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Author Topic: wood burning stoves  (Read 19001 times)

chris

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wood burning stoves
« on: July 10, 2009 »

Tried today, after spying one online, to make a wood buring stove. The Instructions said to use a large can but I thought i'd be clever and use one of the slightly smaller fruit tin ones so it fit in my mug resulting in a super lightweight stove/pot thing. After a couple of hours faffing around with this i stank of smoke, my eyes were raw and my cheeks were wet with tears but no boiled water.
Anyone an avid user of these? or even have any experience? I did get better and by my last attempt I was able to keep a fire going for half an hour before i gave up. I need some tips please as this seems like a good system.
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Celt_Ginger

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2009 »

I wouldn't bother. I have tried a few in my time and they are all pretty much useless. You spend almost all of your time feeding them with small twigs which seldom get hot enough to cook with. They need constant attention or they go out. I would advise making a proper fire or using a stove.
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chris

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2009 »

i got it working today. Took me half an hour to boil one cup of water. I'm not overly convinced that the massive reduction in weight at one end is worth it compared to the amount of time and energy you expend at the other given the results produced!
Although some people swear by them, I just cant understand it.
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Mouldsy

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2009 »

I am with Celt on this, I have even spent money on a commercial one and wished I hadn't, they are a complete waste of time and energy to try to keep going. I would use my time trying to built a hobo stove for meths, you can make them to fit inside your mug if you are wanting to go light, next to an open fire meths burners are my most reliable way of getting a brew.
If you goggle h
how to make a hobo stove I am sure you will get a tutorial on how to make one.
Davy
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chris

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2009 »

yeah i was thinking of doing that, jst using the burner from my trangia for it all. I just liked the idea of not having to carry fuel with me but I guess as with most things it's too good to be true!
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Celt_Ginger

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2009 »

I know what you mean Chris. it's a catch 22 situation. To carry fuel or not. If you carry it, then you have aditional weight, but at least you have it there to hand. if you don't carry it, then you have to source fire wood and may need to cut it, requiring additional cutting tools and the effert required to cut it. for just a day out, I'd carry the fuel. 300ml of meths or petrol in a trangia or small petrol stove will last all day with no problem. Not very Bushcrafty I know, but it's more practicle.
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DryBag

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2009 »

Have you tried a Kelly Kettle? - sort of a wood burning stove for boiling water.

I got one and used it last summer (in Fermanagh in the rain) and it got the water boiling occasionally and warm enough for hot chocolate every time - but I spent ages trying to get the fire lit. 

I am the world's worst fire lighter though.

Celt_Ginger

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2009 »

Have you tried a Kelly Kettle? - sort of a wood burning stove for boiling water.

I got one and used it last summer (in Fermanagh in the rain) and it got the water boiling occasionally and warm enough for hot chocolate every time - but I spent ages trying to get the fire lit. 

I am the world's worst fire lighter though.

I've not tried a kelly kettle, but it's the same principle. You are using very small pieces of fuel to try and boil water with. It's slow and laborious. Fine if you have nothing else to do, but not ideal if you have other things to be getting on with.
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MG1

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2009 »

What stove would you go for if lite weight hiking. I recently bought a Primus stove pretty small and lite but to be honest i was more swayed by the price £17.00 from cotswold.
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Celt_Ginger

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2009 »

What stove would you go for if lite weight hiking. I recently bought a Primus stove pretty small and lite but to be honest i was more swayed by the price £17.00 from cotswold.
Something like that is ideal, if you don't mind buying the gas. I tend to use either a trangia type or a pertol type as fuel is cheaper.
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666_pack

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2009 »

I second the trangia. Got myself a mini and at 330g inc pot, pan, burner, windshield/stand and pot handle for £25.

If its light weight you want for the price of two tins of beer(your choice) i'll make a custom 666_pack beer can stove 11g.
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RedLeader

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2009 »

I must get round to making a pop can stove - does someone want to post piccies or a link? I have a trangia and love it but it's useless for cooking for more than 2. Celt is right that both a hobo and kelly kettle are a pain because you have to keep feeding them. However I still think it's worth it when you can't (or dont't have the time) have a proper fire.
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DryBag

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2009 »

A 7up can stove (well that's what I made mine from!) is dead easy - you don't really need much in the way of instruction.

2 cans
cut them and squeeze the bottoms together
hammer in lots of pinholes in a line round the angled bit outside at the top
make a couple of bigger holes in the centre at the top.

fill it with meths through the bigger holes (I always spill a bit extra in a tray below it for priming)
set a penny over those holes and pour on some extra meths

light her up. 

You're wanting to heat the meths so it comes out the holes as a gas; it's that gas that burns and cooks.
Remember you have to let it burn till it runs out of meths, so don't fill it too full or you'll be there all night.

There's lots of variations with glass fibre inside and red bull cans for inner separators and stuff, but that's for the second attempt!

666_pack

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2009 »

some info.

http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm

I find that adding an inner wall will help the stove "jet" without having to prime the stove first.

I love these stoves and find that are addictive.

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indianian

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Re: wood burning stoves
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2009 »

Will the decision as to what kinda stove to use not depend on what activity your planning....  If bush crafting or canoe camping when weight is not an issue, and neither should be time.. wood burning is the way to go,  burners like the yukon firebox,  and the honeycomb stove are great for open fires and leaving no trace..  i got a BBQ from Sainsburys, looks like two buckets on top of each other, but packs in to its self to make it compact, and its great for woodburning and cooking on. If in the mountains where weight is an issue, any of the many gas/petrol stoves on the market are good.   
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