I don’t have a lot of miles with the alcohol stove yet but really like it. Can’t beat the size and weight but since they only burn 10-15 minutes it is probably a good idea to bring two if you are going to do extensive cooking. They are also very wind sensitive so a wind screen is a must!

Might also want to check out the wood stoves like the Bushbuddy.

I started off hiking in high school, nearly 35 years ago, with a butane stove. Nice in the summer and ok during winter, as long as you were in the South during, but when it got real cold, you had to sleep with the butane and then, if it was really cold, but a fire to have near the stove…

Then I went to a kerosene stove. What was I thinking? Once it fired up, it burned hot, but kerosene spilled sticks around for a long time. And it smoked until it was really hot. A seam cracked and I had it welded and it held, but when I set out to do the Appalachian Trail 22 years ago, I upgraded to an MSR multi-fuel stove. It was great, I could buy gas at a filling station instead of wondering what to do with 3/4 of a gallon of Coleman fuel… This stove served me for nearly 20 years, on trips all over the US and Canada. The lighter was long gone and the metal was all soft, so even though I could still use it, I replaced it a few years ago with a MSR multi-fuel whisperlight… I’ve been happy with it, too. But I think I’m ready to try an alcohol stove.