Car Camping Stove (Jetboil Genesis Base Camp vs Traditional Coleman)

[treillw]

Thinking of getting a dedicated stove for car camping. In the past I have used my MSR Pocket Rocker and it gets the job done, but isn't the best thing in the world sometimes. I'm always half afraid of walking away and having my food end up in the dirt with my large pan precariously perched on top of the stove.

What stove would you go with? The Jetboil Genesis Base Camp 2 Burner System looks nice and pretty compact. Any thoughts on this stove?
https://www.moosejaw.com/product/jetboil-genesis-base-camp-2-burner-system_10335179


My other thought would be a typical camping stove:



The Genesis seems a little nicer in that it is more compact and comes with a pot and pan making it even more compact. I wouldn't need to steal my wife's good pans anymore. It definitely costs more though.

Which would you go with? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Ddog]

I'd go with the regular 2 burner camp stove. Around $50 and it'll do anything needed. Boil water for coffee, etc...

Bring a nicely seasoned cast-iron skillet for breakfast and steaks/potatoes and Bob's your uncle.

 

[rayporter]

on my trailer I mount a plywood board on the fender tied up to a ring with rope.
the board lays on the fender and the rope holds each corner up.
in one end I cut a 3 inch diameter hole to hold the single burner stove whether pocket rocket or propane.
the tank sticks up through the hole enough to screw the burner on and sets so the adjustment knob is at the edge for ease of adjustment. you can not knock it over and in 30 years it has not scorched the wood.

just an idea to save what you have.
once had a food box with a hinged lid made of wood that I cut a hole in to do the same. I would turn the food box on its side and prop the lid open to make it level with the food box. it also gave a small area to prepare stuff. worked on river trips.

 

[sab]

+1 without a doubt

That Jetboil system seems like a solution to a non-existent problem.

 

[sab]

Sorry - my +1 was to Ddog’s post advocating the Coleman stove.

 

[Becca]

Our 2 burner Coleman stove is tough to beat when weight allows. In fact I have flown it to Kodiak twice in the last year, and will take it again in August. For backpacking where you only need to boil water the jet boil or other small stove works great. For all car camping, atv or boat based trips where you don't have to carry it and plan to use pots and pans I would way rather have the Coleman.

We had a fancier model with the built in igniter for awhile, but the igniter rarely worked. It's been retired to a friends cabin. We got the basic model (like what you have pictured above) a couple of years ago and I have been happier with it. Flame is stronger than the other one, and I can cook two meals a day for 4+ days on a single propane bottle.

 

[.270]

I use my two burner coleman stove for my truck camping all the time. Its quick and easy to set up and I don't have to worry about anything falling over. Can make a pretty decent meal with it in no time and it lights up every time. I don't know how old mine is, I got from my FIL after they upgraded to an RV.

 

[lvtuna]

Camp Chef 2 burner Everest. High Btu and low simmer. Push to start has not failed. Great and reliable stove.

 

[PShep93]

x2 for the camp chef Everest, I've seen them for as low as $80 and they are an awesome stove.

Agree with the fact that the jetboil "seems like a solution to a non-existent problem. " especially when you look at the price.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I wouldn’t spend much money on a two burner car camping stove. I have a nice Coleman three burner that cost about $100, but honestly, I end up using the $30 Ozark Trail two burner most often because it packs up much smaller...and just flat works.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

I got the Eureka Spire after looking at the Genesis system too. It lights and burns better than my old Coleman’s I’m very happy with it.

A friend has a 2 burner stove with an oven below. It’s about the size of a small cooler. For car camping it is awesome! Biscuits, cinnamon rolls, even birthday cakes in camp!

 

[*zap*]

I will bring my canister stove before my coleman white gas stove. Should really sell my white gas and propane dual burner stoves...

 

[Boarmaster]

For your car camping I would go coleman given those two choices. Seems like you would be paying for a lot of compaction you don't need with the jetboil. I had a coleman canister stove years ago. I really liked it. I replaced it with a duel fuel Coleman as I had duel fuel lanterns at my camp. Buying two different types of fuel seems stupid. I liked the canister stove much better. I should have bought canister lanterns and went that way.

 

[gburk]

my cajun cooker is out on loan at the moment and i've got a car camping trip coming up, so i'm planning to buy a camp cook stove. The propane burner I used to use had poor flame control at low flame, and it was difficult to light. I don't need high BTU, if it comes at the expense of control. Is the consensus to go with a Coleman 513E and don't overthink it? All things being equal I would prefer to stick with propane for all my devices and would adapt from 1lb fitting to 20lb tank.
Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[camping1601]

For car camping I go propane due to it's cost and availability. We've been using this single burner for years now over lugging the two burner. https://www.coleman.com/all-camp-ki...ropane-stove/col_2000020931_pr/COL_2000020931
I do use a butane one in the camper because it has great flame control, but fuel is expensive and it doesn't like really cold temps. It also seems to give off less CO.

 

[Chordeiles]

I’ve had a Coleman 2-in-1 stove for about fifteen years. We don’t car camp without it.

I guess this is the latest version?
Coleman Gas Camping Grill/Stove | Tabletop Propane 2-in-1 Grill/Stove, 2 Burner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VTJGWQW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PKsBEbFS40RB1

 

[Tagalong]

Love my Coleman 2 burner. Grew up car camping and using my dads all the time. Got my own and it works just as great and I have no doubt my son will have fond memories cooking on it as well. Maybe it's nostalgia but it just seems wrong to car camp without a Coleman.