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September 04, 2008
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Is the new Backpacker Oven on par with the old standby equipment?
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Backpacker Oven (courtesy of the company)
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I am pretty familiar with the Outback Oven, in which you have to bake in a pot or
a frying pan. But I recently saw the new Backpacker Oven and am wondering if you
have used this or if you think this might be something to look into.
— Dave
Lancaster, California
Do you have a question of your own?
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 I have long been an avid fan of the Outback Oven ($75 in 10” model), a handy gadget that turns
many camp stoves into a convection oven. I’m intrigued as well by the newer Backpacker Oven
($50), which is basically a metal box that fits over a camp stove. One advantage of
the Backpacker Oven is that you can cook two things at once, as opposed to only
one for the Outback Oven. The Backpacker Oven is really just a folding metal box
with two shelves and a heavy diffuser plate near the bottom. The whole thing sits
over a stove, the stove heats the diffuser plate, and the oven heats up. Whatever
you can bake at home you can bake in the Backpacker Oven—biscuits, pizza,
brownies, you name it.
If the Backpacker Oven has a flaw, it’s weight. The whole thing weighs about 28
ounces. The Outback Oven comes in at 22 ounces but also comes with a nonstick
skillet that can be used for other things besides baking. On the other hand, in
principle the Backpacker Oven seems easier to use; the Outback Oven can be a
little bit tricky.
Either way, it is such a treat to have baked goods when car-camping,
bike-camping, and so on. Both are a little heavy to take backpacking, but maybe
with a group of four you could split the thing up.
Keep in mind, you can not use either oven with a stove that sits atop its fuel
source, whether liquid or propane/butane. It must have a fuel supply that sits
off to the side and feeds the burner through a hose. Otherwise, the whole thing
heats up and…ka-BOOM! Your brownies are in orbit.
The 2008 Summer
Outside Buyer’s Guide is now online. From riding to trail-running to
camping, get reviews of nearly 400 gear must-haves.
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