I finally gave up on my old camp stove after the valve stuck open in the Wind River Range

It started spewing fuel uncontrollably, so I had to ditch it and hike out cold. What's a reliable stove you'd trust for a week-long backcountry trip?

4 comments

4 Comments

finley_smith2mo ago

After my own stove tried to become a flamethrower, I've sworn by the classic MSR WhisperLite for years.

zara_wilson2mo ago

Ever wonder why those old WhisperLites just keep running? My buddy's got one from the 90s that's been dropped in a river, used all winter, and still lights right up. There's something about a simple design with just a few parts you can actually fix yourself. New stoves have all these electronics and plastic bits that seem to fail at the worst time. Give me a piece of gear I can repair with a basic tool kit any day.

aaronw592mo ago

Honestly I get the appeal but I've had the opposite experience with newer stoves. The electronic ignition on my last one saved my butt so many times in wet weather, and it's been solid for five years now. Sometimes a bit of tech just works better for real world conditions.

angela7281mo ago

My old Toyota pickup has the same vibe. It's got 300,000 miles and I can fix almost anything with a wrench and a screwdriver. Honestly, it feels like everything from coffee makers to thermostats is built to be thrown out now. You're not even supposed to open them up. Tbh, that's why I hang onto the old stuff, even if it's heavier or slower. It feels like owning something instead of just renting it until it breaks.