Hey Gang,

I like to carry a stove in my BOB. While I have a Coleman dual fuel stove, propane grill and open fire options for cooking while bugging-in, I wanted a small personal-sized stove for my kit. I went on a long "quest" of sorts, to determine what stove I'd want. Ultimately, I decided on an alcohol stove. My reasons for selecting an alcohol stove are simple. Alcohol stoves are the absolute last word in reliability...no moving parts, self-pressurizing, etc. Lots of different kinds of alcohol can be used for fuel, which translates to greater fuel availability. They don't give off a lot of smoke or soot (you can actually add water to the alcohol to reduce the soot), which makes them more stealthy than wood fires. The downside is that they are less efficient than the butane cartridge stoves out there.

I went with a Mini-Trangia 28-T, which includes a .9 Liter pot, the stove burner, simmer ring, pan and handle for about $35. This tiny little package fits in my BOB nicely and nests together. Other than your cutlery, it has everything you need to cook up a meal.

What are your options or selections for cooking on the go?