Backpacking Stove Fuel Burn Calculator
Calculate camping stove fuel needed by trip length, meals, and stove type.
Plan canister, alcohol, white gas, or wood-stove fuel for any backpacking trip.
Backpacking Stove Fuel Burn Rate
Fuel needs depend on stove efficiency, what you’re cooking, and water volume boiled. Two factors dominate:
- Boil time and water mass for hot meals and drinks
- Cold/wind conditions that reduce stove efficiency
Typical stove burn rates (per liter of water boiled, sea level, calm):
| Stove Type | Fuel Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Canister (Pocket Rocket, MSR Reactor) | ~10-12 g per liter | Convenient, regulator helps in cold |
| Canister with reflector windscreen | ~7-9 g per liter | More efficient |
| White gas (MSR Whisperlite) | ~12-15 mL per liter | Field-cleanable, cold-weather king |
| Alcohol (Trangia, Vargo) | ~30-40 mL per liter | Quiet, no priming |
| Esbit / solid fuel tablets | ~14 g per liter | Very light but slow + sooty |
| Wood stove (Solo, Vargo) | Forage in field | Free fuel but variable |
Daily fuel needs by trip style:
| Style | Hot Meals/Day | Hot Drinks | Daily Fuel (canister) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light dayhike | 0 | 1-2 cups | 5-10 g |
| Casual overnight | 1-2 cooked + drinks | 2-3 cups | 25-40 g |
| Standard backpacker | 2 hot meals + drinks | 4 cups | 40-60 g |
| Cold-weather / winter | 3 meals + lots of melt water | 6+ cups | 80-150 g+ |
Cold weather adjustments:
- 20-30% more fuel needed below freezing (30°F / -1°C)
- 50%+ more for melting snow for water
- White gas wins below 20°F (-7°C); butane canisters underperform
Standard canister sizes (isobutane):
| Size | Net Weight | Boil-Liters Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g (small) | 100 g | ~8-10 L |
| 220 g (medium) | 220 g | ~18-22 L |
| 450 g (large) | 450 g | ~38-45 L |
Fuel buffer rule: Always carry 20% more fuel than calculated. Reasons:
- Wind or low temps drain fuel faster
- Spilled water or burnt meals = re-boil
- Re-warming is harder than first-boil
- Empty canisters near end of trip = bad surprise
Water needs per backpacker:
- 1 L for breakfast (oats / coffee + eating)
- 0.75-1 L for cooked dinner + drink
- 1-2 L drinking refills (boil-as-treatment)
- Total daily boil: 2-4 L
Alcohol stove caveat: Alcohol stoves use 3× the volume of gas stoves but the fuel weighs less per liter. Total trip weight is similar; alcohol wins for short trips, canister wins for long trips.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.