One of the toughest things about long-distance backpacking involves making sure that all of your gear and equipment is as lightweight as it possibly can be. This is a really important factor that you have to get right because you will be responsible for carrying all of your own equipment over those long distances.
Just imagine, you are out in the wilderness exploring beautiful new locations and diving head first into exciting cultures that are so different from your own, but then your pack begins to feel like a dead weight on your back. When this happens things as simple as walking will become difficult and every muscle in your body will begin to ache.
To avoid this scenario, you have to plan ahead and work out the weight of all of the different equipment that you want to take with you when you go backpacking.
You then need to try and remove as much extra weight as you can by looking into some of the ultralight alternatives that are available on the market. The problem with this is that it can be difficult to spot the difference between a brilliant, ultralight piece of equipment and an ultralight piece of equipment that will fall apart in seconds.
Today, we are going to be talking about one specific backpacking stove because most people struggle when it comes to choosing the right ultralight backpacking stove for their adventures. The one that we are going to be discussing is called the Etekcity Ultralight Portable Backpacking Stove.
Features of Etekcity Ultralight Portable Backpacking Stove
Here are some of the amazing features that are present on the Etekcity Ultralight Backpacking Stove.
Weight
The Etekcity Ultralight Backpacking Stove is known for being one of the most versatile products on the market because of how lightweight it actually is. It can be easily carried across vast distances without ever having to worry about it. Most backpacking stoves have to sacrifice on the level of durability that they can offer to a backpacker in order to be this lightweight, but this stove is an exception. You should make sure that you choose a stove like this one that is just as durable as it is lightweight.
Materials
This stove is made out of a mixture of an aluminum alloy and stainless steel which is perfect because it means that while the stove is really lightweight because of it, it also has the ability to withstand the high-temperatures that it would naturally be exposed to with the presence of fire. Stainless steel is also incredibly durable, so you would be able to drop this stove from a great height and it would more than likely be okay.
Fuel
This stove can be used with any 7/16 thread single butane, or butane-propane mixed fuel canisters. This means that you would be able to find fuel that would be compatible with the stove in a number of different places. The stove even adheres to the ‘Leave No Trace’ principles that have been put in place by the US Forest Service and the National Park Service because it can burn clean while producing no debris or soot.
Design
The overall design of this stove makes it perfect for backpackers because it is that versatile that it has the ability to fold in on itself. This means that you could easily place it into a large pocket, or any other available space. It is worth noting that there is also a hard plastic case that can protect the stove, but you can leave it behind if the additional weight of having it in your pack bothers you. It is not essential.
There are a lot of good things about this Etekcity Stove, but there are also a few negatives that you should be aware of. Remember that what one person might consider to be a bad thing might not be the same as what the next person does. Here are our pros and cons for this stove.
Pros
This stove even features a piezo ignition system that allows you to quickly ignite it. It also has a strong valve connection that enables the flame to stay consistent and strong even when you are adjusting between high to low settings. This is important because a lot of flames are prone to going out when you begin to adjust the settings manually. The settings on this stove are controlled by an adjustable flame valve.
The thing that really makes this stove stand out is the amount of versatility that it can offer you. It can fold in on itself to be easily stored away, it can still be lit in windy conditions, it can be used to easily simmer things and it even has a hard plastic case that has been designed specifically to protect it. What more could you possibly want?
The Etekcity Backpacking Stove is relatively small so you could only really use it for a handful of people. But, the fact that you can adjust the flame means that you could cook food really quickly. If you are happy to form a queue and take it in turns cooking the same items, then you could work your way through a large group of people relatively quickly.
Cons
It is worth noting that little backpacking stoves can only offer you a minimum amount of stability due to their narrow size. This means that they are prone to being knocked over and they can be knocked over by the smallest of bumps. You have to make sure that you are extra careful with them and avoid letting any children or animals near them.
Summary
Why would you settle for a standard campfire when you could instead purchase a backpacking stove that manages to adhere to all of the ‘Leave No Trace’ principles that are constantly being talked about? This stove is the perfect answer to that question because it really is a portable and ultralight backpacking stove.
The best thing about this stove would have to be the adjustable flame control valve, a feature that is usually only seen on stoves that are a little bit larger and a little bit heavier. The valve gives you the ability to do everything from cooking meat at high temperatures to simmering stew in order to warm it up.