Many camping stoves run on propane, which is a handy option. Butane can be another option, but it doesn’t do as well in cold weather, so make sure you have a backup option if you’re planning to use it during the winter months. Like most other stoves in our list, it is powered by standard propane tanks. It has a simple system that prevents gas leaks and uses PerfectHeat technology which saves fuel for more efficient cooking.
If all you care to eat while camping is canned soup or freeze-dried meals, then a lightweight single-burner is perfect. But if camping season means a big group of friends and multi-course gourmet meals, then a larger freestanding two- or three-burner stove makes sense if the cost works within your budget. Unfortunately, that old adage “buy cheap, buy twice” rings especially true with camping stoves. Less expensive stoves are often less fuel efficient, less durable, and will need to be replaced sooner than their more expensive counterparts.
The GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 Camp Stove has a design similar to that of the Coleman Triton and Classic, and this stove uses what seems to be a similar burner. However, the model we received saw coleman camp stove its igniter break on the second try and produced lackluster results in our boil test. When disposing of your bottle, be sure that you’ve completely emptied the tank of all of its remaining gas.
BioLite claims a 4.5-minute boil time for a liter of water. We think the difference is partly due to our fuel being extremely dry and light wood, which often required lifting the pot to add more fuel during the test. Despite its more powerful burners, it fell just a few seconds behind the Camp Chef Everest in all of our boil tests, most likely because camping cookware sits slightly higher above the burners. For serious chefs, the free-standing Camp Chef Explorer cooks with a nearly professional-quality level of heat control. It’s overkill for most campers, but it’s perfect for anyone who cooks for large groups or is really serious about their camp meals.
Remove the fuel filler cap from the tank and pour the old fuel into an approved container for disposal. Use a length of small clear tubing to siphon what you can’t pour out. You can find a local hazardous waste recycling facility by doing an internet search. Here in the Pacific Northwest, coleman camp stove we know a thing or two about rain. From months of daily drizzle to heavy downpour in the mountains, we’re acutely aware of the benefits of a quality waterproof and breathable shell. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
Joe gave the stove back to his boyhood friend, Tim French; the stove had belonged to Tim’s father. Note the two different grates on this model – on “open coleman propane stove type” on the left and “no burn type” on the right. Joe notes that the left grate is nearly identical to the center grate on the Bungalow Cooker above.