Seeing that blast from the past stove reminds me of what we used as kids. I still have my folding Sterno Stove around the basement somewhere. I'll have to find it and show my son, so he can laugh at the primitive stuff his dad used in the dark ages! I don't want to think about how much Dinty Moore has been reheated on that thing, not to mention the SPAM, Cheese, SPAM, SPAM, Eggs, and SPAM.

Now, fyi, when backpacking I use a Jetboil system. It uses Iso/Butane canisters, so it's not quite what you were looking for. The only time I think I'd need white gas would be for sub-zero temps. Coldest we camped this winter was single digits, and it was fine., The JetBoil is compact, fast, and easy to use. I bought mine in '04. It's been really reliable. Of course, those cans of Sterno were reliable too...

Roger Caffin has a good description and the pros and cons of various stove technologies at

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Stoves.htm

I second this, though I have moved away from the pocan stove up to the more durable Trangia alcohol burner found in Swedish Mess kits.

-Blast

The Trianga is VERY nice. But I am VERY cheap.

My problem is I'm a klutz. The popcan stoves work GREAT but after accidently crunching a few I decided I needed something more, well, Blast-proof...

-Blast

That's like trying to find something that is sailor proof! I hear the occasional rumour, but I haven't seen anything yet!!!

I have to second the Peak Featherlight stove. I've had mine almost as long as caneodogs, although I haven't used it nearly as much. Still going strong.

My only complaint is that the gas can be a pain, and it's dangerous. I was thinking of getting this. http://www.zzstove.com

DESERTFOX..
i have an older model Zip stove..the battery is in
a case below the stove..they work very well and toss out
alot of heat like a blacksmiths forge..the only drawback
is that you need a ready supply of wood small enought to
drop into the burner..pine cones and such work well of course.
i know when i'm camping it's sometimes a chore to find small
sticks for kindeling,so to use this you would need a heavy
knife or small axe to keep yourself in chips and chunks..
if you had rechargeable batterys and a solar charger you
keep the thing useable long after gas supplys had run down.

Geez, how long are you backpacking for? I think I've only seen one person top the 60 lbs limit. After we pulled out 2 jumbo Dinty Moore cans and ate his watermelon, the pack was much more managable!

Yes, I agree, a 30 lbs pack is MUCH more manageable.

Jimtanker:

You can get a Swedish Mess kit on e-bay for $9.00 right now.