As someone that has camped with and without a stove, this is a culinary game changer. Although most meals while camping aren’t the most refined, a stove will allow you to easily cook proteins. Cooking on an open campfire is doable, but requires much more effort and time.
This article has a good amount of information about stoves and what to look for. You can spend hundreds of dollars on some top-tier stoves, but that’s not really necessary. To get to the point, I would recommend the Coleman Classic Propane Stove. It comes in at a very reasonable price point and is made by a reliable manufacturer.
The Coleman Classic Propane Stove comes equipped with wind blocking panels that shield the burners from wind. In comparison to an open fire, this stove has a pressure regulator for consistent burner gage performance, which is reliable in extreme conditions. Lastly, for some peace of mind it comes with a 3 year limited warranty incase any parts happen to be defected.
Weighing just over 11 pounds, this stove is convenient for the most spontaneous campers. This is an accessory every camper should have. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll ending up getting it sooner than later. Best part is.. it’s affordable.
The only other cost you will need to consider for a stove is buying propane tanks. Each 1 pound propane tank costs about $5 and can be even cheaper if you buy a bundle pack. With this Coleman stove, one propane tank will give you an hour of cook time.
Why Do You Need a Stove?
Other than cooking a meal, camping Stoves can be useful for boiling water. If you’re unable to bring a sufficient amount of water with you to camp, boiling some at your site is the other option. This can be done easily with a pot and an open fire. However, if the area you are camping in has a fire ban in place, having a stove will be a life saver.