My trusty camp stove died on day two of a week long trip in the Smokies

I was six miles into the Benton MacKaye Trail last October when my old Whisperlite started sputtering and then just quit. The fuel pump had cracked somehow, and I had no backup stove. I ended up eating cold beans and granola bars for five days, which taught me to always carry a repair kit or a backup stove. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail deep in the backcountry like that?

1 comments

1 Comment

sanchez.mary1mo ago

Oh my goodness, that's exactly the kind of nightmare that keeps me up at night! I had a similar thing happen on a solo trip in the Hoh Rainforest a few years back - my little alcohol stove just gave out on the second evening. I was pretty far in and it was raining sideways. What worked for me was learning how to make a small twig fire using a firesteel, even with wet wood. It took practice at home first, but once I got the hang of building a tiny fire in a sheltered spot under a tarp, I felt a whole lot better. I still carry a backup stove now, but knowing I can boil water with just sticks and a spark really takes the pressure off.