The Best Backpacking Stoves of 2023

The MSR PocketRocket Deluxe ($85) is similar to the MSR PocketRocket 2 but with a few improvements and extra features.

The Deluxe model is an ultralight stove with stainless steel folding pot legs, a fast boiling time, and a compact design. The Deluxe is just a few grams heavier than the PocketRocket 2. But unlike the 2, the Deluxe has a built-in pressure regulator (like in the MSR WindBurner), a broader burner with wind protection, and a piezo igniter.

During testing, we found the pressure regulator did equate to more consistent boil and simmer capabilities and helped reduce the impact of cold and wind on stove performance. It also boiled faster than all but one other stove on this list.

Plus, the simmer capabilities of this stove are great. The slightly wider burner makes a difference, and when cooking dishes like oatmeal or mac and cheese, we didn’t experience any burning or sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Simply put, this stove is the best due to its combination of light weight, consistent performance, boil time, and price.

Read our full review of the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe.

The GSI Outdoors Glacier ($30) has a lot going for it, not just the amazing price. The canister stove can support virtually any size pot or pan (great for those who frequently camp and cook in groups), and the wider burner spreads heat out evenly.

The burner also has an impressive output of 11,000 BTUs, putting the power of a traditional camp stove in canister stove form. Given the output, we were hoping this stove would have a slightly faster boil time. That said, it held up in windy conditions, and the boil time stayed roughly the same.

The stove also has clearly marked +/- simmer controls. We loved using this stove to pan-fry, sauté, and even rehydrate and cook some beans. Everything in the pan was nice and evenly cooked.

Our only con? The wide and sturdy pot support design doesn’t fold, so — with a 5-inch diameter — it’s not the most compact. However, it can still be packed/stashed into a larger pot. And for the quality of the stove, it’s still a great deal.

With the option to burn nearly any fuel — including white gas and isobutane-propane — this stove has quickly become a four-season favorite. This is especially true if you find yourself traveling to countries outside North America where fuel options may be limited. It’s not the lightest stove on the market at 13.7 ounces, but its versatility makes up for that.

We’ve used this stove for really tough winter camping, and it has outperformed everything other folks have brought to elk camp. While canister stoves die in cold weather, the WhisperLite Universal ($200) cranks out water-boiling BTUs, even above 10,000 feet.

We had no problem balancing a pot on it. With simmer control, we were able to make everything from fluffy pancakes to delicately scrambled eggs. Plus, it got the water boiling for coffee in no time.

We’ve heard reports of problems with the fuel connector threads stripping, but we haven’t experienced a problem in more than a year of testing.

Because it uses liquid fuel, this stove does require some TLC and stove knowledge, including priming the stove before use and stove maintenance in the field on longer excursions. As long as you familiarize yourself with the stove, you should be set.

One more bonus with liquid fuel — gas is cheap! A gallon of white gas will cost around $10 and should last you for years.

The reason this canister stove made it on our list is its ingenious configuration specifically for cold-weather cooking. The MSR WindPro II ($135) combines the design of a liquid fuel stove with the lightweight perks and versatility of a canister stove.

This stove has a wide burner with folding pot legs and a fuel line that allows the stove to burn fuel in the upright canister position or inverted liquid-feed mode. The stove comes with a windscreen and canister stand.

Inverting the canister definitely equates to better performance and fuel efficiency in cold and wind. Anyone who lives at high altitude (hey, Colorado friends!) and frequently camps in colder conditions should consider this stove. And it won’t break the bank.

Jetboil’s newest stove system is designed for solo backpackers who want to keep weight down. The entire system (stove, pot, stand, cup, and lid) weighs just over a pound and packs together nicely.

The biggest perk of this stove is its super-fast boil time — about 3 minutes per liter. Like the previous model, the Jetboil Flash ($125) has an all-in-one design with a push-button igniter, improved stove-vessel integration (locking the pot to the stove), and updated pot and lid designs.

The stove also has a heat-indicating sleeve that changes color to let you know when water is boiling so you don’t waste time or fuel.

Overall, this is a great and durable stove system. However, it does have its limitations, as you can only cook what can fit in the pot. If you’re looking for a stove that can easily boil water and cook the basics quickly, this is a great option.

Check out our full review of the Jetboil Flash.

Anyone keen on ditching fuel and using what nature provides will appreciate this stove ($70). Using small sticks, you can bring a quart of water to a boil in about 10 minutes. Be sure to collect a substantial pile of small sticks before getting started so you can continuously feed the flame.

Because you don’t need to pack fuel, the 9-ounce stove weight is reasonable. And the integrated design allows it to pack down easily.

In our testing, we loved the design which encourages the “gasification” of the solid fuel. This means it pretty much burns all the smoke, resulting in very few fumes and a nice, hot fire.

For a fully integrated system, consider adding on the Solo Stove Pot for an additional $50.

For more information, check out our Solo Stove Lite review.

Alcohol stoves win the prize for simple, light, and cheap. Composed of one small fuel unit, alcohol stoves are primitive and far less efficient than other options. A previous favorite among thru-hikers, these are quickly declining as fuel for canister stoves becomes easier to find in small trail towns.

The Solo Stove Alcohol Burner ($20) is an awesome low-tech or backup stove option for fast and light travel in the backcountry. The stove is fueled by denatured alcohol — simply add in a few ounces of alcohol and light. Solo’s Alcohol Burner has a flame regulator (similar to the simmer controls on canister stoves) and a steady-to-burn design.

Solo’s Alcohol Burner also features a screwtop cap and rubber gasket, so you can store liquid fuel directly inside. It’s a truly compact system. This stove takes about 5 minutes to bring a liter of water to boil (although wind and weather can add a few minutes to boil time). It weighs just 3.5 ounces and is super compact.

Really our only con is that this alcohol burner doesn’t come with a pot support (it’s meant to be used in conjunction with a Solo Stove Lit), but there are ways to still make this work. If you are looking for a solid-performing alcohol burner, still consider this one.

For the budget- and weight-conscious hiker, the PocketRocket 2 ($60) is a proven stove at a good price. Weighing in at a scant 2.6 ounces (excluding the fuel canister), this is a supremely packable stove. The serrated supports can hold a variety of pots, and lighting is a simple matter of turning the knob and using a match to ignite.

We’ve had a few close calls when stirring aggressively or bumping the pot, so set it up in a level spot and take care to keep the pot upright. Nobody wants to pick their dinner out of the dirt. The MSR PocketRocket 2 is also one of the best-performing stoves out there in terms of price.

This is an extremely reliable stove, and a top pick for long-distance backpackers and weekend warriors alike for its dependable durability and light design. One of the authors of this guide used the first iteration of the PocketRocket on his thru-hike of the PCT in 2018, and then carried the same PocketRocket 2 on consecutive thru-hikes of the CDT and AT. It never let him down, whipping up hundreds of meals in the backcountry with zero issues.

Why was this stove not our top choice? Trust us, it was close. But between the PocketRocket 2 and MSR’s Deluxe model (which offers an integrated pressure regulator and igniter, and performs better in wind), the Deluxe won us over.

Ultralight and by far the lightest canister stove on this list at just 26 g, the BRS-3000T ($30) is a titanium alloy stove manufactured by BRS in China. What we liked about the BRS — it’s ultralight and performs great. In testing, we really liked its packability, easy setup, and fairly good performance in windier weather.

This is our top recommendation if you are looking for a truly ultralight stove (less than a third the weight of an MSR PocketRocket Deluxe).

This stove wasn’t our top pick for a couple of reasons. The hinges that allow the pot supports to rotate out are a little stiff (this might get better with time). The pot supports are also a bit more delicate and narrower than on other canister stoves, meaning it’s better for smaller pots (1-1.5 L) and ultralight cookware, rather than large pots and pans.

If you’re concerned about the camping pot you own being compatible with this stove, we recommend double-checking the dimensions. If pure ultralight minimalism is what you’re after, though, don’t pass the BRS-3000T by.

This new stove ($30) from Primus works really well, offers pretty great simmer control and heat distribution, and best of all, comes with a hard-to-beat price point. It’s a simple construction with no folding elements and easily stashes into a pot or mesh stove bag.

You can also get the new Primus Essential Trail Stove kit (a stove, an anodized aluminum pot, a hybrid pan/pot lid, and a storage bag) for just $65.

The only con we discovered is there’s no resting notch or angled indentation in the pot support design. They are completely level, which makes balancing a well-used pot (one that might have some heat warping or dents) tricky. It’s definitely not a flaw but something to note.

What’s nice is this stove’s pot supports are wide enough for a variety of cookware sizes (we tried it with 1-2L pots and an 8-inch pan).

This wasn’t our top budget choice, but it was very close. Ultimately, while this stove weighs a few ounces less than our top budget choice, it has fewer BTUs, and the burner doesn’t pack down as small. That being said, it’s still a fantastic stove for the price.

Yes, this stove is pricey and significantly heavier than others on this list, but it’s also more than just a stove. Most of the stove weight is in the integrated battery, which takes energy from a burning fire and converts it to charge your electronics.

So not only do you not need to pack fuel, but you also won’t need to pack a portable battery charger for your next outdoor excursion.

We can attest a lot of time and effort went into this stove’s design. The BioLite CampStove 2+ ($150) has lightweight aluminum legs, features a protective exterior between you and the burn chamber, and uses combustion technology to circulate air and increase efficiency.

While there’s not a power switch like on gas stoves, the four fan settings (ranging from low to high) do a great job of controlling the size of the flame. It also doesn’t take too much time to cool after use.

At first glance, we had concerns about the scalloped, curvy pot stand lips (which are designed to be compatible with BioLite’s pot and grill cookware). But upon testing, we had no issues balancing off-brand pots as well, even a small 1L pot.

We also were skeptical of its trail weight, but the components of the CampStove 2+ pack within each other nicely. If you’re investing in a stove for longer trips and don’t want to carry excess weight in fuel, consider getting this stove.

For a wood-burning stove, the BioLite also has an impressive boil time at a little over 4.5 minutes.

Read our full review of the BioLite CampStove (previous model).

For cranking out hot meals on alpine expeditions, boiling water in unrelenting wind, or firing up some emergency heat during an unexpected freeze — the Reactor Stove ($290) is the tool for the job.

Sure, it costs a pretty penny and is undeniably one of the more clunky stoves on this review, but this thing is an absolute powerhouse, and a game changer for chilly adventures where maximum heat output and energy efficiency are required. At over a pound, the Reactor is probably overkill for many backpackers. But, if you’re staring down the barrel of some gnarly weather in unpredictable conditions, this stove offers some of the best confidence for backcountry chefs.

Boil time is where the Reactor truly shines. After lighting the metal grill burner, it quickly simmers down to a hot blue flame, and employs both radiant and convective heat transfer to rapidly boil water. A built-in heat exchanger fused to the bottom of the 1.7L pot disperses the heat, and does a fantastic job of blocking out extreme wind.

We were stunned at how fast bubbles began to dance in the pot, taking as few as just over two minutes to reach a rolling boil (depending on elevation and wind conditions). This makes it a solid choice for group trips where you need to whip up multiple meals fast. It also works great for melting large amounts of snow for water.

We appreciate this stove as a backup heat source when temps plummet as well, since it acts almost like a portable campfire that you can huddle around and warm your hands. Be careful not to light this in an enclosed tent or near any flammable materials though.

We did find it difficult to bring water to a simmer with this stove, and we found ourselves extinguishing the burner repeatedly in our attempts to reduce the heat output. Additionally, since the burner is so quiet (a plus while trying to be discrete around camp), it is often hard to know when it is still lit, or if you are just wasting fuel. With so much heat output, the pot also tends to get quite hot, so be careful when handling it.

These gripes aside, we feel that the Reactor still deserves a spot as one of the top weather-proof models on the market. If brutal adventures in wild conditions are your modus operandi, this may be the stove you need to ensure a hot meal awaits you at the end of each day.

GSI Outdoors has long been a popular brand for camping cookware. And with stoves like this, it’s moving more into the technical camping space. The GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Stove ($50) is a high-efficiency backpacking stove with pot supports that swivel down for super-compact storage and swivel up to create a 5-inch-diameter cooking surface.

The first thing you’ll notice on this small but mighty stove is the pot supports. They’re attached to the stove body with grommets and swivel into a notch to lock in place. They also sit slightly higher above the burner than other stoves, which we think contributed a little to this stove’s slightly slower boil time.

That being said, we found this stove to be just as stable as other ultralight options we tested — as long as you pick a good surface.

In terms of performance, the stove boiled fairly well and simmered well too. It’s also a similar price point to other stoves that are similar in size. The Pinnacle made this list because of its compact nature — it’s one of the smallest and lightest stoves out there.

GSI Outdoors also makes a four-season version of the Pinnacle with a fuel line, stove stand legs, and remote burner specifically for alpinists. We only tested it a few times in colder weather, but it burned strong and even and held up pretty well.

They say “A watched pot never boils.” But that’s not been our experience with JetBoil’s MiniMo ($165). It boils water in just over three minutes. This offers enormous peace of mind on the trail — because when you need hot water, the last thing anyone wants to do is wait around for it to boil. Redesigned FluxRing technology distributes heat throughout the vessel like a jet engine, and uses half the fuel of traditional systems.

But all of JetBoil’s stoves will boil water in a flash. Where the MiniMo really stands out from the crowd is in its shape. JetBoil designed the MiniMo specifically for backpackers who will be using it to heat up water as well as cook food. Metal handles, a wider mouth, and a shorter height make the MiniMo both easy to cook in, and easy to eat from. 

The MiniMo fits 1 Liter of water, is recommended to cook for 1-2 people, and ignites at the push of a button. It packs easily into a backpack, and all of the pieces fit inside the vessel itself. And, at just 14 ounces, it won’t be adding significantly to your pack weight. 

There are plenty of backpacking stoves on market. But there are far fewer that have a built-in igniter feature (which some campers swear by), and even fewer that come in at a super-affordable price.

The SOTO Amicus ($50) does all three, and performs beautifully. While it’s been on the market for a while, SOTO has redesigned and upgraded the full cook kit (stove, pot, and lid all included) several times. The most recent iteration is one of our favorites. The pot is a great size, and everything is able to pack into the kit for storage.

Plus, the SOTO Amicus is actually smaller than the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe, though still offers a great burner area, output, sturdy pot supports, and an included igniter in the design. The SOTO Amicus is definitely worth going on any backpacker’s shortlist who’s looking to upgrade their cook setup to something light, powerful, packable, and still fully featured.

One of the most unique things about this integrated canister stove is its ability to work with both propane and butane. That’s a nice option when switching between backpacking and car camping, or if you don’t know what type of fuel will be available wherever you’re traveling. The stove ($150) works great and is one of the most affordable integrated stoves available.

We found it a little slower to boil than the Jetboil Flash but were impressed with how reliably the piezo igniter worked. The main downside is the packed size. The 1.5L pot is overkill for solo backpackers and takes up too much space in ultralight backpacks.

On the plus side, the slightly larger and wider pot means it has a greater surface area to distribute heat. For a couple or group, this is a solid option with a larger capacity and versatile design.

This wasn’t a top choice because it’s not as easy to pack, and the propane fuel adapter is quite heavy.

Ultralight, foolproof, and steady to burn, Esbit’s titanium model solid fuel stove ($30) is the best and simplest we’ve used yet. The ultralight design is wild — even adding in a few days’ worth of fuel, it’s lighter than many of our canister stoves. The Esbit is made of titanium, with three folding legs that swivel out.

One thing we liked about the legs and pot supports is the ability to adjust them to different angles — they are on a swivel and don’t click into place, so you can move the legs 360 degrees. This is a great perk if you’re setting up on uneven terrain or a slightly sloping rock.

The legs and the fuel tray — that’s pretty much it. Light the fuel, sit back, and in about 10 minutes you’ll have a steady flame for boiling water or heating up a basic meal.

This stove is also unique in that it doesn’t require liquid (white gas or alcohol), pressurized fuel, or wood (collecting wood for fires is banned in some protected wildernesses and parks). The fuel is a solid, noncombustible cube that is fairly easy to light — and you can travel with it!

Note: Several reviewers online have noted that the fuel cubes have a fishy, malodorous smell to them. We did notice a bit of a pungent smell once unwrapped but didn’t experience any smelly fumes once the cube was burning. It burns clean, and there’s no ash. That being said, we recommend keeping the fuel in a sealable baggy stored separately so the smell isn’t an issue.

Our only con with this stove was that It took more than a few tries with matches and is much easier to light with a lighter.

All that, and this stove is still $30 (and is often on sale). An ultralight steal.

Constructed of titanium, this sturdy stove ($60) packs down flat and weighs in at a scant 4.6 ounces. Like the Solo Stove Lite, you’ll need to collect a pile of sticks and expect to wait around 10 minutes for a boil.

Be sure to set this on a sturdy surface to maintain airflow. We had problems at one point in a soft, sandy spot due to sinking and lack of oxygen. But placed on a rock, it did great.

On several online platforms, fans of the product have recommended drilling extra holes on the sidewall to increase airflow. But we haven’t tried that.

As with all wood-burning stoves, this stove will only work in areas with an abundance of sticks, and you’ll need to pay close attention to fire restrictions. Some state parks across the West don’t allow wood-burning stoves.

The integrated lock-on pot maximizes heat transfer, and the radiant burner means you don’t have to worry about a flame dying in the wind. There are lighter and cheaper options available, but what makes the WindBurner ($190) great is its quick boiling time and ability to work in all manners of weather.

At the end of a long day on the trail, it’s nice to be able to easily fire it up and make your favorite dehydrated meal in a flash. And being more efficient means wasting less fuel.

One of our editors used this stove while motorcycle camping for more than a year and never once had a problem. It fired up without a hitch, boiled water quickly, and packed up small.

The canister packs into the pot, and the plastic cup slips on the bottom to create an integrated package. Just remember to remove the cup before cooking. Trust us — it will melt.

This isn’t our top pick because it’s not ideal for groups, and its price is on the higher end.