If you’re looking for a new car camping stove, GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 ($125) hits the mark in design, efficiency, ease of use, and reliability. Of similar 10,000 BTU two burner stoves, it performs as well or better in every category for a reasonable price.
What I Liked
Features
Weighing approximately 9.77 lbs, the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 is lightweight for such a sturdy a two-burner stove. The cut-in handle in the base makes it easy to carry for short distances, and has a fairly compact profile when it’s packed up. The stove is also easy to set-up and clean, featuring snap-in wind-block wings, easy on and off nickel-plated grate and stainless steel burner surround, and a propane connector arm that doesn’t fight back and fits inside the stove to transport.
The Piezo auto-igniter means no singed knuckle hair or need for matches and lighters, and the stove lights as well in a thunderstorm as it does in perfect weather. The individual control valves are sensitive, allowing you to carefully moderate the flame.
Performance
The GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 functions equally well in the dead of a Minnesota winter and the heat of a Utah summer. At full blast in fair conditions, it boiled (100c) a half-gallon of cold (21c) water in a two-quart stainless steel pot (uncovered) in nine minutes and five seconds (at 4,300 ft above sea level). The grate was red hot, the closest windshield wing was uncomfortably warm to the touch but not a burn hazard, the lid was slightly cooler than the wing, the opposing wing was completely cool, and the base was just pleasantly toasty. Within 90 seconds, the underside of the base had cooled completely and, after three minutes, the wing had as well.
The stove is roomy enough for two 10-quart stockpots or a 10-inch cast iron and 6.8 quart stock pot. However, it was just barely too small for my 10-quart stock pot and 10-inch cast iron with the windshields in the up position. If it’s a calm day, you can gain a little extra room by not deploying the windshields. Certainly enough room to feed everyone at your campsite — and the ones on either side.
What Could be Better
To be honest, there’s nothing to dislike about this stove, there are just some features that aren’t perfect. However, the plastic latch that keeps it locked in the closed position is fairly sturdy, but I can easily imagine it being the first casualty in an unfortunate tumble off the picnic table or out of a packed car.
Piezo igniters can be a little finicky. Seven out of 10 times, the igniter worked on the first or second try. The other 30 percent of the time, I had more trouble with the right-hand burner than the left, though in those cases it often ignited easier if it was turned on first. It always did light, though, and it never flamed up dangerously.
Though it does have good burner control, the burners sit so close to the cookware that delicate cooking can take a little extra skill and attention. Watch the area directly over the flame carefully when cooking on low heat.
Comparisons to Other Two-burner Stoves
Here’s the real question — is it worth the extra $82 to upgrade from the Coleman Classic two burner? Should you spring for the Camp Chef Everest 2X, which is $20 more? Let’s compare.
| GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 | Coleman Classic | Camp Chef Everest 2x | |
| Size | 21.4 x 12.9 x 3.8 inches | 21.9 x 13.7 x 4.1 inches | 25.2 x 12.7 x 5.6 inches |
| Weight | 9.77 lbs | 11.4 lbs | 12.3 lbs |
| Number of burners | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Individual burner control | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Burner Control Sensitivity | ✅ | 🆇 | ✅ |
| Burner BTU output | 10,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 |
| Auto-igniter | ✅ | 🆇 | ✅ |
| Windshield wings | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Removable grate | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Carrying handle | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Locking latch | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Price | $124.99 | $43 – $50.99 | $143.99 |
The simmer control is more precise on the Selkirk 540 than the Coleman Classic, and the reliable auto-igniter is a very nice feature. The Coleman Classic has a slightly larger profile but doesn’t afford much more cooking space and the wings aren’t as encompassing as the Selkirk 540, making it less effective in very windy weather. The Selkirk 540 is made of better materials, but either lid will dent if dropped on a rock. The Selkirk’s design is more efficient, so it cooks quicker in worse conditions while preserving more fuel.
The Everest 2x is bigger and heavier but provides twice the BTUs to cook with, a slightly larger cooking surface, and despite all its power, has better simmer control.
Final Thoughts
There’s plenty about the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 I liked, some things I was ambivalent about, and truly nothing I didn’t like. It’s a solid stove. It performs better than any other 10,000 BTU two-burner camp stove we’ve tested. If you expect to camp in the cold, wind, or rain and still want to impress with your camp cooking, the Selkirk 540 definitely outperforms. It’s certainly better than the Coleman Classic but it’s also three times the price. If you’re a perfect-weather camper who doesn’t get particularly gourmet at your campsite, you will probably be happy enough with the cheaper Coleman Classic.
That said, the Everest 2X outperformed the Selkirk 540 in cooking ability, while it fell behind in weight and price. If you’re really getting out there and need a two-burner stove for incredibly cold and windy conditions and willing to pay a little more, the 20,000 BTU Camp Chef Everest 2X may be worth exploring further. If you’re looking for a versatile, reliable 10,000 BTU two burner stove and you’re willing to pay to upgrade from the Coleman Classic, the Selkirk 540 can’t be beaten.
