Stove - Coleman Two-Burner Base/Family Camp Stove

This is the stove to use when you are car or base camping where weight and bulk are not issues. It’s not that heavy or bulky, but at 11 pounds, it’s probably too much to try to carry long distances. A better option for backpacking trips would be one or more of the small, lightweight canister stoves.

This stove operates in much the same fashion as your backyard grill – propane fueled; turn the valve; light it with a match, and you’re ready to cook. We like this model because of its wind baffles, decent-sized burners that will handle larger pots and skillets, and its easy controls.

Each burner on this stove cranks out 10,000 BTU; I don’t know why that’s good, but I understand that’s a great feature! I think it means you can burn your eggs while camping just as quick as if you fell asleep at your big range at home.

It is fueled by 16.4 ounce propane cylinders which are available from us or virtually anywhere – Wal Mart, Target, hardware stores, etc. They are typically green canisters about the size of a 2 liter soda bottle, just shorter. Each cylinder will last about one hour on high; up to 4.5 hours on low. The fuel is pretty cheap at around $2 or so, I’d take an extra cylinder in the car with you to make sure you had enough to get through a weekend trip. It is worth noting that you can't take these on an airline so keep that in mind. They will also work with the bulk propane cylinder –that mini-keg-sized one - you probably already have at home with an adaptor – which is naturally not included. Suggestion – try it out at home and master the temperature settings there first for a few minutes before using it at camp – that way you can impress your camp guests with your backwoods culinary skills, even if it's your first trip out.

This Coleman 2-burner is about 23” wide; 15” deep; and 6” tall when closed up. Our rental is a cheap price to be able to crank out some tasty pancakes at the campground.

For more information, read one of our articles on cooking in the woods, preparation tips and eating right while on the trail.