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Will Thornton
01-10-2012, 13:34
I am considering a woodburning stove now due to bugetary reasons. Are there any areas along the appalachian trail where using something like a zip stove or similar be an issue? Fwiw i did asearch andcame up with stuff from a few years ago, but i dont knoe if anything has changed since. Cheers, Late lunch

Slo-go'en
01-10-2012, 14:01
Unless there is an active fire ban due to extrem fire danger, which is rare on the AT, there shouldn't be anywhere with an issue, even places where campfires are not allowed.

Wood stoves do have a learning curve, though a ZIP stove is pretty easy to use. Although the fuel is free, wood stoves have some disadvantages. They are heavier and bulkier than other stoves, you can't use them in a tent or shelter, so cooking in the rain is a problem.

Having an alcohol stove as a back up is a good idea, but then you might as well go with alcohol. Alcohol is pretty cheap and if the cost of that is going to make or break your trip, you probably don't have nearly enough money to begin with. You can make a stove for free and the cost of say a ZIP stove will buy a lot of alcohol. There are some good reasons for using wood - not having to carry fuel or much of it - is the biggest reason, but saving money isn't one of them.

mrclean417
01-10-2012, 15:24
Don't know why you'd want to buy and carry batteries with your free fuel. A DIY paint can stove is just about free and doesn't use batteries. I know it doesn't pack flat, but neither does my Cup so that all goes together as well.

Blissful
01-10-2012, 15:45
I know a couple that used it pretty successfully sobo in 2010

rocketsocks
01-10-2012, 16:18
Most summers,at least here in NJ,there is a ban on fires on the AT do to low rain amounts.It doesn't' take much for one of these restrictions to be placed,and it's pretty easy for governing bodies to just say NO.They are not interested in your "hot meal" or "warm water bottle",these are the rules,and we must all abide by them,the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the one.I too have a sierra stove and love feeding that hungry little beast,but bring my white gas or alcohol burner most of the time.

JAK
01-10-2012, 17:37
A backup alcohol stove can be as simple as a tealight tin. I like using vegetable oil as a backup for wood stoves because its a little sooty, but if your primary fuel is wood you are already dealing with that. I don't like wood stoves that use fans.I use a Kelly Kettle or Hobo Stove. I carry 95% ethanol for first aid, denatured with camphor and denaturium, but I suppose if resupplying I would take what I could get. Ethanol is the best stove fuel, and safest for first aid. I also carry olive oil or canola oil, as food, and it is a more efficient fuel that the alcohol in BTU per ounce, but is slow. Good for soups. I use wood if I can, but have the two backups. For the vegetable oil I use a few inches of jute or hemp twine as a wick. It burns much better if you insulate it from the ground so that it can heat up, and only use enough oil for the job like 0.5 oz or less at a time.

Practice at home. Be very careful with wax and oil because they can get very hot, like 500F. Alcohol has a big advantage in that regard. Isopropanol is an interesting choice in BTU/oz, but doesn't burn well.

4Bears
01-10-2012, 18:28
You could look into these, wood, esbit, alky and 2.4oz. I don't have any experience with them but have read a couple journals and blogs that gave great reviews. http://fourdog.com/bushcooker-lt/

Wise Old Owl
01-10-2012, 18:45
Practice at home. Be very careful with wax and oil because they can get very hot, like 500F. Alcohol has a big advantage in that regard. Isopropanol is an interesting choice in BTU/oz, but doesn't burn well.

That's due to 20 % water is in there, and for alcohol Methanol would be a better choice.

shelterbuilder
01-10-2012, 19:02
If there is a drought, Pa. will also probably declare an "open" fire ban. I've tried several times to get a definite ruling from DCNR about Zip Stoves, and keep getting "no response", which tells me that no one wants to go out on a limb and say "yes". (With a wood stove, the fire is contained, but the embers - and possibly hot charcoal - are NOT, and I think THAT is where the problem comes in.)

If you decide to carry a wood stove, then plan on a back-up (alcy stoves would fit the bill).

Tinker
01-10-2012, 19:49
I know a couple that used it pretty successfully sobo in 2010

The Zzip? I have one, but I don't take it on long hikes. Open fires are banned everywhere (on the AT) at all times in Connecticut, and certain times in the fall in Pa. Otherwise, I'm unaware of fire bans. If you dump your ashes in water I doubt that any but the most nit-picky ridge runner or shelter maintainer would bat an eye. Now, on a rainy day in a crowded shelter you might find some resistance. :-?

I know of a couple of young women who used one sobo until it got so cold that it couldn't put heat to pot quickly enough to boil water.

http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Southbound-Adventures-Appalachian/dp/0811735303

Good book!

Wise Old Owl
01-10-2012, 20:00
Will you might want to check this out


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?79607-Not-exactly-UL-but-an-awesome-new-idea-in-wood-burning-stoves&p=1232719&viewfull=1#post1232719

msupple
01-10-2012, 20:01
The new Emberlit stove is an awesome wood stove which only weighs about 5 oz and folds flat. Once it is initially loaded and the fire is lit you can feed slightly larger pieces through a side port, so you never have to remove the pot. I can easily boil 16 oz of water with one load of twigs. If you are cooking something that needs a longer cooking time you can feed wood through the side port. Wood inserted through the side can be thicker and longer....you just nudge them in as they burn. Here's a link....http://www.emberlit.com/

Many people over on Hammock Forums site have bought them and rave about them. My wife and I are hiking from Springer to Harpers Ferry this Spring and plan on using the Emberlit as our main stove. We'll carry a very light weight alky stove in case of a fire ban etc. BTW...my 16 oz of water are usually boiling in about 5-6 minutes from the time I strike a match. (dry wood) Oh yeah....it also makes a great mini campfire by tossing in some bigger pieces once you've removed your pot. I dislike having to guess how much alky to bring and worrying if my re-supply point will have it. Plus I'm not carrying any fuel. Five oz is total weight....EVER.

JAK
01-10-2012, 21:20
That's due to 20 % water is in there, and for alcohol Methanol would be a better choice.I've tried 99% isopropanol, and it doesn't burn well. High flash point. Still, there must be a way to get it to burn better. It has considerably more energy than methanol and ethanol.

I like ethanol better than methanol because it has more energy per gram, and still burns well. It is also much safer to handle, skin contact etc., and useful for first aid, etc. Some stoves might deliver more BTU per minute with methanol, but you should be able to get more BTU per gram with ethanol, and still get a decent burn rate. I can get 95% here at one of the drug stores for $3 per 500ml or $2 per 250ml. 99% Everclear would be better yet, but we can't get it here, and I don't really like paying the alcohol tax.

Wise Old Owl
01-10-2012, 21:33
That cool Jak I just could not tell from the original post. I just got a bottle of Everclear for testing - It did not pass the first test - drinkability uggh moonshine would be better - So I have no problem testing against the big four.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9syk3bZwpcE&context=C36dd480ADOEgsToPDskKT oIMluEkdcvO78qgj7hby

topshelf
01-10-2012, 22:14
Don't know why you'd want to buy and carry batteries with your free fuel. A DIY paint can stove is just about free and doesn't use batteries. I know it doesn't pack flat, but neither does my Cup so that all goes together as well.

I use a paint can stove, I posted pictures of it on here somewhere or on hammock forums. I can't find them anywhere, but here's the one I replicated, https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRM9t8H3JocvvgCcXwZaO_ybeT1j4Iqe AaJ8j4xiQdf4OF7eSW0yg. It does get sooty, but I store it outside my pack in a side pocket. Instead of carrying alcohol I carry esbit tabs for backup. I can take the pot stand and use it alone as an esbit stove. I also carry a small bag of dried wood, and keep my eye out for cattails. I love this stove. It takes some time to get it burning efficiently as you cook, but fuel supply is endless. Even if it's raining you can find plenty of dried wood around the shelters. Granted, most of my hikes are a couple of days long or overnighters, but I think it's a great stove.

Wise Old Owl
01-10-2012, 22:32
Well Redeye that's the best stove for you - if you can add a fan - it might reduce some of the soot - but hey stick to it.

Spokes
01-11-2012, 12:42
The new Emberlit stove is an awesome wood stove which only weighs about 5 oz and folds flat....... Here's a link....http://www.emberlit.com/

Thanks for sharing. I've been researching flat fold wood stoves and considered the Littlbug Junior (http://www.littlbug.com/shop.html). It's made out of stainless steel, comes in at 5.1 oz., and sells for around $59.

The titanium Emberlit weighs 5.45 oz and costs $55. Looks like a better deal to me. Note: His stainless steel model weighs 11.25 oz.- OUCH!

You could make a J. Falk design wood stove out of cans for next to nothing but who wants to carry a quart paint can around in their pack?

JAK
01-11-2012, 12:55
I agree that can get a bit cumbersome, especially in winter when they need to be bigger.
You could still have a cylindrical stove though, or a cone stove like the Caldera Cone.

I like the idea of something cylidrical for winter, as you need to insulate from the ground anyway so the wider base isn`t so appealling as it is in summer. A cylindrical stove might also be more compact when rolled or stored flat.

Can stoves are good for proof of concept though. Then you can find a way to roll them up later.

Half Note
01-19-2012, 00:24
I'm a huge fan of ol' wood burning stoves, but I'm also a fan of starting fires. I'm appalled to see how much money is spent on these things. If you have some tools already lying around, you can get it done under 10 bucks. I think mine was like $4. It used to be a thermos. If you drill the holes correctly, you can set an alcohol stove on the tent pegs on days with a lack of dry fuel. Here are some pics, I absolutely love using it. It was a fun project to boot.14932149331493414935

SunnyWalker
05-01-2012, 08:56
Will Thornton: I have used a woodburning stove. One time in NM when there was a fire ban and I was stealth campming. Works great. But it was real nerve racking watching the sparks and things float up into the sky with the smoke. Needless to say it was a short "cook time" and I put it out. I have not used one since because of that worry. Will, did you ever live in Pampa, TX and were you a school principal??

Giantsbane
05-02-2012, 10:43
I use a paint can stove, I posted pictures of it on here somewhere or on hammock forums. I can't find them anywhere, but here's the one I replicated, https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRM9t8H3JocvvgCcXwZaO_ybeT1j4Iqe AaJ8j4xiQdf4OF7eSW0yg. It does get sooty, but I store it outside my pack in a side pocket. Instead of carrying alcohol I carry esbit tabs for backup. I can take the pot stand and use it alone as an esbit stove. I also carry a small bag of dried wood, and keep my eye out for cattails. I love this stove. It takes some time to get it burning efficiently as you cook, but fuel supply is endless. Even if it's raining you can find plenty of dried wood around the shelters. Granted, most of my hikes are a couple of days long or overnighters, but I think it's a great stove.

I have the same kind of stove. I take an esbit as backup, but I've never had trouble working mine. If it's raining I use it in the vestibule of my tent. It can get a little smokey, but it still works. I've been out on two week long trips on the Ouachita Trail with it and it works great. Just remeber to grab some extra twigs if you think it's going to rain.