UPDATED MARCH 2018
Welcome to Camp Cooking Week! We’ll be cooking outdoors all week long so come back tomorrow for more outdoor cooking tips and tricks. Today I’m reviewing our Primus Firehole 100 camp stove.
Day 2 – Primus Camp Stove
As part of Camp Cooking Week we had to put in a review of our new Primus Firehole 100. We purchased this stove this summer after looking for a lighter, more compact option than the Camp Chef one we had before.
The Primus is a two burner option with built in electrical start. It takes 1lb propane bottles which are easy to find at most camping supply stores. The supply hose conveniently recesses into the base keeping it clean and not lost.
The surface area available for cooking is slightly smaller than other comparable two burner stoves, making it hard for two large pots to fit at the same time. Mostly Mountain Dad and I use a griddle when we’re camp cooking and maybe our family is just getting bigger, but it’s hard to cook all the food we need for a meal at the same time. I like the magnetic side panels on the stove as well as the built in handle on the front.
The Primus Firehole 100 costs $149.00.
Pros:
- Cleanup is easy with a solid base below the burners.
- Piezo electric start is super convenient, although other reviews say it can be finicky we haven’t had that experience. (SEE UPDATE BELOW)
- Easy set up. Magnetic side panels stay up well.
- Compact enough for car camping. Sturdy construction
Cons:
- Knobs need a mark to show when they are on or off. When I used it on our most recent campout I turned the knobs all the way one way to turn them off but since we had run out of propane I actually turned it all the way on but didn’t know. Just a little mark on the knob would fix this issue.
- Does not have adjustable feet, but Mountain Dad fixed that for less than $4.00. (see below)
MARCH 2018 UPDATE
We’ve used the Primus Firehole 100 for 3 years now. In 2016 it was our only cook stove on our seven week National Park-to-Park Highway tour.
The durable, solid base stove body and removeable rack have been great for easy cleaning. However the electric start died within 9 months of purchasing. Then one of the burner knobs broke off about 12 months in! We now use a leatherman to turn off the propane because it gets too hot to touch the metal otherwise.
These broken pieces are so annoying I would not recommend purchasing this unit. My family will still use the Primus Firehole 100 however. What can I say? I believe in the phrase Use it up, Wear it Out, Make it Do or Do Without.
For the real scoop on gear my family uses and loves check out mountainmomandtots.com/gear.
Adjust the Feet
Mountain Dad figured out a great fix to make our Primus Firehole 100 adjustable. Check it out the full article on instructables.com.
Other links you might like:
Camp Cooking for Beginners – Everything You Need to Know
Camp Cooking Challenge – 30 Outdoor Meals in 30 Days
Dutch Oven Cooking for Beginners – Camp Cook Week Day 1
Mountain Mom and Tots Gear Recommendations
Or better yet, sign up for my FREE Camp Cooking Challenge in the box below.
Get my family’s 3 day/2 night camp menu, an exclusive video training on how to make the perfect camp cookfire and a downloadable checklist of everything you need for your camp kitchen.
See you in the outdoors!
~Mountain Mom
Thank you for taking some time to write this post. When backpacking for your next hiking or camping trip, you don’t just pack a bit of food, clothes and a sleeping bag. Hikers and campers almost always need to boil water or cook some easy meal. This means that they need a camping or backpacking stove. See more http://survival-mastery.com/diy/useful-tools/best-backpacking-stove.html
Thanks