If you want to put in miles then you are going to have to put the right number of calories into your system. But as an ultralight backpacker you also want to consider the weight-per-calorie ratio of your trail meals and snacks. And you will also want to give careful consideration to the type of stove—if any—that you carry, along with the weight of associated stove fuel and cookware.

Lightweight Stoves Do Exist

So for the folks like my wonderful husband who experience cooking as an emotional and physical boost in the backcountry, we will examine several different types of ultralight stoves for ...