Fishmonger, I think you'll be fine with a remote canister stove. Of course you know about keeping the canister warm by sleeping with it or keeping it in a deep jacket pocket. One trick that I've used in the past is to stick a chemical toe warmer to the side of the canister. This works great, but only if you place canister and toe warmer in a sock or wrap in some sort of cloth. I spent two nights out last Jan. where morning lows were 6 and 8 degrees. I purposely did not sleep with the canister to retest the toe warmer idea. Had a rip roaring output each time. On the down side, toe warmers can be heavy if you are on an extended trip and have to carry a lot. Also, altitude is a canister stoves friend. Higher altitude = lower atmospheric pressure = easier for pressurized contents to free itself from container. But, you've got to have some warmth for vaporization.
To conserve fuel, be as efficient with your cooking as you can be. Use a windscreen and on the ground heat reflector. I've read wind can increase boiling times by three. Use a black pot versus a shiny pot. 25% better heat transfer they say. Take black trash bags and fill with snow. On a sunny day you will get good melt from this, taking the melting time out of the equation.
For any extended trip, test your canisters before you leave. Make sure they screw on correctly and you get fuel delivery to the burner.
I've been using a MSR Windpro for the last 4 years and have had no problems with it.
John
