Kovea Hydra Stove

Kovea also claims the Hydra is the most compact expedition-level multi-fuel stove ever built. The key words there are “expedition-level”; There are several smaller stoves on the market, but the Kovea Hydra Stove is built to withstand rugged use that your average car camper may not inflict. The folding mechanism used to compress the legs into the body of the stove is a slick design which allows the Hydra to maintain its pocket-sized compactness. 

The Hydra is a true multi-fuel stove capable of burning white gas (Aspen 4 or Coleman Fuel) and butane/propane gas canisters. There is also some speculation that it also has the ability to burn petrol (aka car gas), diesel and paraffin. While I have only tested white gas and butane/propane gas canisters, the option to burn other fuels is a huge plus, especially in less developed countries that may not stock the more traditional camp fuels. Unlike competing stoves, when switching from white gas to butane you don’t need to change the fuel nozzle. Similarly, if you want to switch between a fuel bottle and a gas canister the same fuel cord works for both, no switch required. These two features ensure that you won’t leave home with the wrong nozzle or adapter, and allows for maximum flexibility when travelling abroad. The stoves regulator, pre-heater, and burner technology provide variable flame control and produce a hot blue flame when using both white gas and butane/propane. 

The Kovea Hydra Stove comes with a 500ml fuel bottle, gas canister support (for inverted use), lightweight protective box and a range of accessories. This helps justify its higher than average price of $199US. It comes with everything you need to get cooking in the backcountry (except for the fuel).

• The most compact and quiet expedition-level dual-fuel stove ever built
• Thanks to the combustion chamber technology the stove puts out only 61 Db noise level at full power, making it by far the quietest expedition stove ever 
• Utilizes proven regulator, pre-heater and burner technology
• Exceptional flame control
• Optimized for white gas (pure light naphtha, Aspen 4 or Coleman Fuel) and standard screw thread butane/propane gas canisters
• Folding mechanism brings unprecedented pocket-sized compactness
• Stable 20cm / 7.8 inch diameter pot support platform
• Comes with:
  • 500ml fuel bottle
  • Aluminium pump
  •  Servicing tool
  • Spare 'O' rings and lube
  •  Gas canister support tripod (for inverted canister use)
  • Lightweight carrying case

The Kovea Hydra Stove comes in a sturdy, protective case.  It contains the stove, stand and tools and is super small.

Here's the stand in action, it securely holds the canister upside down so you can get a hotter burn or simply empty out all the gas. 

The Kovea Hydra Stove is incredibly quiet, and this alone would convince me to purchase it. It’s also very compact, lightweight and well-built. These are all aspects of a stove that I want to put in my pack for multi-day adventures in the mountains. What really makes the Hydra Stove a winner is the extra thought that Kovea put into even the smallest of details. The inclusion of a superlight 500ml fuel bottle, ground and wind protector, and protective case is genius. Most other stoves don’t ship with accessories like these, and the protective case they typically provide is made of cloth and usually rips in a matter of days. The Kovea hard plastic case protects the stove and your pack from damage, and contains a repair tool and canister tripod. It all fits perfectly into the case, but figuring out the orientation of the stove so that it fits back in the case can be a challenge. I struggled with this on more than a few attempts. Other than this there were no real flaws with the stove or its performance. It would be nice if it had a dedicated simmer setting, but after some finessing you can get the Hydra Stove’s flame pretty low so you don’t burn dinner.

If you’re in the market for a quality multi-fuel stove, look no further. I highly recommend the Kovea Hydra Stove.