Enjoying warm food while hiking or backpacking is a game changer. A delicious and warm meal can elevate your entire week, month, or year of camping. If you’re an expert camper, or just love the great outdoors, you probably want to get yourself a stove and enjoy some warm meals while out in the backcountry.
If you’ve done any research on what stoves to buy, you’ve probably seen both butane and propane options. Getting a camping stove is a matter of preference. But, it’s important to get the right stove for your needs. So, the first thing you’re probably wondering is what’s the difference between these two combustable fuels? Well, we’re here to teach you everything you need to know and recommend the best options for you.
Basics of Combustible Fuels
First things first, these fuels should be handled with extreme care. Propane and butane are both combustible fuels and are commonly used for cooking and heating. They are perfect for those times when lighting a fire isn’t convenient (or legal). These fuels are liquids that are compressed and easily catch on fire. Both propane and butane are easily accessible in steel cans (of many sizes) and can be found at any outdoors store. Although, propane and butane are very similar, they also have a number of differences.
Propane
Advantages:
- Propane burns better at high altitudes and in freezing temperatures.
- Propane is cheaper than butane.
- Propane is more widely used and can be found at almost any outdoors store.
Disadvantages:
- Propane is heavier than butane and most other heating fuels.
Butane
Advantages:
- Butane is lighter than propane making it easier to carry and more portable.
- A bottle of butane will typically last longer than a similar size bottle of propane.
Disadvantages:
- Butane does not work in freezing or high altitude environments.
What are BTUs?
Now that you know what these fuels are, and how they differ it is important to understand BTUs, or British Thermal Units. These three letters are extremely important when looking to buy a propane or butane camping stove. BTUs are how one measures the power of a camp stove. Technically, the more BTUs a stove has, the more heat is it able to put out. Of course, this also depends on the design of the model stove you are going to purchase. For example, if the design has a wind blocker for the flame, your meal will cook faster. When going to buy your stove, pay attention to the amount of BTUs a burner puts out, because this can generally tell you how fast or slow something will be able to cook.
Our Favorite Propane and Butane Camping Stoves
Now that you understand the difference between propane and butane and know what’s best for you, take a look at our favorite portable camping stoves.
Coleman Classic
Propane Stove
Quality
Price
Our rating
This classic camping stove uses propane to heat your food. It’s a simple tool that’s easy for any camper to use. It has a no frills design but because of its price point we think this product does just fine when compared to the fancier competition on the internet.
The stove allows you to adjust the temperature in order to cook things slower or faster. We also like that it is lightweight and portable. You will have to use a match to light the burners but matches are light, easy to carry, and useful when hiking so we think it’s a good compromise. Also, this stove can be used in cold weather, in high altitudes and with low fuel because it gets its heat from propane.
Another great feature is the side panels that you can see on the stove. This keeps the wind away from the flame and allows you to heat your food more quickly. The two burners make it the perfect size to cook with a pot and a skillet. If you’re looking for something handy and easy to use in freezing weather, this is the stove for you. All you have to do is purchase some one-time use propane cans and connect them to the connectors that come in the pouch and then it’s time for some delicious meals.
PROS
CONS
Coleman Portable
Butane Stove
Quality
Price
Our rating
If you’re looking for something simple, this butane stove is perfect for you. Our favorite, cheap stove for the solo camper looking to make a simple, but delicious meal. It’s easy to carry and comes with a carrying case for convenience. The stove uses butane, making the gas lighter to carry. This is nice for people who are looking to hike to their final location. Of course, you get what you pay for.
This stove only has one heater so if you’re looking to cook some more extravagant camping meals, you might want to look for a portable camping stove with a second burner. We picked this stove as one of our favorites because it’s easy, reliable and cheap (plus, it comes in this adorable blue color). This little guy only has 7,650 total BTUs of cooking power but will definitely get the job done. This product has the option for you to adjust the heat and you don’t need a match to get it started.
PROS
CONS
Camp Chef Everest (Two Burner)
Propane Stove
Quality
Price
Our rating
This upper-scale stove comes with our favorite camping stove perks. It has a carrying handle, matchless ignition, and a stainless steel drip tray making it incredibly easy to clean up. At a great price point, this stove also has two burners, side panels to block the wind from blowing out the burners, and a sturdy lid. This powerful, yet portable, stove has two high-power burners that each get up to 20,000 BTUs for a total heat output of 40,000 BTUs. Because of this power, the stove comes with an adapter so that it can be used with larger propane tanks. This product is great for someone who is more talented in the kitchen and is looking to take those talents outdoors.
PROS
CONS
Overview
As you can see, both butane and propane have their advantages and disadvantages. Propane is best if you’re going to be camping during the cold winter nights, as it works better in freezing temperature. Also, propane is cheaper which is a huge advantage for budget camping. But, propane is denser and heavier than butane so it’s not the best option if you’re looking to do a long hike to your camp site. If you’re looking some something lightweight, butane is best. But, it cannot be used in freezing or high altitude climates.
Now, go enjoy some beautiful scenery and a nice warm meal.
Gideon
Tuesday 19th of November 2019
Adapters available for butane hiking stoves (ebay) to use 2 styles of cylinders or propane bottles. This is good for emergencies when certain supplies are difficult to find.