What Is A Backcountry Camp Stove?

When headed into the backcountry, you’re going to want to eat at some point. Sure, jerky and trail mix will fill you up, but eventually, you’ll probably prefer something warm. Maybe it’s brewing a cup of coffee, rehydrating a bagged meal, or even cooking something fancy like a steak. To do this, you need heat, and while cooking over a campfire is still a great way to immerse yourself back to our prehistoric days, they aren’t always allowed, quick, or practical. That’s when a backcountry stove comes in handy.

A backcountry stove is lightweight but offers serious cooking power to conjure up some delicious post-adventure meals. While there are many styles of backcountry stoves, for this review, we looked at ten canister stoves.

What Are Canister Stoves?

Canister stoves are the simplest form of heating food or boiling water in the backcountry. A canister is a pressurized container that holds a mixture of fuels. Your canister stove screws onto the fuel canister; the dial on the stove is turned to allow fuel to escape, and that fuel is ignited by a flame source such as matches, a lighter, or even a built-in lighter on the stove itself (called a piezo lighter). After ignition, it takes most canister stoves around four minutes to boil a liter of water (pretty simple stuff). There are other options on the market, but in terms of simplicity in the backcountry, canister stoves are straightforward, lightweight, and effective (in most environments). One drawback of the canister stove is that a canister cannot be refilled once used, so you will have to bring several on a longer expedition.

There are three styles of canister stoves: integrated, non-integrated, and universal.

• • Integrated Canister Stove

    This is a system in which a cooking cup is constructed to connect directly to the burner. This connection helps to keep the flame strong in windy conditions and often boils faster than non-integrated systems. The downside is the overall weight of the package. However, it does mean that you don’t need to carry an extra pot. Examples of integrated canister stoves from our review include:

    • MSR WindBurner
    • Jetboil Flash

• • Non-Integrated Canister Stove:

    This is the more traditional style of a canister stove. You are only buying the stove itself and will need to purchase a pot or pan to boil water or cook food. They are cheaper and far more lightweight than the integrated canister stove systems. The eight non-integrated canister stoves from our review include:

• • • MSR PocketRocket 2
    • Jetboil MightyMo 
    • Primus Essential Trail Stove
    • Hamans Ultralight Backpacking Stove
    • BRS-3000T
    • Snow Peak LiteMax Stove
    • SOTO WindMaster
    • Optimus Crux Lite

• • Universal Systems

    These stoves can run off either liquid fuel or canisters. They are highly versatile and often quite expensive. We did not look at any universal stoves for this review series. Still, some popular examples of universal systems include the MSR WhisperLite Universal (retail price $149.95) and the Primus Omnilite TI Stove ($199.95). 

A canister stove’s main competition is liquid fuel stoves. Before we continue, it is crucial to know the difference between a canister stove and a liquid fuel stove to avoid any purchasing confusion. As mentioned earlier, there are also universal stove systems that can run off either liquid fuel or canisters.

Differences Between Canister Stoves And Liquid Fuel Stoves

• Size

  Canister stoves are smaller, BUT depending on the number of canisters needed for the trip, the overall package can be larger than a liquid fuel stove. 

• Fuel Availability

  Fuel canisters are not sold everywhere. For the most part, in North America, you can find canisters in big-box stores and almost any outdoor store. Internationally, you may struggle to find fuel canisters readily available. However, liquid fuel is available just about everywhere. Most liquid fuel stoves are convertible and will work with a variety of fuels (even automobile gas), making them very versatile around the globe. 

• Cold Performance

  Canisters do not perform as well as liquid fuel stoves in the cold. It would be better to have a liquid fuel stove when going on winter expeditions or high-altitude trips. If you are on a cold-weather trip with a canister, we recommend sleeping with the fuel canister in your sleeping bag to keep it warm before using it in the morning. 

• Ease of Use

  Canister stoves are much easier to use than liquid fuel stoves. You simply screw the stove onto the canister, open the regulator, light it, and you’re cooking. Liquid fuel stoves take some time to set up and prime or pre-heat, depending on your stove. While this does take extra time, they do work more consistently in a variety of environments. 

Best of the Rest

Primus Essential Trail Stove

BRS-3000T

Snow Peak LiteMax Stove

Jetboil Flash

Optimus Crux Lite

MSR PocketRocket 2

Best Canister Stove

An upgrade of a classic, the MSR PocketRocket 2 is a high-performance backcountry stove in a small package. It produces 8,600 BTU of power that allow for impressive boil times as well as precise simmer control. The WindClip technology on the burner provides wind protection so the stove can perform in light winds without significant reduction in boil time. For $44.95, this is a great stove that will be a go-to choice for years to come, and that’s why it is our choice for Best Canister Stove of 2021.

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Jetboil MightyMo

(Runner-up) Best Canister Stove

Price: $59.95

Weight: 3.4oz (96g)

Piezo Ignition: Yes

Website Provided Boil Time: 3min/1L (with FluxRing Pot)

Integrated System: No

What We Like: Simmering adjustability

What We Don’t: Heavy

The Jetboil MightyMo adds a versatile backcountry stove to Jetboil’s impressive array of outdoor cookware. Using a large and stable support system with an included piezo lighter, the MightyMo is a notable piece of kit. For ultimate simmer control, the regulator spins four times and throughout the rotation, you have complete control of the flame. Whether you need the full 10,000 BTU to boil water quickly or a gentle flame for more precision cooking, the Jetboil MightyMo has you covered. While it is a great stove, the price and a few areas of improvement leave it as our Runner-up for Best Canister Stove of 2021.

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SOTO WindMaster

Best Non-integrated Canister Stove for Windy Conditions

By fusing innovative engineering with a touch of witchcraft, SOTO has created a non-integrated canister stove capable of performing in windy conditions. Thanks to the combination of a concave burner and pot supports that keep your pot or pan mere millimeters from the burner, you are now able to boil water in “gusty conditions.” The stove also comes with a piezo lighter and can exchange the supports between the larger four-arm supports or lighter three-arm support. The one drawback is that the supports do need to come off to be stored, leaving you with two pieces of metal to keep track of. We think the value is there for the SOTO WindMaster; it’s time to get outside and cook some food! Being able to boil water in “gusty conditions” is proof enough that this is the Best Non-integrated Canister Stove for Windy Conditions of 2021.

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Hamans Ultralight Backpacking Stove

Best Budget Canister Stove of 2021

The Hamans Ultralight Stove comes with a piezo lighter and a wind-protection bevel similar to much more expensive stoves on our list. However, with a very lackluster boil time and a tiny pot support system, it left us wanting more. The included piezo lighter works fine, and it simmers well. So for a $20 stove, we weren’t too disappointed. It would make for a great beginner or backup stove in case your other system breaks on the trail. With all of the accessories and the great price, the Hamans Ultralight Stove is the Best Budget Canister Stove of 2021.

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MSR WindBurner

Best Integrated Canister Stove of 2021

MSR has created what they’re calling and what is proving to be a “windproof” integrated canister stove. It has a larger cooking cup than the Jetboil Flash and can connect to the burner more easily as well. The WindBurner is a bit heavy but will perform in a variety of conditions, so you won’t have to carry as much fuel when you’re confident the wind won’t impact the boil time. All in all, if you regularly find yourself trying to boil water in the alpine and need a dependable cooking system, look no further. The MSR WindBurner is our Best Integrated Canister Stove of 2021.

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Best of the Rest

Primus Essential Trail Stove

The Primus Essential Trail Stove won’t win any awards for looks, but that doesn’t matter when all you want is a hot coffee before a long day outdoors. The Primus has a remarkably fast boil time, a well-designed wind-protection system (that doubles as the pot support), and only has one moving piece. Simplicity is the name of the game with the Primus, and it does simple well. Our one problem is that the large and awkward shape will be a nuisance to carry in a backpack, and the sharp edges could cause some issues. For a car-camping stove, it is perfect.

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BRS-3000T

They say good things come in small packages, but does the same apply to backpacking stoves? The BRS-3000T is a one-ounce powerhouse that is almost comically small with a price tag to match. It has a small pot stand that has reportedly failed under a load after running for some time. There is also no wind protection, and the simmer control is lacking. We highly recommend this stove as a backup for a more durable system.

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Snow Peak LiteMax Stove

Snow Peak has created a lightweight titanium camp stove for those who like to rough it on weekends that call for good weather. The LiteMax has a very small pot stand that couples with limited wind protection, and unfortunately, this doesn’t make a great combination. The price also makes us wonder about the overall value. For the same price, you can get the Jetboil MightyMo, which comes with a piezo lighter and a larger pot support system (however, it IS around 75% heavier).

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Jetboil Flash

The Jetboil Flash is designed for those who like to move fast on the trail and like their water to boil at the same rapid pace. This integrated cooking system has everything you need for easy cooking in the backcountry, as long as all you bring are dehydrated meals. The speedy boil time is the trade-off for essentially having no simmer control. The burner connection also does an excellent job of protecting the flame from the elements, but it could still be improved.

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Optimus Crux Lite

The Optimus Crux Lite is a powerful and lightweight backcountry cooking accessory. It’s 11 grams lighter than the original Crux due to ditching the folding mechanism in the middle of the stove neck. The Crux Lite produces the same amount of heat as its big brother and has a fantastic flame distribution so that you can cook more than just hot water. The regulator is a little small, but it is easy to handle, wrapped with a rubber grip. For $40, it is an excellent option if you are looking for a no-frills, highly capable canister stove.

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