Backpacking Stove Fuel Burn Calculator

Backpacking Stove Fuel Burn Rate

Fuel needs depend on stove efficiency, what you’re cooking, and water volume boiled. Two factors dominate:

1. Boil time and water mass for hot meals and drinks
2. Cold/wind conditions that reduce stove efficiency

Typical stove burn rates (per liter of water boiled, sea level, calm):

Daily fuel needs by trip style:

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):

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 boiled per backpacker per day, which is what the Cooking Style dropdown sets:

Those are litres through the stove, not litres you drink. Most of your drinking water comes cold out of a filter, so this is a much smaller number than the daily water need. Only the melting-snow case makes the two converge, because then the stove is your only source.

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.