Wood Stoves for Camping and Backpacking

Featured review by Ross Tapp

Super light titanium wood gas stove, this is the smaller version, and fits nicely into a Toaks 750ml pot making a 250 g cook kit that you don't have to carry fuel for. Will burn twigs, sticks, pinecones, almost anything you're going to find on the forest floor.

                    The stove nests in the Toaks 750 ml pot in its own nylon stuff sack.                       The stove is made up of three piece and is simple to assemble.                    It takes about 5 min. before the stove starts complete combustion.Great lightweight backpacking wood burning stove. Some people can go stove-less, I, on the other hand, almost always carry two stoves. Usually a wood stove that I don't have to worry too much about fuel with and I'll typically also carry an alcohol stove for backup.

Read more: Toaks Titanium Backpacking Wood Burning Stove (small) reviews (3)

Featured review by Micay

Fun to use, lightweight, no need to burn precious fuel to boil water, heats up fast. You can get a complete set with attachments, cups, pot/pan and holder. You have to use a little common sense using this product.

Pic: First time I used my Kelly Kettle, I just couldn't wait! Below: In use at camp. Setting up is easy. You pop some water in the kettle (remove the plug, don't use the plug when boiling—I added this because I saw a YouTube of a guy with the plug in while he was boiling water...), make sure the handle is behind the spout, and set the kettle to the side with your sticks and twigs ready. I usually start the fire with a little fire starter pellet I got at the surplus store for a few bucks.

Read more: Kelly Kettle Aluminum Scout Medium Kelly Kettle reviews (2)

Featured review by Pillowthread

In my testing, the Vargo Hexagon wood stove boils two cups of water almost as fast as a canister stove. Setup is intuitive, and since there’s no fuel to bring, the Vargo is a lighter option than many stoves. (Also, in the right locations, you’ll never run out of fuel.) In areas where usable wood is plentiful and fire restrictions allow, the Hexagon stove is good choice, unless the menu calls for a stove with precise temperature control. The stove’s design just does not allow easily-made adjustments to heat output.

Read more: Vargo Hexagon Wood Stove Titanium reviews (4)

Featured review by Bentbrook

An efficient gasifier stove that allows one to use found wood for fuel rather than carrying fuel. While it can be used with any pot or pan that can handle open fire, the Lite nestles within the Solo Stove Pot 900. Best used for boiling water or heating foods for 1-2 people. Recommended for those who don't mind the brief ritual of collecting and preparing natural fuel whenever they wish to use the stove.

The two-piece Solo Stove Lite with drawstring pouch The Solo Stove Lite is a gasifier stove. Note: The following review is of a wood-burning stove. All testing of this stove was conducted in accordance with local fire and firewood regulations. When using wood-burning stoves (or campfires), always adhere to local guidelines for fire use. In the United States, the United States Forest Service maintains a Wildland Fire Assessment System, from which are derived Smokey Bear's Fire Danger Today posts.

Read more: Solo Stove Lite reviews (20)

Reviewed by Snakey

Great product! Easy to use with no need to pack fuel. I highly recommend one...and the quality is great.

I used one of these on a biking trip, and it worked great! It boils water in a couple of minutes after you get a fire going and the fuel is all around you. I used pine cones when I had them, and would carry one along as a spare.  I also brought along these solid fuel tabs, and two will boil water on those rainy days or when you don't want any smoke...such as stealth camping.  It weighs 1.7 pounds or so, and if you think that is heavy think again. Take that tiny gas stove and add a couple of cans of gas and the weight adds up fast.

Read more: Kelly Kettle Stainless Trekker Small Kelly Kettle review (1)

Featured review by PhilNC

After more than three years of constant use, I can confidently say this is still my favorite stove and piece of gear that I own! The light weight, versatility of fuel types, and heating efficiency of the Sidewinder Ti Tri have exceeded all my expectations. Minor negatives include the multiple-part setup, price, and being sized for one pot per stove.

After an initial review in 2014 and a minor update in 2015, I decided to completely rewrite this review as it didn't do justice to this great stove! I could rave on about this stove for hours, but will try to keep it to a couple chapters…as much as I love this stove if you are a simple "boil water and put it in a bag" person then I’ll save your time right now and suggest you go a different direction. However, if you love the camping aspect as much as the hiking part of backpacking, actually “cook” some meals, or just prefer the ultimate flexibility of multiple fuel sources then look no further or at least seriously consider the Sidewinder Ti-Tri!COOKING APPROACH After spending almost 30 years dabbling with canister, white gas, wood...

Read more: Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri reviews (2)

Featured review by Weldon Curtis

Very Light and compact backpacking stove that eliminates the need to buy and carry fuels. The 180 Stove weighs the same as a micro stove and one small fuel canister. Never worry about fuel again. Cook with twigs, grass, leaves, etc. Stainless steel and folds into very compact case that keeps the smoky parts on the inside. Very cool!

I have been using a 180 STOVE for more than two years now and find it liberating. This is a compact, light-weight cook stove with a stable, generous 6”x7” cooking surface. It only uses a handful of twigs to cook dinner. I don’t have to sweat how much fuel to buy and store or carry. The stove packs down to a 3”x 6”x 5/8”self-forming case, too, that keeps smoky parts away from my gear. It is as light as the tiny micro stoves with a single fuel canister but far more dependable. Likewise, I have done several field tests with the 180-VL.

Read more: 180 Tack 180 Stove reviews (2)

Reviewed by Ross Mallick

DIY wood burning cylinder stove offers the same functionality as commercial models at 1/10th the cost. Most suitable for family sized tents and groups of two or more backpackers in winter.

This DIY (Do It Yourself) stove is not a branded or sold product, requiring the user to collect the parts and build the stove themselves. I built the prototypes for personal use and to instruct Junior Forest Wardens (children) to make it themselves. As I do not have the time to make them for sale, I have provided instructions on how this can be done by the users. This model is one of four types I instruct children to make under adult supervision. For this review I have covered only the largest collapsible model.

Read more: DIY: Collapsible Cylinder Wood Stove review (1)

Featured review by PineMartyn

The Vital Stove is a good quality, compact twig stove that uses a tiny battery powered fan to burn twigs and ground litter completely and cleanly. It is compact, easy to use, requires extremely little in the way of fuel and, best of all it offers very good temperature control. It can boil fast but also achieve a long slow simmer.

My wife and I have been lifetime users of open fire cooking and Trangia (alcohol) stoves, but in the last three years we've come to favour the Vital Stove, which is a fan-powered twig stove. So far, I have found it to be an excellent stove, performing much better than I expected it to, being more versatile than the manufacturers have advertised it to be.Here are a few things I can say about it along with some photos:The assembled stove in actionThe stove packed flatThe stove used to prepare a mealPros: Solidly built, well-engineered, works as it should with no fussing required.

Read more: SolHuma VitalGrill Survival Stove reviews (3)

Featured review by Tom

Great stove. Versatile, handy, packable, and durable! Get one now!

This stove is fantastic. My son and I both carry one and we love them. He started using his when he was 12 years old and does great with it. We both just have the steel version to keep the cost down and we use them for all sorts of things with fire. We backpack with them, cook streamside lunch on our fishing trips, we take them hunting to cook a hot meal on cold PA hunting trips and to get a little heat to boost morale. We have used them to heat up pine pitch to make fatwood, and practice our fire-making techniques.  The stove comes with a plastic/canvas-like sleeve but it doesn't hold up a long time.

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