Editor's Choice

Optimus Nova

Versatile, highly efficient, and nearly indestructible, this multifuel stove primes fast, cranks out the heat, and (gasp!) even simmers. If you need a four-season stove that can travel anywhere in the world and provide blowtorchlike [sic] heat almost instantly, but also simmer delicate sauces, the Opimus Nova stove is your ticket.

During our Grand Canyon trip and other hikes, the Nova impressed us with its quick firing up and near instantaneous relighting, even after long dormancies. The flame adjusted easily via a long, mitten-friendly handle, going from a surprisingly quiet high setting to a low, steady flame that baked (not burned!) many quiches and cakes for our gastronomically pampered crew.

Thanks to the Nova's unique burner construction, fuel consumption was impressively low. Despite lots of time-intensive frying and baking, six of us used only 2 liters of white gas in 6 days of moderate winter weather. Later, a crew of seven used even less kerosene on a weeklong pack-testing foray.

The Nova employs a unique cleaning system that allows you to remove soot from the fuel nipple while the stove is running. Simply wave a separate, magnetic 'wand' under the burner and like-polarity forces the cleaning needle up through the fuel port. (We're still waiting for one of our two clean-burning testing samples to clog.) Although the wand adds a bit of weight, it doubles as a wrench for maintenance and field repair.

Locking legs and serrated pot supports provide excellent stability and nonslip pot gripping.

The Nova started readily in near-zero-degree conditions, and worked surprisingly well with kerosene. Though priming was a bit sootier with kero, the Nova kept cooking when another popular multifuel stove sputtered to a stop. That performance, plus its tough, bend-resistant construction, makes us confident that the Nova is one of the most durable stoves on the backpacking market.