hey
looking at stoves and cooking gear.
i will be using this for anywhere from 1-6 people.
i was looking at the Dragonfly form MSR.
i will be doing mostly canoeing and am not 100% concerned with being as light weight as possible but dont think a 12 pound 2 burner camp stove is the way to go.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks
Also any advise on the cookware side of things would not hurt.
Nova Optimus
My hands down favorite stove is: https://www.optimusstoves.com/us/us/143-8016276-optimus-nova
I own and use two of them - don’t like the powerhose on the Nova Plus. Prefer the Nova - with cold wet hands, the powerhose was a bother. I like to cook for groups - anywhere from 2-11 and will use just two of these stoves. They simmer and can crank the heat up as needed.
I also use a jet boil but only for the boil ups - hot tea/coffee or rehydration of dehydrated things. Not for actual cooking.
I have used the Dragonfly and have it in the gear closet - will get rid of it at the next yard sale. They are NOISY but were the best for cooking prior to the Nova or the predecessor Brunton Optimus.
For cooking - I buy the stainless steel camp pans - they work best with this type of stove. Personally don’t eat from a teflon coated pan…
Additionally, one of my favorite pans is a restaurant soup bain that is stainless. Like one of these: http://www.webstaurantstore.com/3109/bain-marie-pots.html It fits right into a day hatch at the opening - you can pack things right into it. It works well for one deep pot. I usually bring two of these - they make one that nests inside the other.
My husband put together some pot warmers out of the insulation material bought by the roll at Home Depot. It is the best material to keep things hot or to rehydrate meals. Just pour half of your hot water over the food in the pot - slip into the pan cozy. Let hydrate for 20 minutes, add more hot water and finish up hydrating and then eat.
The cozy is made up to fit each pan exactly with a flat piece to put your pan on. Use metal tape to tape it all together. I suppose duct tape would work too: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflectix-24-in-x-25-ft-Double-Reflective-Insulation-with-Staple-Tab-ST24025/100020855
Suz
Cooking setup for actual cooking
I like the good old MSR whisper lite or whisper lite international. Quiet and simple with lots of power. You can get it to simmer if you let the pressure out of the fuel canister after the stove is primed. The outback oven scorch buster and cozy are also great additions.
Not sure if MSR still makes the stainless steel pots, but that or something similar is what I would recommend in a 2 and 3 quart size.
https://frybake.com/products/ The frybake is the cornerstone of my camping kitchen, the 10 inch for bigger groups. You can do pretty much anything on this pan; fry, saute, steam, boil, and also “bake” breads, depending on your skills. Great piece of gear for group cooking, durable, fairly light, and easy to clean.
Don’t forget things like a good spatula of some type, a measuring cup that can double as a laddle, really good pot holders (the angled pliers work great and can double for repairs) and maybe a big spoon and tongs.
MSR
– Last Updated: Oct-19-16 4:57 PM EST –
I don't cook for groups, but I sure like my MSR Wind Pro II. It's a remote canister stove and it has a larger cooking surface than the smaller backpacker stoves like MSR Pocket Rocket or Jet Boil. I'm a klutz and I have knocked over those types of stoves before. The Wind Pro II is very stable and it comes with a gizmo that will invert the fuel canister for more efficient cooking in cold weather or when the canister is near empty.
I second the above recommend for a pot cozy. Look at Home Depot in the heating/duct work isle. Reflectix is the foil backed bubble wrap insulation that is used around duct work. It comes in a medium sized roll and it's super easy to make a "sleeve" around your pot to keep stuff warm or to rehydrate "boil in bag" meals. Use the silver duct work tape to make your pot cozy. Love mine and use it on every trip.
As a side note to trip cooking.....I quit doing group meals on my kayak trips. Instead, everyone brigs their own kitchen & food. In know....I know....too much duplicated gear. But this has saved me so much time and headache in trip planning. The folks on my trips have all commented on how much they like the individual plan. They bring what they like to eat, cook it whenever they want, use their own stove that they already have, and don't have to rely on others to bring stuff. After a couple trips where we got to the put-in only to discover someone forgot to bring something (like the fuel or the stove), I made the switch to fully self supported trips.
Stuff I love... One Egg Wonder fry pan & mini spatula, silicone measuring cup from The Container Store, mini tongs for grabbing hot stuff, silicone hot pads. Mini cutting boards. LOVE my folding GSI tables. I have 2 of the smallest ones and they pack up small and fit inside my kayak very well. GSI makes a larger & taller one also. I dry bake a lot with my stove & a Fat Daddio's little baking cup. Nothing better than a fresh baked garlic cheese biscuit to go along with some chili. YUM.
I have a WindPro I
stove. It quit working after about six years… rust sent it back to MSR for repair.
As we were setting out in Algonquin for a week we had to pick up another stove
We got the Pocket Rocket by MSR. It is not good for baking but does simmer
The Windpro simmers and bakes well
Whether you need that feature depends on your style of cooking.
Long ago we found we disliked portaging two burner stoves and do like having our two little light stoves with us.
Agree with Raftergirl
about group cooking. Someone always has allergies, dietary preferences,etc. I like to dehydrate my own meals and use organic ingredients. I really think that everyone is happier supplying/cooking their own food. Of course, the first one up has an obligation to start the coffee!
take 2
goo.gl/0oKHwo
with extra bottles
a roll of aluminum foil for a windshield …bend foil over lip under pot cover
use MSR pots…MSR gravity water filter.
Coleman propane cooks boils fries now n tomorrow quickly effectively as a bulldozer moves dirt
one does not move dirt wit a spoon.
the extra weight in a canoe is irrelevant. buy freeze dried food …ranchos whoavos with chicken n noodles
Got it
You’re Eugene from Walking Dead.
You gotta mullet, right?
ROFL!
I’ll never read another post
without that voice in my head
?
no mullet.
DEATH TO MULLET BUTCHERS
I have debits…I doahn no abt the WD.
cooking for more than one on a backpacking stove ?
reorient.
‘its like’ using the device is more significant than eating the food produced…
I own one. lights at the press of button.
not when I’m around.
How do you bake?
I wish I had a garlic cheese biscuit right now! So how do you bake this on a little pan on your stove? I haven’t got any mental picture.
And biscuit: Bisquick plus cheese plus garlic in what form?
You really got me!
G in NC
MSR or Jetboil
I have used MSR whisper lite for 15 years and would still use it when in a group (almost never these days) or melting snow for water, but for everything else since I got one: Jetboil. Fast and no fuss, I love it. Get the one with the French press for morning coffee in minutes flat.
Stove
Hi do have a Optimus Nova the original one and it is great for a White Gas stove with all of the pluses and minuses. I also used Snow Peak propane remote canister stove, older one, and they are great. Pack small, have plenty of BTU and reliable. Of course you need to pack gas canisters but I found them to be efficient. On remote canister stove you can cook for a group. You can also look in to adding pot with heat exchanger, one from Jetboil fits right on, they sell them individually and I got 3 L one but there is also a smaller one that fits inside the big one. With stove and utensils fit inside it creates a great kit for a kayak. It fits in your standard oval hatch and I am pretty sure it would fit in 10in round one as well. Of course if weight is not an issue cast iron dutch oven with chain and tripod is great.
Portages
The concern for have the extra weight comes into play during portages. I should have been a little more clear about that. I love my Coleman camp stove but between that and all the propane it gets heavy and cumbersome
Realistically I can cook for 3
on a small backpacking stove.
So two are handy for six. Why? Pots sized for six are too wide for small stoves. Instability and the scorch in the middle and no cook on the edge would be things to think about.
I carry two
I love the JetBoil for add-water meals and drinks.
But I also love my Whisperlite for actual cooking.
In a kayak, the extra gear isn’t a problem and with those X-pots they make which nests into my JetBoil frypan, I have options from raman or bag-meal when I am tired or lazy and actual meals when I wish.
thoughts
i am currently planning on getting the optimus nova. i will be doing a lot of re-hydration meals but will also be doing so fish frying, pancakes, eggs, and such. so i will need the diversity. mostly just for 2-4 but could be 6+ but any more i wont be doing to cooking for all.
new stove
never saw one …was searching for: DOG CARRYING STOVE
http://www.bestcampingstoves.com/how-to-choose-propane-stove-for-camping
why are you cooking ? cook for 2 then let the mob cook themselves.
no reason cook in one batch …what if the evil bat flies by ?
anyway yawl locked into backpacking …<br />
NAY rejoice in the Hold
Easy
– Last Updated: Oct-21-16 1:33 PM EST –
You will need....
A stove that can simmer very low
Bisquick Complete biscuit mix. Just add water muffins mixes are good too. I portion out 1/2 cup mix and use 2-3 Tbsp water.
Fat Daddio's 3inch X 2inch baking dish. Perfect size for one biscuit or muffin.I found mine at a local cooking store. Also available online. Any small metal baking dish will work, so long at it fits inside your cook pot.
A small metal ring to elevate your baking dish off the bottom of the cook pot. I use a 2 inch X 1 inch biscuit cutter ring. Rolled up foil ring also works. You just need to get the baking dish off the bottom of the pot.
Cook pot with a lid to hold in the heat.
I coat the inside of my baking dish with a little canola oil. This summer I started putting a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the baking dish and it has worked great. Biscuit or muffin pops out easily with less burning.
I keep my baking kit in a small Gladware plastic container with a screw on lid. The container becomes my mixing bowl. Prepare your mix, prepare your baking dish, put the biscuit dough in the baking dish, set the ring inside the pot, set the baking on the ring, put on the lid, fire up the stove and turn it down really low. Usually takes about 10 minutes to bake. Smells awesome, so your camp mates might start plotting to steal your yummy goodness. The Bisquick Garlic Cheese and the Honey Butter are my favs.