Folding Stove

Sometimes the best bikepacking gear is the simplest, and the Coghlan's Folding Stove is about as simple as cooking gets. Four stamped steel panels fold flat into a package smaller than a deck of cards, then unfold into a stable platform for a cup or small pot. Drop a fuel tablet in the base, light it, and you have roughly 12-15 minutes of burn time — enough to boil about 500ml of water for coffee, tea, or a freeze-dried meal.

For bikepackers who only need to heat water — which is most bikepackers most of the time — this stove eliminates the weight, bulk, and complexity of a canister stove system. At 136 grams for the stove alone, it weighs less than most canister stove heads without the canister. Add a few fuel tablets (roughly 14 grams each) and you have a complete cooking system under 200 grams that takes up almost no space.

The stamped steel construction is rudimentary but functional. Don't expect precision engineering — there's visible variation between units, and the fold lines loosen slightly with use. But the basic design works. The four panels create a windscreen around the fuel tablet, the top supports a pot up to about 1 liter, and ventilation slots in the base feed air to the flame. It's been working this way since roughly 1950, and it still works.

Fuel tablets are the main ongoing consideration. Hexamine tablets burn cleanly with no liquid fuel spill risk, making them safe to carry in a frame bag. They produce modest heat — expect 8-10 minutes to boil 500ml in calm conditions, longer in wind. Tablets are widely available at outdoor retailers and Amazon, and they're light enough to carry a week's supply without impact. They do produce a faintly fishy odor that some people find unpleasant.

Wind is this stove's nemesis. The fold-flat panels provide minimal windscreen coverage compared to a canister stove with a dedicated shield. In even moderate breeze, fuel efficiency drops dramatically and boil times climb. A simple aluminum foil wind screen, folded and weighing maybe 20 grams, solves this problem and is a recommended addition.

The Coghlan's Folding Stove is not a gourmet cooking solution. It's not even a good cooking solution. It's a water-heating solution that costs less than a fast-food meal, weighs almost nothing, and lets you have hot coffee at 6 AM on a mountain pass. For many bikepackers, that's exactly enough.