As outdoor environments vary, outdoor stoves in China have continued to develop and improve. 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 outdoor stoves, based on our own experience, we’ll introduce the characteristics of these types of stoves below for reference only.
1. Fuel Stoves
Fuel stoves refer to stoves that use gasoline, kerosene, and similar fuels. These stoves are favored by many hikers and outdoor enthusiasts for their high heat output, efficiency, energy-saving properties, environmental friendliness, ability to function unaffected by high altitudes or low temperatures, and the diversity and accessibility of fuel options.
Fuel options for fuel stoves include:
1. White gas No. 120
Pros: The best fuel among all options, burns without black smoke.
Cons: Highly volatile, high risk of explosion, not suitable for carrying around, most expensive (20–30 RMB per 1L), limited availability.
2. Gasoline, commonly 92 or 95 octane car gasoline
Pros: Widely available, moderately priced (about 7 RMB per 1L).
Cons: Highly volatile, high risk of explosion, not suitable for carrying, may produce black smoke if not fully combusted.
3. Kerosene, suitable for fuel stoves is typically aviation kerosene, usually No. 3 aviation kerosene
Pros: Low volatility, low explosion risk, suitable for carrying, moderately priced (about 10 RMB per 1L), widely available (building material markets, chemical supply stores, etc.).
Cons: May produce black smoke if not fully combusted, requires a medium (commonly called a “primer”) to ignite.
In summary, kerosene is the most suitable fuel to carry for hiking and mountaineering.
With the strict management of flammable and explosive items by national railways, airlines, and urban subways, it has become increasingly difficult to carry gas canisters, the fuel for gas stoves. As a result, the advantages of fuel stoves are becoming more apparent. However, they also have downsides: larger size, complex operation, and due to the dangerous and toxic nature of the fuel, they cannot be used inside tents. Under harsh weather conditions, fuel stoves may also be unusable, giving them certain limitations. No product in the world is perfect.
Among the currently commonly used fuel stoves, aside from one SOTO model that does not require preheating (it is unknown whether it can use kerosene or if kerosene use requires preheating), other brands of fuel stoves all need preheating. Preheating, in layman’s terms, refers to the initial combustion stage that transforms the liquid fuel sent to the burner into a gaseous state to achieve optimal combustion.
Precautions for using fuel stoves:
1. Usually, the maximum fuel level is marked on the fuel canister shell—never exceed this upper limit when adding fuel.
2. Do not leave the fuel pump and fuel in the canister for extended periods when not in use or after use to prevent aging of the pump piston components.
3. When pressurizing the fuel canister with the fuel pump, do not apply excessive pressure—just enough that pressing the pump piston feels slightly difficult. Otherwise, excessive internal pressure could damage the pump or cause uncontrollable flames due to over-spraying fuel.
4. Do not use too much fuel for preheating to avoid creating overly large flames and causing danger.
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 prolonged use, clean the fuel tank and fuel nozzle with gasoline or kerosene to keep the fuel line unobstructed, 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, understanding usage techniques tailored to kerosene’s characteristics will make operating your fuel stove much easier. Based on years of experience, here are a few useful tips:
1. During Preheating:
First, open the burner valve slightly to release a bit 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 thin stick. Dip one end of the grass stem or paper stick into the kerosene in the burner bowl, then pull it out. Ignite 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 takes longer in extremely cold conditions), observe as the flame gradually becomes smaller—this indicates that the kerosene in the burner bowl is nearly used up. At this point, open the fuel tank valve and slowly, gradually increase the flow until the flame sound becomes similar to that of a jet engine, and the flame color changes from yellow to light blue. OK, preheating is complete.
2. During Use:
Usually, to minimize weight, I only carry one cookware item, which leads to limited utensil availability when cooking or boiling water at camp. The advantage of a gas stove is that it can be ignited instantly whenever needed. However, with a fuel stove, if you close the valve for some time and then try to reignite it, the preheating tube cools down quickly and needs reheating, which wastes 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 causes carbon buildup and nozzle clogging, requiring regular cleaning, which makes fuel stoves troublesome. I use a common domestically produced fuel stove. After each use, I immediately wipe the burner head clean with a paper towel. After using the fuel stove for all these years with aviation kerosene, I have never cleaned the burner head or experienced any nozzle clogging issues.
The above are precautions and a few tips for using a fuel stove (During the 5.5-day Ao-Tai (Tangkou-Yangpigou) trek on the Dragon Boat Festival in 2014, I cooked instant noodles and boiled water for dinner at camp each day, and boiled water for egg-drop soup for breakfast, consuming a total of 600ml of kerosene, at a cost of 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. As a result, it takes longer to boil a pot of water, making them more suitable for simple outdoor meals like boiling water for instant noodles, mountain house meals, Mountain House-style meals, or other instant food options—not ideal for hearty feasts. But alcohol stoves are undoubtedly the best choice for ultra-lightweight (UL) solo backpacking.
Precautions for Using an Alcohol Stove:
1. Try to purchase high-concentration (95%) industrial alcohol.
2. When using an alcohol stove, do not fill it completely—only add about two-thirds full.
3. If adding alcohol midway, always extinguish the flame first, let it cool for a while, then add more alcohol; otherwise, it may be dangerous. After use, make sure all the alcohol inside has burned out before covering it to extinguish the flame.
4. For safety reasons, do not use it inside a tent.
III. Wood Stove (Directly Burning Firewood)
In recent years, I have been carrying both a fuel stove and a wood stove, using them as needed. The advantages of a wood stove are obvious:
1. A great tool for lightweight (UL) travel. A titanium plate wood stove weighs just over 100 grams and can double as an ultra-light windbreak when using other stoves, meeting the UL principle of multi-purpose minimalism.
2. Fuel is extremely accessible, as it can be sourced directly on-site.
3. Suitable for both individual simple meals and group feasts.
4. Efficient and eco-friendly, as the wood burns thoroughly with strong and long-lasting flames;
Disadvantages:
1. It may blacken the bottom of pots;
2. Gathering materials can be affected by factors such as season and climate;
3. Cannot be used inside tents in bad weather;
4. Damp wood produces thick smoke.
Usage Precautions
1. Use in areas with low wind
2. Maintain an appropriate distance and angle from the tent based on wind direction
3. Bury the charcoal ash after use to be as environmentally friendly as possible
Usage Tips:
Lighting wood sometimes requires a little trick. While lighters and matches are commonly used, they become useless when wet or in strong winds. Therefore, the most reliable fire-starting tool in the wild is a magnesium rod.
Natural fire-starting materials in the wild are usually dry leaves, dead grass, or some dry, fluffy twigs of low shrubs. In the north, there is also a very common tree species—the birch tree. Birch bark contains betulin, which is as flammable as paper. Of course, there’s also pine resin from pine trees. Apart 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. Every time I go outdoors, I bring some cotton balls coated with medical Vaseline (which you can buy at a pharmacy). These two items are also very inexpensive. Cotton is a highly flammable material and an excellent fire starter that can be easily ignited with a magnesium rod. The main component of Vaseline is fat, which helps combustion and prolongs the burning time of the cotton. Compared to alcohol, the advantage of Vaseline is that it does not evaporate.
When you have no choice but to use damp wood, it can affect the strength of the flame. In such cases, you can carry a lightweight, small DC 5V USB-powered blower (with a diameter of 5–7 cm). Nowadays, whether for outdoor trips or daily outings, power banks have become essential gear. By using a power bank to supply electricity, the blower can blow air through the vent of the wood stove to accelerate oxygen delivery and enhance combustion.
The above content does not involve the technical aspects of stoves but only shares my personal usage experience. It aims to provide newcomers with a reference for choosing stove types and offer users a bit of help.