Camp cooking is a glorious pastime — or, at least, it can be with the right stove. Bring one that’s too small to adequately cook your meal or too big and heavy for the backpacking trip you’re on, and you’ve got a recipe for a rough time.
However, when you’ve got the perfect stove and a dialed camp cooking setup at your fingertips, nature makes one of the best kitchens you could ever cook in.
When you start shopping for the right stove, though, you’ll quickly realize how many options there are. Camp stoves come in all shapes, sizes, weights, burner styles, fuel options, and price ranges. Peruse GearJunkie’s guides to the Best Camping Stoves and Backpacking Stoves to get a sense of what’s available.
So, how does one choose the camp stove that’s right for them? Before you pull the trigger and make a purchase, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Choose a Camp Stove: How to Pick What’s Right for You
![mary murphy cooking on the gsi pinnacle pro stove](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/03/gsi4-700x467.jpeg)
To reiterate, not every stove is suitable for every adventure or circumstance. So, before you purchase, consider what you’ll use it for. If you primarily want a stove for car camping, you can look at some of the heavier, bulkier options. Depending on how many people you intend to cook for, you might choose a larger or smaller stove with more or fewer burners.
If you want a stove that can be packed in a backpack and carried over many miles on a trail, you need to consider something lighter. Ultralight burners and flash boil stoves make cooking fast, easy, and painless even when you’re miles into the backcountry. There are even lighter and cheaper options (which we’ll get to in due time).
Then consider your fuel. If you’re backpacking, do you want to carry a fuel canister? Or will you have access to natural fuel? Some brands make backpacking wood stoves that are light and packable. These can be great options for circumstances where a lot of dry tinder is available and there is no fire ban.
No One-Stove Solution
![rivian electric truck snow peak kitchen](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/08/20210530_JJ_4836_01036_RX1-700x467.jpg)
How to Choose the Right Camp Stove: Types, Styles, Models
![Camp Stove Comparisons](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/05/camp-stove-comparisons-700x467.jpeg)
The Classic Two-Burner
![a jetboil stove system on a table at a campsite](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/04/jetboil-testing-700x492.jpeg)
The Boiler
![MSR PocketRocket Camping Backpacking Stove Sale Deal](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2020/05/MSR-PocketRocket-Camping-Backpacking-Stove-Sale-Deal-700x488.jpeg)
The Ultralight Burner
The Wood Burner
![Ganesha Ultralight biofuel wood camp stove](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2024/03/IMG_7103-copy-700x467.jpg)
![](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2024/05/IMG_4687-2-copy-700x525.jpg)
The Chuck Wagon
![Alcohol Stove for Lightweight Backpacking](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2018/04/AlcoholStove.jpg)
The Alcohol Stove
![Biolite Camp Stove Complete Cook Kit 6](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/05/Biolite-Camp-Stove-Complete-Cook-Kit-6-700x467.jpg)
The Battery-Powered Stove
![Gosun Fusion](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2018/07/gosun-fusion-700x700.jpg)
Cooking With Sunlight
Frequently Asked Questions
![Great Condiments to Spice Up Your Camp Cooking](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/07/Great-Condiments-to-Spice-Up-Your-Camp-Cooking-700x467.jpg)
A camp stove is any heat-producing platform you can cook on outdoors. Most camp stoves require canister fuel like propane or isobutane, but others use natural fuel sources like wood, bark, cow patties, pine cones, etc.
Camp stoves come in many styles, sizes, shapes, and designs. Choosing the right one for you can be a challenge. But that’s why this guide exists. We’re here to help you find the right camp stove for your adventures.
Cleaning a camp stove will depend highly on what kind of camp stove you own. Always consult the owner’s manual (which can usually be looked up online) so you don’t ruin your gear.
Some tips and advice apply to all camp stoves. First and foremost, be gentle with your stove. Use an old toothbrush or sponge, warm water, and soap to clean out the jets.
You can usually use water on burners as well without damaging them. But piezo igniters are a different story. If those get wet, they can fail, and then you will need a lighter or match to start your stove.
When you’re done cleaning your camp stove, air dry it. Allow everything to dry completely before using it again or storing it.
How long your camp stove fuel lasts depends on how much you use it and how fuel-efficient your stove is. Consult your stove specs to see if the brand listed the burn time for a single fuel canister. Typically, the rate is 60 minutes of burn time per 230g canister, but air temperature, wind, and elevation can all affect that.
If you’re worried you won’t have enough fuel for a backpacking trip, pack an extra canister. You can get small ones for backups. It’s better to have more fuel than you need than to run out on the trail.