After a tough day hiking, cycling, climbing, or whatever it is you do when you’re on the road, there’s nothing better than putting your blistered feet up and getting dinner on the go.
But, unless you’re more of the glamping persuasion, choices are sadly limited when it comes to preparing a feast worthy of an adventurer. What to do? If you’re committed to the outdoors, you can always make like Bear Grylls and go in search of edible roots, but if you’d rather something more substantial, look no further than a camping stove.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST CAMPING STOVE
The best camping stove for you will all depend on your needs: the size of your group, what you’ll be making in it, what time of year you’ll be going camping and at what altitude, and whether or not you need something that can face up to wind. So it’s always best to decide what you will use your camping stove for more frequently before you begin.
When it comes to weight, think about how much walking you’ll be doing: if it needs to go in a pack, think lightweight and collapsable; if you’re taking a car, go as heavy as you can for added power. Camping stoves range from small, compact styles that fit snugly into the smallest of backpacks right through to large kitchen style hobs that attach to gas canisters and are fit to prepare a family feast.
On a related note, alongside style, there’s stability, because as anyone who’s had the misfortune of experiencing it will know, knocking a full dinner on the floor can be devastating. Be careful to consider how stable you need your camping stove to be; if you’ve got little ones running around your camp, you may want to avoid lighter travel camping stoves and opt for a stronger tabletop alternative instead.
If you’re taking dehydrated food along with you, or you’ll be melting snow for drinking water on winter trips, you might only need a stove with boiling capabilities, while for more complicated fare, a stove that cooks is in order. When looking for fuel types, the big trade-off is the time spent priming: priming is essentially pre-heating, and while it’s not a requirement for canister stoves, most liquid fuel and alcohol stoves need it to get going. Integrated canister stoves are the best all-rounders for high altitude, for the fact alone that they deal well with wind, which stops most other stoves in their tracks.
THE BEST CAMPING STOVES IN INDIA 2021
PRIMUS KINJIA CAMPING STOVE
SPECIFICATIONS
Best for: Good-looking large option
Design: Tabletop
Matchless: No
Weight: 4.4kg
REASONS TO BUY
+ Well-made but lightweight + Good capacity
REASONS TO AVOID
– Quite pricey
This 3-season camping stove from Primus is our best all-rounder, and strikes exactly the right balance between capacity and compactness, solidity and lightness. It’s well-made from high-quality materials and able to accommodate medium to large pans, but is incredibly easy to pack and carry, as are its small canisters. It’s simple to set up, the flame stays consistent to the end of the container while cooking, and when you’re done, the drip tray and grids remove for easy cleaning.
SNOW PEAK GIGAPOWER LI
Offers peak performance on snowy camping trips
SPECIFICATIONS
Best for: Great output
Design: Stove only
Matchless: No
Weight: 1.8kg
REASONS TO BUY
+ Very powerful + Wind-resistant
REASONS TO AVOID
– Hugely expensive
Designed specifically for snow expeditions, the Snow Peak GigaPower stove is peerless at high altitudes and in low temperatures. It has a really powerful output which is ideal for very frequent use, especially when melting snow for drinking water, and a large wind screen to defend against extinguishing gusts, while its expandable trivet gives it the ability to host different pan sizes for maximum versatility. The downside: as you’d expect for the specialist-level performance, it’s phenomenally expensive, definitely one for extreme adventurers.
SUNNGAS PLATINUM SINGLE BURNER & GRIDDLE STOVE
SPECIFICATIONS
Best for: Value
Design: Stove and grill
Matchless: Yes
Weight: 3kg
Price: RRP £45.99
REASONS TO BUY
+ Multi-tasking + Great value
REASONS TO AVOID
– Not much space between burners
This suitcase-style portable stove looks great, and packs an impressive amount of performance into a budget price. Its removable grill tray adds versatility, so whether you’re in the mood for grilling or boiling, it can deliver — it’s easy to clean, too. It also has a side wind shelter, for keeping out pesky breezes that might threaten your flames. In short, it’s an excellent value griddle-meets-stove, to handle a range of tasks on the road or in the garden.
BASE CAMP KELLY KETTLE
SPECIFICATIONS
Best for: Kettle on the go
Design: Kettle
Matchless: No
Weight: 1.43kg
REASONS TO BUY
+ Stove and kettle in one+ Quick boil time
REASONS TO AVOID
– Wood stove can be tricky
The second wood-fuelled stove on our list, the Base Camp Kelly Kettle might be basic, but it’s highly effective. A stove and kettle in one, it’s a godsend for those who can’t squeeze any more into their packs, and means you can cook and boil at the same time, getting you going with speed once you set up camp. That said, when it comes to food, the petite wood-fired base means it’s only really useful for small items, so for walkers who like to work up an appetite, the BioLite stove is a good alternative.
CAMPINGAZ BISTRO 300
SPECIFICATIONS
Best for: Festivals
Design: Tabletop
Matchless: No
Weight: 2kg
REASONS TO BUY
+ Easy to use + Cheap
REASONS TO AVOID
– Not for prolonged use
The Campingaz Bistro 300 is the ideal stove for festival-goers and fair-weather campers, with its user-friendly design, low price, and easy set-up. Ludicrously simple to use, it’ll be familiar to anyone who’s used a gas hob at home, so it’s a good buy for teenagers heading off to their first Glastonbury. The single burner requires some planning around, and it doesn’t feel terribly sturdy, but that’s understandable for the price. It’s not, however, recommended for prolonged use, so for a longer-lasting burn, consider the SunnGas Platinum instead.
CAMPINGAZ PARTY GRILL 400
SPECIFICATIONS
Best for: Complete cooking system
Design: Stove, grill and wok
Matchless: Yes
Weight: 4.92kg
REASONS TO BUY
+ Lots of cooking methods + Sturdy for use on rough terrain
REASONS TO AVOID
– Small cooking area
Our second recommendation in as many paragraphs from Campingaz is a good ‘un — a portable all-in-one camping grill that handles a range of tasks with ease. With pan support, a grilling grid, reversible griddle, and lid that doubles as a wok, it’s definitely the most versatile camping stove on our list. Even so, it has a smallish cooking surface, so not recommended if you need to cook for a big crowd in a small stretch of time.