I've only done two trips and both times we did all our cooking over the fire, kind of a pain in the butt. Just wondering what's the best stove or burner for boiling water and pan frying fish? I've looked at the small collapsible stoves that burn small sticks and also the single burner butane stoves, just a lot of options out there and not sure what to go with. Thanks for any help.

If you're looking for ease of use and good simmering ability I'd look at an MSR Windpro II. There are also very good clones of these and other canister stoves that others use either as primary or reserve stoves. If you think you may want to use it year round then a white gas stove might be more your speed but they require a little more effort than a canister. You could also go with a screw on burner to top a 1lb propane tank, but then you're stuck carrying steel tanks that are heavy.

Hmmm.........tough to beat the Kovea Spyder. A remote Canister stove which is excellently priced and more compact than competitors with excellent simmering capabilities. You can spend lots more (yes I also own several MSR stoves) but why? The Kovea has a nice wide platform for stability as well.

Kovea spyder

you can purchase twig stoves and alcohol stoves etc. but for typical summer tripping of trips lasting less than a couple of weeks a remote canister stove is the way to go IMO. Long trips which include lots of travel a twig stove might be considered as an abundance of fuel starts to get heavy. There is just something nice however about turning a valve and flicking a bic.

The blog site "Adventures in Stoving" is a wealth of info and where I came across the Kovea Spyder.

Adventures in Stoving

If you're thinking of a 4 season stove, I'd consider the MSR Dragonfly. I really like that stove and have used in in all 4 seasons and high altitude. Great stove with a wide range of heat options from simmer to rapid boil. It also has an incredibly wide pot support for a single burner stove. It looks like the white gas version of what that Kovea stove MT is suggesting. I've also grown to really enjoy my Jetboil canister stove. If you're eating a lot of dehydrated meals its an excellent stove cause it Boils water insanely fast. I've fried fish with the skillet they offer, but there's not a lot of heat control with this stove so the oil gets hot and stays hot. Great for 2 people though. Good luck with your hunt, let us know what you decide!
MSR Dragonfly

"best stove or burner for boiling water and pan frying fish? "

Not going into "best" just a consideration for adjust-ability and size/spread of the burner head. Too small like the Kovea Spyder results in hot spots on a larger frypan. The Windpro style is larger
but not as large as a Whisperlite Universal this photo is from a Rapidfire but uses the same burner as the Whisperlite. The Dragonfly has the largest pot support diameter but the flame spread is between the Spyder and the others, also is a liquid gas stove.
A burner like the Primus Classic Trail is both large in diameter and adjustable, but because it's on the canister limits the stability and windscreen option.
It makes a difference, depending on the size of pan or pot used, also affects the fuel efficiency of the cooking system.

butthead

Is the OP after a single or double burner? I use a MSR when solo, but with a group we always have a large 2 burner think ita a coleman.

There are a fair number of good stoves on the market. I have an MSR Pocket Rocket and also an MSR Dragonfly, they've both served me well.

The MSR Dragonfly wins hands down for me because of the stable platform and flame adjustment from simmer to fast boil. I avoided canister stoves because I didn't want to lug empty canisters around and I want to know how much fuel I have at any given time.

Over the last 20 years I have gone from the whisperlite, solo twig stove, alcohol stove, fire grate, to the soto windmaster and purcell trench grill. I have found the convenience, control and efficiency of the windmaster to be perfect for me. Since the trench grill is so light, I really enjoy cooking over it when time and fuel is available.

I am curious Butthead........have you used a Kovea Spyder or are you using conjecture based on casual observation?

While the Kovea Spyder head seems tight and compact the flame dispersal is excellent.......there are no "hot spots" like one might find with a pocket Rocket. I have a Wind Pro and find them very comparable except the Kovea is more compact and less $$.

Here is the "Adventures in Stoving" review which piqued my interest in this Korean manufactured stove.

Kovea Spyder review

mastertangler: "I am curious Butthead........have you used a Kovea Spyder or are you using conjecture based on casual observation?


While the Kovea Spyder head seems tight and compact the flame dispersal is excellent.......there are no "hot spots" like one might find with a pocket Rocket. I have a Wind Pro and find them very comparable except the Kovea is more compact and less $$.

Here is the "Adventures in Stoving" review which piqued my interest in this Korean manufactured stove.

Kovea Spyder review "

Yes I have. It works best with a 5 to 6 inch pot or pan of anodized aluminum medium thick. Good stove but a bit heavy for it's size and footprint, due to the stainless rod bent pot supports. Most of it's flame is projected sideways so not as concentrated as similar diameter heads as the PocketRocket. The Spider was just used by me not owned. I do own a nearly identical wire legged but not pre-heated canister stove, Bulin 100, similar but one I use regularly Alocs G22 with stamped SS pot suports and a pre-heated fuel line.

I am very familiar with Jim's blog and reviews, consider him well versed and reliable, not overly critical in opinions. Do note he was mainly boiling in a 5 inch diameter Titan Kettle, and not trying to pan fry fish.

butthead

OK.......fair enough.

I do not share your opinion however and regularly cook fish with mine without any issues . As per weight I could understand the concern if we are talking backpacking........but the extra 1 or 2 ounces that could be shaved I chalk up to sturdy construction. The thing is not cheaply made despite being about 1/2 the price of comparable MSR stoves. The Spyder is far more compact as well with superior engineering IMO.

Having said all that I will probably be taking a MSR this summer since I gave my Spyder along with an Evernew pot to a newbie when I found out he was going backpacking in Colorado.

We use the MSR Windpro II. Great stability, high heat output, but more importantly you can get a real nice low simmer which can be very important when making pancakes or biscuits. MSR PocketRocket as a second stove to heat water while cooking with the other stove. Good backup, lightweight and very efficient for packing, but not as stable for cooking on because of the smaller base and having to sit on top of the canister. Both are extremely dependable and hassle free.

Wind Pro2 for us. The MSR customer service has been great, replacing a part for free on a 6-7 year old stove which was damaged by user error. I tried to buy the part but they insisted on covering it. The wind screen saves us 20-30% on fuel use.

mastertangler: "Hmmm.........tough to beat the Kovea Spyder. A remote Canister stove which is excellently priced and more compact than competitors with excellent simmering capabilities. You can spend lots more (yes I also own several MSR stoves) but why? The Kovea has a nice wide platform for stability as well. "

I also really like my Kovea Spyder. I bought mine pretty cheap on a camping saver website. It simmers very well and has great pot support. I did also just purchase a SOTO Windmaster as a second stove to bring since I like to eat and get on the water. I will also bring this with in the canoe for mid-day meal or coffee. If you want pics just let me know and I will send some to you.

I have an MSR Dragonfly and Whisperlite, and an Optimus Nova. My fairly strong preference is the Optimus.

ParkerMag, a newer style Nova with the lindal style connector that fits both the ErgoPump and canisters, Polaris Optifuel I think? Or the old style bayonet fitting only?

butthead

butthead: "ParkerMag, a newer style Nova with the lindal style connector that fits both the ErgoPump and canisters, Polaris Optifuel I think? Or the old style bayonet fitting only?


butthead"

That was effectively Greek to me!

If this photo shows the two connectors you're referring to, mine is the one on the right.

ParkerMag: "

butthead: "ParkerMag, a newer style Nova with the lindal style connector that fits both the ErgoPump and canisters, Polaris Optifuel I think? Or the old style bayonet fitting only?



butthead"

That was effectively Greek to me!


If this photo shows the two connectors you're referring to, mine is the one on the right.
"

Left side is a bayonet fitting, new version replacing the CEJN fitting used on early Nova's. Used with the + as mentioned a single valve version where the flame adjustment is by turning the fuel line.
Upper right a Optifuel with lindal hose fitting and the ErgoPump which conects to a lindal style hose. True multi fuel that can use heavy fuels like diesel to iso-butane gas canisters.
I use an ErgoPump to run Coleman fuel (I have jets that fit a variety of stoves and fuels).
Some Nova's came out with a fuel line from the OmniFuel stove and fit an ErgoPump also, Kind of a Otpimus/Primus hybrid.
Ever do a side by side Nova and Dragonfly comparison?
Nova and Dragonfly This is an old CEJN fitting Nova, still a damn good burner.

butthead

Someone above mentioned the Primus Classic Trail Stove - my buddy and I each bought one of these several years ago and typically bring them both on trips. They are bulletproof, highly reviewed, simmer down pretty well and have a nice wide flame pattern. Best of all - they are cheap at around $18-$19 most places. If it is just he and I we don't do this but in a larger group we will bring a nonstick griddle that slides down the back of your pack. We set these two stoves on a flat spot and lay the griddle across both for a nice large cooking surface for fish, pancakes, or a big breakfast.

Not the fanciest but just a good, durable and affordable stove option that has worked great for us. Buying two at that price is still cheaper than many backpacking type stoves.


Primus Classic

butthead: "Ever do a side by side Nova and Dragonfly comparison?
butthead"

Had both of them on a 5-man trip a few years ago, so that's as close as I've come to a side-by-side comparison. Doing different things with each, so it wan't too pure as far as comparisons go. As I recall though, things were mostly pretty similar, but I do think the Nova can do lower heat settings a little more easily.

Gotta agree on the simmer between my old style Nova and Dragonfly, both simmer very low but the Nova adjusts to almost no real heat output yet stays burning. I consistently get quicker boil times (Dragonfly), but think the Dragonfly supports pots in a sweeter spot for that. Nova just a scoshe bit heavier with slightly smaller pot support. Looks like yours is the Optifuel version and can use liquid or canister, a big plus! Used to own a Brunton Vapor AF that was very similar to the Optifuel.

butthead

lots of things to think about, thanks for all info and suggestions guys.

How many of you are tripping together? A solo traveller could easily get along well with a butane single burner. Move that up to the maximum size group and you'll be starting the next meal before the last person gets served. With a group size of 4 we use two of the isopro canisters with a single burner on each for some meals. When we come it with 4 to 6 fish to cook, the wood fire in the grill is the only way to go.

YES! Cooking on a fire grate/over the fire is difficult, messy and takes SO much extra time.

For years I have used a 2 burner coleman stove with the green gas canisters. It is reliable. It blocks the wind really well. It is heavy and takes up tons of packing space. I have used it for about 10 trips.

Recently, for longer trips (3) with more portaging we have been taking the small primus style burner with the smaller butane gas tanks. MUCH easier to pack, much lighter to carry but dont block the wind and sometimes are harder to balance a pot on....depending on the base and what rock you sit it on.

Both work well, both WAY WAY better than cooking over the stove...just depends which you prefer.

Here is my review on the Biolite Stove.

I've cooked over the fire and on a gas stove. I'm not as big a fan of the gas stoves, maybe the one I used was too cheap and small, but it seems to me that they can be finicky. My next purchase is going to be a cheap twig stove so I can try that out. If I like it better than the cheap gas stove, I might invest in one that is a little nicer.

It can take a long time to get a pot of water boiling, especially when you just started the fire and are trying to cook 2 things at once over it. But if you split it up and use a stove for boiling water, that frees up the hot spot over the fire for the fish or whatever is in the pan. Then once the fire grows, if you need to simmer anything, that boiling water can be shifted to the fire grate and save on fuel for the stove. So if you are just leaning towards getting a stove, gas or twig, to make cooking a little easier, you might want to consider starting small and seeing if all you need is something to boil water.

If you know exactly what you want, buy the good one the first time, but if you are unsure then buy something dirt cheap, or borrow, to try it out. Then once you learn what you do or don't like, you go and buy the good one that will last, or is light enough.

RMinMN: "How many of you are tripping together? A solo traveller could easily get along well with a butane single burner. Move that up to the maximum size group and you'll be starting the next meal before the last person gets served. With a group size of 4 we use two of the isopro canisters with a single burner on each for some meals. When we come it with 4 to 6 fish to cook, the wood fire in the grill is the only way to go."

Usually just two here. I've used a single backpacking stove for three. I've used two stoves for groups of four and five. Haven't done, and am not too interested in a trip with more than five, but can imagine it getting tricky with only backpacking stoves for those larger groups.