The camp stove is an essential backpacking equipment which has provided thousands of people the much needed hot meal on a backpacking trip. Backpackers have become dependent on it and if you are one of those dependent on camp stoves, it makes sense to take care of them properly.
A well maintained stove will have better fuel efficiency and flame control in addition to giving you years of trouble-free service. If you at least keep it clean your stove will have no rusting or corrosion.
Don't wait until your camping stove's performance begin to fade or when the flame seems weak. Propane stoves require less cleaning than liquid fuel stoves especially if you use diesel, unleaded or kerosene fuel. Gasoline that burns dirty will clog up your stove pretty quick. We only recommend white gas for liquid fuel stoves because they burn clean and hot.
Cleaning a camp stove regularly prevents build up of dirt which you don't want especially on the burners. Dirt build-up on the burners happen when you have a boil-over. It's easier to clean a stove as it becomes dirty than wait until the dirt hardens.
You should clean your backpacking stove often by wiping with warm water and dishwashing soap and then dried. You can also use a degreasing cleaner on the stove components. This is for routine cleaning.
If you had a boil-over which causes clogged burners, you will have to disassemble the burner and clean each component. Disassembling a camp stove requires practice and may differ from stove to stove. When you disassemble a camping stove, make sure you keep the parts in one place, preferably in a container, so that you don't lose any. Once disassembled, clean each component of the stove. If you have a video camera, record yourself disassembling the stove. It will really help you in putting it back together.
You can use an old toothbrush, steel wool or just about anything to clean the parts. You probably don't need anything stronger than a dishwasher soap.
After cleaning, make sure the stove is dried thoroughly to prevent rust and corrosion. Use a machine oil to lubricate the pump cup or any other part that was originally lubricated. Cleaning definitely removes any existing lubrication. The stove should be oiled at least twice a year.
If you're not going to use your camp stove for a while, consider removing any fuel because it can cause lacquer build up on the tubes restricting flow to the burner. We also recommend storing inside a sealed plastic bag to insects from making it their home.
Propane stoves or other canister stoves are a lot cleaner than liquid fuel stoves but this doesn't mean that they don't require cleaning. It's just that you can get away with cleaning less compared to liquid fuel stoves.
Author Resource:-
Jonsky recommends the Whisperlite by MSR (Liquid Fuel) [http://www.hiking-camping-world.com/Portable-Stove-MSR-WhisperLite-Stove-Fall-2008.html] and the Pocket Rocket (Propane) [http://www.hiking-camping-world.com/Portable-Stove-MSR-PocketRocket-Stove-Fall-2008.html].
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