The Perfect Camp Stove

[North40overland]

I am on a mission to find the perfect camp stove. I have 4 so far but I have been using the below two over the past 3 months trying to decide which to keep, and which to sell off. I have put some of my feedback below but I am interested if anyone have any thoughts on what is the perfect overlanding camp stove (size, build quality, performance). Me personally, I like the self standing type because it provides more table space but I am open to any thoughts or suggestions. Side note: One of my 4 is a cook partners and while the build quality is amazing, I think I am going to sell it because it is just too small for it's weight in my opinion (don't hate me). All in all I think I am getting close but my wife is starting to get annoyed with the amount of them accumulating in the garage. I am putting it out there for you guys to help dial me in.

The Camp Chef Explorer 2-burner
Size - Way too big and hard to pack up
Build Quality - Really good. Strong frame, very stable. Not too heavy but the optional flat irons weigh a ton. (I bought 2 but you only need 1) Works great with Camp Oven.
Performance - Really good. Simmer control is amazing but can blow out. No built in ignition
Overall - 4 stars



The Coleman Fyre Captain
Size - not too bad for a free standing stove. Almost exactly the same size as a Camp Chef Everest. Definitely packs much better in the truck than the Camp Chef Explorer
Build Quality - not terrible. Better by far than the basic Coleman 2 burner. A bit flimsy and a bit wobbly on it's legs. Definitely lighter than the Explorer. Basically the same weight as the Everest but with legs.
Performance - The "wind guards" they have on the burners work surprisingly well. Better actually than the Camp Chef Explorer in wind. The simmer is not perfect but after lubing the regulators I got it working close to perfect. A bit sketchy with the camp oven. A literal flame thrower this thing will boil a coffee pot in like 2 min above 3500 feet but it does run hot when trying to cook.

 

[Truckee]

Have you considered the aluminum Camp Chef Mountaineer? Detachable legs are optional....

 

[North40overland]

Have you considered the aluminum Camp Chef Mountaineer? Detachable legs are optional....

View attachment 199771

Dang! That is really nice! See this is why I love the OB forum. Solid idea man!! I am going to look into that one.

 

[MMc]

It's all about what fits your needs. I love my cook partner, my camp chef broke the 5th time I used it, I didn't like the burner control much ether. I have a table that holds my stove and other cooking stuff. Weight isn't a issue for me, I tend to make sauces and need a fine flame control so I don't break them. We all have our things.

 

[Ragman]

The best camp stove...that is a loaded question! As @MMc said above it depends on your needs. It looks like you have space and can carry the weight for sure. Personally I use Coleman fueled stoves, the fire, and small wood burning stoves such as the Firebox or Solo and that is enough for me. Others swear by the skottle disk type cookers. So I would say decide on what you cook and for how many then go from there. As far as legs I think it is more useful to purchase a table of some sort that can be cooked on but also used for other things at camp.

 

[Cron9900]

I’ll be installing this stove on a pullout kitchen slide.

 

[Road]

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For my money, and long experience using single and two-burner stoves for adventuring since the 1970's, the Cook Partner 22 hits all the targets for me. Indestructible; designed by river-runners for rough and varied environments; easy to light, care for, and clean, and all around more rugged and dependable than any other stove I have ever owned or used.


Shown here with their equally impressive griddle.

You can get their stand for it, too, which makes it free-standing, though I choose to use it in my kitchen box, which I move from trailer to van or backyard, etc. I'm not a fan of having an additional, separate, stand.

The Cook Partner 22" will easily handle two 10" skillets (or a 12" and an 8"), and the built-in adjustable wind-screen is rugged and performs better than others I've used.


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Packs up nice in my kitchen box with my most-used sauté pans and dishes right on top and under the lid:


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I put my propane hose and other stuff under the easily-removable grill for transport so it's out of the way and always right where I need it:


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Crazy pricing now. With shortages of materials and labor, and historic increase in interest in outdoor recreation, the price has gone up substantially. I paid $275 four years ago. It pays to shop around, as the asking price can vary widely.

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Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

roaddude.com

 

[Trickster]

I found an abused Camp Chef Tahoe on Craigslist locally for $10.

 

[Trickster]

Because I was born Good Looking instead of Smart, I bought it.

I bought new Burners.

I Bought Scotch Brite Pads. I bought Brillo Pads. I bought sandpaper and black high temp Rustoleum stove paint.

I bought new stainless fasteners.View attachment 212813View attachment 212813

 

[Trickster]

Then I cooked breakfast.

Smaller griddle is to accommodate the House Vegetarian.

 

[JeepingMike]

As @MMc and @Ragman said, all about your needs, size, space, weight, etc. I'm at the other end of the spectrum with storage space and weight for my needs. Love my JetBoil Genesis Basecamp!

 

[TroutRunner]

.
For my money, and long experience using single and two-burner stoves for adventuring since the 1970's, the Cook Partner 22 hits all the targets for me. Indestructible; designed by river-runners for rough and varied environments; easy to light, care for, and clean, and all around more rugged and dependable than any other stove I have ever owned or used.

View attachment 207951
Shown here with their equally impressive griddle.

You can get their stand for it, too, which makes it free-standing, though I choose to use it in my kitchen box, which I move from trailer to van or backyard, etc. I'm not a fan of having an additional, separate, stand.

The Cook Partner 22" will easily handle two 10" skillets (or a 12" and an 8"), and the built-in adjustable wind-screen is rugged and performs better than others I've used.

View attachment 207953
.

Packs up nice in my kitchen box with my most-used sauté pans and dishes right on top and under the lid:

View attachment 207952
.

I put my propane hose and other stuff under the easily-removable grill for transport so it's out of the way and always right where I need it:

View attachment 207954
.

Crazy pricing now. With shortages of materials and labor, and historic increase in interest in outdoor recreation, the price has gone up substantially. I paid $275 four years ago. It pays to shop around, as the asking price can vary widely.

.

Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

roaddude.com

I second and echo what Road wrote about the Cook Partner 22. We have had one now for 6 years and it has worked flawless from river rafting trips to overland trips. Its really quite the centerpiece of any camp kitchen.

 

[M Rose]

As @MMc and @Ragman said, all about your needs, size, space, weight, etc. I'm at the other end of the spectrum with storage space and weight for my needs. Love my JetBoil Genesis Basecamp!View attachment 212822

I’ve been looking at the Genesis for several years.. currently I run either a Colman 2 burner, or my MSR WindBurner… it seams more and more I’m going with the MSR over the Colaman due to its multi use and small pack space… if I need bigger, I have grate to through over the fire, or Dutch Oven.

 

[velo47]

We love our Genesis. Burners are very adjustable, from barely simmering to smokin' hot, and the stove is nice and compact. Kinda pricy, but worth it for us. We got it on sale about 4 years ago.

 

[Noeltfg]

I've been using the Dweller camping wood stoves for a few years now, and I'm really impressed with it. It's a single-burner stove that's perfect for backpacking or solo camping. It's very lightweight and compact, and it boils water quickly. I also like that it has a built-in Piezo ignition system, so I can light it with one hand.

 

[AviatorJones]

Glad to see this topic pop up as I was coming here to search this exact topic. I think we're ready to retire the old Coleman two burner that might actually be as old as me. One burner is really weak and the other is a scorcher. I could probably tear it apart and refurb it, but we don't really like how the burners are pretty small and hot-spot pretty bad.

Looking for updated suggestions on something that is packable (back of truck or trailer), doesn't need legs, and the burners spread the heat out decently. Like the looks of the Cook Partner but that $500 price point is a little steep for how much we would use it now.

 

[MMc]

Glad to see this topic pop up as I was coming here to search this exact topic. I think we're ready to retire the old Coleman two burner that might actually be as old as me. One burner is really weak and the other is a scorcher. I could probably tear it apart and refurb it, but we don't really like how the burners are pretty small and hot-spot pretty bad.

Looking for updated suggestions on something that is packable (back of truck or trailer), doesn't need legs, and the burners spread the heat out decently. Like the looks of the Cook Partner but that $500 price point is a little steep for how much we would use it now.

I would look at JetBoil Genesis Basecamp as a one burner, they have excellent flame control. If you choose a Cook Partner you kids will use it for life.

 

[Ethan N]

Great options, thanks for the in depth reviews too to those who have posted. One day I'll finally ditch my secondhand Coleman with a pair of pliers where the knob should be.

 

[genocache]

Well, perfect is an opinion...For myself I like the white gas stoves. I have a single burner and a double burner, both Coleman. Mostly though I just use my Kelly Kettle to boil water when I am solo, coffee and backpacker meals. I did however make a solo debris burner stove I saw on an Australian video. It works great and you don't HAVE to carry fuel, much like the Kelly Kettle. Here is my blog on building it. Outback cooker

 

[JBear223]

I’ve been using the Camp Chef Everest 2 burner stove for years now. industry leading heat, simmer control could be better, but i’m still wind it’s not bad.
But if you need to boil water or use med/high heat it can’t be beat. less than the Genesis and Cook Partner.
Which is funny as i’d like to get another stove, and those are the only other two i’d consider.
I just like stoves.