NissanLeafCamper said:
GRA said:
The stove is everything above the base (which is the discardable, standard fuel canister, available just about everywhere and used by the majority of canister stoves). However, its pot support is limited for larger pots (they make a 4 prong support for those), and all the stoves that mount on top of the canister can be a bit tippy if you're careless. Some models have outrigger legs that attach to the canisters to improve things. For car camping, I'd recommend something lower and more stable, with the Iwatani type being ideal, but there are other options. Go to REI and browse the backpacking stoves, or here: http://www.rei.com/c/backpacking-stoves" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ves&page=1
Get one recommended for cooking as opposed to primarily boiling water (Jetboils et al), as you want one with good flame control if you want to scramble eggs. Read the customer reviews. Naturally, these are all for outside use. White gas stoves are better for groups or in winter, but much more of a hassle to light/relight, and for car camping I don't think they're worth the trouble unless fuel costs are critical.
The Primus Yellowstone canister stove is cheap ($20). It's a little heavy for backpacking (8 oz. sans fuel canister. My Soto is 2.3 oz.), but has excellent pot support, good for a fry pan. The Soto and some of the others have a built-in lighter, which is convenient. However, many of the lighters are easily damaged (the Soto's isn't), so it's always prudent to have a lighter or matches just in case. OTOH, for stability, one of the butane/propane stoves with a tube leading from the fuel canister to the stove base, like the MSR Whisperlite Universal, may be a better idea. Are you a klutz in the kitchen, or careful? The Snow Peak Bipod looks like a good idea for your needs, stable albeit relatively heavy (7.8 oz.), but is new so no reviews yet, and is a bit pricey at $90. However, REI has regular sales, and if you're a member most sales allow you to get one full-price item at 20% off, if the specific item you want isn't on sale for even more of a discount.
Thank you wow I did not know you could buy just the burner itself for cooking. This tells you I have never gone camping before lol. Wish I had known about this before I bought my twin burner stove from coleman. It is big and heavy, well for me at least. The Primus is so cheap. I can't believe the price jump from the Primus to the Whisperlite; about 80-100 usd?! Seems like the only upgrade was the support/fuel line :?
No, it allows you to use butane/propane canisters or white gas plus there's some other advantages, most of which are irrelevant for your needs. The Yellowstone is your basic butane/propane backpacking stove, dating from around 15 years ago. It's not sophisticated, heavy (for backpacking) and lacks the latest tech. As a result, performance falls off markedly in cold weather and/or as the canister empties. OTOH, it does have the advantage for your needs of a relatively large pot support, and stability. YGWYPF. Although aimed at the needs of backpacker/X-C skier/mountaineer types like myself, this article (by MSR, but applicable to types of stoves if not the specifics of other brands) gives you general info on the advantages and disadvantages of canister and liquid-fuel stoves for different situations: http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/blog/canister-stoves-vs-liquid-fuel/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
For possibly more info than you want, here's an article on stoves using upright versus inverted (like the Whisperlite) canisters: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=72761" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
NissanLeafCamper said:
I would not trust myself cooking inside the car with the Prius and too risky even with the whisperlite. It would definitely have to be done outside. I have used the coleman twin burner stove inside the car before by just sitting it on the passenger seat and cooking something on top; the lid folds back against the seat protecting it. It is basically a big brief case with two burners inside. I'm just not sure about cooking outside the vehicle not sure if it is legal/illegal to cook in the streets :?: Not sure what the cops would say. I think i read that carrying propane inside a passenger vehicle is illegal in los angeles. So ever since then I always feel that I am at 'risk' when cooking with it. Have not exactly tried to verify it as I looked into it a few years ago when I bought the coleman portable stove.
IMO, cooking inside a car should only be done in a survival situation, when no other option is available. I've never heard of any law against cooking outdoors, and the police would have to bust everyone using a barbecue set for tailgate parties outside of stadium parking lots if they did. I suppose they might object if you put it on the sidewalk where people could walk past, but I suspect it wouldn't be a problem on the hood, or on the ground/on a table like this one, http://www.rei.com/product/765280/rei-camp-roll-table?cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla-_-7652800001&mr:trackingCode=E7A2D60A-9274-E311-90E9-BC305BF82162&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=t&mr:adType=plaonline&mr:ad=52774015120&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=126975523960&msid=fuNo6vVb_dt|pcrid|52774015120|&lsft=cm_mmc:cse_PLA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; behind/in front/alongside of the car in a parking space. As to carrying propane inside a car, ? Seems ridiculous and impossible to enforce. Bulk propane like a tanker truck, sure. But every RV on the street would seem to violate such a law in L.A., not to mention everyone hauling a propane tank for their barbeque to/from refilling or swapping it.
BTW, any of these stoves other than a jetboil-type system or one of the MSR separated burner stoves will benefit from some kind of extra windscreen on windy days. The critical thing is this: never surround or enclose the fuel canister. Letting it get hot is a REALLY BAD IDEA. Any windscreen you come up with should block off no more than three sides, and be situated well away from the fuel canister of sit-on-top type canister stoves. The canister temp should be checked by hand to make sure it doesn't feel warm or hot when cooking; it should be cool to cold. You can make a cheap two- or three-sided windscreen from a piece of cardboard cut from a box and covered with aluminum foil, you can block off the wind with anything handy (boots, cooler etc.) or you can get as fancy as you like. But obey the rule about keeping the fuel canister cool.
NissanLeafCamper said:
I would have to think about but I think if I choose the burner you suggest then I'd likely have to get some kind of propane operated cooler/tiny fridge to go with it and that might just be a few too many possibly explosive items inside the car! I'm still wondering what the price difference will be between propane / electric? 20$ for the primus is super cheap. The cylinders seem to be about $10 too? about 120/mo if I only use one canister per month? If 2 then $240 in one year. A quick amazon search turns up $56 Induction cooker at amazon ( Spt 1300-Watt Induction Cooktop, Silver Free shipping) and $160 for that cobra modified sine wave at amazon (Free shipping) For a total of $216 usd not counting the deep cycle agm suggested just now (+148$+s ) and the adapters which I am not sure how much they will cost. At least one plus side on the induction cooker is that the risk of fire ..might.. be possibly reduced lol. I am going to be recharging at a free charging station not to far from where I usually am and with the extra time I get to have on my hands I think it will just work out to free electricity most of the time for me.
-edit-
Just called my family and asked what size the propane tank for the coleman stove is. "Coleman Propane Fuel, 16.4 oz" basically. I asked about how many times we use it before it runs out and we thought about 7 times. Makes me wonder about how many uses you get out of the small 2.3 oz :?: The 8 oz canister will be half the size so I am not sure how well that would work out. Perhaps 4 times worth of use?
Read the specs of the particular stoves, or consult the stove comparison handout sheet at an REI, but typically you get around 50-60 minutes of run time at maximum flame from the smallest (100g/3.5 oz. of fuel) canister, so multiply that run time by the appropriate number for larger canisters. OTOH, it's entirely possible to get propane single-burner stoves that use standard (16.4 oz.) propane cylinders, which may well be the best choice for you since you don't need to carry the stove yourself. Some of them look like the Iwatani with a separate canister, others use a sit-on-top design. For prolonged car camping, I'd probably recommend that - you aren't anywhere near as constrained by space and weight issues as someone who has to carry everything on their back.
As for induction cookers, I have no experience with them, but in general my opinion is that using a high-quality form of energy like electricity for a low-quality use like cooking is a waste (short use like a microwave aside). If you insist on cooking inside the car, they obviously have some safety benefit compared to a stove with a flame, but not enough to get me to do it. HTH.