A multifuel stove has several advantages over other stove types for extended bicycle tours. Canisters and proprietary fuels may be tough to come by in certain regions. With a quality multifuel stove there will almost always be some sort of compatible fuel source available. Depending on the stove these can include white gas, unleaded auto gas, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel, and some even have adapters for canisters. The fuel also tends to be less expensive than canister fuel and leaves you with no canister to dispose of when the fuel is exhausted. Another advantage is multifuel stoves usually perform better in cold weather conditions. All of these factors make a multifuel stove a better choice for extended and international tours.

There are several factors you want to consider when comparing different multifuel stoves. These include total burn time, average boil time, fuel efficiency, stability, and reliability. Burn time refers to how long a stove will burn using a set amount of fuel and also depends on the type of fuel used. Average boil time refers to the amount of time it takes to bring 1 liter of room temperature water to a boil. Fuel efficiency refers to how much water can be boiled per set amount of fuel used. These 3 factors coincide with one another and vary across different brands and types of stoves. Stability refers to how well the support arms of the stove hold the pot. Reliability is very important as most stoves use proprietary parts that may be difficult or even impossible to come by in remote areas. Many of the quality multifuel stove manufacturers sell small maintenance and parts kits to accompany the stove on tour. These usually include the tools to repair the stove and small parts that typically fail after extended use.

Brunton Vapor AF

Fuel type-Canister / liquid
Fuel-Isobutane-propane / white gas / kerosene / jet / auto / diesel
Dimensions-4.1 x 5.2 x 2.3 inches
Weight (without fuel)-16oz
Burn time-(max flame) (White gas) / (kerosene)
Average boil time-(White gas) / (kerosene)
Water boiled per 100g fuel-(White gas) / (kerosene)
Cold weather use-(White gas) / (kerosene)
Stove stability-
Pot stability-
Ability to simmer-
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MSR Dragonfly

Fuel type-Liquid
Fuel-White gas / kerosene / jet / auto / diesel
Weight (without fuel)-(Stove and pump only) 14 ounces
Dimensions-6.3 x 5 x 3.5 inches
Burn time-(max flame) (White gas) 26.5 / (kerosene) 30.3 minutes
Average boil time-(White gas) 3 min. 52 sec. / (kerosene) 4 min. 3 sec.
Water boiled per 100g fuel-(White gas) 6.7 / (kerosene) 7.5 liters
Cold weather use-(White gas) excellent / (kerosene) excellent
Stove stability-Excellent
Pot stability-Excellent
Ability to simmer-Excellent

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MSR Whisperlite International

Specs
Fuel type-Liquid
Fuel-White gas / kerosene / jet / auto / diesel
Weight (without fuel)-(Stove and pump only) 11.5 ounces
Dimensions-6 x 4 x 4 inches
Burn time (max flame)-(White gas) 25.6 / (kerosene) 29.8 minutes
Average boil time-(White gas) 3 min. 51 sec. / (kerosene) 4 min. 42 sec.
Water boiled per 100g fuel-(White gas) 6.7 / (kerosene) 6.3 liters
Cold weather use-(White gas) good / (kerosene) good
Stove stability-Good
Pot stability-Good
Ability to simmer-Fair

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MSR XGK EK

Fuel type-Liquid
Fuel-White gas / kerosene / jet / auto / diesel
Weight (without fuel)-(stove & pump only) 13.2 ounces
Dimensions-5 x 3.9 x 3.5 inches
Burn time (max flame)-22.3 minutes
Average boil time-4 min. 56 sec.
Water boiled per 100g fuel-4.6 liter
Cold weather use-Excellent
Stove stability-Good
Pot stability -Excellent
Ability to simmer-Unavailable

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Optimus Nova Plus

Fuel type Liquid
Fuel White gas / kerosene / jet / auto / diesel
Weight (without fuel)-15.3 ounces
Dimensions-5.5 x 2.6 x 2.6 inches
Burn time (max flame)-(White gas) 92 / (kerosene) 60 minutes
Average boil time-(White gas) 4.13 / (kerosene) 4.19 minutes
Water boiled per 100g fuel-(White gas) 6.57 / (kerosene) 3.6 liters
Cold weather use-(White gas) good / (kerosene) good
Stove stability-Excellent
Pot stability -Unavailable
Ability to simmer-Excellent
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Primus Omnifuel

Fuel type-Canister / liquid
Fuel-Isobutane-propane / white gas / kerosene / jet / auto / diesel
Weight (without fuel)-15.6 ounces
Dimensions-5.5 x 3.3 x 2.8 inches
Burn time (max flame)-Unavailable
Average boil time-3 minutes
Water boiled per 100g fuel-Unavailable
Cold weather use-Unavailable
Stove stability-Excellent
Pot stability -Excellent
Ability to simmer-Unavailable

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Jan 22 2011 in Equipment Jon Picklesimer No Comments »