Changed my mind about cheap camp stoves after my Coleman broke down

I used to think spending over $60 on a camp stove was a waste. Last August on a trip to Lake George my cheap Coleman suddenly lost pressure mid-meal and we ate cold beans. I borrowed my buddy's MSR PocketRocket and it worked flawless for the whole trip. Now I tell people to skip the budget stuff and save up for something that won't die on you. Has anyone else been burned by a stove failing at the worst time?

3 comments

3 Comments

brianm661mo ago

Cold beans beat cold beans with a side of broken stove, right?

roberts.leo1mo ago

That reminds me of this pattern I've noticed where people buy the cheap version of something and then act surprised when it lets them down at the worst possible moment. It's like when you buy the bargain bin rain jacket and it keeps you dry for exactly one trip before the seams give out on a wet hike. Or when my neighbor bought the off-brand extension cord for his Christmas lights and it melted halfway through December because it couldn't handle the load. The stove thing is just another example - you trust cheap gear with your food and sleep, and it fails right when you're cold and hungry and miles from a repair shop.

claire_young761mo ago

Yo @brianm66, you ever wake up at 3am with a dead stove and a growling stomach? That's when the cold beans really hit different. I actually heard a podcast last month with a guy who tested like 30 stoves for a gear review site, and he said the cheap ones fail at the worst times because of bad regulators and cheap seals. He said even the $40 models can randomly lose pressure when the temp drops at night. I feel you on the Coleman though, mine did the same thing on a trip to the Smokies last fall. It's just not worth the headache when you're already dealing with damp wood and hungry friends.