Greetings ...

There's a new wood gas stove COMING SOON!

The best two features about this stove is it's adjustable air intake ports, that allow for heat control and variable cooking times. You load it once with fuel (wood), light and walk away, no need to baby sit and constantly add fuel to the fire.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1984-03-01/Make-It-and-Take-It-Hobo-Stove.aspx

A coffee can with some holes in the top and bottom seems to work about as effectively, weighs maybe half as much, costs nothing. it does produce smoke, it doesn't produce charcoal, and I would not be inclined to walk away from it, but I am unclear as to the value of these latter features.

I just ordered the compact wood burning stove. Should be here in a couple of days. I will post a writeup when I get a chance to use it. Its a 2 piece design that nestles inside itself and can also be used as a food warmer.

here is a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN30_tG7S3A

I am not affiliated in any way. Just thought it was pretty cool.

Blitz

What is the advantage of a wood burning stove over just making a camp fire?
The Sock

A stove concentrates the flames in a smaller area therefore burns hotter and more efficiently. Also in some areas you may not be able to have an open camp fire or it may not be convenient to build a fire. In addition you can use twigs and small branches instead of logs so it is more expedient. I'm one who likes my coffee first thing in the morning, I remember one time trying to boil water on a grill over a camp fire, it took forever, I wasn't a happy camper (pun intended) Most of my fellow campers that had to be around me were not happy either.

Blitz

I doubt that any area that prohibits open fires will allow the bushwacker. Just carry a small canister stove and then you don't have to worry about how wet things have become.

Actually, I've used my coffee can chimney stoves and their smaller sibling places where open fire was banned and becuase the embers are contained it is kosher. I also brought along a cut down #10 to act as a base, so there was minimal scorching of the ground.

Of course, I've also had a thumbs down on them. It depends on your location, and I always get such authorizations in writing. Odd how different people read the same regs differently.

The biggest advantage I see with this kind of thing over a fire is time. Needs less fuel, so you spend time gathering, it gets hot quicker, so you spend less time cooking, and it goes out quicker, so you spend less time twiddling your thumbs before you can be moving. Time is one of the few things you can't put in a pack.

There is quite a difference between your turf (Vermont) and mine (SoCal/Arizona). I have seen it dry enough that, regulations aside, I didn't feel comfortable lighting anything. In those conditions, it is hot enough that cold meals are absolutely no problem at all.

Actually, we get very dry here at times. Most of my permit experience though has been in NH, which has pretty harsh permitting modeled after CA's. People have been fined for having stoves but no permits in the NFS land- it is all the discretion of who snags you. And there isn't really an appeals system.

Although, that is like striking a spark in a tinder box. You're basically standing in a puddle of gas. :P I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with a stove there at certain times of the year. Cold meals and MRE heaters, I've got no desire to light that big a signal fire. *laughs*

The guy in the video is dangerous. He could have very easily have had a forest fire on his hands as he did not clear any area around the stove. You could not also leave this stove un attended as it flamed up fairly easily. This stove would NOT be allowed, at least in CO, when the firedanget is high which is usually every summer. But it is a neat idea.

Cheers