Wood Burning Stove Tips & Experiences

[Ridge]

Once, a long time ago, I was a gas or alcohol toting stove man. After the tragic Value Jet crash in the everglades was caused by some type of fuel canisters I had all kind of trouble carrying a fuel tank for my stove on any flight. The answer was a Sierra Zip Stove, yep, a wood burner. I just couldn’t believe I had to resort to this. My first experience with one was not too good. However, after some adjusting to the thing I can honestly say…I will never use another type stove again.

Here’s my summary or the wood burner vs. anything else. The weight: zip at 1 lb; can get titanium at around 12oz. This is lighter than some, when you include fuel, and heavier than some. Fire starter: cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly and smacked in a 35mm film canister, this stuff also doubles for chaffing ointment and other first aid stuff. Wax cardboard box pieces, candles also are good starters. I now can take hot showers on the trail using a Mylar bag from a large box of wine and a shower nozzle attached and tarp clip to hang it by. This only weighs a few ozs; bag can also double for water carrier. I use a 3 oz Gerber retractable saw for cutting large wood for both fires and fuel for my stove, the saw is also a pretty good weapon if needed. Black pots: they actually heat up quicker. I can grill a steak on the sucker using hickory or charcoal, have a homemade small round grate to fit the top. Have taken wood that was in the creek and used for firewood just to prove wet wood will light with the forge and the cotton balls. I have traded food for stove use with hikers because they were out of fuel for their msr. I no longer have to make treks to stores, towns etc because I have no more fuel. Above tree line: If I didn’t pick up pine cones or pieces of wood to last, or for an emergency, I can saw my wooden staff up for fuel. If my PUR gives out, I can boil, and boil and boil.

Winter hiking in the Sierra Nevada’s and caught by a white-out was the time myself an five hikers survived with one zip stove to melt snow for water and cook with, All had ran out of fuel and we used everything from pack straps, nut hulls to whatever wood we could scrape up, even burned my stick. PS: Those metal poles just won’t burn.

I carried this stove to the Blue Mtns in NSW near Sydney, Australia, I had no trouble with fuel or the airlines and every hiker that saw me use it became my friend, since I shared in its use. I guess the only negative would be the smoke it produces, especially when cooking in a vestibule in the rain. But this is kind of rare to do have to do this. It does use a single AA battery and when the battery goes out it still will burn my led headlight for many, many hours. I’ve learned to use hanging limbs when all on the ground is wet, or covered with snow. I’ve even been told that dried animal dung will burn in it, but I have not had the pleasure of doing this one yet. I can boil water in about the same time as my msr. Altitude doesn’t seem to bother the performance. When I get through cooking I let the ashes cool while eating, dump in hole and can turn on the fan to finish cooling the unit, if needed. I use one pot for everything; I put the stove in the sooted pot and place both in a lightweight bag. I know this is long but I wanted to pass my experiences along to fellow hikers who may have ever been curious about a wood burner. Also, I have never had any problem or breakdown. I did contact the manufacturer and parts are available if needed. Give me your negative’s / positives and any additional stories about wood burners.

[Dudeboard]

Only question I have is, if its steady raining and that waterlogged wood just won't lite, can I saw up pieces of my fiberglass surfboard tailfin and use that, will it burn?

[Mountain Dew]

umm Do what now ? You hike with a surfboard ? I've heard of tubaman but a surfboard ? Nahhhhhhh

[Blue Jay]

Once, a long time ago, I was a gas or alcohol toting stove man. After the tragic Value Jet crash in the everglades was caused by some type of fuel canisters I had all kind of trouble carrying a fuel tank for my stove on any flight. The answer was a Sierra Zip Stove, yep, a wood burner. I just couldn’t believe I had to resort to this. My first experience with one was not too good. However, after some adjusting to the thing I can honestly say…I will never use another type stove again.

Here’s my summary or the wood burner vs. anything else. The weight: zip at 1 lb; can get titanium at around 12oz. This is lighter than some, when you include fuel, and heavier than some. Fire starter: cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly and smacked in a 35mm film canister, this stuff also doubles for chaffing ointment and other first aid stuff. Wax cardboard box pieces, candles also are good starters. I now can take hot showers on the trail using a Mylar bag from a large box of wine and a shower nozzle attached and tarp clip to hang it by. This only weighs a few ozs; bag can also double for water carrier. I use a 3 oz Gerber retractable saw for cutting large wood for both fires and fuel for my stove, the saw is also a pretty good weapon if needed. Black pots: they actually heat up quicker. I can grill a steak on the sucker using hickory or charcoal, have a homemade small round grate to fit the top. Have taken wood that was in the creek and used for firewood just to prove wet wood will light with the forge and the cotton balls. I have traded food for stove use with hikers because they were out of fuel for their msr. I no longer have to make treks to stores, towns etc because I have no more fuel. Above tree line: If I didn’t pick up pine cones or pieces of wood to last, or for an emergency, I can saw my wooden staff up for fuel. If my PUR gives out, I can boil, and boil and boil.Give me your negative’s / positives and any additional stories about wood burners.

I used an old army wood stove on my thruhike in 98. I liked it and only had trouble finding fuel after it had rained for over a week. It does weigh 2 pounds though and I know longer use it very often.

[weary]

I've used a Zip for years and have never had a fuel problem, except once with an early version with a mechanical draft. I didn't notice the draft was closed and spent an hour getting enough heat to cook supper.

I was sort of a pioneer Zip user and it never occurred to me to use a fire starter. So I have never bothered. I usually find a scrap of birch bark or a mouse chewed shelter book, or maybe a scrap of newspaper someone has left.

Nor do I carry a saw, though I've been tempted to do so occasionally. I mostly pick up sticks broken by hiker boots on the trails. In wet weather I break off dry dead limbs and break them to size using cracks in log shelters to help apply leverage, or crooks in trees.

Once a good hot fire is going my Zip will burn anything combustible, regardless of moisture content -- though dry works better. I also dig through fireplace ashes to find unburned stubs. These are great for long slow cooking of things like regular rice. I even cook brown rice, which requires 45 minutes of zimmering.

My Zip replaces a water filter also. I routinely boil a couple of quarts of water each evening for use the next day. Boiled water normally is pretty tasteless, but the sloshing about in my pack restores the oxygen making it as good as most trail water sources -- and much better than water treated with iodine or other chemicals.

In black fly season or during an infestation of mosquitoes or midgies, I pile some wet leaves on my Zip fire to produce a smudge to help keep them at bay.

Weary

[Frosty]

I've had a ZZip stove (which Sierra now calls a ZZ stove) for years. Even before ValueJet airlines had rules about carrying stoves.

Bought it to use on my trips west, but liked it so much I used it at home, also. Will burn darn near anything. I've found a few chunks of charred wood form an old campfire work best, just like charcoal. Never had a problem with wet wood. A tiny pine branches is enough. Get ANYTHING lit once, and the fan keeps it going.

Only downside is weight. I currently use an Esbit for backpacking, but I'm thinking of getting the titanium ZZ Stove.

On long trips, the weight of zz stove & battery but no fuel is lighter than alcohol/gas stove and fuel, but on weekends, I still go Esbit. Lightest for short trips.

Nice thing about ZZ stove is that there is no problem using ALL the fuel you want, so on cold nights can boil water and put in Nalgene in sleeping bag (don't do this with gatorade bottles, they leak with hot water).

[tlbj6142]

I'm not an user, but Flyfisher/Risk/Rick/CallMeAl has a few DIY wood buring stoves on his site...

www.imrisk.com (http://www.imrisk.com)

There is also a Yahoo! group on stove design (see the link on Risk's page).

[Pecan]

How do you find dry wood after it's been raining almost every day for a week or two? Dry dead limbs would be wet too, and you might have to go a ways into the woods to find them. Think I'll stick to my trusty whitegas stove.

[Blue Jay]

How do you find dry wood after it's been raining almost every day for a week or two? Dry dead limbs would be wet too, and you might have to go a ways into the woods to find them. Think I'll stick to my trusty whitegas stove.

It takes some looking after a week of rain. You only need a small amount, just a few handfulls. Turning over an old dead log and kicking into it you can usually find all you need. Alcohol, gas, wood, it's all good. They all have advantages and disadvantages.

[tlbj6142]

I don't use one, but many folks carry a bit of dry wood in a plastic bag. Also, the inside of wet wood is often dry.

If you check out Risk's Forge you'll see he uses a bit of oil to start the fire. Which means the wood probably doesn't need to be as dry.

[weary]

How do you find dry wood after it's been raining almost every day for a week or two? Dry dead limbs would be wet too, and you might have to go a ways into the woods to find them. Think I'll stick to my trusty whitegas stove.

Surface moisture is insignificant. A dead limb on an evergreen tree always will burn, even after a week of rain. It's stuff that has lain on the ground during extended wet weather and thus has moisture to its core that is difficult to burn -- though even that works once you have a hot fire going.

I have never used fire starters, though I'm sure they will allow even water soaked wood to burn. I just have never found them necessary.

The key in both cases is dead stuff. As anyone who has burned wood in a home stove or fire place quickly learns, there is a great deal of difference between wet wood and green wood -- i.e. wood that has only recently been cut. Green wood gives up its moisture only with great difficulty. Wet wood is easy to dry with a scrap of newspaper, birch bark, cherry bark, even cotton balls soaked in vasoline.

Don't knock the Zip stove until you try it. The Zip is not for everyone. Some refuse to learn how to run it. Fire is an art, albeit, a simple art. Some just can't stand the idea of carrying a sooty pot. For the rest of us, the Zip Stove is a marvelous invention.

Weary

[Dances with Mice]

---snip---Don't knock the Zip stove until you try it. The Zip is not for everyone. --snip

I'm one of the ones that didn't dig the Zip. Weary's quite right about not needing totally dry wood for the fire. But finding dry wood on the AT was never a problem, even after days of rain. There was always enough dry twigs to start cooking supper laying beneath the shelter floor. And underneath the picnic table were wood scraps dry enough to finish cooking supper.

[BeaverTrapper]

to woodburners.

First of all, I like fire. Hehe.. I really like fire. OK. That being said, here's why I prefer good old white gas.

Scenario #1:

I crawl out of bed at O' dark 30 to get an early start at whatever - hiking, hunting, whatever. It's near freezing, pitch black, I'm in an ill mood and I need a coffee can of black coffee and a bowl of instant grits. I need them all in less than ten minutes. It's raining and I don't feel like traipsing through the sopping wet woods to gather sticks, then screw with a battery operated device. In fact, I don't want to get out of my sleeping bag; and I didn't have time last night to gather a supply of wood for this morning. Instead I pull out my white gas stove, pump a few pumps, turn a valve and I have instant heat.

Scenario #2:

It's summer in the South. It's hot. I'm sweaty. I'm tired. I'm so hot and sweaty my underwear is soaked. It's close to 100 degrees. I want a little dinner before seeking refuge in my Hennessy, hoping for a slight breeze. Dinner is a pack of Ramen noodles and a can of chicken. Build a fire? Get choked with smoke? No thanks. I think I'll pull out my stove and boil water. I'll be done in a few minutes. No added sweat, no smoke, no burning eyes.

Scenario #3:

I'm camping with a few friends. Just a leisurely campout. Some of the folks are regulars, some are girlfriends, friends, kids of friends that have never hiked before. The idea is to have a good time, not cover a lot of miles. I decide to cook something that needs to simmer for a while. I want to be able to walk away and attend to other matters while dinner cooks. A woodburner is not exactly a fire and forget device. You gotta stay close by, and you gotta be involved.

A woodburner has it's role, and I have nothing against them. But, like any other piece of gear, it's not a one size fits all solution.

[Rift Zone]

I have a custom wood burner. No fan, Ti, weighs 2~3 oz. It is a simple thoughtful design. It I love my MSR stoves. Pocket rocket for quick and easy. Whisper Lite International and Dragon Fly for solid dependibility in any environment. But my wood burner is in a class of it's own.

It weighs squat!

I can make toast!
(radiant heat, just prop it up off to the side.)

And now boys and girls the good part. NO KIDDING

outside, cool soft breeze, no windscreens, no lids...

I set my wood burner against my Dragon Fly.

3 liters of cold tap water in large Black Light cookware for each.

Stoves were lit and going when pots of water were added.

MSR: 10 min 30 sec

Wood Burner: 6 min 45 sec.

It is interesting to note that full roaring boil for MSR was focused in a small portion of the bottom. The wood burner runs no hotter (quite a bit cooler i imagine) but MSR cannot mess with the sheer volumes of air that my stove affects. Full roaring boil on my wood burner will have bubbles coming off the sides as well as bottom. I wouldn't go taking my wood burner as my only stove when snow camping or something but you can bet I will have little else next time I step foot on the AT.

[Frosty]

I have a custom wood burner. No fan, Ti, weighs 2~3 oz. It is a simple thoughtful design. .Did you buy it or make it? Do you have a photo?

[art to linda]

I'm also interested in that wood stove. If bought, do they have a web addy, if home made do you have plans/pattern and pics?

[Ridge]

How do you find dry wood after it's been raining almost every day for a week or two? Dry dead limbs would be wet too, and you might have to go a ways into the woods to find them. Think I'll stick to my trusty whitegas stove.
Using a small piece of cotton ball soaked in petroleum jelly as fire starter, soaked twiggs or pine cones will light up and any additional wet or soaked wood will dry and burn using this forge type stove(aka sierra zip). The best thing about this stove is never running out of fuel while on the trail. I like swapping stove time when hikers run out of gas and have plenty of food left to cook.

[Rift Zone]

Yes, i did design and create it. If it exceeds 2.5 oz i'll eat the damn thing. It has never seen a scale. And do the math folks. How stable is your pound stove with a liter of slop in it? I did say and mean 3 liters!... 3 liters with confidence.

Sorry guys, I'm not the greedy type nor am I much of entrepreneur. I'm just a backpacker that will create his preferred gear if he can't find it in a store. But i'm not stupid, i do believe this to be marketable. "Auntie Sue" is a patent attorney and has instructed me to keep a lid on it until the paperwork is further along. I need an investor next.

But like I said, I am not all greedy. If one wants to mess with sheer volumes of air one will suspend one's fire. That was my premise. Operate with that in mind and I might be buying your stove in a couple years.

[Frosty]

I'm also interested in that wood stove. If bought, do they have a web addy, if home made do you have plans/pattern and pics?Here is a lightweight, wood-burning stove designed by Nimblewill Nomad, with plans:

http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp?subcat=2&cid=9

He made it out of galvanized steel. I don't know why he didn't just use sheet steel. If you use galvanized steel to make one, get a good fire going in it outdoors with you not too close until the zinc burns off. Not really dangerous, but zinc fumes are slightly toxic. Once the zinc burns off (one good fire), it'll be fine. But I'd just buy sheet steel.

You can buy titanium sheets here for the ultimate light weight, long lasting stove:

http://www.thru-hiker.com/MaterialDetail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=MG110&subcat=Titanium

[Shredder]

I made several of these stoves. The last one was out of aluminum, aprox. i/8 in. It weighs about 5 oz if I remember. Burns well in a breeze, slower without a breeze. Some of the metal ones warped easily, but the al does not warp and holds a 2 liter pot very well, even full. I still use it however it is messy, slow, and requires a high fiddle factor, thats OK unless your in a hurry. Others have speeded up cook time buy using a hose and copper tube to blow bellows style into the fire to heat it up. If you got the time, build one to play with....Shredder

[PKH]

Ridge,

Sounds like you'd enjoy the Kelly Kettle, for all the reasons listed in your post, plus the fact that the kettle can eliminate the need for a cooking pot. I've been using alchohol burners lately, but on my next trip I'll be reverting to my faithful wood burner. (I've often used a Zip as well)

Cheers,

PKH

[Shredder]

This thread got me thinkin, and I got out my wood stove and weighed it at 6.2 oz, it's about 3/32 of an in thick al. The al came from the cover of a cable tray that house industrial cable. Anyway I used it on a two day trip and it worked very well again. Took lipton meals and had boiling water in about 6-8 min and maintained a boil for about 15 min on one load of wood. I took a little piece of a scotchbrite cloth for clean up. The silnylon bag its in is getting a little smelly like wood smoke, and it's harder to clean but all in all it's a neat little stove....Shredder

[cshir003]

I'm interested in a wood burner like your talking about, where could I find one?

[Jack Lincoln]

Just get the Sierra Zip Stove. You will love it. Who cares if you smell like woodsmoke; you smell anyways.... Enjoy the stove......





Jack