“Do you ever Hunt? Fish? Paddle a Canoe? Explore? Prospect? Climb Hills or Sail on a Yacht?” Such was the opening line on an 1899 advertisement for Primus stoves. That covers just about anybody of worth that I know. Of course you need a stove. Buck up and buy one (that means you Jim). The ad goes on to say “It cures all ills that campers are heir to. It is the one thing needful to make camp life a dream of Elysium.” You just can’t ask for more than that.
Improving the Primus Stove experience began early on. Putting the stove in a tin case, disassembled, made for easier packing and kept the parts together. And of course, a toaster rack that works while the tea kettle is heating on top would become indispensable.
Unlike what was taught in the Boy Scouts, Primus highly encourage its use inside tents; going so far as to suggest drying clothing and bedding. I’m not sure my old Scoutmasters would approve but really, it’s nearly the twentieth century, right? Seriously though, some of the better information concerns the economy. One quart (0.95 litres) will burn for 5 hours, or as one prospectors testimony claims “A quart of kerosene lasts a week and cooks three meals a day for us.”
Now I just need to find the right tin box and the remarkable flatiron griddle shown in the upper right of the second ad.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 