GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 Camp Stove

GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 Camp Stove

By Cory McLaughlin

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Just the Facts:

They say you can “go big or go home” and we bet you can guess where our vote lies. After starting small with our incredibly-compact, amazingly-efficient backpacking stoves, we thought that it was high time we made something to satisfy those families and groups of friends whose time we love sharing in the outdoors. Built around twin 10,000 BTU/h burners with precise, individual controls for everything from simmering to speedy boiling and room for any two of the Bugaboo Camper pans (2 L pot, 3 L pot, 9″ frypan) side-by-side. our simple, push-button, piezo ignition system and built-in carrying handle designed for both easy-transport and singe-free lighting. We’ve made a stove that was designed to really cook. The Selkirk 540 Camp Stove was made to last too with a powder-coated steel exterior and wraparound windscreens to keep the elements at bay while the stainless steel and nickel-chrome cooking surfaces make clean-up easy after even the biggest meals. 

Powerful, twin 10,000 BTU/h* (CSA) / 11,790 BTU/h* (CE) burners designed to rapidly and evenly heat larger pots and pans.

Simple, push-button, piezo ignition combines with built-in carrying handle to make it easy to light the stove without burnt finger-tips, scorched knuckles or slide-away stoves.

Individual, micro-control valves provide precise tunability and output for each burner for everything from slow simmering to full-strength, fast boiling.

Removable pot support and stainless steel burner surround make for easy cleanup.

Wraparound windscreens prevent gusts and inclement weather from slowing your cooking to a crawl, but fold out of the way for use with larger pots on calm days.

Welded, nickel-chrome-plated, 4 mm/0.15″ diameter steel pot supports provide a stable, secure cooking platform for 8″ and 10″ pots side-by-side.

Sturdy, steel construction and powder coated exterior designed for lasting outdoor durability

My Story:

I have used more cook stoves than I can remember. I remember pumping the tank of an old white gas stove while cooking breakfast with my dad on hunting tips. I remember scoring my first propane stove at a swap meet. I have used so many of them you might think I was sick of them but I am always excited to try out a new stove. When I saw the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 I knew that I had to test one out.

The Selkirk 540 is nothing fancy. It does not have bells and whistles or any magic parts. It is simply a two burner stove. So what makes it better than the others? Well, for starters, this thing is a rocket! As I said above I have used many stoves and the one thing that I do find that varies from stove to stove is the output of heat. Some stoves really blast out the flames and some are more gentle, similar to a gas stove in your home. The Selkirk 540 is a rocket ship and it does not mess around when it comes to putting out all of its 10,000 BTU’s.

So, you have a rocket ship, but what if you don’t want that? What if you want a gentle heat for slower cooking? Well you are in luck as the Selkirk has a micro adjustment knob. This is another feature that can vary from stove to stove. With some of the cheap-o stoves of the past you never could really turn down the heat without fear of the stove extinguishing itself. That is not the case with the Selkirk 540. When boiling coffee in a percolator you want to get the water hot quickly so it will travel up the straw and over your ground coffee. Once that starts you need to have control over the heat to avoid boil over or burnt coffee. For my testing purposes coffee was my most common use for this stove. I cannot say enough about how smooth this stove can transition from rocket to gentle flame. This is a great feature that I have come to love.

The stove size is another great feature as it allows for pans and pots big enough to cook meals for a group. No more fussing with how to cook eggs and brew coffee at the same time. For the family campers this grill’s size is going to be a huge hit with the chef.

I have had my share of frustration when it comes to cleaning stoves. Some have holes and crevasse that no mortal man can effectively clean. The Selkirk 540 does not disappoint when it comes to cleanup and it is obvious that the designer was conscious of this when making this great stove. The under grate portion of this stove is a solid piece of shined aluminum, which is void of unnecessary holes or uncleanable areas. You simply pull of the pot grate and wipe the stove clean. I love this as I hate putting a dirty stove into my tote with fear it may leach grease onto things I would care not to have soiled.   

The Selkirk 540 is a very worthy stove and I feel it is better than most of the other stoves I have used. The Selkirk 540 has replaced my previous stove as my new primary camp stove. I believe you will find this stove to be of the highest quality and performance. This is truly another great product from GSI Outdoors. 

Find It Here:

https://gsioutdoors.com/selkirk-540-camp-stove.html

What can be done better?

I wouldn’t change a thing! As an addition I would like to see a carrying case option or accessory for the stove so as to keep it looking new and awesome.     

This stove rockets to 5 stars!