bugout bag stove recommendations?

[fg12351]

I'm in the process of building a bugout bag for my fiancee and myself. I'm looking at food supplies and I'm thinking MRE's\dehydrated Mountain House food\Freezer bag cooking. So in terms of a stove I am looking at just something to boil water.

I'm looking at stoves and I'm debating between Esbit\White Box\or something like an MSR PocketRocket. I built my own Pepsi Can stove but it's a pain and I couldn't get it to boil after a few attempts.

Anyone have any experience with an Esbit or something similar? I would use it for general camping is well. The PocketRocket or other canister stove looks like it would make life easiest.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

FG12351

 

[obijohn]

i've got a "pop can" alky burner in my ghb. i'm surprised that yours doesn't work for you, all i've built will boil water in no time. simple is better. pretty much any of the backpacking style stoves will work fine as will heat tabs on the ground.

 

[dblagent]

Pocket rocket is a good deal for sure, and high on my list. I have also had the Optimus Crux recommended to me at about the same price as the MSR and also tiny.

Optimus - Optimus Crux

Also, the JetBoil is highly regarded, and if you get it here the cost is only about $60 which seems to be the best I can find.

ThinkGeek :: Jetboil Personal Cooking System

It's $70, but there are usually coupons to get at least $10 off anything on that site. These are the three I am looking at for the same purpose as you exactly really. I should just get all three, but I also should be rich and that is not happening either!

 

[JimFloyd]

I'm in the process of building a bugout bag for my fiancee and myself. I'm looking at food supplies and I'm thinking MRE'sdehydrated Mountain House foodFreezer bag cooking. So in terms of a stove I am looking at just something to boil water.

I'm looking at stoves and I'm debating between EsbitWhite Boxor something like an MSR PocketRocket. I built my own Pepsi Can stove but it's a pain and I couldn't get it to boil after a few attempts.

Anyone have any experience with an Esbit or something similar? I would use it for general camping is well. The PocketRocket or other canister stove looks like it would make life easiest.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

FG12351

I/we own, use, carry and demonstrate esbit stoves in all of our wilderness EMT upgrade and outdoor survival courses. We love them and they work great! We have also had luck with the alcohol stoves, but it is hard to beat the esbits for cost, weight, and ease of use.

Regards,

Jim

 

[smokingman]

Has to be a Coleman 533 for me. Duel fuel. Compact and fuel efficient.It is larger than some stoves,but how can you beat the versatility of duel fuel(white gas9coleman fuel)or plain unleaded gas of any kind.Less than 50 dollars as well.
Amazon.com: coleman 533

YouTube - Review of the Coleman 533 dual fuel stove (review by someone else)notice the size comparison to a propane stove at the end).

I have one of these and love it.I never burn anything but plain gasoline and it runs great.
There is a duel fuel lantern to...it is on my need to get list.One more GOOD point...it is made in the USA!

 

[IndyBeerman]

I'm looking at stoves and I'm debating between EsbitWhite Boxor something like an MSR PocketRocket. I built my own Pepsi Can stove but it's a pain and I couldn't get it to boil after a few attempts.
Any recommendations?

Thanks,

FG12351

Well to start with on the Coke/Pepsi can stove did you try to light it on the cold ground? Cold is denatured alcohol enemy for it.
I bought one from KarlsGunBunker and I'm now sold on it for a quick boil of 16-24oz's of water in a thin aluminum pan. But I still got a mini Coleman if needed for anything needing more than 5 minutes of heating.

 

[karlsgunbunker]

Swedish Trangia Stove

 

[Jack Ryan]

I'm in the process of building a bugout bag for my fiancee and myself. I'm looking at food supplies and I'm thinking MRE'sdehydrated Mountain House foodFreezer bag cooking. So in terms of a stove I am looking at just something to boil water.

I'm looking at stoves and I'm debating between EsbitWhite Boxor something like an MSR PocketRocket. I built my own Pepsi Can stove but it's a pain and I couldn't get it to boil after a few attempts.

Anyone have any experience with an Esbit or something similar? I would use it for general camping is well. The PocketRocket or other canister stove looks like it would make life easiest.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

FG12351

A propane bottle and just the valve from the torch portion to turn the flame on/off and higher or lower.

 

[wabash]

for bugout bag, esbit is simple and reliable.


compact, too. stove and fuel can fit in a pants pocket.


Esbit Pocket Stove at REI.com

 

[kludge]

I don't have a "BOB" but a "72-Hour" kit. None of the food requires preparation or heat or water... water is already the heaviest thing in there, no reason to add more weight. I have fire starting equipment, a hatchet, a small bow saw, and a good mess kit though.

 

[fg12351]

Well to start with on the Coke/Pepsi can stove did you try to light it on the cold ground? Cold is denatured alcohol enemy for it.
I bought one from KarlsGunBunker and I'm now sold on it for a quick boil of 16-24oz's of water in a thin aluminum pan. But I still got a mini Coleman if needed for anything needing more than 5 minutes of heating.

Indybeerman (awesome name btw),

Yes, I was lighting it on the cold concrete of my apartment porch, I could put it on something or try it inside (safe?). I will probably try to build another (it was fun) and see what happens. Any pointers or recommended designs?

 

[fg12351]

So it looks like an Esbit is a safe bet and I will give an alcohol stove another try. The White box looks like a sturdy design too. I'm also considering a pocket rocket or something. I like the ease of use and having redundancy in case something doesn't work or doesn't work well in bad weather.

 

[jeremy]

I am of the same nature as Kludge, my bag is a 72 hour pack. Everything in it is there for a reason. I have cotton balls soaked in Vaseline, strike anywhere matches that are wax coated, and instead of a hatchet I use a Tomahawk. The closest thing to a stove in my pack is 2 soup cans that are filled with tea candles and taped together.

Stove is carried on my BOV. It's a truck and has the extra room for the uhhh I might need this for something stuff.

 

[IndianasFinest]

I carry a coke can stove in my get home bag thats stays in my truck, but in my BOB I have a coleman microstove. Works awsome, and you can adjust the size of the flame for different cooking situations. Less then $20 off ebay NIB !

 

[kludge]

I have cotton balls soaked in Vaseline, strike anywhere matches that are wax coated,

+1, except I keep the cotton balls dry and the vaseline in the tube. that way I can use my vaseline for my lips or abrasions and the cotton balls for other uses as well... and if I need to smush some vaseline into a cotton ball to get a fire going, I'll do that on the spot.

 

[IndyBeerman]

Indybeerman (awesome name btw),

Yes, I was lighting it on the cold concrete of my apartment porch, I could put it on something or try it inside (safe?). I will probably try to build another (it was fun) and see what happens. Any pointers or recommended designs?

Thanks, relates to my job also!

Try this, take some foil wrap it up to support it above the ground and make a small area to place a tea lamp candle under it, also have enough foil to rise above the stove to provide a windscreen, light the candle to help the pre-heat it and help vaporizing of the denatured alcohol,
use wire coat hanger fabricated to make a pot holder above the stove.

Did this and it turned it into a mini flamethrower for boiling water in a hurry!

 

[fg12351]

Thanks, relates to my job also!

Try this, take some foil wrap it up to support it above the ground and make a small area to place a tea lamp candle under it, also have enough foil to rise above the stove to provide a windscreen, light the candle to help the pre-heat it and help vaporizing of the denatured alcohol,
use wire coat hanger fabricated to make a pot holder above the stove.

Did this and it turned it into a mini flamethrower for boiling water in a hurry!

I'm going to make another one tonight (it's fun) and give this a shot. I was putting the can directly on my cold concrete porch so that probably wasn't helping. I will report back my findings. Thanks!

 

[USMC_0311]

Some great ideas, any toughts on a SHTF oven for baking? Like bread or biscuts?

 

[kludge]

I have a "backpack stove" I made, more like canned heat (not in my 72-hour kit, but maybe it should be...). It works a lot better than a Sterno stove... I actually bought one of those pieces of crap, I mean the Sterno is crap... now I use the stove with my homemade canned heat

Take an empty tuna fish can, cut a strip of corrugated carboard and make a tight spiral inside the can (make sure the "grain" is running up and down, not in a spiral). Then fill the can with melted candle wax.

Keep the lid and use it as a way to smother the flame. Keep the whole thing in a zip lock bag, or vacuum seal it for more BOB-worthiness. Light it with a match.

No fluids to mess with like the coke can stoves, and if you kick it over it just goes out (usually ).

 

[Jack Ryan]

Some great ideas, any toughts on a SHTF oven for baking? Like bread or biscuts?

One iron skillet and you can cook any thing. People went in to the wilderness for months or even years with nothing to cook on but an iron skilled and wood fire. I think I could bake an apple pie in a clay flower pot with a fire in a hole in the ground if I wanted one bad enough to try it.

This whole SHTF thing, I think you are going to find that buying something is not going to substitute well for knowing something. What you know is a whole lot easier to carry than all the crap you'd have to buy to make up for not knowing.

While we're on the topic, where the heck is it people think they are going to "bug out" TO? Where are you going that you are going to be taking stoves, and ovens and bags full of all different knives for each individual occasion, one for combat, a skinning knive, pocket knives, combat rifles and full complement of ammo, small game rifle and full complement of ammo.... on and on and on.

Either ya'll are not really GOING ANY WHERE or yer going to be going in your full bore SHTF U Haul. Winter survival 8 mile hikes, and back to the hotel room by sun down. Brunch and cookies waiting half way through.

I'm 54 years old in a few days. I'm as bugged out as I'm gonna get SHTF or the ground either one. I ain't going no where. SHTF and no one better show their self after dark around my place because I'll already have a couple holes dug for mistakes. And I better know 'em real good and recognise 'em pretty quick even in the day light.

Until the TV starts working again, SHTF means Shoot Holes'n Them First.

Check the bodies for badges.