    My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one day hikes to two-week trips. My experience hiking began with my father when I was about six years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. While enjoying the outdoors with my Girl Scout troop, friends and family, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and camping. Although I am not a lightweight backpacker, I am trying to 'lighten up' and primarily use a hammock for sleeping.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: The Coleman Company Inc.
Website: http://www.coleman.com
Product: Xtreme Stove and Maintenance Kit
MSRP: $59.99

Advertised weight: 11 oz (312 g) (Stove and Maintenance Kit)
Weight as delivered: 11. 7 oz (332 g) (Stove and Maintenance Kit)

Product Description:
    The Coleman Xtreme is a three legged canister design stove. The footprint has about a 7 in (18 cm) diameter. The pot stand itself features curved supports, that are designed to provide more stability on unlevel ground. The fuel canisters attach by screwing on to the stove valve assembly.

First Impressions:
    The stove lit on the first attempt. The flame adjusts from a full flame to a low flame. It was able to maintain a slow simmer, without the flame flickering. I found that the stove held pans steady, and allowed for quick heating of water. I am looking forward to doing some real cooking on the stove over the next few months.


Test Locations, Conditions and Time Frame:

    During the fall I spent 7 days hiking in western Maine and central New Hampshire, with my children, scouts and with a group of friends. I was also able to participate in 3, 2-day trips. We are fortunate to live in an area where we can drive just a short distance and take advantage of some great hiking and camping. Most of my hiking is done below 3000 ft (914 m). There is a wide range of types of terrain on these hikes - everything from well maintained trails to hiking through heavily wooded areas. Some trips involve backpacking into campsites and at other times I set up camp and hike out from there.

     In Maine, late fall/early winter means going from day temperatures of 65 F (16 C), to temperatures well below freezing and into the teens. Fall was rainy and blustery. By early December, we had about 6 in. (15 c) of snow on the ground. These varied weather conditions gave me the opportunity to compare the stove's functioning in different conditions.


Cooking Experience and Style:

    I love cooking - inside or outside! I experiment a lot, using food I dehydrate myself, spices and unusual combinations of ingredients. I want the food I prepare to taste good and be nourishing, especially when we are outdoors. There is nothing more rejuvenating than a great meal after a long day outdoors. I use a Brasslite D stove, an old Coleman camp stove, a homemade Pepsi can stove and believe it or not, I do cook over a fire also. Although I sometimes use dehydrated foods that only require boiling water to reconstitute, I also cook 'real' foods while camping or ice fishing. Cooking while outdoors has taken some experimenting, but I've made many meals - from Venison with Garlic and Onions, to Chocolate Lava cake while camping. Having the right equipment is one of the most important parts of being able to cook well. A quick lighting, well made stove is the place to start.

Field Information:
    While outdoors over the last few months, I have been able to use the Coleman Xtreme stove on more than a dozen occasions. While camping with my family, I used it to make oatmeal with fruit. This was made by boiling the water, adding dehydrated fruit and then adding the oatmeal with brown sugar. It made a hearty breakfast that we all enjoyed. I was able to heat the water quickly and then turn it to a simmer when I added the fruit. While the oatmeal was finishing, off the heat, I made coffee and hot chocolate. Because of the speed at which the stove cooks, we were all able to eat together. It was 28 degrees F (-2 C) and the wind speed was about 10 mph (16 kph). The stove lit quickly, with very little 'flame flicker'. As soon as it was heated up, the little bit of flicker stopped, and the flame remained strong.
    One of the days we were snowshoeing, I made Jambalaya - it was easy to heat the water, add the beans and cook until they were almost rehydrated, add the rice and spice pack and precooked sausage. By the time the rice was cooked and sausage heated through, the beans were cooked. This proved to be everyones' favorite meal. It also provided enough carbs and protein to help keep our energy level up and keep us from getting chilled. On a side note - when I went to make a similar meal at home, my kids really wanted me to make it on the Xtreme - they didn't think it would taste as good if I made it on our kitchen stove. While cooking the Jambalaya, it was 20 degrees F (-6 C) with little wind. There was a light snow fall. There was no noticable effect on the stove, due to weather conditions.
    The more I cook on the stove, the more I like it. It is a sturdy, easy to use stove. Some of the questions I had in my test plan have been answered - It is easy to light, with little to no effect due to weather. I can easily connect the stove to the fuel cannister, with no leakage of fuel. The flame is easily controled - it is easy to change from a low simmer to a full boil. I have cooked on the stove more than a dozen times, usually for about 15 - 25 minutes each time. I just recently changed to the third fuel cannister. I am amazed that it uses so little fuel.
    The stove is very steady. I have used cooking containers sized from .5 L to 2 L and have had no problems with the pot being unsteady. I have had no problems with the operation of the stove. Over the next two months, I will continue to use the stove on ice fishing and snowshoeing outings. I am curious to see how the stove performs in increasingly colder conditions. I have not had a problem with the fuel canister becoming extremely cold, so I will also be watching for problems with the fuel temperature.
    I am looking forward to the last segment of the testing of this stove - not that I want it to end, but because I really enjoy using it. So far, it has performed beyond what I expected.

Read more reviews of Coleman gear
Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner

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