Newsflash: all fuels are dangerous unless handled properly.

Important things to focus on when selecting a stove:
- How available is the fuel (alcohol is the most available in the US, white gas is probably the least accessible here with the push toward butane/propane canisters)
- What kind of cooking are you doing (do you need to simmer or are you just boiling water for re-hydrating meals)
- What is the total weight of the entire -system- to handle a 10 day tour (stove, fuel, fuel storage, WIND SCREEN, stability bases, etc.). Anything longer than 10 days I'd assume that you'll be refilling the fuel.
- Ability to function in horrible conditions (high wind, dumping rain, etc.)

Things that are not important:
- How quickly the stove will boil water (who cares about a few minutes difference except for how it relates to the amount of fuel spent?)
- Ruggedness comparisons. Most modern stoves are durable if stored carefully (inside a cook pot, etc.) and come with cleaning tools if clogs occur (like if you drop the stove in mud). My old scout troop used a mix of Coleman, Primus, and MSR stoves... if scouts couldn't destroy them then they will hold up on a tour.

Alcohol stoves are by far the lightest system out there. You can also carry the fuel in a standard Nalgene (labeled appropriately of course)... there is no need for special metal fuel containers (like white gas). The stoves weigh ~ 1/2 oz. The downside is there is no easy way to simmer and you should let all the fuel burn off after each use. If you are boiling water then this is not an issue (you've already experimented and know that X oz of fuel boils Y oz of water, right?). I have used these systems + insulation bags for most of my recent backpack cooking. Yes, alcohol does not burn as hot as white gas but the overall weight of a system to boil a certain amount of water 2x a day is the lightest solution (besides stick burners / firewood).

White gas and multi-fuel stoves can burn at very hot temperatures & some models have variable temperature (simmer, etc.). They tend to be a bit more fragile (specifically the bottle->stove connection) which just requires some care in packing (I stick it inside my cook pot). While white gas may not be as prevalent, some of these stoves can burn kerosene when the appropriate jet nozzle is attached. Filling a white gas stove often results in some spills, etc. (one reason why butane/propane style screw-in stoves have become popular). My favorite stove in this category is the Primus Omnifuel because it will burn pretty much anything, can work with canisters, & functions at high altitudes.

Canister stoves require that you carry around screw-in fuel canisters. The stoves are smaller than the white gas options because you don't need a pump mechanism. In general, they do everything just as well as white gas with no fuel spill / refilling issues. However, you need to have access to a source of the canisters.

You can buy a pre-made pop can stove for $12 here along with some pot cozies. A pot cozy will allow you to continue cooking without any flame. I would highly recommend them, regardless of the stove solution you pick.... you will save a lot of fuel.