When buying camping stoves and cookware, consider how many people you will have to feed and how many meals you will have to prepare on a typical trip. Also, consider whether you prefer gourmet meals or are content with simply boiling water for dehydrated fare. Your answers will help narrow your choices.
Take a look at our selection of cookware

YouTrek Backpacking & Camping Equipment Cookware

• Camp stove basics
• Choosing the right camp stove
• Size and weight
• Burners
• Accessories
• Cartridge stoves
• Liquid gas stoves
• Cookware
• Choosing the right cookware

Camp stoves basics

Think of your camping plans and destination prior to buying a stove.

Choosing the right camp stove

• Size and weight
• While a double-burner stove may be great for car camping, it will be too cumbersome for wilderness backpacking or climbing
• Stoves vary in weight from a few ounces to two pounds or more
• The weight stated by the manufacturer usually includes only the burner, not the fuel cartridge or tank
• Burners
• Dual-burner stoves are somewhat heavy, but are great if you want to prepare two things at once, such as eggs and coffee
• A small, single-burner stove will suffice if you just want to boil water or heat up a can of beans
• Accessories
• If the stove you want doesn't include a carrying case, buy a small padded bag to protect knobs and hoses
• Many models have push-button ignitions
• Some cartridges and propane tanks will accept a lantern head; a convenient feature for those who want a single fuel source for cooking and light
• An adjustable flame feature allows you to control your cooking better
• If you are travelling abroad, find out which fuels will be available and base your stove purchase accordingly

Cartridge stoves

• Generally lighter and require less maintenance than their liquid gas counterparts
• They are clean burning and tend to simmer better
• Cartridge stoves use compressed gasses (such as butane, iso-butane and propane) that come in their own containers
• In cold weather, these fuels become less efficient--butane is undependable at temperatures below 40 F and usually won't work below 32 F
• Cartridge stoves are usually sold as a burner that attaches to the top of the cartridge, or is connected by tube to a canister. Canisters that attach directly to the burner tend to be lighter than those that use tubes or gas lines.
• Most American-made canisters have re-sealing valves that close when not in use. These cartridges can then be stored and used later.
• Cartridge stoves can be tricky to use in windy conditions
• Fuel types for compressed gas cartridges include the following
• Blended fuel, usually a combination of propane and butane
• Isobutane is sometimes added to improve performance
• Butane cartridges don't burn as hot as other cartridge fuels, and are not efficient in cold weather
• Isobutane burns consistently, but not as hot as blended fuels. It also loses efficiency in cold weather.

Liquid gas stoves

• Liquid gas stoves have refillable fuel tanks, burn hotter, and work better in cold and windy weather than cartridge stoves
• However, they can also be more difficult to use, and tend to be heavier and more expensive
• Liquid gas stoves are designed to work with a variety of fuels, which can be an important consideration when travelling internationally
• If bulkiness is an issue, look for a model with a removable fuel tank
• You may want to invest in a second tank if you'd rather not have to attempt a refill on the trail
• Liquid fuels for gas stoves include the following:
• White gas is inexpensive and widely available in North America
• Kerosene is available throughout most of the world, but it tends to smoke and clog fuel lines

Cookware

Choosing the right cookware

• The cookware you choose should be determined by the number of people you will be cooking for
• Weight of pots and pans depends on if you are hiking in to a site or car/RV camping
• The types of meals you will prepare is important
• If multi-course meals are a necessity, two pots and a frying pan should suffice
• If your meals tend toward the dehydrated or canned variety, two cooking vessels are probably all you'll need
• If you're travelling alone or with one other person, two pots--1.5 and 2 liter--should suffice
• For larger groups, choose a cookset with bigger (and more) pots
• Cookware is available in stainless steel, aluminum alloy, cast iron, non-stick, and even titanium versions. Price and weight will help you narrow down your choices.
• Unlike home cookware, most camping cookware doesn't have permanent handles, so be sure to bring a pot lifter and lid for each pot
• Cooking utensils and tableware are a matter of personal preference
• In general, a serving spoon, spatula and knife (or multi-tool) will get you started
• In terms of tableware, inexpensive metal or plastic dishes and cutlery, and heat-resistant mugs are standard

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YouTrek Backpacking & Camping Equipment

YouTrek Backpacking & Camping Equipment Cookware