Camping in the great outdoors is never boring, never dull, and tends to lean more toward the transcendental. Surrounding yourself in the unspoiled wilderness is among the best experiences one can give themselves, because not only did we humans evolve in the natural world which inspires a certain calming feeling inside most of us, but also because time spent away from the din of cities and collective humanity is healing. Imagine, if you will…
Tall trees swaying overhead, the subtle breeze fresh with the scent of pine sap, the call of birds in the canopy and the chittering of chipmunks scurrying nearby, and the soothing aesthetic of the untainted forest. There’s something that happens to a person who stays away from the wilds and only surrounds themselves with concrete and noise. For one, the mind has little respite from the consistent sound of modernity, with no moments of silence which gift us time to breathe, to heal, to think, and to create. Spirituality confusion, mental illness and low moods can often be attributed to lack of time to disconnect.
For me, when the modern hustle and bustle fill me with too much angst and anxiety, I fled to the natural places and sit, and meditate, and explore, and there I find my breath and reclaim my peace. It’s a necessity for humans to disconnect from modern human-crafted realities and to return to reconnect with the wilderness and with our souls. While it’s possible to camp like a millionaire on a normal salary, if it is reconnecting that inspires you, it’s best to keep the technology simple and the gear light. Bring the necessities for survival, and little else.
I backpack in and wander until I find a place that feels like the right place for me to be, and then I setup my tent, and start a fire. When it’s time to eat, I’ll sometimes cook over the fire, but more often than not, I employ my one technological perk: a modern stove. There’s ways to boil water and to cook over an open fire, but it’s not as easy as one might think, which is why I don’t go anywhere without a gas-powered stove. There are times when too many hot dogs is simply too many, and when you have the capability to keep things simple by heating food over a stovetop. With a proper camp stove, I can have tea whenever I want it, I can make coffee, boil noodles, heat soups, or cook eggs, steak, fish, whatever.
For me, when the modern hustle and bustle fill me with too much angst and anxiety, I fled to the natural places and sit, and meditate, and explore, and there I find my breath and reclaim my peace. It’s a necessity for humans to disconnect from modern human-crafted realities and to return to reconnect with the wilderness and with our souls. While it’s possible to camp like a millionaire on a normal salary, if it is reconnecting that inspires you, it’s best to keep the technology simple and the gear light. Bring the necessities for survival, and little else.
I backpack in and wander until I find a place that feels like the right place for me to be, and then I setup my tent, and start a fire. When it’s time to eat, I’ll sometimes cook over the fire, but more often than not, I employ my one technological perk: a modern stove. There’s ways to boil water and to cook over an open fire, but it’s not as easy as one might think, which is why I don’t go anywhere without a gas-powered stove. There are times when too many hot dogs is simply too many, and when you have the capability to keep things simple by heating food over a stovetop. With a proper camp stove, I can have tea whenever I want it, I can make coffee, boil noodles, heat soups, or cook eggs, steak, fish, whatever.
I really like MSR’s WindBurner Combo System because it’s versatile, yet easy to take anywhere without the weight and size becoming a burden. And when you’re carrying everything you need to survive on your back, every ounce and inch matters greatly. I reached out to MSR to test and feature this stove system, so here’s what I thought…
The WindBurner Combo System is the ultimate backcountry cooking kit, because it features a ceramic-coated 2.5L sauce pot and an 8” skillet. The modular stove system offers simmering and cooking capabilities that can serve a small group. The fact that you can cook without having to worry about wind issues is fantastic. The WindBurner is outfitted with a radiant burner and pressure regulator, which is ideal for maintaining consistent heat distribution in all conditions, whether you’re cold-weather camping or on a windy mountain slope. The entire kit tears down nicely, with each piece fitting together nicely. MSR created the WindBurner system to be modular, so there are other pieces that can be added later, like the large group capable Stock Pot. Overall, I found the WindBurner Stove System Combo to be the perfect setup for majority of my trips abroad, because it works really well, it’s reliable, built to handle most of what nature can throw at you, but also because it was designed to be lightweight and easy to haul, even for a solo traveler.
If you would like to learn more about MSR’s WindBurner, click here.
(Main photo by akgypsy37 via Flickr. Second photo © MSR. Third photo by © GearJunkie)
The WindBurner Combo System is the ultimate backcountry cooking kit, because it features a ceramic-coated 2.5L sauce pot and an 8” skillet. The modular stove system offers simmering and cooking capabilities that can serve a small group. The fact that you can cook without having to worry about wind issues is fantastic. The WindBurner is outfitted with a radiant burner and pressure regulator, which is ideal for maintaining consistent heat distribution in all conditions, whether you’re cold-weather camping or on a windy mountain slope. The entire kit tears down nicely, with each piece fitting together nicely. MSR created the WindBurner system to be modular, so there are other pieces that can be added later, like the large group capable Stock Pot. Overall, I found the WindBurner Stove System Combo to be the perfect setup for majority of my trips abroad, because it works really well, it’s reliable, built to handle most of what nature can throw at you, but also because it was designed to be lightweight and easy to haul, even for a solo traveler.
If you would like to learn more about MSR’s WindBurner, click here.
(Main photo by akgypsy37 via Flickr. Second photo © MSR. Third photo by © GearJunkie)
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