used a whisperlite for my trips, agree on teh sooty aspect of it, but it was what I had, it fit into my pot easily (in a bag) and worked reliably. I really only used it to boil water for spaghet and to heat up a spagh sauce, so nothing fancy.
liked it just cuz it is so small, but yes, finicky a bit with the wind thing and the sootiness.
on european trips, used a "bluet" type stove, with the screw on blue nat. gas thingees, were easy to find in towns and villages in France. Not sure of today, probably though.