10 Things That Your Family Taught You About Cheap Multi Fuel Stoves

Cheap Multi Fuel Stoves

Summary: These basic and light-weight stoves use wood, hexamine tablets, gas canisters and white fuel with a single nozzle. They're popular in colder weather but they're loud and don't have a simmer control.

Certain multi-fuel stoves can burn various types of liquid fuel. The MSR WhisperLite Universal, for example, burns white and isobutane fuel in its canisters.

Optimus Nova

The Optimus Nova multi-fuel stove can be used for a variety of liquid fuels. It features a quick-priming burner and an aluminum pump that self-purges, and a precise simmer control. Its low center of gravity and wide legs make it a solid stove that is rock-solid. This makes it a great stove for group backpacking base camps, kayaking and camping in the Arctic.

In contrast to other stoves that use liquid fuel, which have a problem in which unburned fuel remains in the fuel line and nozzle of the stove, the Optimus Nova has a shut off mechanism that operates by simply flipping the container over. This removes intake hoses from the fuel and causes them to take in air, which stifles flames and depressurizes the bottle.

This is an clever solution to a long-standing problem and it certainly is effective. The Nova can be used with any standard fuel bottle that has an o-ring seal, including MSR bottles. It also comes with a fully-featured stove bag that has separate pockets for spare parts, tools as well as lubricant and the fuel pump.

This is a great all round backpacking stove for use in the UK especially for long-distance trips where a wide choice of fuels is required. Its cost is affordable when compared to canister stoves that have similar capabilities. The Optimus Nova is also easy to maintain and enjoyable to use.

Kovea Hydra

The Kovea Hydra multi fuel stove was first marketed in 2010 and has been a favourite choice for many backpackers ever since. A few UK backpackers seem to give the stove much attention these days maybe because they've gotten caught up with better known brands or whatever the latest lightweight product from China or Korea is, but that doesn't mean that the Hydra isn't still a great stove with its merits.

It's a small multi fuel stoves for sale and light stove, burning all liquid fuels including white gas and propane butane through one nozzle. It has a fairly typical stove design with a burner bell bolted to a body that anchors three fold out support legs. The pump is located above the fuel line, while the generator loop is wrapped around the inlet, and the flame spreader is situated above. The burner itself is a low velocity flame type, which helps it to be less affected by winds.

It is a nice feature that it can be used with a container of propane or isobutane making it a multi-functional little cooker. It is simple to simmer with isobutane as well as propane and burns all fuels at a reasonable rate. However when using white gas the stove runs a bit slower.

The instructions for the Hydra are written in English, but they were clearly not written by native users of the language. The instructions caution you against using certain types of lighter fluid. If you make a mistake this could cause an accident and put Kovea into legal trouble. That said, any 7/16ths UNEF threaded gas container from a reputable brand is likely to work perfectly.

Primus OmniLite Ti

Primus Omnilite Ti can be an ideal choice for those who are looking for a multifuel cooker that can cook with a variety fuels. It can be powered by gasoline, petrol/gasoline, fuel oil, kerosene, and diesel fuel. It comes with separate controls for each fuel type, and you can also adjust the flame size. The stove comes with an oil pipe that is flat on the floor and is connected to the tank in a snap.

The Primus Omnilite is an excellent stove, but it requires maintenance to keep it running correctly. Particularly it is prone to flare during priming, which can be dangerous. This is a common problem with all stoves with liquid fuel which use a second spindle throttle on the stove's end to evaporate fuel instead of an engine coil.

Another issue is that it requires different jets for each type of fuel. This means that if you're cooking using kerosene, the jet hole has to be smaller than when cooking on gas. This is a minor nuisance however it's important to mention.

MSR Whisper Lite

The MSR Whisper Lite is one of the tiniest, lightest and most affordable multi fuel stoves. It is also simple to repair in the field. It can be used with canister or liquid fuel and comes with attachments for each. The new design is lighter by 10% over its predecessor and the burner mechanism was redesigned to improve the distribution of heat. It's perfect for beginners or backpackers who are budget-conscious.

It takes some time to prepare, set up and boil water, but the whistler Lite is a reliable camping stove that will not let you down. The flame is extremely powerful and can cook a Liter of water in just two minutes. The only issue is that it does not simmer as well as other stoves.

MSR developed the Dragonfly to be a better burner. It's designed in the same way as the whistler, but it is more compact and has better performance. It's not as affordable as the Whistler Lite. The Soto Amicus stove and cheap multi fuel stoves cookset is a great alternative that gives you the same setup at half the price. Whisperlite International and Universal can be used with isobutane. The same fundamental design is used for both but the Universal version can also be operated with fuel from canisters in addition.

Coleman Sportster II

This is a basic and basic Coleman stove that can do the job. It's compact, self-contained, and solid with the tank on the bottom and the burner on the top. This makes it simple to use and is a great option for backpackers, beginners looking to save weight and for those of us who have spares in the van.

It is designed to burn Coleman's proprietary fuel (naptha gas, also referred to as white gas) This stove can be used with unleaded gasoline too. A gallon of gasoline will last for as long as a typical Coleman liquid fuel cylinder, so you'll save money on fuel by using this option.

Liquid fuel stoves have a learning curve as you'll need to pressurize and prepare them to get a nice blue flame going. If you're not careful, fuel can be sprayed onto the burner, or sputter. Do some practice outside before going on your next trip to learn how to do it.

This stove sacrifices some performance or odor reduction with non-coleman fuels however that's a trade off for the additional flexibility it offers. Make sure to purchase unleaded gasoline and not something that is enriched with methanol or ethanol (alcohol). That's because these types of fuel will cause the unit to be sputtering, leaky, and may even explode!

ATG Jiko

The ATG Jiko Multi Fuel Stove from South Africa is an ultralight multifuel designed for harsh environments such as Africa. It's a compact, robust stove that burns solid fuel tabs, gels and alcohol with one nozzle. It's an ultralight minimalist design that is priced less than the majority of multifuel stoves and also offers low ownership cost and fuel is less expensive per Liter than gas canisters.

Other multifuel stoves have an individual nozzle for each kind of fuel. This makes them a little difficult to change in the rain or without gloves, and adds to their overall weight. Multifuel stoves of the latest model use a single nozzle to burn multiple fuels, making it much easier. These stoves are described as hybrids or multifuel compressed fuel stoves. They are also referred to by other names, such as isobutane, white gas, kerosene and unleaded gasoline/car fuel.

A multifuel stove kit can be bought to transform your Trangia burners into multi fuel cookers. They are sold in camping stores that specialize in outdoor equipment and are available internationally. They are ideal for Trangia enthusiasts. They can burn all liquid fuels except diesel, and with the right accessories, they can even simmer.