[411man]

This is intended to be just an overview not a comprehensive nor complete treatment of this expansive subject.

This will also of necessity be an on going effort; all additional information and sources welcome.

The first part of this overview will be a survey of Stoves and Ovens currently available.

Stoves can be divided into three general catagories; back pack types, camping, and cabin types .


Camping type stoves.

Camping stoves can be catagorized by fuel type and number of burners as well as if they include a grill.

First we will note the Single Burner types both camping and Back packing. Some are design to stow away in a very small space for backpacking. Some are designed to be used to cook using large pots or skillets. While others fall in between and are used for camping.

Most Backpacker type stoves use some sort of solid fuel or liquid fuels such as butane, alcohol, kerosene, or gasoline. Solid fuels include Hexamine, Trioxane, solidified alchohol, and sterno ( aka canned heat ).

Almost all single burner camping type stoves use propane as a fuel.

Back packing Types.

Alcohol.

http://www.campingsurvival.com/titstvaou.html

Alcohol Fuel Tabs.

http://www.campingsurvival.com/titxestvaou.html

Butane.

http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/glowmast.htm


Multi Fuel Types.

http://www.ccoutdoorstore.com/primus-etapower-mf-fuel-efficient-stove.html


Liquid Fuel ( ie white gas, kerosene, gasoline, etc. ).

http://www.backcountry.com/store/OPS0003/Optimus-Nova-Stove.html

http://www.campingsurvival.com/qudufust.html

 

[Ihatebugs]

A stove is not needed for survival. There's nothing you can't cook over a campfire. The only reason to even own a stove, and the only reason why I own a stove, is for recreational camping in areas where campfires are illegal. If I was bugging out, I wouldn't burden myself with such an unnecessary item.

 

[Texas Paladin]

Good list!

I'm a big fan of the trangia style stoves myself, most commonly seen for sale as "Swedish Army Stoves". Usually you can get the burner, fuel bottle, and mess kit that all nests together for around $10. Its not as light as some of the featherweight backpacking stoves... but you can't beat the price and they are super durable and tough. I can also fit a lighter, flatware for two, small seasoning containers, and other odds and ends inside.

If you run out of fuel (alcohol, gas, etc), you can still use the stove as a "twig" stove. Or just save the fuel for when conditions don't allow you to utilize a wood fire.

I figure I'm gonna be carrying a messkit/cooking equipment of some sort. The addition of the burner (which is about the size of a hockey puck) isn't that big of an extravagence.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Texas Paladin]

A stove is not needed for survival. There's nothing you can't cook over a campfire. The only reason to even own a stove, and the only reason why I own a stove, is for recreational camping in areas where campfires are illegal. If I was bugging out, I wouldn't burden myself with such an unnecessary item.

A couple of reasons someone might want to include a small stove in their bugout gear:

You may be able to start a campfire in the dark when you're tired after its rained solid for the past three days... but most people couldn't. I might be able to, but I don't wanna have to.

In a bugout situation, I may or may not want to be noticed. The idea being, I have stuff that makes it possible for me to survive... while other folks in the area might not. Smoke from a wood fire and light from the warm glow of the campfire might draw attention to me that I don't want. My small alcohol burning stove setup doesn't produce any visible smoke. No smoke smell, and very little visible light at night.

As I mentioned in my reply to the main post, I'm going to carry a cooking pan at the very least as my "mess kit". My Swedish stove kit has a cooking pot, a bowl/skillet/lid, a body that could double as a twig stove, the burner, and a fuel bottle. All in the same space that my cook pot would take.

Cost isn't a burden. I spent a total of $10 for mine surplus, and I don't think it was every used before I got it.

I could do with out the stove... but I don't think I need to.

Later,
Paladin

 

[535]

Rocket Stove, more suited for a base camp or bugout location, quick to build and uses only a small amount of fuel.

Basically its a chimney of brick with two pieces of stove pipe joined at 90 degrees a few inches before the bottom. just the ends of the sticks are inserted into the base of the chimney, then lit in the bottom. Air flows in through the bottom, is heated and flows out the top, when built correctly these burn like a jet engine. These stoves burn VERY hot use only a small amount of fuel and are VERY efficient yielding a almost smokeless fire. Also you can build one a little larger and place a grill grate over the top for fire cooking meat.

 

[Farm boy]

A stove is not needed for survival. There's nothing you can't cook over a campfire. The only reason to even own a stove, and the only reason why I own a stove, is for recreational camping in areas where campfires are illegal. If I was bugging out, I wouldn't burden myself with such an unnecessary item.

A stove is quick & fast, plus theres no smoke to announce your location.
You are less likely to start a forest fire.
And if you are being tracked, a campfire tells a lot of facts to an expert tracker.
Also it dirties up the air you breathe, and your clothes smell like a campfire

 

[Ihatebugs]

And if you are being tracked, a campfire tells a lot of facts to an expert tracker.

If someone is trying to catch you, I'd assume you don't want to stay in one place very long. But you're gonna have to, unless you want to put a hot stove in your pack.

 

[Texas Paladin]

Rocket Stove, more suited for a base camp or bugout location, quick to build and uses only a small amount of fuel.

Yeah, that's pretty sharp! Especially in a basecamp situation, as you said. I was amazed at the small amount of fuel needed.

I've seen a similar home-made unit made of nesting cans (like big soup or juice cans). Thing absolutely rocked when it came to a fast hot fire. I've got a link to the build instructions somewhere, if I can find it. Always wanted to make one for myself, 'cuz the directions were pretty easy.

Paladin

 

[Survival Helper]

Ever cook with a campfire in a building? Maybe in a lean to or a tent? Maybe it is monsoon season or totally frozen at -20, and today is the day that you realize that starting a fire aint gonna happen.

Dont get me wrong minimalist survival is cool on the AT but seriously why would settlers move cast iron stoves cross country if all they had to do was build a campfire? Answer? campfires work, stoves work better.

Good one 411!!

 

[Ihatebugs]

Dont get me wrong minimalist survival is cool on the AT but seriously why would settlers move cast iron stoves cross country if all they had to do was build a campfire?

The Indians didn't have cast iron stoves. Neither did the mountain men. Hell, for the first 10,000 years of human history campfires worked just fine. Then human beings went and got all pussified.

By the way, I'm far from a minimalist. I have so much crap that I need a deer cart to haul it all.

 

[Survival Helper]

Like I said try it in a shelter or in the middle of a serious storm. The thing to remember is Indians had very little use for a stove based on their limited meat consumption, and fairly limited diet. It relates to being prepared or not being prepared.

They were prepared for their situation because they did it for thousands of years, they knew what they needed, and it worked for what they cooked and ate.

The problem I have with preparing like an Indian is that times have changed, and something has been lost in civilization as well as the type of food and even the method of preparation for the food.

I wasn't knocking you bro, just pointing out that although I am of the same school of thought (I can cook over some fire !!) I rarely leave the house on a trek without at least one alcohol stove and a months supply of fuel. (one meal a day).

To be honest it is just easier to pour and light, than it is to build a fire. Now in the winter around here we build fires anyway, so sometimes (especially for water boiling etc) it is just easier to set a small grate over the fire, but that stove is what I keep in the cabin or tent.

Even used an alcohol stove inside my house, car, truck the whole nine yards, food on the move is just easier.......


EDIT: deer cart LOL I hear ya, on a winter hike I will usually pack 55-70 pounds of gear. It gets COLD sometimes

RE-EDIT: 55-70 pounds is five days LOL, sounds like a day hike from hell the way I wrote it above

 

[EL SHADDAI]

my stove setup

I like my french military cookware set and an ESBIT style stove. I like to use the new MRE gel fuel in the esbit stove and i also have a small minimalist backpacking stove that i can use. One of the previous posters is absolutely right. Sometimes you have to cook and dont want to be noticed.. also you can use these stoves in-doors

 

[NoUseforaName]

I don't think we'll need a campfire OR a stove.....

Just head to the nearest area where there used to be a major city, get a poker stick, and hold whatever you want to cook close to the fireworks!

Seriously though....good topic guys!

 

[Penny]

Good stuff. I keep a camp stove around for group camping (duh) and for things like if electricity goes out and I want a quick warm meal while sheltering indoors.

I dig the chimney deal. I'll have to test that out. Don't know about having the bricks taking up so much of my storage space though... hmm.

 

[Macumazahn]

here is a site with a lot of cooking information including a very comprehensive write up on the rocket stove

http://weblife.org/capturing_heat/

it seems to be an HTML version of this .PDF

weblife.org/capturing_heat/pdf/capturing_heat.pdf

which seems to be originally from these folks http://www.aprovecho.org

they also have a store http://stoversource.com/mambo/

 

[speedofl33t]

A burner doesn't weigh that much. I mean, you might want a pot anyway... I pretty much like lightweight alcohol stoves. I did most of my cooking on them when I lived in my old house (no facilities). Chose that because I could cook inside (also had a wood stove but getting that going takes forever).

Have to toss in a warning though. They "should" not be used inside, and even someone who sees themselves as experienced might have a freak accident and set the place on fire. They are NOT safe inside.

When it got colder I started cooking in the fireplace, because I had a fire going anyway.

I like cooking over a campfire the best. But if you are in the same place for a long time, you might as well build something that makes cooking a bit easier and saves firewood a bit.

I say it totally depends on your situation what you choose.

 

[Dwind]

Kev made a very good point in a thread about a month ago, that when you add styrofoam to an amount of gasoline until the fuel wont absorb anymore, you have a cheap recipe for napalm. spread it out on something and wait for it to dry, and then cut into squares, you have a killer firestarting tool. just vaccuum seal the squares in plastic and store with dessicant.