<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCamp stoves aren’t as necessary as a tent, sleeping bag, and boots, but they’re still one of the most important pieces of camping kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bringing a camp stove with you in the wilderness is a great way to ensure some creature comforts to help you enjoy the Great Outdoors. There’s nothing like a warm meal or hot cup of tea after a big day of hiking to get you ready for a good sleep in your tent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But stove tents can also save your life. If there’s no firewood and you need to either cook your food to prepare it or boil water so it’s potable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you run out of water and don’t have chlorine tablets or a filter, then boiling water on a camp stove for 10 minutes is a good way to sterilize potentially harmful germs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, you might not need <\/em>a camp stove if you’re going for an overnight at a big campground within walking distance of a good pub or restaurant, but to maximize your camping experience as well as minimize any possible risks, a camping stove is a really useful bit of camping gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Do I need a gas regulator for a camping stove<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMost camping stoves burn pressurized gas that comes in screw-on disposable canisters. You can get propane and butane camping stoves, and each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the gas is under pressure, without a regulator, you wouldn’t be able to control the size of the flame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re boiling water to sterilize it or cooking up a feast of chorizo and beans, you’ll need to regulate the amount of gas coming out of the burner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luckily, most camping stoves come with their own built-in gas regulators. These tend to look like smaller versions of the knobs on your stove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camping stove regulators are often made of plastic, though sometimes they’re metal. Most of them work on the ‘lefty-loosey, righty-tighty’ rule, where left increases the flame and right decreases it and turns the stove off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a camping stove without a gas regulator, you can buy add-on gas regulars. There are a few different types of gas regulators like clip-ons, bolt-ons, and Bull Nose gas regulators, so make sure your regulator is compatible with your stove\/hose set-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How do you light a camp stove<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nTo put it simply, you need to light the gas on fire using a source of ignition. There are a few different ways to light the gas coming out of a gas stove burner, and each one has its own pros and cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matches are some of the best tried and true ways to get a fire going of any kind, and it’s no different when it comes to lighting a camp stove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matches are cheap, light, and reliable. Plus, you get a good few dozen or more per box. You can even get stormproof matches with a wax coating that keeps them waterproof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lighters are another popular way of lighting a camp stove. You can get cheap disposable lighters from any supermarket or gas station, and chucking a couple in with your gear is always a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also get more durable, refillable lighters like Zippos, jet flame lighters and pocket torch lighters. These tend to be better in windier conditions, though they are more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last but not least is the fire steel. Fire steels, or Ferro rods, are ingeniously simple, long-lasting and don’t require any fuel. All you have to do is strike sparks off the fire steel to light your camp stove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This technique requires a little bit to learn and can be more finicky than matches or a lighter but Ferro rods are great for emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n