Camping Stove Awards announced by SuperTopo.com Gear Reviews

Camping Stove Awards announced by SuperTopo.com Gear Reviews for Editor’s Choice, Best Buy and Recommended.
November 1, 2010

MILL VALLEY, CA--SuperTopo.com, one of the most popular climbing web sites in the world, revealed today the results of the SuperTopo 2010 Editors’ Choice Awards for Camping Stove category, listing this year’s camp stoves and best value for camp stoves. The SuperTopo.com staff chose the following winners after extensive field testing and road trips in Yosemite, Squamish and Smith Rocks. Each pad underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate key performance metrics such as packed size, weight, speed, control, versatility, set up time, stability, durability and wind resistence. View the complete camping stove review

The winners are:
MSR Reactor – winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2010 for camp stoves. According to gear tester Max Neale, "The MSR Reactor is the fastest, easiest to use, and most stormproof camping stove we tested. It’s designed to provide all-conditions performance for one to three people, but lacks the ability to simmer and functions poorly on low. Regardless of how inclement the conditions, this stove is insanely fast at boiling water, but remains incapable of doing much else. Get this if you voyage to harshest of climates with two to four people." Full MSR Reactor review at

MSR Whisperlite - winner of the Best Buy award for 2010. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Max Neale, "Since its introduction in 1982, the Whisperlite has proven itself as the most versatile and dependable, lightweight, liquid fuel, portable stoves on the market. If we were to have one stove this would be it."

JetBoil Flash- winner of the Recommended award for 2010. This award is given to products that scored very highly, and offered unique capabilities. According to Max Neale, "The Jetboil Flash takes fast, light, and efficient to a whole new level in this updated version of a revolutionary camping stove. Whether you’re melting snow in Alaska, making coffee on a big wall, or boiling water for dehydrated food on a backpacking trip, this stove will be your smallest and warmest backcountry friend. Key features include a 1L insulated pot, piezo auto ignition, water temperature indicator, and a lock that secures the stove and pot in one stable unit. This is our top pick for minimalist activities."

MSR DragonFly- winner of a Recommended award for 2010. According to Chris McNamara, "Bringing you as close as possible to a professional range, the MSR Dragonfly is a luxuriously well handling stove. Its stability and ease of use make it our top choice for base camp. Unfortunately, a large and heavy frame makes it cumbersome for those who are primarily concerned with size and weight. We believe the smaller, lighter, quieter, cheaper, and slightly faster MSR Whisperlite is a better choice for backpacking."

Soto OD-1R winner of the Recommended award for 2010. According to Max Neale, "The Soto OD-1R is the best small canister portable stove we reviewed. It’s not only tiny and super lightweight, but also includes a piezo igniter and pressure regulator that allows you to cook at high altitudes and in cold temperatures."