what camping stove

[flailer]

I have a folding charcoal grill. I always take it because it folds up reasonably small (meaning flat.) Which is perhaps doubly important when you have something that get so dirty-messy that you have to double or triple bag it before putting it away.

I've only used it twice. It works well enough. The cooking surface is a folding grate, which appears cheesy, but it folds right down and goes inside the grill before folding the grill up. The cooking surface is just barely large enough for 2 very large steaks, enough to feed 3 or 4 people.

Even if I had a larger rig I wouldn't be bringing a kettle-style, smoky joe, BBQ with me.

I am not sure if this is the same brand, but it sure looks a lot like mine. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Sense-No..._sbs_hg_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=04D4K4BENSG1B949M4KV

 

[steveh2112]

i love the idea of the folding flat on that but i would want a lid for stuff like bakes potatoes, chicken steaks, etc. i guess i could make something up out of tin foil and a wire coat hanger, or some scrap sheet metal, maybe.

 

[steveh2112]

actually, just an old saucepan should make a good lid on that, thanks for the link, i can see carrying that around in a cramped van would be a big improvement over the ones i was looking at.

 

[Canine]

Gotta watch butane. It doesn't work at high elevation. You'll have to google the exact specifics but seems to me it's about 7000 feet give or take that it won't flow. You can read Amazon reviews of the butane stoves and users will give you good info. Propane works at those heights. In case you dont think you'll be that high up, Leadville Colorado, a tourist area due to mining, is at 10,000. Flagstaff Az is over 7000. Lots of nice camping, a shame the butane stove wouldn't work there...

 

[akrvbob]

With the extreme drought in CA, I would expect there to a fire ban in just about all NF in the state. I guess many of the pines are very distressed and many are dying already.

In fact, unless they get relief I wouldn't be surprised to see entire Forests simply closed to the public--no one allowed in but local residents.
Bob

 

[steveh2112]

With the extreme drought in CA, I would expect there to a fire ban in just about all NF in the state. I guess many of the pines are very distressed and many are dying already.

In fact, unless they get relief I wouldn't be surprised to see entire Forests simply closed to the public--no one allowed in but local residents.
Bob

that would really screw up my plans.

 

[AuricTech]

For those who are camping/boondocking somewhere that has plenty of burnable biomass available (sticks, pine cones and the like), but is not under fire restrictions severe enough to prevent its use, the BioLite CampStove Bundle (which includes the BioLite CampStove, KettlePot and Portable Grill) is an option to consider.  It's a bit spendy (the bundle sells for $224.85, which is $15 less than buying each item individually), but this ensemble cast lets you boil water in the KettlePot (BioLite says that you can also sautee in it, but cooking anything other than soups would make me a bit worried about burning the food), grill food on the Portable Grill, and provide some power for USB-charged devices (2W at 5V = 400mA; that's not a lot, but it's energy from fuel already being used).  Since it uses burnable biomass, the fuel is essentially free (however, when I use my BioLite CampStove, I bring along a bag of wood chips, just in case there's not enough fuel on the ground).

What I like to do when using my CampStove is boil water first, then store the hot water in a steel vacuum bottle (unless I'm just rehydrating freeze-dried food, in which case I don't need to store hot water).  After that, I can either cook something in a pot or pan over the fire, or set the Portable Grill in place to grill the rest of my meal.

Clearly, the BioLite CampStove won't meet the OP's needs at this time (fire restrictions In NorCal being what they are), but it's an option to consider for those camping/boondocking in areas where it's suitable.

 

[akrvbob]

Remember, I'm just speculating. I think burn bans are a realistic possibility this summer and closures fairly likely next year if the drought continues.

In normal years the Forests are very dry by the end of August and this year they should be incredibly dry. The trees are already distressed and that makes them easy prey to Pine Bark Beetles. If you've ever seen what Beetles can do to a Forest, you know how devastating they can be--and how much it increases the likelihood of fires.
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

I want to add something. everybody please be very careful with fires if it's windy at all, no fire and respect the burn bans. if your vehicle has a catalytic convertor please stay out of dry brush, 2 catastrophic fires have started in so cal in the last ten years because of catalytic convertors, one of them started by a forest ranger. highdesertranger