My old stove finally gave out on a trip near Lake Tahoe

It was a cheap one I got six years ago, and the piezo lighter just stopped sparking in the cold. I had to use a lighter for every single meal, which was a huge pain. Anyone know a good, simple stove that works well below freezing?

4 comments

4 Comments

allen.kai4mo ago

Have you looked into the MSR WhisperLite stoves?

phoenixw114mo ago

Those stoves are built to last... reminds me of how we used to make things. Now everything feels cheap and breaks after a year. It's nice to see gear that still values that old-school reliability.

betty_wells4mo ago

Those WhisperLite stoves are solid, but you need to know what you're getting into. They run on white gas, not the canisters most people use now. That means you have to pump the fuel bottle and prime the stove every single time. It's a process, but once it's going the flame control is great for simmering. Just be ready for a bit more work than just clicking a piezo lighter.

grantp141mo ago

Exactly. That priming part is the make or break for most people. I've had friends give up on theirs after they couldn't get the flame to settle down on a windy ridge. Once you nail the preheat though, you're set for a decade or more.