Hi, I'm totally new to camping cookery and it's just me and my husband, mainly going to hopefully be one pot cooking but no idea which stove to buy, would like a twig or natural fuel burner as oposed to gas or alcohol and was looking at the kk but not sure how effective or practical it will be for cooking over? please help! thank you!
Complete Newbie
- Thread starter bluey1610
- Start date
Hello 
and welcome to the forum
You'll get loads of opinions about stoves
I have the kelly kettle, and it's base and grill kit too.
It's very good, but......and it's a fairly big but, it's bulky. Fine for car camping, great for a settled camp, brilliant for a day's work party sort of thing, but it's a clunker of a thing to lug around.
I find the glowing embers in the base after a boil up of the kettle are excellent to cook on. The heat eventually distorts the base a bit, but pretty is as pretty does. It still works.
Keeping the bits and pieces inside the chimney is a dreadful idea; it just leaves everything really filthy to handle.
I don't have the top heat spreader bit for cooking on. I know me, and I know the places where I use the kettle, it just looks like an invitation to coup over to me. That said, other folks swear by them.
One pot, easy to use, no fuss, no bother ? Have a search here for Hobo stoves I can do three courses on mine
cheers,
Toddy
and welcome to the forum You'll get loads of opinions about stoves
I have the kelly kettle, and it's base and grill kit too.
It's very good, but......and it's a fairly big but, it's bulky. Fine for car camping, great for a settled camp, brilliant for a day's work party sort of thing, but it's a clunker of a thing to lug around.
I find the glowing embers in the base after a boil up of the kettle are excellent to cook on. The heat eventually distorts the base a bit, but pretty is as pretty does. It still works.
Keeping the bits and pieces inside the chimney is a dreadful idea; it just leaves everything really filthy to handle.
I don't have the top heat spreader bit for cooking on. I know me, and I know the places where I use the kettle, it just looks like an invitation to coup over to me. That said, other folks swear by them.
One pot, easy to use, no fuss, no bother ? Have a search here for Hobo stoves
I can do three courses on mine cheers,
Toddy
Hello and welcome to the forum
As Toddy said have a look hobo stoves or as an alternative have a look at Honey Stoves
As Toddy said have a look hobo stoves or as an alternative have a look at Honey Stoves
Welcome to BCUK!
Like Mary (Toddy) I use a twig kettle. There are several threads here about them. Use a search engine with a search something like
"kelly kettle site:bushcraftuk.com"
or
"ghillie site:bushcraftuk.com"
Mine's a Ghillie Kettle, the only real difference from the Kelly is that it has a whistle. There are several sizes, mine's about 1.5 litres which makes a couple of drinks for a couple and is a good size to fill a hot water bottle, but if you have a double sleeping bag you probably won't need one.
There are both aluminium and stainless twig kettles. I keep meaning to treat myself to a big stainless one when my Premium Bond number comes up.
I only use the kettle for boiling water. It's a bit inconvenient for cooking but as Mary says you can cook over the base. I wouldn't try to cook over the chimney of the kettle because it would be a bit like cooking over the after end of a Typhoon at take-off -- a big flame, briefly. The thing is the water boils really fast (dangerously fast if you aren't careful as you'll see if you use my searches above) and then you're more or less obliged to take the kettle off the heat. Having said that, using twigs to boil water saves on the amount of other fuels that I use by probably 75%-90% depending on what I'm doing.
There are quite a few twig stoves about, and they've mostly been mentioned or reviewed on this site. The BushBuddy and BushCooker are well regarded 'wood-gas' stoves, the Honey and Emberlit stoves and similar don't attempt that feat. There are other examples of both styles of stove and many more styles to choose from. An Aldi stainless steel drainer is cheap and it works.
Look around, there's a huge amount of information. Try a few. Cooking with wood is a bit of an education but well worth it.
There's an active 'classified' section, an Emberlit was on there a couple of days ago. If you buy a stove and don't get on with it you can always move it on. People will probably let you have use of one if you get along to a meet.
You didn't really ask about pans but I prefer good non-stick or stainless. Others have different opinions.
Like Mary (Toddy) I use a twig kettle. There are several threads here about them. Use a search engine with a search something like
"kelly kettle site:bushcraftuk.com"
or
"ghillie site:bushcraftuk.com"
Mine's a Ghillie Kettle, the only real difference from the Kelly is that it has a whistle. There are several sizes, mine's about 1.5 litres which makes a couple of drinks for a couple and is a good size to fill a hot water bottle, but if you have a double sleeping bag you probably won't need one.
There are both aluminium and stainless twig kettles. I keep meaning to treat myself to a big stainless one when my Premium Bond number comes up.
I only use the kettle for boiling water. It's a bit inconvenient for cooking but as Mary says you can cook over the base. I wouldn't try to cook over the chimney of the kettle because it would be a bit like cooking over the after end of a Typhoon at take-off -- a big flame, briefly. The thing is the water boils really fast (dangerously fast if you aren't careful as you'll see if you use my searches above) and then you're more or less obliged to take the kettle off the heat. Having said that, using twigs to boil water saves on the amount of other fuels that I use by probably 75%-90% depending on what I'm doing.
There are quite a few twig stoves about, and they've mostly been mentioned or reviewed on this site. The BushBuddy and BushCooker are well regarded 'wood-gas' stoves, the Honey and Emberlit stoves and similar don't attempt that feat. There are other examples of both styles of stove and many more styles to choose from. An Aldi stainless steel drainer is cheap and it works.
Look around, there's a huge amount of information. Try a few. Cooking with wood is a bit of an education but well worth it.
There's an active 'classified' section, an Emberlit was on there a couple of days ago. If you buy a stove and don't get on with it you can always move it on. People will probably let you have use of one if you get along to a meet.
You didn't really ask about pans but I prefer good non-stick or stainless. Others have different opinions.
Just come across this which looks very useful
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Stoves.htm
I'll post links on a couple of other threads here unless anyone tells me not to in the next couple of days.
Maybe there's a sticky one somewhere that I could add it to?
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Stoves.htm
I'll post links on a couple of other threads here unless anyone tells me not to in the next couple of days.
Maybe there's a sticky one somewhere that I could add it to?
With all wood gas cookers the wood you use has got to be dry or else they can become a nightmare taking a age to bring anything to the boil, My other half has a issue keeping the ghille allight but once you get the knack you will find them a useful bit of kit, I use the bushbuddy which I have used for quite a few years and it has never let me down http://bushbuddy.ca/indexs.html
Ps welcome
She can't be paying attention. The Ghillie will burn anything, and once it's going it will burn damp anything.
Perrari
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Welcome!
My only advice would be to don't rush purchases! I know you want to get started but there are so many options and you don't want to be like most of us with a pile of back up gear that was once the must have item!
My only advice would be to don't rush purchases! I know you want to get started but there are so many options and you don't want to be like most of us with a pile of back up gear that was once the must have item!
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