Gear Review: Etekcity Ultralight Camping Stove
Kevin Felts 05.17.18
The Etekcity ultralight stove is one of the most popular stoves on Amazon. We know this because as of May 17, 2018, Amazon has it marked as a “Best Seller.” Let’s take a view minutes, look at the Etekcity ultralight stove, and try to figure out why it is so popular.
First, who is Etekcity? They are a multi-national company with offices in three regions – United States, Europe, and China. The comapny offers a selection of products ranging from home to outdoor gear. The Etekcity camp stove is just one of their many products.
One of the nice things about the stove is the carry case. This is a rigid plastic box the stove is shipping in and protects the stove from damage while being carried in a backpack.
The case measures:
- 3 1/8 inches tall
- 1 5/8 inches wide
- 2 1/8 inches long
The top of the carry case slips on and off and there are no snaps.
Etekcity Stove Specifications
The specifications were taken from my personal stove.
- Weight: 3.30 ounces without carry case / 3.90 ounces with carry case
- Height: 3 inches
- Width: 2 inches, with arms folded / 3 5/8 inches with arms unfolded
- Support arms: Four
- Fuel: Blended fuel
- Ignition: Push button
- Price: As of May 17, 2018, a two pack cost $18.99 and is available with Amazon Prime shipping. A single stove cost $14.99.
A lot of camp stoves on the market have three support arms. The Etekcity ultralight stove bucks that trend with four support arms.At the end of each arm is a small davit which rotates to extend the support arms by around 1/2 inch.
The Etekcity ultralight stove is also unique in that it has two o-ring seals which help seal the fuel canister.
Using the Etekcity Stove
The Etekcity Stove threads onto the fuel canister just like any other stove. However, the large o-ring at the base of the stove gives it a more solid feel than other comparable stoves of this size and price range.
Turn the on/off knob to start the flow of fuel, then press the ignition switch. A small arm which extends over the edge of the stove provides a a small spark that looks very much like a vehicle spark plug spark. It usually takes just one or two quick presses of the ignition button to start the stove.
Once started, the flame has a nice uniform shape. Rather than fanning out, the flame is concentrated at the base of the cook pot.
The adjustment knob extends away from the stove body up to 1 1/2 inches. While using the stove, the adjustment knob did not get overly hot.
Boil time for 16 ounces of water at 100 feet elevation, and 86 degrees outside temperature was around three minutes.
Final thoughts
For the price and performance, the Etekcity Stove is tough to beat. There are lighter stoves on the market, and there are cheaper stoves on the market, but it seems the Etekcity Stove combines utility, weight and price into a single well rounded unit.
On a personal note, I have been using camping stoves since the 1990s. Before then, meals would be warmed up using the camp fire. My first stove was a single burner propane stove. It served its purpose well for the better part of a decade.
In the mid-2000s, the propane stove was retired and replaced with a Coleman Max blended fuel stove. Over the past decade I have purchased and tried various blended fuel stoves.
With over 20 years experience of using various camp stoves, I can honestly say I like the Etekcity ultralight stove.
The only real issue I have, I would not consider the stove “ultralight.” Weighing in at a little over 3 ounces, it is more than three times the weight of a real ultralight stove.
So does the Etekcity ultralight stove live up to the hype? Besides the name being a little misleading, I feel the stove does live up to the hype. Someone looking for a low cost lightweight stove should not be disappointing.
