You’ve been running, climbing, walking etc. all day and you've set up camp only to find your chosen stove is completely inadequate for the location you find yourself or the food you have brought, disaster! To prevent this scenario, it’s worth taking some time to decide what you’ll be predominantly using the stove for. Here’s a few tips on choosing the right stove for you.

LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) Stoves - e.g. Butane, Propane, Iso-butane.
Your standard gas cylinder stoves are generally cost effective and ideal for general camping and backpacking use at lower altitudes (some modern gas stoves are suitable for altitude - see individual stove info for details) and areas where replacement cylinders are readily available. Beware, some valve fittings are less common in other countries; for example Coleman/MSR type cylinders are harder to locate in parts of mainland Europe, whereas Camping Gaz is much more prevalent than in the UK. A useful tip is to go for one the MSR stoves which can take any valve type. LPG stoves are not recommended for expeditions to remote and/or elevated regions.

Liquid Fuel Stoves - e.g White Gas, Petrol, Paraffin or Meths and Diesel.
These pressurized liquid fuel stoves are excellent in more remote areas where commercialized camping products are less readily available. The heat output is also often higher than with LPG stoves and they work much better at altitude. In terms of downsides: they are dirtier, require maintenance and can be more dangerous in the wrong hands.

One final point: remember to choose a stove that offers an appropriate level of gas regulation for your needs. For example if you want to be cooking at a more complex level than simply boiling water you’ll need something with more burner adjustment than merely a narrow on/off rocket-like jet.