hikermor... you really have to be careful with those S&W things... first you start with a K frame, they grow older to an L, and N... have a couple of smaller J's.. then a whole family, and then someone mentions a guy named John Moses Browning... then kiss it good bye....

In a strict survival situation, I tend to agree with you. But on a day to day basis in many, many wilderness/park areas, any type of open campfire is strictly prohibited (we just went through a "red flag" period -- high danger of wildfire due to high wind and dry conditions) so, stoves are the alternative unless you are using self heating MREs.

It's the only legal way to heat food in Rocky Mountain National Park while backpacking. Also the only legal fire in National Forest during fire bans.
Both are where I've done most of my backpacking.
A stove is the least-impactful of heating methods in heavily used areas.

In my test case I was checking for stored fuel usability in the event of home power outage. I also have a 2 burner propane stove for car camping and diversity of equipment and fuel supply.

I was disappointed that the pump failed but really surprised at how difficult field repair would be. The pump cup ought to be retained by a reusable clip rather than a one-way push on washer that has to be mangled free with needle nosed pliers.

Well,in THIS situation,if someone is writing tickets,its not a bugout/emergency situation. To which Im referring bugout. Give me a Bic and Im good.

Hmmmm....I still camp where fires are legal,short of red flag.Though I hear on west coast,southern anyhow,they want to outlaw beach fires.

True.And sad IMO that we arent 'capable' by law of making a fire anymore.Was legal when I was a kid anywhere we could go.For a KID no less.

Hiker? Do you have a fever? Bumped your head? ONE gun?! Seriously, I've lost count of how many guns I have. But if one suits your purposes then I say go for it. As for expensive, havig a Federal Firearms License helps a lot with that. If I want something new I call one of my kids and tell them to add it to the next order. Smith is a good make, I prefer the 19 and 29. I have a 4 inch 19 on my hiking fanny pack. Redundencies are great, except they take up a lot of room. I shudder at how much room TP and feminine hygiene items take up in the basement. I could pack a lot of MRE's and ammo in that space. Just my humble opinion.

Stoves are good in the fact that you drasticaly reduce the chances of forest fire. A small stove to heat up a meal and boil water can cool down while eating. With a fire you have to put it out, be sure it's out, and hope you didn't miss that tiny coal. And lets not forget sparks. Don't get me wrong I prefer an open fire for cooking and gazing into, but we have perpetual droughts and I've seen far too many foredt fires here. So a small Tommy cooker do's what I need it to, and in relative safety.

Even stoves are outlawed in certain parts of the state BWS48. Cold lunch or MRE's with heaters as you said. The homeless tend to let thier fires get away from them and it's forest fire time.

There are fuel saver additives for long term storage. They aren't very expensive either.

Stoves are very practical outdoor items. For the first five or six years I was climbing and doing outdoor activities on a steady basis, I made open camp fires. Over the succeeding years I have used various stoves more and more frequently. Legalities aside, a stove saves time, is much safer and cleaner. If the situation demands it, you do not signal your presence nearly as effectively with a stove compared to an open fire. conversely, if you wish to signal your location, an open fire is about the most effective way to signal your location.

Stoves today are astonishingly cheap, light, and effective. Several models of alcohol stove weigh an ounce or two, can be made of recycled materials costing nothing, and cook much faster than an open fire. But you want to be sure that you can build a fire, even in ugly situations. Just be sure that you can evaluate conditions properly. Out here in the West, I have seen plenty of times when I would never light a fire - the forest was dry, just an accident waiting to happen.

This has nothing to do with regulations. Light a fire in the wrong situation and you may find that it can travel faster than you can.