As outdoor environments vary, portable stoves in China have continuously evolved and improved. Currently, most outdoor enthusiasts choose from types such as fuel stoves, gas stoves, alcohol stoves, and wood-burning stoves to meet their activity needs. To help more enthusiasts understand and use portable stoves, the following introduces the characteristics of these stove types based on personal experience — for reference only.
1. Fuel Stoves
A fuel stove refers to a type of stove that uses gasoline, kerosene, or similar fuels. These stoves are favored by many hikers and outdoor enthusiasts due to their powerful flames, high efficiency, energy-saving performance, eco-friendliness, suitability for high altitudes and low temperatures, fuel versatility, and easy availability.
Fuel options for fuel stoves include:
1. White Gas (No. 120)
Pros: Considered the best fuel among all options; burns without black smoke.
Cons: Highly volatile, poses a high risk of explosion, not suitable for carrying on one’s person, and the most expensive (20–30 RMB per 1L); limited availability.
2. Gasoline, commonly 92 or 95 octane automotive gasoline
Pros: Widely available, moderately priced (about 7 RMB per 1L).
Cons: Highly volatile, carries a high explosion risk, not suitable for carrying, and may produce black smoke when combustion is incomplete.
3. Kerosene, specifically suitable for fuel stoves is aviation kerosene, usually No. 3 aviation kerosene
Pros: Low volatility, low explosion risk, easy to carry, moderately priced (around 10 RMB per 1L), widely available (construction material markets, chemical supply stores, etc.).
Cons: May produce black smoke if combustion is incomplete, and requires a medium (commonly called a “primer”) to ignite.
In summary, kerosene is the most suitable fuel for hiking and mountaineering.
With increasingly strict management of flammable and explosive items on trains, airplanes, and subways across the country, carrying gas canisters for gas stoves has become more and more difficult, making the advantages of fuel stoves increasingly obvious. However, their disadvantages include larger size, more complex operation, and due to the dangerous and toxic irritant nature of the fuel, they cannot be used inside tents. They are also impractical under harsh weather conditions, thus limiting their use. There is no such thing as a perfect product.
Among commonly used fuel stoves, aside from one model by SOTO that requires no preheating (it is unknown whether it can use kerosene or if kerosene use requires preheating), other brands require preheating. Preheating, in simple terms, is the initial burning phase that transforms the liquid fuel delivered to the burner into a gaseous state to achieve optimal combustion.
Precautions for Using Fuel Stoves:
1. Usually, the fuel tank’s casing indicates the maximum fuel level; never exceed this upper limit when filling.
2. Do not leave the pump and fuel in the tank for extended periods when not in use or after use to prevent aging of the pump piston components.
3. When pressurizing the fuel tank with a pump, do not apply excessive pressure — just enough that pressing the pump piston feels slightly resistant. Otherwise, excessive internal pressure may damage the pump or cause uncontrollable flames due to too much fuel being released.
4. Do not use too much fuel for preheating to avoid large flames and potential hazards.
5. After using the stove, promptly clean the black carbon deposits on the fuel cup and preheating tube of the burner head to prevent clogging of the fuel nozzle.
6. After long-term use, clean the fuel tank and fuel nozzle with gasoline or kerosene to maintain unobstructed fuel flow, avoiding sudden malfunctions during outdoor use that could affect meals.
Since we’ve concluded that kerosene is the best fuel for hiking and mountaineering activities, mastering usage tips tailored to its characteristics will make operating your fuel stove much easier. Based on years of experience, here are several handy tips:
1. During Preheating:
First, unscrew the burner valve to release a small amount of fuel into the burner bowl, then close the valve. Kerosene requires an ignition medium (commonly called a “primer”). My method is to find dry fine grass stems nearby or roll up a small piece of tissue paper into a small paper stick. Dip one end of the grass stem or paper stick into the kerosene in the burner bowl, then pull it out. Light the kerosene-soaked end, then insert the lit stem or stick into the burner bowl to ignite the kerosene inside. After one or two minutes (preheating time may be longer in extremely cold conditions), observe the flame gradually diminishing, which indicates the kerosene in the bowl is nearly burned out. At this point, open the fuel tank valve and very slowly and gradually increase the flow until the flame sound becomes similar to that of an airplane engine, and the flame color changes from yellow to light blue. OK, preheating is complete.
2. During Use:
Usually, to keep things lightweight, I only carry one pot. This creates a challenge when cooking meals and boiling water at the campsite due to limited cookware. The advantage of a gas stove is that it can be ignited anytime. However, with a fuel stove, if you close the valve and try to reignite after some time, the preheating tube cools down quickly and needs reheating—wasting both time and fuel. It’s recommended to boil drinking water first, then prepare other foods.
3. After Use:
Some hikers say that using kerosene easily leads to carbon buildup and clogged nozzles, causing malfunctions, and thus requires regular cleaning, making the stove troublesome to use. I use a regular domestically produced fuel stove. After each use, I immediately wipe the burner head clean with a paper towel. Over the years of using this stove with aviation kerosene, I’ve never cleaned the burner head and have never experienced any nozzle clogging issues.
The above are the precautions and tips for using a fuel stove (during the 2014 Dragon Boat Festival Aotai [Tangkou-Yangpigo] traverse, 5.5 days, boiling instant noodles and water for dinner each camp, boiling water for egg-drop soup for breakfast, consuming a total of 600ml of kerosene, costing 6 yuan).
II. Alcohol Stove
Whether DIY by hikers or manufactured by gear companies, alcohol stoves produce significantly less flame power compared to gas or fuel stoves. Therefore, it takes longer to boil a pot of water. They are more suitable for boiling water for instant noodles, mountain hut meals, Mountain House, Mountain Gourmet, and other instant food-based outdoor meals—not ideal for “gourmet” meals—but they are undoubtedly the best option for ultralight (UL) solo outdoor cooking.
Alcohol Stove Usage Precautions:
1. Try to purchase high-concentration (95%) industrial alcohol.
2. When using an alcohol stove, do not fill it completely with alcohol; adding about two-thirds is sufficient.
3. If adding alcohol midway, always extinguish the flame first, let it cool for a while, then add more alcohol—otherwise, it can be dangerous. After use, wait until all the alcohol inside has burned out before extinguishing the flame with the lid.
4. For safety reasons, do not use it inside a tent.
III. Wood Stove (Direct Wood-Burning Stove)
In recent years, I’ve been carrying both a fuel stove and a wood stove, using them as needed. The advantages of a wood stove are obvious:
1. A powerful tool for ultralight (UL) travel. A titanium plate wood stove weighs just over 100 grams, and when not in use as a stove, it can serve as an ultra-light windbreak—adhering to the UL principle of multi-purpose gear.
2. Fuel is extremely easy to obtain, as it can be sourced directly on-site.
3. Suitable for both solo simple meals and group feasts.
4. Efficient and eco-friendly, as the wood burns thoroughly with strong and lasting firepower;
Disadvantages:
1. It may blacken the bottom of pots;
2. Availability of fuel can be affected by seasons, climate, and other factors;
3. Cannot be used inside tents during bad weather;
4. Damp wood produces heavy smoke.
Usage Notes
1. Use in areas with little wind
2. Maintain proper distance and angle from the tent based on wind direction
3. Bury the charcoal ash after use to be environmentally friendly
Usage Tips:
Lighting wood sometimes requires a bit of skill. While lighters and matches are commonly used, they become useless when wet or in strong winds. Therefore, the most reliable ignition tool in the wild is a magnesium rod.
Natural fire starters in the wild are usually dry leaves or dead grass, or some dry, fluffy low shrub branches. In the north, there is also a very common tree species — the birch tree. The birch bark contains betulin, which is as flammable as paper. Of course, there’s also pine resin from pine trees. Aside from pine resin, these fire-starting materials are very easy to find in the north, especially in winter, but are almost impossible to find in other seasons or during the rainy season in the south. I always carry some cotton balls (you can buy medical-grade cotton balls at pharmacies) coated with medical petroleum jelly (also available at pharmacies) when I go outdoors. Both items are very inexpensive. Cotton is highly flammable and an excellent fire starter, which can be easily ignited with a magnesium rod. Petroleum jelly, which is made of oils, helps sustain combustion and extends the burning time of the cotton. Compared to alcohol, the advantage of petroleum jelly is that it does not evaporate.
When you have no choice but to use damp wood, it will affect the firepower. In such cases, you can carry a small, lightweight DC 5V USB-powered blower (with a diameter of 5–7 cm). Nowadays, whether for outdoor activities or daily outings, power banks have become essential gear. By powering the blower with a power bank, you can blow air through the vent of the wood stove to accelerate oxygen delivery and enhance combustion.
The above content does not involve technical issues with stoves, but only shares personal usage experiences to provide newcomers with a reference for choosing types of stoves and to offer users a bit of help.