Heating Up the Road with Camp Stoves

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It seems the best part of camping does not only include the beautiful weather, the breathtaking scenery, and the extreme activities one can experience. Surprisingly, experienced campers, and even newbie’s, testify to the fact that camp cooking is one of the best and most fulfilling parts of camping. Even a simple roasted hotdog or even a marshmallow cooked in the camping fire seems to taste fantastic.

Though camp cooking may differ substantially from cooking in your own home kitchen, it is not really a tedious work. Camp cooking can be a lot of fun depending on how much preparation was made and the kinds of tools and equipments available on the scene itself. Many first time campers learn their lessons when they forget to bring important tools like a camp chef stove.

Speaking of stoves, stoves are one of the most essential tools needed for camp cooking. However, bringing the right kind of stove can mean the difference between a burnt meal and a perfectly cooked one. There are many camping stoves available in the market and being able to choose the diamond out of the rough can really be difficult. Planning on buying a good camping stove is one factor you have to consider if you want to have a good camp cooking experience. When getting a camping stove, these are basic things you need to know:

• Camping stoves should be easy to set-up and should only take up as little space as possible. Make sure that the camping stove you have does not easily tip. It should have a very good base support so it can hold whatever size and weight of pot placed on top of them.

• Choose the most reliable camp stoves in the market. They should be durable, compact, light, easy to use, and sturdy. A camp chef stove with two burners can be perfect if you are cooking for your family or for a group. Think of what the camp stove needs to function. Does it need white gas, petroleum gas, etc and is it available at least near your camping site in case you run out of supply?

• When camping as a group, two burner camp stoves are bigger and so they are more convenient when cooking for a group. It can heat more than one pot making cooking time shorter and cooking a meal easier. If you do not need to move around much, big stoves can be perfect for your cooking need. However, if you are hiking or touring, go for lightweight camping stoves.

• Lightweight camping stoves weigh less and are perfect for hikers. They weigh less than 4 ounces and are therefore easier to carry along. Some camp chef stoves can fit inside other camping camp chef equipment. Packing and carrying is a lot easier with lightweight stoves.

There are different kinds of camping stoves. In general, they can be categorized into two types:

Liquid Fuel Stoves

Liquid fuels usually burn hotter but they require more attention especially when you are merely trying to heat up food. Some stoves can be adjusted, some can not. If you have been preparing food in advance and simple need to reheat or simmer food, then a canister type stove is more convenient. Liquid fuel stoves come in different forms:

• Alcohol fuel burns cooler but it will take more time and fuel to really cook food. It burns cleaner making it easier for you to wash up after every meal. The problem is, alcohol fuel is rare and some other cities or towns do not sell alcohol fuel.

• Unleaded gasoline, same as what makes your car running, is mostly available but usually burns very dirty. It also evaporates quickly and needs a lot of precaution when being used. Unleaded gasoline can ignite very quickly and can cause fire when accidentally spilled.

• Kerosene is a fuel every cooking stove dreads. It burns dirty and can ruin camping stoves easily. Though it is cheap, you may need more effort to clean it up compared to alcohol or gas fuel. However, kerosene does not ignite fire easily like unleaded gas does.

• White gas can be the best choice when you are traveling in the United States. White gas can not be easily found in some other parts of the world. It is usually inexpensive and can provide intense heat in almost any weather condition. White gas can be the best camp chef fuel of choice.

Canister Stoves

These are plug-and-play stoves which do not require much pimping. All you have to do is to turn the knob and the fire or heat you needed is there in an instant. Heat is adjustable compared to liquid fuel. Canister stoves can also be butane or propane gas. Butane can not perform well in below freezing temperatures, but aside from that it generally burns hot. Propane on the other hand can function well to about 0 degrees F. A combination of the two can also be another option. Regardless of the kind of gas used, canister stoves are the easy to use – and clean to.

Camping stoves should have a screen to protect it from the wind to prevent flames from blowing out. If you want to save on fuel or gas, make sure to keep and hold the heat in. Use other tools like pot lids and reflectors to keep the temperature up. Wind and other weather conditions can slow down the heating process quite a bit. Help keep the heat up by being innovative and using the tools that are at hand.

As much as you take care of your other camp gear, maintaining camp chef stoves should not be overlooked. If you want your camping stove to serve you for a long time, always clean it after use. In addition to that, know how to fix it when it’s broken. Keep it dry and clean and you shall reap the benefit of a camp stove on your next trips.

For more information on Camping Supplies or coolers go to http://www.coolersforcamping.com

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