I have been looking at the petrol cookers explained in some other threads but they either seem to be cheap,robust and last forever but with the down side of being big (Sportster 533 i think) or more expensive and some with more problems than other but very small.

My brother and i plan to tour africa (still havent finally decided on where) and are planning it on 2 bikes. We to keep things cheap will probably try and cook most meals, therefore need a cooker that is reliable. But as travelling on the bike means less space need one that is portable/small/fold away type if you know what i mean.

I was very interested in the price and reviews on the sportster 533 all saying good things about it but never really liked the idea of it not coming apart for packing and never found out what size it was ie measurement (any help there from some one who has one please).

The others i looked at seemed to be the seperate bottle type will a pipe to the burner which folded away. These where the type i was orginally going for but after reading some reveiws all seemed to have maintenance problems, not work for long or others. And then the big problem be expensive.

So what might some of you more experienced people suggest? Should i spend more money on it or go for the cheaper larger one and live with it?

The Sportster dimensions are 140mm X 140mm X 150mm (approx). It is a bit bulkier than other available models. But assuming that you are only taking one cooker between two bikes it shouldn't be a problem. It is simple enough to use and a heck of a lot cheaper than your Whisperlites and Dragonflies.

i used a sportster for years, dont have it any longer so cant give you the measurements sorry. dont remember it being that big though.
its an excellent stove, worth making room for.
ive read a lot of bad stories on here about some of the other types, clogging up or breaking etc which put me off. the coleman always worked, every time.

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dave

Coleman make a smaller version of the Sportster using a similar burner, but smaller fuel container. I'm very happy with mine.

We used the MSR dragonfly stove for our trip and it served us well - just needs a lot of cleaning to stop it from blocking. Now we're home we were going to put it on Ebay but if your interested..........make your offer

I can't seem to find these in the States but will be in Ireland in a few weeks and was wondering if they can be purchased over there?
If not where in London could one be found. Also when I travelled in Austrialia I had a billy can ,Any one know where I could find one of those?
Thanks in advance.........

pj,
eBay.co.uk - billy can, Camping, Records, CDs items at low prices

Ebay rules OK!
Cookers are there as well (of course).

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Dave

Thanks Dave

there is always the coke can cut in half, punched with holes , filled with sand three quarters of the way and half a cup of petrol or diesel ( or mix em) poured onto sand. its cheap, wont break and no one in their right mind will nick it. just rest your pot on some handy stones. or do a ray mears and cook on an open fire.

just remember to make sure its out before you leave.

rake it thoroughly and believie it or not urine still makes a good fire extinguisher for hot ashes!

where can i buy one of these in france? looked on french sites but to no avail!

Kevin,
You are not going to find a US brand in France - try the UK!
(But Decathlon might have something similar?!).

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Dave

An alternative approach (never come across anyone who has used one though):-

eBay.co.uk - wood stove, wood stove Camping, Cooking Supplies items at low prices

Anyone got some experience of these?

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Dave

just found this coleman backpackers stove on amazon UK....£66

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dave

tried decathlon today but no joy, they only sell gaz stuff but sent me elsewhere to espace montagne. no joy neither! both shops sell coleman stuff but not what i want and say they cant order it. sometimes looking for stuff in france is hard especially quality items (personal view, so dont shout at me!).probably go for the internet option.

Hi Kev


Try Au Vieux Campeur...theyre the best. And you WILL find US products in France..

If you want a petrol stove for your Iceland trip then its a good idea.....

PS Kev....cant you buy one online from the UK or phone a UK source with your credit card and get them to post it on?