Can we talk about that cheap camp stove from the big box store?
I grabbed one on sale for $25 last spring thinking it was a steal for weekend trips. The regulator valve failed on its third use, dumping fuel all over my picnic table and ruining a whole pack of hot dogs. What's a good, simple stove you've actually had hold up for more than a season?
Ugh, that sounds like a total mess with the fuel spill! Did you see that recent review from that outdoor gear blog? They took apart a bunch of those budget stoves and found the valves are basically the weakest point, made from cheap pot metal that cracks. My old Coleman single-burner has been kicking for years now, it's not fancy but it just works. I had to replace a pump cup once, which was a cheap and easy fix. That experience taught me that simple design with common parts you can actually fix is way better than something that just dies.
Used to chase the lightest newest stoves until a valve failed deep in a trip. Spent a cold night eating energy bars and it totally flipped my view. Now I get why people swear by those simple, fixable designs even if they weigh a bit more.