Campstoves For Bicycle Touring

Here are a few campstoves we recommend for bicycle touring:
MSR Whisperlite Internationale

1. Whisperlite Internationale

The MSR Whisperlite Internationale is a bike touring classic. It’s also the stove with which we are most experienced. We’ve fired it up well over 1,000 times and carried it for our entire 3-year world bicycle tour. You can run it on almost any fuel (from white gas to unleaded petrol) and it’s easy to fix in the field using the MSR tool kit.

If you need to replenish your tool kit, you’ll find that many of the parts can be picked up at plumbing or hardware shops around the world. We’ve also found MSR customer service to be fantastic.

On the downside, the burner does get black with soot (only the burner – not the pots you use to cook with) and – despite its name – this stove is reasonably loud. It also needs to be primed. If you release too much fuel during the priming process (or if there’s a lot of wind), it’s possible to get an impressive flare from the Whisperlite.

Read more:

2. Primus Omnifuel

The Primus Omnifuel has accompanied many touring cyclists on their journeys. We tested it during a 2-week tour of Denmark and found 3 main advantages over the MSR Whisperlite: it burns canisters as well as liquid fuel, it’s very clean (the burner doesn’t get nearly as sooty) and it’s relatively quiet. It does, however, cost much more than the MSR Whisperlite so you have to be a keen cook to really get your money’s worth out of it.

Read more:

*Note: MSR is releasing a competitor to the Primus Omnifuel in 2012: the MSR Whisperlite Universal. It will also burn canister fuel. Watch for it in your local camping shop!
Jetboil

3. Jetboil Group Cooking System

A super easy stove to operate. Like all canister stoves, this Jetboil stove doesn’t need to be primed. It’s ready to cook at the flick of a lighter; perfect for a quick cup of coffee by the side of the road. On the downside, you’ll have to be touring somewhere fairly mainstream for this stove to be an option because you won’t necessarily find the fuel canisters everywhere in the world and you can’t take them on a plane. Also, this stove isn’t easy to fix in the middle of a field. If you have problems you may well need to send it back to the dealer for repair.

Trangia Stove

4. Trangia Stove

Trangia stoves are adored by many cyclists. They’re extremely quiet, easy to maintain, very robust and simmer beautifully.

They burn methylated spirits by default – a fuel which is broadly available worldwide but can be tricky to find. Research the local name for this fuel before you fly off to an exotic destination (there are many lists of translations into multiple languages online). You can buy converter kits that allow the Trangia to use gas cartridges and unleaded fuel but these kits add a lot to the price of the stove.

The performance of the Trangia can also suffer in cold weather, so it may not be the best bet if you’re planning on a lot of winter camping.

Read more:

Comments

  1. arup
    11th May 2012 at 9:51 pm #

    Would you kindly write about some small stoves which burns on kerosene oil(paraffin)and available in metro towns of India.

  2. victor
    11th August 2012 at 7:05 am #

    We took the new model Primus omnifuel on our 4 month cross-europe tour in 2012 after much careful research and reviewing of our options. Unfortunately it was problems right from the start possibly due to a defective unit or just a finicky stove. We encountered other bike campers with older models that seemed to work fine. Primus did not offer much help other than cleaning the stove, and their only solution was “send it in”, something which is not possible when you are on the move long term and need the stove daily. Primus dealers didn’t offer repair services, they just offer to send them in. The saga ended 3 months later when the fuel valve snapped off spraying fuel all over the campsite. After the fuel valve snapped we had to leave the bottle and fuel pump assembly at the campsite because we did not feel safe carrying it on our bikes, and of course Primus will not replace it without sending in the broken unit.
    We resorted to using just the Primus canisters from that point forward with better luck, but keeping the flame lit and adjusting the heat was still a struggle. The majority of the bikers we met were using the 30 euro campinggaz stoves with better performance than ours. Considering the cost and still having to buy canisters (instead of just fuel), next time we will just buy whatever cheap stove uses the canisters that are available in the countries we are passing through. Hit a new region? Buy the next compatible stove…it still would have been cheaper and more dependable.

  3. Sharon
    12th July 2014 at 3:18 am #

    Hi! Have you tried the BioLite stove that runs on twigs and pinecones and has a USB plug in to charge cell phones and batteries? I would be interested what you think if you have!

    Sharon

  4. Irena Patek
    25th November 2021 at 7:24 am #

    Your website won’t display correctly on my blackberry – you may want to try and repair that

  5. Golden Goose
    12th May 2023 at 1:48 am #

    I simply desired to appreciate you yet again. I am not sure the things I would’ve worked on in the absence of those concepts shared by you about that area. It had become the terrifying situation in my opinion, nevertheless taking note of the specialized fashion you dealt with that forced me to cry over gladness. I’m thankful for the information as well as believe you know what a great job you are always putting in training the rest all through a site. Probably you have never met any of us.

  6. golden goose sneakers
    13th May 2023 at 7:17 am #

    I would like to show my affection for your generosity in support of those who require assistance with in this theme. Your special dedication to passing the message along appears to be incredibly informative and has allowed others like me to reach their targets. Your personal interesting guidelines entails a whole lot to me and additionally to my fellow workers. With thanks; from everyone of us.

  7. kyrie shoes
    15th May 2023 at 5:47 pm #

    I simply desired to appreciate you once more. I am not sure the things I might have tried in the absence of those advice discussed by you concerning my area of interest. This was the terrifying problem in my opinion, nevertheless encountering the very expert form you resolved that made me to weep for happiness. I will be grateful for this information and thus hope that you realize what a great job that you’re getting into training most people thru your websites. Most likely you’ve never encountered any of us.

  8. bape hoodie
    26th May 2023 at 1:21 am #

    Thanks so much for giving everyone such a pleasant possiblity to read articles and blog posts from here. It’s always so kind and packed with a good time for me personally and my office co-workers to visit the blog more than 3 times every week to see the fresh secrets you have got. And definitely, I’m just actually fascinated considering the superb points served by you. Certain 4 points in this posting are without a doubt the most efficient we have had.

  9. fear of god essentials
    3rd June 2023 at 1:16 pm #

    I intended to send you a little bit of remark to finally thank you again on your nice strategies you’ve contributed on this site. It’s really open-handed of you to give extensively exactly what many individuals could possibly have offered for an ebook in order to make some money for their own end, mostly considering the fact that you could possibly have done it if you decided. The solutions additionally served to become good way to comprehend most people have a similar zeal similar to my own to find out a little more concerning this issue. I’m certain there are some more pleasurable times up front for folks who looked over your site.

  10. golden goose
    12th June 2023 at 8:20 pm #

    I’m just commenting to let you understand of the amazing experience my friend’s daughter found reading yuor web blog. She learned a wide variety of things, which included how it is like to have a great teaching heart to have a number of people completely learn selected extremely tough issues. You truly did more than visitors’ expectations. I appreciate you for churning out those interesting, trustworthy, edifying not to mention easy thoughts on that topic to Jane.

  11. off white nike
    18th June 2023 at 7:21 am #

    Needed to draft you one little remark to be able to thank you very much again regarding the nice tactics you’ve featured here. This is really wonderfully open-handed of people like you to make publicly all that a few people would have made available for an e-book to help make some dough for their own end, precisely seeing that you could have done it in case you considered necessary. The suggestions in addition worked like a easy way to comprehend many people have similar desire the same as my very own to understand more and more in terms of this condition. I know there are several more enjoyable opportunities in the future for those who see your blog.

  12. 방콕 돈키호테
    14th July 2023 at 4:51 pm #

    745829 529302I like this web blog very much so much superb info . 656292

  13. disposable carts
    7th August 2023 at 3:56 pm #

    246547 918030There is noticeably a great deal to realize about this. I suppose you made certain good points in functions also. 175676

  14. golden goose skystar
    14th November 2023 at 4:52 pm #

    I must point out my affection for your generosity for men and women that absolutely need help with that subject. Your personal commitment to getting the message around had become definitely practical and have regularly allowed associates much like me to achieve their ambitions. The warm and friendly key points entails this much a person like me and a whole lot more to my office workers. Thanks a lot; from all of us.

  15. golden goose sky star
    27th November 2023 at 1:42 am #

    I simply desired to appreciate you yet again. I am not sure what I could possibly have achieved without the actual tactics shared by you relating to such area. It had been an absolute alarming matter in my circumstances, but looking at the very expert way you handled that made me to weep for joy. Extremely thankful for the help and then expect you comprehend what an amazing job you happen to be getting into educating many others using your webpage. Most likely you’ve never encountered any of us.

  16. supreme hoodie
    29th November 2023 at 12:38 am #

    I would like to point out my admiration for your kind-heartedness for people that absolutely need assistance with this important area of interest. Your special commitment to getting the solution around became incredibly informative and has consistently permitted those just like me to reach their objectives. Your new informative useful information entails a lot a person like me and even more to my fellow workers. Many thanks; from all of us.

  17. 808089 289117Strategies for dilution antimicrobial susceptibility beadlets for beagles that grow aerobically-fifth edition. 596345

  18. curry shoes
    13th December 2023 at 5:17 pm #

    Needed to create you this very small word so as to thank you so much again just for the incredible advice you’ve provided above. It’s really surprisingly open-handed of you in giving unreservedly just what numerous people could have advertised as an e book in order to make some cash for themselves, primarily given that you might have done it in the event you considered necessary. These principles in addition acted as the fantastic way to be sure that other individuals have similar fervor just as my very own to realize significantly more in respect of this issue. Certainly there are millions of more fun instances ahead for those who look over your site.

  19. jordan outlet
    2nd January 2024 at 10:14 am #

    I have to point out my love for your kind-heartedness giving support to folks that need help with your concept. Your personal dedication to passing the message all through ended up being especially helpful and have usually helped women just like me to arrive at their dreams. Your amazing interesting help and advice means a lot to me and a whole lot more to my colleagues. Thank you; from all of us.

Leave a comment