That 60 year old camp stove my uncle handed down changed my mind about new gear

I was at my uncle's place last Saturday helping him clean out his garage, and he just handed me this old Coleman camp stove from like the 1960s. It's all beat up, rust spots on the legs, and the pump feels stiff as heck. He said 'this thing will outlast both of us, trust me.' I've been using a $120 brand new propane stove I bought two years ago from REI, and honestly it's been finicky on windy days and the regulator started acting up last trip. That old stove got me thinking about how I just assume new stuff is better without really checking. My uncle told me he's cooked over 300 meals on that thing from Canada down to Mexico without a single breakdown. So now I'm torn between sticking with my modern stove or giving this relic a chance at my next campsite near Big Bear next month. Anyone put an old white gas stove through the wringer recently and had it hold up better than a new one?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_dylan16d ago

That old white gas stove will absolutely work, but you better enjoy messing with a pump, a priming cup, and constant fuel pressure checks while your buddies' propane stoves are boiling water in 30 seconds. Newer tech is lighter and simpler for a reason, and one clogged generator tube on that relic will leave you eating cold beans while your uncle's nostalgia wears off real quick.

casey_torres6016d ago

The 'constant fuel pressure checks' thing is what gets me, @the_dylan. Like, how often are you really tweaking that knob out in the field? Is it more of a 'set it and forget it' situation once you get the hang of it, or are you genuinely having to babysit the flame every 10 minutes? I've heard mixed things about how often you gotta repump the tank during a big meal cook. Do most people just deal with it on those white gas models or do they end up modding them somehow?