My Backpacking Stove Collection

I guess it’s hard to get rid of memories.

Going through my garage last time I was looking for an old backpack of mine (or was it a sleeping bag?) I saw quite an assortment of my old stoves from past backpacking trips.

I still have my Svea from my 1st Appalacian Trail hike in ’77 (one of the best at the time) These are the kind that you use an eyedropper to take a few drops of gasoline (white gas or Coleman gas was best) and put them in the small recessed indent near the stem. Then you lit that to heat up the fuel a bit to get it going (later models added a small pump, but with it came the extra weight) Then it just pumped fuel by sucking the heated fuel to the top. worked Great until it clogged up from using unleaded fuel from a gas station because we couldn’t fine any Coleman.

Then there’s the old Hank Roberts stove. anyone remember them? (the first butane or propane stove that came out i believe.) (but the fuel is not available anymore)

Then i have 2 of the GAZ stoves, the ones where you puncture the propane canister (used those for years and even still have about 6 cans of fuel) (they were great in Europe as the fuel was available everywhere)

I have 2 old Zip stoves that one is burned completely through the sides, (don’t know why i don’t throw that one away) but the other one is still ok, and i’m sure i’ll use it again.

Have an old Coleman Peak 1 that i never did take backpacking. I liked the idea of the white gas and it would even burn regular unleaded fuel they say, but it’s just too heavy

I have some of those Esbit tablets around with a little metal box to burn them in. Tried that a few times but it took a long time. (sort of like Sterno, i think i have one of those somewhere too although i don’t remember using it for backpackin)

Then of course there’s the accumulation of homeade alcohol stoves that i sometimes use for up to a 3 day trip. (i’ve found that for more than 3 days, the pocket rocket with fuel is lighter and definitely easier)

And my trustworthy pocket rocket that gets used most all the time that i take a stove.

I must say, most of them were favorites at one time.

Now, lets see, how many tents do i have in there?