Types of stove

There are two main types of stove: gas and multi-fuel.

Gas stoves

Gas stoves are fuelled by propane/butane canisters - the pressurised canisters burn slower at the high altitudes and cold temperatures. They take between three and five minutes to boil one litre of water.

A 230g canister costs around $8 and equals about two hours worth of cooking. Once dismantled, the entire stove (including canister) should fit inside a medium-sized billy. They're perfect for most camping trips in New Zealand.

• Price: A typical stove costs between $60 and $100 depending on the brand. Some come with a self-ignition button called a "piezo".
• Good points: Lightweight. Inexpensive. Efficient. Easy to use.
• But: Gas canisters are relatively expensive and not refillable. Replacement canisters might be difficult to find in remote locations. Canisters can't be transported on aeroplanes.

Multi-fuel stoves

Multi-fuel stoves are dependable. They work in all weather and can burn many fuels.

Multi-fuel stoves are perfect for international backpackers and serious trampers. Most of them come with a compact case, which makes them convenient to pack.

• Price: Varies between $180 and $320, depending on the range of fuels it can burn.
• Good points: Dependable. Able to burn a variety of fuels. Fuel bottle is reusable. Replacement fuel is cheap.
• But: Expensive. You must prime the stove before you cook. Components need to be cleaned regularly. Spilt fuel is dangerous and can soak your pack.

Other stoves

Other stoves use alcohol for fuel - and they have a staunch following because they burn "clean". The classic alcohol stove is the Swedish-made Trangia (first sold in 1925).

Alcohol stoves have several benefits: they pack down inside their own cooking pot; they burn cheap and stable methylated spirits; they come in an array of sizes ($60 to $209 depending on the size and alloys used to make the stove); and they're incredibly robust.

Their main drawback is they cook slowly (because of alcohol's low heat-output).

Essential equipment on Everest

As they try drifting off to sleep, climbers at Everest's advanced base camp put up with a cacophony of coughing and vomiting. At 6400 metres, altitude sickness makes it difficult to stomach food.

Mark Inglis reckons tramping stoves are critical to life at advanced base camp: "All water is melted from glacier ice: run out of fuel and you'll run out of fluids."

The gas is shipped in from Kathmandu in 15kg cylinders. The cylinders are mixed with a higher proportion of propane so that the gas burns at high altitudes.

Beyond base camp, every tent is issued with a simple Primus gas stove. Mark found gas cookers easier to light than more complex stoves when he was befuddled by the altitude: "Above 8000 metres, it would be hard to assemble a complex stove without spilling fuel or burning the tent down."