I finally figured out why my old camp stove felt so heavy

I was packing for a trip and my buddy pointed out I was still using the same Coleman two-burner I've had since college. He said, 'That thing is a tank, you're carrying an extra five pounds for no reason.' I looked it up, and the newer models of the same basic stove are almost half the weight. I guess they've been quietly making gear lighter for years without changing the look much. Anyone have a favorite lightweight car-camping stove that's actually durable?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_carr572mo ago

Seriously, how old is that tank? My old one is from my dad's garage sale pile.

shane_martinez442mo ago

My buddy Jake found a tank at a swap meet in Bakersfield that still had a price tag from 1992. He used it for a year before the seam gave out and soaked his whole basement. That thing was older than we are, @abby_carr57. Watching him try to save his warped floorboards was a real lesson in not trusting old gear. Some of that stuff is just too far gone to be safe.

robertb3010d ago

Man that story is a classic case of "it worked fine until it didn't." Jake probably thought he was being smart saving a few bucks on an old tank, but that thing was basically a ticking time bomb made of rust and hope. The seam gave out because those old tanks weren't built to last thirty plus years, they were built to get you through a couple seasons tops. Bet that basement smelled like a mix of old laundry and regret for months after. Sometimes the best deal is the one you walk away from, especially when the gear is old enough to vote.