I used to shun wood stoves but now I am starting to see their advantages.Could anyone who uses wood stoves give me their ideas?

I am looking to make my own - out of cheap,cheap materials (without a fan) that will weigh under 0.5 ounces.

Thanks, Evan

Edited by edude on 12/27/2008 18:27:36 MST.

Did you really mean 1/2 ounce? I made one that weighs 4.16 ounces. Look down a few threads for: "MYOG Inverted Downdraft Woodgas Stove - My Attempt" My stove is about half way down the page.

It took me about an hour and a half, and used three cans.


Wood Stove with MSR 2L Ti Pot.


Wood Stove with BPL Firelite SUL1100 Pot.


Wood Stove.


Wood Stove Interior.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/14876/index.html?skip_to_post=113660#113660

It is made of titanium... not cheap but it weight less then 8g! I will be interested in a report if you decide to make it. Good luck!

Half an ounce is about the weight of an empty aluminum soda can. I don't mean to discourage pushing the envelope but any "stove" in that weight range will just be a small windscreen for a tiny fire on the ground (which may be all you need). The "8 gram stove" Huzefa refers to is an exciting design but one that people like Steven Evans, who have exotic materials and sophisticated tooling to work with, have not yet been able to fabricate.

No criticism is intended, I'm just saying that a realistic perspective on weight and materials limitations might give you a better start in making design decisions.

Yeah,
Why not a fire on the ground. Weight = 0.

ah, so wood STOVES are kinda heavy... but if I'm going to an area I can just make a cooking fire?

Cool! Then I can go back to my old pot (very shallow - just big enough to hold enough water for a dehydrated meal - and boils very fast.

If fires are prohibited,then I'll go with my Esbit Prototype.

thanks, Evan

Four years ago I walked up Puig Campana in spain through verdant pine forest full of singing birds. Two years ago I revisited the area, and had to climb through the charred remains of the tree stumps in a deafening silence under blazing sun.

Open fires are discouraged in dry areas for a good reason. How would you feel about youself if a wind took your embers into the brush and burned the area you love? A few ounces of metal is a small price to pay to protect your friends enjoyment of the forest following your visit. Also, you can avoid leaving fire circles on the ground, which will preserve the wilderness experience for others.

I'm not fanatical about the 'leave no trace' philosophy, but I do try to be mindful of the needs of others, and the flora and fauna of the areas I visit.

Amen. The only difference I can see between leaving a burn scar at your camp site and leaving your stool is the stool disappears relatively quickly.

Edited by herman666 on 12/28/2008 11:05:21 MST.

i don't intend to start any riots here. However, just as with everything else when it come to hiking skill is what makes us safe, not equipment. A small fire built by someone who knows what he is doing can be a safe alternative to a wood stove. I am not advising people turn the wilderness i love into one giant fire pit. There are places that make sense for fires and places that don't, and stupid people can ruin either.

When i hike in places where others have clearly had fires, mostly in heavily visited sites where there is one area that people have used over and over for a fire, i don't hesitate to burn a small one myself.

And here is how this actually pertains to this thread...

When visiting a place i know it is responsible to have a fire i leave my stove and pot at home. Instead i carry my water in a 16oz Caribou coffee can. It is and aluminum can like a Pepsi can but it has a screw top lid. I carry one lid for water transport and another for burning. The burning lid had 4 1/8" hole in the top (used ti stake to make) and has the plastic insert burnt out. I use 1 stake pushed through 2 of the holes as a means of retrieval. I toss it into the heart of the fire, lid up, and once it starts to steam i use a stick to pull it out by the stake.

I love this combo as i already will have the fire (0 grams) i already have to carry water (0 grams) and i already have a tent stake (0 grams)The only limitations to this system are the need for fire and the small capacity of a 16oz water bottle. I plan to try a monster 24ozer this season. I just don't need that much water boiled and am concerned about burning it with less water as it may melt the top of the bottle (that would suck)

-Tim

Tim, you'll find the empty part of the can won't melt. The aluminium conducts heat well, and the water below will keep the temperature of the upper section well below 300C. An open wood fire doesn't have flames much above 600C anyway, though the glowing mass in the heart around the water filled part will be hotter. The screw lid might distort a bit, though aluminium is soft enough for this to be not much of a problem when you come to open it.

I agree with what you say about reusing old fire spots, but I like to go off the beaten track. Also, on the rare occasion a ranger happens across my camp, having the fire well contained mitigates the situation and shows the ranger all possible precaution is being taken.

Jim Falk's Bushwhacker stove is pretty cheap and easy to build: http://jasonklass.blogspot.com/2008/12/bushwhacker-stove.html

There are also some good designs here: http://zenstoves.net/