Trail Designs
I have used lots of stoves in 45 years of backpacking and mountaineering, and they all work. Jet Boils are great if you just want to boil water. Gas stoves are best for melting snow and cooking for large groups. The MSR Dragonfly is a gas stove that simmers, but its as loud as a jet engine. Its my go-to stove for winter camping.
An MSR pocket rocket is fine, but not for sauteeing veggies or frying fish, which sucks down the fuel. A Snow Peak stove is a bit nicer than the MSR pocket rocket. Any canister stove leaves you with half empty canisters, so you end up carrying 2 half empties so you can finish them off, and a full one as a spare. Plus they don’t work well in cold weather.
Lately I have had great results with a Trail Designs stove and windscreen, coupled with an Evernew cookset. Its called the Caldera (http://www.traildesigns.com/caldera-tt.html). I used one on an 8 day backpack this summer which was the TiTri (titanium, three fuel options). It can use the alcohol stove, esbit tablets, or wood. My Evernew 1.9 L cookset has a fry pan lid that is non-stick, so its great for frying a bagel in oil, a fish or two, and veggies. This has proved to very light and reliable, and not too expensive.
new optimus 8r
hey, i had an optimus 8r just like your old one… a “friend” took it when the moved out… now i want a new one… i get outbid on the old ones all the time on ebay i give up! i have heard bad things about the new models… i am now leaning towards the 123 instead what do u think about the new 8r u have?
Just got back
from 5 days in Michigan's UP in the Sylvania Wilderness Area. My Pocket Rocket worked well without any hitches. Other than the cannisters I love this thing. I picked it up a year ago for around $40.00, but I'm not real sure about that price. Anyways, glad I had it in the cold damp windy weather.
I think we might have run into you
at Sylvania. Were you the solo guy in the Encounter?
I bring an 8" dutch oven with me. The lid is a great frying pan, and I can cook biscuits if I have a fire. Biscuits are a staple for me. I don't like aluminum, particularly the coated kind. My favorite LW cookware is titanium. I particularly like the Vargo 750 Titanium Sierra Cup with lid. The lid has strainer holes, and the thing is a super-sized sierra style cup that makes a good cook pot.
8r is new(ish)
I have a “no 8” (without built in cleaning needle). I tend to think of the 8r as being new. 
Pocket Rocket
Another vote for the pocket rocket. You can get one for $30 and the fuel is cheap, light and readily available.
Pair the pocket rocket with the GSI dualist ($55) and you have an extremely lightweight and small cooking solution - great for 2 people.
made my own…
of many different designs on zen stoves. All burn alcohol and all work well. I like the cat food can the best! And it was the simplest!
stoves
I use a Crux Optimus, which is pretty much awesome. it’s a propane/butane stove, but then it’s the lightweight, high-end one you sound like you’re looking to avoid. about $60.
I’m a fan of homemade gear. check out tin can or pepsi-can stoves. they’re very easy to make, amazingly lightweight, and work on denatured alcohol or basically any liquid that burns (like Heet). it’s low heat, though, so they take a bit to boil much water.
for propane/butane, the MSR PocketRocket is probably the best-selling stove on the market and works great. about $35.
the larger-size propane/butane canisters will get you about 10 days (per person) if you cook once/day.
Whisper Lite
I use a MSR whisper lite when i’m trying to carry small amounts of gear. I’ve cooked just about everything on it, including frying bacon. Although I havn’t figured out why they call it a whisper lite because it sounds like a 747 taking off…haha. Its a good peice of gear though. The fuel last a considerable amount of time. I used it twice a day for a week in Lake Fontana NC and only used half of the large bottle. It was light weight and easy to maintain. A soda can and alcohol is a great back up!
I hope this was helpfull.
SVEA 123. I own two of them. Noisy,
but simple and effective.
Stoves
I use a MSR Dragonfly and a Coleman single and 2 burner propane.The MSR is good for lightweight outings and space issues.The propanes work great and dont get the credit they deserve,there cheap and reliable.
Biolite
I came across this little gem on another site:
http://biolitestove.com/BioLite.html
Concept is a woodgas stove with a fan like the zip stove, except it uses a “Thermo-Electric Generator” to power the fan from the lost heat, so no batteries.
coleman double
sure is nice to saute in my heavy pan while boiling potatoes. it never tips over either.
Kelly
You two are kindred spirits here…
I have a Kelly and love it. They’re pretty expensive but well made and worth it. They boil water very fast. The pan mount over the chimney cooks almost too fast. Be careful.
I’d recommend getting some fire starter sticks and cutting them into thirds then cutting the thirds into quarters lengthwise. Really speeds up the lighting process. (The burn pan doesn’t get a lot of draft going until the fire gets hot.) Stick matches work better than lighters with Kellys.
The Kelly Kettles are a bit large, but ziplocs of coffee, oatmeal, etc. can be stored inside so there can be some space savings there. And you save the space you would have used to carry fuel.
Otherwise I like Triangas. That’s what I usually use, but I don’t really cook a lot. Boil water, sometimes fry an egg, heat a can of beans or Dinty. No steaks, seafood, stir-fry, etc. Folks who want to do full meals might not be that happy with either a Kelly or a Trianga.
Primus Yellowstone
Hands down for price, size, weight + durability. I have a review here: http://www.milespaddled.com/2008/04/primus-yellowstone-classtrail-stove.html
It is great
To k ow so
wine else uses a Zip Ztove.
I’ve got a collection of stoves
First of all a GREAT site for those of you who love camp stoves here a link for you.
http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/fusionbb.php
I used my MSRs, an old Colman Military stove, Triple burner on propane, esbit…, but I’ve always loved the Coleman 502s. I bought a bunch of them off the ‘bay’ and now have 9 of them, just bought 6 in the last month. I plan on a mass firing on wed to see which of them work. All will, but I’m sure I’ve got a couple gen tubes to buy.
coleman
i would by a single burner coleman stove maybe evan a double burner any coleman product works
I can’t believe…
…that this post has been out there as long as it has yet hasn’t hit 100 replies.
All we need are two more bumps.
MSR
Whisper Lite International or for longer trips the Dragonfly. Easy, reliable and flex on the fuels.