Is a Camp Stove Necessary?

A Camp stove can be a great addition to any backpacking gear collection. They are affordable, easy to maintain, and provide a variety of benefits to the camping experience. There are so many camping stoves available that there is almost no excuse as to why you shouldn’t be using one. Using a stove when you’re in the backcountry is a great way to spice up your meals and saves you the time of having to collect extra firewood to cook with. Whether you need a camping stove or not really depends on where and how you want to cook.

Is this how you want to spend your time backpacking?

Many places don’t allow open fires to be used. Depending on elevation or the time of year there can be an open fire ban in place. If you want to cook food in these situations a camping stove is absolutely necessary. After a long day many backpackers don’t want to spend upwards of an hour collecting firewood just to eat and having a stove in those times of need can be quite a rewarding experience. The same can go for the morning. Having to gather firewood and create a fire just after you wake up is not something many people look forward to. Eating cold food day after day gets old very fast and camping stoves allow you to incorporate a wide range of camping meals in your routine. If the weather is bad you will also have a hard time collecting wood and getting a fire going. A stove can be covered and will work extremely efficiently in almost all weather conditions including snowstorms and hurricanes. They can be covered from the elements and blocked from the wind very easily and will continue to work when a fire has no chance.

Another common problem with fires is that they constantly have to be tended to and watched. A camping stove can be left alone while the water boils, which leaves you free to enjoy the landscape and take in all the natural beauty. Even the most efficient fire has to be tended quite often and over time will become quite a burden. It’s definitely possible to get by with just a fire but camping stoves provide an incredibly efficient and much easier backcountry cooking experience. There are hundreds of stoves available that meet many different requirements. Whether you need a rugged and durable stove or something light and fuel efficient, there is something available for you. It’s possible to get through an entire camping experience eating a Clif-Bar and salami, but a camping stove will allow you to take your camping trip to the next level and enjoy a gourmet quality of food.

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