Lightweight Stoves for Camping UK
A hot cup of coffee in the morning after a chilly night under the stars in your camping tent is the perfect start to get you ready for the day’s schedule! Similarly, a warm meal and hot chocolate before bed after a tough day of hiking the trails is what you need to get a peaceful night's sleep.
While there are numerous types of camping stoves on the market, not all are built the same, and crucially, not all of them are lightweight enough to take with you on a tough trail.Remember that the worst enemy for a hiker on the trail is weight, so adding more kilos to your already heavy rucksack is the last thing you want to do. For this, you need a lightweight and practical camping stove to give you the service you require without slowing you down. To save you the trouble, we have assessed a few of the best camping stoves sold by retailers on the market to provide you with an unbiased review of the best lightweight camping stove you can buy!
Lightweight Stoves for Camping - A Guide
A couple of factors will need to be considered when shopping for a practical camping stove. These will not only help you to find the right product but also let you enjoy a comfortable experience when you put the stove to use.
What will you be Cooking?
The kind of meals you’ll be preparing will largely depend on the type of trip you’re planning.
For example, if you’re just going for a weekend hike in the uk where you’ll only need to boil water for a quick mug of coffee in the morning or a dehydrated meal in the afternoon, then it’s okay to choose a simple stove with limited features.
However, if you’ll be spending a couple of weeks or even months camping in the middle of nowhere, then you’ll want something to enable you to do some proper cooking.
As such, you need to go for the more elaborate camping stoves in the market. Other features such as durability, reliability, and ease of use will have to come into the picture!
How Many People are you Cooking for?
The number of people taking part in the camping expedition also matters!Obviously, you won’t need to trouble yourself with a massive camping stove if you’re just cooking for one or two people.But if you’re camping as a family or with a group of friends, you want a stove large enough to cook a meal that you can serve the entire party without anybody missing out!
What Type of Fuel do you Prefer?
Camping stoves typically run on three major types of fuel. These include gas canisters of butane or propane, liquid fuel such as alcohol, kerosene, or petrol, and solid fuel in the form of wood and twigs.
You may also find camping stoves powered by solar energy, although these are not very common. All three fuel types come with unique pros and cons that you might want to consider before buying the stove.
For starters, canister gas stoves are relatively easy to access. They are more user-friendly and require very little maintenance. However, they might be affected by extreme conditions and end up underperforming.
Overall, they are a good fit for family camping trips (choose refillable canister stoves as single-use models harm the environment).
Meanwhile, liquid burning stoves perform greatly under cold conditions, high altitude, and extreme weather. They are also readily available and will be a great choice for extended trips into the remote camping territory.On the downside, they can be pretty costly and require high levels of maintenance. Lastly, solid burning camping stoves save you the trouble of having to carry your fuel. You can easily find the fuel (wood and twigs) at the campsite.
These are also easy to operate but prove to be lacking when the weather is extremely wet and windy.Solar-powered stoves will be a nice choice for the environmentally conscious and save you extra weight on your backpack in the form of fuel. However, the stove is only as good as the availability of sunlight in your campsite. If there is no sun, there is no cooking!
How Much do you Want to Spend on a Camping Stove?
The best lightweight camping stove UK is not always the one exhibited on the topmost shelf!
You can get a cheap camping stove that won’t dent your pockets to cover you for the adventure without letting you down.
It’s always wise to spend within your means and ensure that you don’t go beyond the budget. Furthermore, you still have to factor in the cost of buying fuel and additional canisters when estimating your ideal budget for the camping stove.
What Else should you Think About when Buying a Camping Stove?
Other features that will be instrumental to the performance of your camping stove include burn time and boil time. This simply refers to the duration taken by your stove to burn a specific amount of fuel and the time it takes to boil water respectively. Generally, the faster the boil time, the better! But it shouldn’t compromise fuel efficiency. Safety is another important factor that should interest you. You want to seek out any safety features offered by the camping stove.Additionally, look for a stable camping stove that can’t be toppled over easily by the wind or by someone walking. It should also be durable enough to cope with harsh outdoor conditions and maintain its performance for the long haul.Finally, find a stove that you can count on no matter the season or conditions. The best lightweight camping stove UK offers a balance between all the features mentioned above.
Lightweight Camping Stoves - Reviews
Jetboil Minimo
The Jetboil Minimo is a compact, convenient, and fuel-efficient integrated stove system that will serve you diligently during camping trips.
It boasts an extremely fast boil time and comes with everything you’ll need to prepare your favourite meal in the middle of nowhere. While its price may be on the higher side in the industry, you can rest assured that you are getting value for your money!This camping stove comes with a cooking cup made out of anodised aluminium that weighs 210 grams. Unlike most other Jetboil models, the Minimo’s L cooking cup is lower and wider, resulting in a low spoon angle that allows you to eat right from the cup. It also enables you to cook a wider variety of meals aside from just boiling water. The coating is relatively scratch resistant but you might notice some dark marking at the bottom as time goes.
Another useful feature on the Minimo is the flame regulator, which allows you to cook at a preferred pace. The regulatory system makes for consistent performance in temperatures as low and -6 degrees Celsius.It is a magnificent feature that will regulate the flame between light simmer and rolling boil. A push-button piezo igniter is built into the burner head and allows for easy operation of the stove.
Gas Canister
The stove comes with a 100g gas canister and can boil half a litre of water in just over 2 minutes. Although it doesn’t state which conditions will support this, the boil time is one of the fastest you can get in the market. Overall, the Jetboil Minimo is compact, lightweight, and fast. It is an essential piece of camping gear that you can bring on a camping trip if you want to make the most of your experience. Fast boil time Easy to start and operate Simmer control Cooking flexibility Compact and portable Sturdy metallic handle Ergonomic bowl coating ExpensiveTerra Hiker Portable Camping Gas Stove
Whilst the Jeboil Minimo is one of the best lightweight camping stoves Uk in its class, it will also cost you more than you may be comfortable with. For a more price-friendly option, you can go with the Terra Hiker portable camping stove.
Despite the cheap price, it doesn’t flinch when it comes to performance. This camping stove is quite fast; it can boil a liter of water in just three minutes. This is a little more than what the more expensive Minimo offers.
The fast boil time also saves you fuel and shortens the wait before dinner is served. Another useful feature that you’ll find on the more expensive models is the piezo built-in ignition.This ensures that you still get to enjoy your hot cup of coffee even when you forget to carry a box of matches. The flame can also be adjusted, so you won’t be overwhelmed by the level of heat produced.
Weighing only 325g, this is a lightweight stove that gives you a comfortable time on the trail. It also features a nice foldable design that packs down easily for convenient carrying.A plastic casing is included inside the package to make for handy carrying. The stove boasts 3.5kW of power, which a decent amount of heat for a budget camping stove. It is also compatible with the majority of cartridges you can find. On the downside, there have been complaints about the ignition and possible leakage. Other than that, the Terra Hiker offers quality features that you won’t find on most of its peers. It offers the kind of value for the money you are looking for! Built-in ignition Cheap price Good value for money Heat regulation Small and portable Nice foldable design Fast boiling time No windshield Issues with the ignition
Biolite CampStove 2 with FlexLight
The Biolite Camp Stove 2 impresses right from its appearance. It looks like it’s about to launch into space and can charge your electronic devices.
This feature already places it in a class of its own in the market. Aside from that, you will appreciate the quality of heat produced by the Biolite when you want to boil water or cook. You won’t feel weighed down by this 940-gram during hiking, although the weight is almost three times that of the Jetboil Flash.
It is also pretty compact and takes little space inside your backpack. The fact that you don’t have to carry fuel is another bonus that you’ll appreciate as it reduces your load on the trail.The Biolite camping stove comes with a unique operation. It captures heat from the fire before converting it into electric energy with the help of a thermoelectric generator. The resulting electricity, in turn, powers the fan to supply the electricity to the USB charging port.
Jetboil Flash 2
If pure boiling speed is what you’re looking for, it doesn’t better than the Jetboil Flash 2! This camping stove will boil your water in under two minutes, which probably the fastest time in the market.
You can credit this to the innovative design of the stove, which features a FluxRing element at bottom of the cooking pot. The metal concertina design increases the heated surface area, helping to max out the efficiency of the burner.The Jetboil Flash 2.0 is a complete cooking system; you only need to add the gas canister to get it going. The stove spots a vertical arrangement, although there is a plastic tripod that you can use to stabilise the stove for a more comfortable cooking session. The tripod legs fold out and clip the bottom rim of the gas canister. The burner is screwed onto the gas canister and a regulator helps to manage the heat of the flame.
A transparent lid covers the cooking pot and this features a drinking hole and strainer. Furthermore, the Jetboil Flash 2 features a plastic protector at the bottom that may also be used as a measuring cup.
The skirt cover comes with markings that will be pretty useful if ml calibration is added. This also locks to the bottom of the vessel securely, making for easy storage. You will also need the 100g gas canister to complete this stove system.
From here, it will be complete and ready to cook your meals. When it comes to boiling water or rehydrating dry food, no camping stove in the market will outshine the jetboil flash 2.0 cooking system. On the downside, there is no simmer control, so you have to keep a close eye on your food.
This will mean constant stirring and periodically lifting the pot off the stove to keep your food from overcooking. The stove also performs extremely well as far as providing efficiency is concerned.
It features a 2000-watt power rating to go with a consumption of 139g per hour. You can also get an accessory pan support but this will cost you extra. Overall, it is a winning camping stove if boiling water and rehydrating foods are what you’re looking for!
Fast boil time
Lightweight and comfortable
Takes little space in the backpack
Fuel-efficient
Temperature indicator
Tripod legs for stability
Non-conducting wrapping to avoid injury
No simmer control
MSR WhisperLite International Combo Stove
This is a rugged backpacking stove that you go for when you want to spend months of hiking and camping. It proves to be an excellent multi-day camping partner that will be a godsend for your adventure.
The MSR WhisperLite can cook different types of meals and produces a reliable flame. It comes with a lightweight yet robust and easy to use functionality that should cover you for the entirety of your adventure.
It remains functioning impressively even under extreme weather conditions when the wind is strong and at high altitude. The fast boil rate of the WhisperLite saves fuel, allowing the stove to sustain you for weeks and months in the wilderness.However, you want to learn how to tidy up the stove before you take it for a long-term trip. It tends to get clogged and this is something you must address punctually to avoid getting stranded in the middle of your adventure.
On the downside, you’ll have a hard time trying to keep the stove from burning at full-throttle. Considering that there is no fuel regulator, the pot has to be removed from the flame constantly to try and simmer the meal.Another trick you can use is to remove the heat and blow the flame out before unscrewing the fuel bottle. This will reduce the pressure, enabling you to only pump up the primer a few times to light the stove. However, one thing you’ll like about this stove is that you can use a variety of fuel sources to power it. From kerosene to gasoline and white gas, you enjoy then the versatility of using your fuel of choice, As far as price is concerned, the MSR WhisperLite International camping stove does not come cheap! The good thing that you’ll be investing in a reliable piece of outdoor gear that offers a great bang for the buck! This canister camping stove will also be the perfect fit for campers looking for great fuel efficiency, user-friendliness, and versatile overall design. Not to mention that is durable and can be used on those endless adventures in the wild. Great fuel efficiency Rugged and durable construction User-friendly Supports multiple types of fuel Great for long-term adventures Efficient and effective Not cheap
Conclusion
Going camping with your friends or family can make for unforgettable memories. But to make the most of your time, you must carry the appropriate gear to sustain you during your time away from civilisation. One of the most essential pieces of equipment to include in your gear list is a portable camping stove. So, if you are looking for the best lightweight camping stove, any of the above-reviewed models will be a great place to start!FAQ
What is the Best Camping Stove UK?
There are so many camping stove brands in the market that will make a compelling case for the best in the industry from the kind of performance offered. However, the best camping stove will depend on your needs as a camper, your budget, as well as the type of adventure you’re planning. For long-term camping expeditions, the MSR WhisperLite is highly rated while the Campingaz Chef Folding Stove comes in handiest for family adventures.What is the Best Multi-fuel Camping Stove?
The MSR WhisperLite shines brightly on so many fronts, but what raises its profile in the world of camping stoves is its ability to use a wide variety of fuels. The stove can be powered by white gas, petrol, kerosene, etc.Aside from its fuel-burning versatility, the stove is also highly reliable, adaptable, and offers user-friendly functionality.The compact size is also practical to carry on the trail and its durable construction allows you to use it for months without deterioration in performance.
