The idea of the backpacking stove is much older than you probably think! While the alcohol stove (one of which you see here) dates back to the mid 19th century with the invention of the "Rob Roy" stove by English Mountaineer Francis Fox Tuckett, examples of portable stoves go back as far as the early 1600s with the Japanese Shinchin.
Ever portable and guaranteed to cook even when all of the wood in camp is wet, the portable stove has been and still is a mainstay in the woodsman's kit. I know there's always one in my ruck when I go out to the field, even when I plan to use a campfire to do my cooking. Two is one, and one is none right? Because I may not use it, I want it to be a small as possible, and still effective enough to cook a meal, and not just boil water. Until I found this model, my stove of choice was the brass Trangia stove with a simmer ring. Great stove... one main fault. The brass, being a softer material is VERY prone to denting, and the design of the simmer ring always left something to be desired if you had to change the setting midway through cooking.
This model here by Dave Canterbury and the Pathfinder School though, seems to tick all of the boxes I was looking for. Stainless steel is a MUCH tougher material, so I don't have to worry about it as much. The bailed handle for the simmer ring makes on the fly adjustments a breeze, and it even includes a very simple stove ring that fits around the base to strengthen the stove, and pack away nice and teeny. It has become a must have for me, and because of that, I want to offer them to you as well.
Pick one up today and always have a reliable means of cooking, even in inclement weather! Pick up as few and keep them all over the place... in bugout bags, emergency kits, hiking packs, power outage supplies, car grab bags... at this price you can keep them everywhere and never have to worry about a reliable cooking source again!
But don't forget the fuel!
The Pathfinder Alcohol Stove w/ Stove Ring and Flame Regulator (Pen Manufacturer):
Dimensions:
- Height: 2 5/8"
- Width: 3 3/8"
Specs:
- All metal is Stainless Steel
- Will hold approx. 4.5 ounces of fuel
- Burn time is 20 minutes plus
- Weighs 8.2 ounces
Denatured alcohol (recommended fuel).