Bug Out Bag Cook Stove Ideas
Kevin Felts 06.27.17
Let’s throw out some ideas for a Bug Out Bag cook stove. The following article will describe the evolution of my cook sets from the early 1980s all the way to 2017.
When I would go camping or hiking in the early 1980s, my cook set was a small pot, can opener, fork and spoon. The stove was an open fire. My mom loaned me a small pot that was used to heat up canned foods, such as chili or beans. The pot and canned foods weighed a lot, but it was a growing experience that most teenagers go through.
We should all have these growing pains where we experience certain difficulties. They help us appreciate the better things.
After a few years, I stopped bringing the pot and just warmed up the cans next to a fire. Then I read how chemicals from the can will leach into the food if the can is heated. So, I stopped heating the cans of food next to a fire.
Propane
The next logical step was a single burner propane stove and a U.S. military canteen cup. This was in the early 1990s Though heavy, it got the job done. Rather than packing canned foods, I switched over to Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). For the next 15 years, the single burner propane stove was my primary cook stove.
One nice thing about a one pound bottle of propane, it fits nicely into an outside pouch of the ALICE pack. The propane can also be used to operate other stuff, such as a lantern.
Blended Fuel
Sometime around 2008 or 2009, I was walking through Wal-Mart and saw a Coleman Max stove. I thought, why not? So, I bought the stove and a cylinder of mixed fuel. The single burner propane stove was retired. The Coleman Max uses a blended fuel of butane and propane.
Eventually, I started asking if there was something lighter than the Coleman Max stove. One of the through-hikers on YouTube, Darwin on the Trail, mentioned a BRS stove that weighs less than an ounce, so I ordered one.
The BRS stove comes with its own stuff sack is a fraction of the weight and size of the Coleman Max stove.
- Single burner propane stove with base, without canister: 1 pound 3.7 ounces.
- Coleman Max stove: 6.55 ounces.
- BRS stove: 0.9 ounces.
- One pound propane bottle: 16.4 ounces.
- Blended fuel canister: 7.75 ounces.
Cook Stove Evolution
Since the early 1980s, my cook stove setup has continued to evolve, albeit very slowly. Over the past few decades, there were a number of cook stoves that looked interesting, but few sparked my interest enough to make a purchase.
As I look back, there had to be a of measure of benefit between the old stove and new stove. Shaving an ounce off is not justification enough to spend money. However, shaving 5 or 6 ounces off the weight and greatly reducing the size is what led me to make a change.
So, what are is your preferred camp stove and how did you arrive at your choice of gear?
