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Some guy at REI told me my $40 stove was 'a waste' and I can't stop thinking about it
So I was in the Denver REI on Alameda last Saturday returning a pad that leaked, and while I'm standing in line this guy next to me starts talking to the employee about how anyone spending less than $150 on a backpacking stove is basically asking to eat cold food. He had this whole speech about how cheap stoves fail at altitude and the valves strip and blah blah. I didn't say anything, I just stood there with my little $40 stove in my bag that has made me coffee on about 30 trips over the last 2 years without one issue. But here's the thing, it got in my head and I started second guessing myself, wondering if I've just been lucky this whole time. I looked up reviews that night and half the people with the expensive ones complain about the same stuff, igniters dying, simmer control being finicky. I get that gear matters and I'm not saying cheap always wins, but the way this guy talked, like price equals worth, that's the part that bugs me. It's a stove, it boils water, mine does that every time. So what's the real cutoff here, is there actual data on where budget stoves fall apart or is it mostly just vibes and brand loyalty?
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