Outfitted’s Signature hiking Stove and Pot Review

Every hiker needs a stove but finding one that is high quality, durable and well-made is sometimes hard so that's why I will be reviewing one of the best on the market to help you find the right stove for you. Outfitted are a growing hiking retailer that has been focusing on providing quality hiking essentials such as tents, packs, poles and of course stoves which we will be reviewing today to help you discover if it is really any good.

So what is their signature hiking stove?

The signature hiking stove and pot from Outfitted is exactly what you would expect, it is their flagship hiking stove combo that seems to have wide ranging praise from their customers for its efficient, light and easy to use design. In the box you get the brass alcohol stove, aluminium cooking pot and lid, stove stand, cleaning sponge, folding hiking spork and Mesh and felt bags for storing each part of the kit in a safe way that minimises the risk of damage while you walk. All of this weighs just 347g which I'm sure I don't need to say is incredibly light for a hiking stove that also includes the cooking pot and eating utensil. The stove also includes a ‘lifetime’ warrantee which gives me confidence in the fact that if it doesn't last as long as it should then I won’t be the one missing out.

So what are my thoughts?

When I started cooking with this stove, I was someone who was never much of a fan of spirit burners but rather I preferred to use gas burners instead because of ease of use but after using this metho burner from Outfitted my mind on spirit burners has been changed simply because of the easy to use and robust design. Setting the pot up and getting it ready to use is so simple and once you know how to use it I can guarantee that you will want to bring it with you on any of your future hikes just as I do. When packing your bag you will be happy to know that all of the burner and stand fits neatly into the one litre pot to allow for easy transportation and packing within your bag which means it is not only light but small too.

But it's not just design that this stove gets point from me for but also for price, costing just $89 it is relatively cheap compared to other brands that can offer more expensive options of a very similar product. Another cost saving benefit of choosing spirit burners over gas stoves is fuel costs which in comparison to gas stoves are almost non-existent, Methylated Sprits are quite cheap costing only a few dollars for a litre which should last a very long time. Gas on the other hand is far more expensive and one gas canister can cost as much as $20 which is typically only enough for a few days on the trail and sometimes nearing the cost of the stove itself. The costs saved in fuel makes hiking much easier to do on a more regular basis because you are not limited by the costs of resupplying your stove with the necessary fuel required for your trip.

It also has a large cooking capacity, allowing for one litre of delicious camping food to be cooked in the one pot, this pot also comes with a lid to help with heat retention which can become a bit of a problem when cooking a larger quantity of food. One thing I really liked about the pot was the fact that there was attached fold out handles instead of that annoying grabby tool that required you to clamp onto the side of the pot, for me this tool was something I found annoying to do every time I wanted to take my pot off the stove so I find this to be a nice inclusion.

Though this hiking stove is very good, it is not perfect and there are some limitations of brining a spirit burning stove that you must plan for before you decide to set out on your next adventure into the bush. The first of these limitations is weight, though the stove itself is very light and compact, you still need to carry the necessary fuel to operate the stove which does weigh quite a bit and take up some further room within your bag depending on how much you bring with you. Another limitation of using a spirit burner is the fact that metho burns at a much lower temperature to gas meaning food will on average take longer to cook but will still get the job of cooking done, all be it a few minutes slower than its gas counterpart. These limitations are less linked with the stove itself but the fact that it uses methylated spirits as its fuel source which can have its problems as stated above which is something you will need to plan for before you set off.

Overall, I think this stove is one of the best on the market and makes light weight cooking a possibility to everyone who thinks they are up for it, the smart, slick, durable and useable design allows for as much versatility as any hiker would need and is almost a must have in your bag.

For this review I used the Outfitted Trek Packing Specialists Signature Stove and Pot Combo which costs $89.00 AUD, if you’re looking at buying this fantastic hiking stove first make sure that you will actually bring it with you often so you’re not wasting your money. Also make sure to look at other websites and brands to find the cheapest and the best one for you so you are not left out of pocket, most major outdoors retailers will have their own range so it's important to see what they have got but I also would suggest thinking seriously about buying one of these fantastic stoves.

Written by Josh Welch

*Disclaimer, the product above was sent to us by the manufacturer/retailer at no cost but has had no effect on the review itself, we maintain an unbiased and quality based review that aims to look at the pros and cons of the product with no input from the products producer.