Wood Burning Stoves

[rhyolite]

I posted a query on wood burning stoves yesterday, but don't think it was seen by anyone. I've vacillated quite a bit on the most efficient lightest cooking systems. I've constructed a lot of soda can stove prototypes and tested burn times, etc. I've purchased a MSR pocket rocket, which I don't like because the efficiency diminishes rapidly as the canister is depleted. Wood burning seems great with the infinite supply of wood on the AT, however, wet wood ain't easy to start, especially in the rain! Has anyone been successful cooking on a wood burning stove on a thru hike of the AT?
Mike

[saltysack]

I just used this last week great set up! Chrsp
http://andrewskurka.com/2012/myog-hybrid-alcohol-twig-wood-stove/

[BigRing]

I have a couple different versions of wood burning stoves. They do work, but you must be prepared to spend extra time getting it started, feeding the fire, and bringing some kind of firestarter if the wood is wet. Also, the carbon on pots seems gets all over everything no matter how careful you handle it. IMHO....they are best for an overnighter when conditions are dry and you want to toast marshmellows after dinner. Definately, would not be my first choice.

[SouthMark]

Met a hiker at the Spaulding Mtn. lean-to in Maine that wanted to know if I had enough fuel to heat him some water for his mac & cheese. He was carrying a wood stove and it had rained for days.

[rhyolite]

This is good to know! Wood burning will be an option if fuel supply runs out, but not my first choice. I suspected that wet wood would be an issue, but feel better with this sort of confirmation! Thank you for your feedback!
cheers,
Mike

[rhyolite]

Thank you for the input! These were my suspicions. I think the effort of gathering wood and trying to start it in wet conditions would waist tons of time. I will consider my soda can stove and MSR pocket rocket as backup. I could also set up my soda can to burn esbit solid fuel for more versatility.
Best,
Mike

[shelterbuilder]

There are ways to make wood-burning work as a primary cooking option (having a fire-starter - like vaseline-impregnated cotton-balls - that works , and being prepared to gather - BEFORE a long wet spell - and carry dry twigs in a waterproof bag inside of your pack figure into this), but unless you are 100% committed to this option as life-style, you will probably grow tired of it at the worst possible time (i.e. - in the middle of a 5-day rain).

BTW, the soot from the outside of the pots can be MOSTLY kept off of your equipment by storing your pots in plastic shopping sacks.

[QiWiz]

There are some with the commitment to develop the skills and use them to cook on a twig stove fire no matter what. Most wood stove afficionados, including me, like to have a backup method (typically alcohol or Esbit) for times when they want to cook without the prep step. I like Esbit as a backup fuel. Many but not all woodstoves have an option to burn an alternative fuel. If you decide to give wood a try, I would make sure the stove you have is set up to do this. For the AT, I find that having a couple days of alternative fuel with me and some firestarters is all I need. Two ounces of Esbit will do this. I can get more in resupply boxes as I hike. If I accumulate extra Esbit, I can always use it to cook or start fires even if I don't need it.

[BigRing]

If you have to carry firestarter, dry wood, and a backup cook system, it kind of defeats the ultralight aspect of the woodstove.

[QiWiz]

If you have to carry firestarter, dry wood, and a backup cook system, it kind of defeats the ultralight aspect of the woodstove.

Not really. Two days of backup cooking, four meals, adds 2 grams (yes GRAMS!) for the Esbit burner that hangs in my FireFly wood burner and 2 ounces for 4 Esbit tabs. I would be heating 3 cups of water in the morning and 4 cups at night with that. Just sayin'. Cotton balls with a bit of vaseline, or parafin, or olive oil, or what have you - weigh so little you have to put a few on the scale just to register at all. So less than 2.5 ounces of backup system weight added to the 2.5 ounces of stove weight for a total weight of less than 5 ounces.

[Left Hand]

Nimblewill Nomad used one his entire hike, although he is a bad ass.

http://www.nimblewillnomad.com/stove.htm

[weary]

Met a hiker at the Spaulding Mtn. lean-to in Maine that wanted to know if I had enough fuel to heat him some water for his mac & cheese. He was carrying a wood stove and it had rained for days.

I've used a wood burning stove for 20 years, including a long walk from Georgia to Maine. I've yet to run into a situation where I couldn't find enough dry wood to cook a mac & cheese.

[weary]

Not really. Two days of backup cooking, four meals, adds 2 grams (yes GRAMS!) for the Esbit burner that hangs in my FireFly wood burner and 2 ounces for 4 Esbit tabs. I would be heating 3 cups of water in the morning and 4 cups at night with that. Just sayin'. Cotton balls with a bit of vaseline, or parafin, or olive oil, or what have you - weigh so little you have to put a few on the scale just to register at all. So less than 2.5 ounces of backup system weight added to the 2.5 ounces of stove weight for a total weight of less than 5 ounces.

Nor did I ever carry a fire starter other than a few scraps of birch bark and dry twigs picked up while walking.