What Is a Remote Canister Backpacking Stove?

For nearly five years, I used the same Primus Express canister stove for backpacking. After enduring lots of abuse, I finally had to put it to rest (flames were coming from places they shouldn’t!). I went to my local outdoor store, saw a remote canister stove on sale and impulsively bought it. Now that I have the remote stove, I wish I would have gotten one a lot sooner.

What is a Remote Canister Stove?

Remote canister stoves have a length of hose that connects the gas canister to the burner. By contrast, the more-common “integrated” type of stove screws directly on top of the gas canister. There are several benefits to the remote design, particularly that you can use a full windscreen and larger pots. Most remote stoves can also be used as inverted stoves.

Tip: If you already have an integrated backpacking stove, you can get the MSR Low Down adapter to turn it into a remote stove.

Can Use a Full Windscreen

Because remote canister stoves keep the burner and canister apart from each other, it is possible to use a full windscreen without risk of explosion. With integrated canister stoves, you cannot use a full windscreen. Surrounding the canister may cause it to overheat and explode!

Even without a windscreen, remote canister stoves perform better in the wind. They are low to the ground, and windspeed is less down low. There are also more natural windbreaks at ground level.

Note: There are also some windscreens for canister stoves, but they have problems like only being compatible with specific brands or only fitting narrow pots. I’ve improvised solutions for this (see my cheap DIY canister windscreen here), but it’s not great.

My DIY gas canister windscreen is far from ideal, but won’t make the canister explode!

Easier to Balance Large Pots

Remote gas canister stoves are much lower to the ground. The lower center of gravity on a remote stove makes it much easier to balance large pots on top of it. They are also easier to use on uneven ground because the stove rests on legs, and not the round fuel canister. Many remote stoves also have larger-diameter cooking surfaces, so are suitable for using with large pots and skillets.

In short, it is much easier to use large, heavy pots with a remote gas canister stove, so less chance of your dinner toppling over and ending up hungry!

Burner Height:

Remote stove: ~2.5 inches.
Integrated stove (on 8oz canister): ~6.7 inches
Integrated stove (on 16oz canister): ~9 inches

This pot is just waiting to fall over!

More Efficient

Not only can remote stoves be used with full windscreens to make them more efficient, but you can put a heat reflector underneath them as well to increase efficiency. Fuel is expensive and canisters are heavy, so anything that saves fuel is great!

Saving fuel with a heat reflector while making coffee.

Turn into Multi-Fuel Stove

The MSR WhisperLite Universal and Optimus Polaris Multifuel can be used with gas canisters or liquid fuels. Primus remote stoves have conversion kits available that allow you to use the stove with canisters or liquid fuels. The setups kits are not cheap. However, it ends up being cheaper than buying separate canister and multi-fuel stoves.

Remote Stoves vs. Inverted Stoves

An inverted backpacking stove has a preheating coil that turns liquid fuel into gas. It usually looks like a little loop of metal that goes from the fuel hose through the flame. This feature allows you to flip your gas canister upside down.

All inverted backpacking stoves are remote stoves, but not all remote stoves are inverted stoves: they must have the preheating coil.

Why would you want to invert your gas canister?

Use in Cold Temperatures

Gas canister stoves don’t perform well in cold temperatures. It has to do with how pressure levels in the stove change as the temperature drops. Butane fuel fails at 31ºF, and isobutane fuel fails around 11ºF. With mixed fuel, expect failure at around 20ºF.

Inverted backpacking stoves solve this problem. When you turn the gas canister upside down, it forces the liquid fuel into the hose. The liquid fuel reaches the stove and the pre-heating coil converts the liquid fuel into gas so the stove can burn it.

I admittedly have never had to use this (I generally don’t camp overnight in those temps!), and you are better off using a liquid-fuel stove if you do plan on backpacking in the extreme cold, but plenty of backpackers swear by the remote gas stove trick.

Get the Last Drops of Fuel from Your Canister

If your canister is almost empty, you can invert the canister. This forces the last drops of fuel to the stove, so you get a bit more burn out of it.

Warning: Do not invert the gas canister if your remote stove doesn’t have a pre-heating coil. It will create massive, erratic flames and can be a major hazard!

Downsides of Remote Stoves

Heavier:

The main downside to remote gas canister stoves is that they are usually ~4oz heavier than an integrated gas canister stove, and slightly larger to pack. For example, the Optimus Vega remote stove weighs 6.3oz whereas the Optimus Crux only weighs 2.5oz.

Hardcore ultralight backpackers might object to the extra weight. However, you can’t use a full windscreen with an integrated stove, so it’s debatable whether it is really heavier since you may have to bring a larger fuel canister to compensate for the inefficiency.

Hose Durability:

Another potential downside of remote stoves is durability. The hose on my remote stove is permanently attached. I worry that it will eventually fray or break over time. I’m careful to pack it carefully in my pot to avoid damaging it. Some brands have detachable replacement hoses and replacements available, but replacement hoses aren’t cheap.

The Verdict:

If you are backpacking with a partner so are using a large pot, or like to prepare gourmet meals on trips, it is worth it to get a remote stove instead of an integrated one. If you are a gram weenie who mostly just boils water for meals in non-windy environments, then go with an integrated one.

Best Remote Gas Canister Stoves

Ultralight option: The titanium Fire Maple is the lightest weight remote gas canister stove and performs well, but the cooktop is small. It powerful but loud.
Best for large pots: The cheap Olicamp Generator has a large 6.7″ diameter top, but it can’t be used as an inverted stove. The Primus Gravity is also good because it has four legs for better stability.
Multifuel option: The Optimus Polaris lets you easily switch between canisters and liquid fuel, and it’s lightweight.

Comparison

Stove	Weight	Max Output	Boil Time 1L	Inverted	Multifuel kit
Fire Maple Titanium	4.76oz	2600W	4-5min	Y	N
GSI Pinnacle 4 Season	6oz	2600W	6min	Y	N
Kovea Spider	6oz	1650W	5.5min	Y	N
Optimus Vega	6.28oz	2600W	4.5min	Y	N
Soto Fusion Trek, (REI link)	6.4oz	3260w	3.8min	N	N
Olicamp Generator Remote Stove	6.6oz	N/G	3.6min	N	N
MSR WindPro II (REI link)	6.6oz	3000W	3.5min	Y	N
Primus Express Spider II	7.1oz	2000W	4-5min	Y	Y
Optimus Polaris Multifuel	6.7oz*	4200W	4min	Y	Y
Primus Gravity III	8.8oz**	2700W	3.5min	Y	Y
MSR WhisperLite Universal (REI link)	9.4oz***	2800W	3.75min	Y	Y

*The total setup is 600g. Just the stove and hose are ~6.7oz.
**This weight for the Primus Gravity includes the lighter.
***The total setup is 11.6oz. The stove and hose should weigh under 9oz. (If you have the exact weight, let me know please!)