My $80 camp stove melted its own fuel line on day 2 of a trip in the Smokies

Bought this cheap single burner last month, figured it was fine for quick meals. Set it up on a picnic table at Elkmont, started boiling water for coffee, and then I smelled something like burning plastic. Looked down and the fuel line had warped and was dripping fuel onto the burner. I shut it off fast before the whole thing went up. Had to cook everything on the fire ring for the rest of the trip. I get that budget gear is budget gear, but is there a decent stove under $100 that actually handles a full pot of water without melting? Or am I stuck with the old Coleman that weighs 10 pounds?

1 comments

1 Comment

pat_harris10d ago

Hold on, are we sure you didn't just get a dud or set it up wrong? I mean, $80 is cheap but it shouldn't melt its own fuel line unless it was sitting right next to the burner or you had some crazy wind pushing flames sideways. I've used those backpacking stoves for years and never seen that happen, even the ones that cost half that. I'm not saying you're lying, but sometimes people forget to check the O-rings or tighten things enough and then blame the gear. And honestly, that old Coleman tank is a pain to haul but it's built like a brick, you'll never worry about it again. Maybe just stick with what works and skip the fancy light stuff until you're ready to fork over real money for a proper stove.