying from local shops every 4-5 days on the longer trips,  we occasionally needed to do actual cooking sometimes as opposed to just rehydrating meals ( fresh veg and pasta usually).   Never felt the need for another panset. A brimful pan of food is enough for us two  as a main event.

I bank on using about 100- 120ml of alcohol a day. And carry a 500ml fuel bottle plus a small 60ml fliptop bottle.

I usually take a days worth of Esbit in case of running out of alcohol through miscalculation.

Last trip we also took a BRS3000 as weren’t sure about alcohol resupply possibilities.

What would you do if the gas set up failed ?

Can an alcohol setup fail ? (-bar leaving the burner/fuel at home……..don’t ask ;-) ).

We will be with one or two other hikers that will have a canister stove of some sort (one of them used a jetboil a couple of years ago) so we would have another stove if it broke and could share fuel.

I am excited about the trip. I haven’t hiked with my dad since I was a teenager (I am 36 now). He hasn’t overnighted in years but is very active (he cycles 240 miles a week and runs 30 miles a week) and has never been to Alaska. The last time he was in the backcountry out west was on a mule deer hunt in Colorado before I was born.

An alcohol setup likely wouldn’t fail as there are no moving parts, but I have had my fuel bottle turn sideways in your pack and leak (I cought it before I lost too much fuel), and I could see how you could knock the fuel bottle over spilling your precious fuel.

I also had an airline crush my caldera cone but I was able to reform it enough to use it- in fact I still use it, though I did straighten it out more when I got home. I now carry it in my carry on bag.

Well, I took my Sol on several two week trips. I no longer bring it. For Solo stuff it was just too heavy. It never made sense. Even with a partner, it barely made sense, but, because it is small, I was forever boiling water. Yes it boils a couple cups fairly fast. But with two people, it was at least two boils in the morning and three at night. Often, mornings were three, also.

I don’t care for alcohol stoves, generally. I spent about ten years using them, tweaking my set ups and generally playing around with them. Even the cone setups, while they saved weight, did not really produce good no fiddle meals. Always fussing about placement, setups, and speed. And, fuel is rather heavy. At around 12500 BTU/lb, it is far from being the most concentrated fuel, even though it does not require a heavy pressure can to contain it.

Canister fuel is now my first choice. I bring a 1-3/4qt(~1.6L) pot for two. Full, this is enough for two people for one meal. With lid, this weighs about 5-1/2oz. It takes ~20gm to boil this morning and night, or ~40gm/day. This varies a lot because some days I cook fried dough before making stew, for example. So, three 230gm canisters will easily make the entire 14 days.

IFF you scrimp (1 cup of coffee, 1 cup of oatmeal in the morn, and no cocoa at night, and 1qt of supper water) you could do this with two 230gm canisters. But, I have had an occasional canister go bad, eg, leaking after opening. I prefer an extra, anyway. You could also do it with one 450gm canister.

This is done with one of Rogers Stoves. They work well enough in summer and winter.

I far prefer my old SVEA. But I had to get a new one recently and I haven’t quite got it tuned up well, yet. But, it still gives me a reliable 11-12gm/L. It weighs about 18-1/2oz. It has to get ~9gm/L before it really is worth it.