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Top 10 (give or take) Lightest Canister Stoves

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Just a short post here on the top ten or so lightest upright canister stoves. Yes, I know, there are 11 on the list. The MSR Micro Rocket has actually been discontinued, but I kept it on the list just because there may be some close out deals on it.
So, without further ado, here is the list:
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I might be missing something; I don't have every stove in the known universe (yet), but this should be a pretty good list of the lightest upright canister stoves. No, I didn't include any remote canister or integrated canister stoves on this list. That's the subject for another post another day.

I like compiling information (I guess that's why I have a blog, Adventures in Stoving). Sometimes seeing all the info laid out side-by-side can be helpful if one is trying to decide between different pieces of gear.

Now, each to his or her own, and hike your own hike. Some value pot stability. Others focus solely on weight. Still others want convenience and then there are those who value reliability over all else. I've added a few comments that will hopefully give some information to each type of person. Is it a bit limited? Well, it's a chart. There's only so much one can cram in there before the chart just doesn't work any more. It's supposed to be a summary, right? But not to worry, I'm working on a full length post.

In the mean time, those desiring further information may find the following links useful:
Kovea Supalite review:
https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-kovea-supalite-upright-canister-gas.html

Soto Amicus review:
https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2016/12/review-soto-amicus.html

BRS-3000T review:
https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-brs-3000t-worlds-lightest-stove.html

MSR Pocket Rocket 2 review:
https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2016/12/review-new-msr-pocket-rocket-2.html

Soto WindMaster review:
https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-soto-windmaster-worlds-lightest-gas.html

Hope it's of interest,
HJ
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GfromSLC
25
Oct 30, 2020
great blog
Logboy
2
Apr 25, 2020
Had the same BRS for a few years. Still going strong. It survived the ODT and CDT, as well ass some other random hikes.
cliff69
2
Feb 3, 2019
I used the brs 3000t on the te araroa trail. Used it for 4.5 months. With a 550ml toaks titanium pot and a windshield. It all fit inside the pot. Worked flawlessly. Still going strong. Such a good design. I suspect the factory that manufactures the fire maple products may produce many of the stoves on this list.....
dmchike
2
Dec 14, 2018
Thanks, Jim. Any knowledge of the Bulen B5 which competes with the Kovea Spider?
satanas
71
Dec 14, 2018
FWIW, I have a Kovea stove which appears to be a variant of the Superlite, perhaps slightly older or newer. It's okay if there's no wind, but wretchedly inefficient when it's windy; a Jetboil will save gas, time, and overall weight on trips longer than a night or two, and cause much less frustration. Stove weight isn't the only thing that matters - they have to work too. Packs are similar; it doesn't matter how light they are if the harness is uncomfortable. :-(
rbucker
6
Dec 3, 2018
I like my canister stove when I go car camping with my kids but I have yet to hear someone assert that there is plenty available on long trails.
Tysonz3
49
Dec 11, 2018
rbuckerPlenty available on the AT or PCT.
JL67
7
Sep 20, 2018
The Soto Amicus is my goto! Picked it up here just recently and am very impressed. Concur with your comments. For $40, it's a no brainer.
MPVIVO
2
May 12, 2018
Great overview. I am fairly new to backpacking, but did a lot of research before deciding on a stove. I ended up settling on the Soto Amicus...and so glad I did! The stove is not as light as some others, but were talking fractions of an ounce! The overall performance and price point of the Amicus combine to deliver great value. I am very happy with the decision. The stove has performed very well on multiple trips, including wind and cold in the White Mountains of NH.
HighDez
3
Jan 2, 2018
Nice list...thank you. I purchased the Kovea Supalite 60g months ago and have found it most reliable. I keep it, a cup, a fuel canister, and a lighter/firestarting supplies all in my Stanley 1L cookpot with a long handled titanium spork and it packs nicely, with room for more gear in a side pocket of my backpack. Even in 10 degree F temps, it has worked reliably. I recently got 12-14 meals (heating water for coffee/breakfast and dinner) from a single canister of fuel. I really like this stove!
pwoc
2
Dec 2, 2017
After trying many different canister stoves in every price range including the Soto Windmaster (an impressive stove), I have settled on the on the Fire Maple pictured above, as my usual stove. Considering weight, useability, and construction, and price, this stove is hard to beat.
hikin_jim
251
Dec 3, 2017
pwocYeah, that's not a bad one. It's the FMS-116T which is sometimes called the Gnat and sometimes the Kinetic Ultra. The 116T is my pick for just about the lightest that is still pretty practical. The 116T has decent pot stability and decent flame spread. One could actually cook on the 116T if one were of a mind too.
I have the FMS-300T which doesn't vary much in terms of weight from the 116T but the flame on the 300T is much more concentrated, and the 300T doesn't have the same pot stability.
The one down side to all five of the top five lightest stoves is none of them is particularly good in wind. On purpose, I test a lot at the beach. It's typically windy there. All of the really light stoves suffer in wind. I've had trouble making my morning cup of Joe there. The one exception that I've noted of late is the WindMaster. That thing really is more windproof than the typical upright canister stove. I was out two weeks ago with the 300T. It couldn't bring my coffee pot to the boil. I turned it off, swapped it out for the WindMaster, and the WindMaster had my coffee ready in short order.
HJ
pwoc
2
Dec 3, 2017
hikin_jimYeah, I have the 300t too, and completely agree with you on all points. I've given up the wind resistance of the Windmaster for the stability, and cooking ability of the Fire Maple. I've settled for using a personally designed windscreen, specially designed for a canister stove with a heat reflector. Even though the Windmaster will stay lit in a breeze, it becomes less efficient at heating in the wind.
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