I find myself regularly camping where there is no burnable material and I've been wondering if there was a fuel of some sort that would burn for a while in a hobo stove for (friendly heat and light rather than cooking) that I could carry? Basically, is there a long burning but light substance that I could carry up that would give a good time to weight ratio? I'm not even thinking of something that roars with heat, more just a gentle warmth and light to huddle round but that isn't too hard to light or keep burning? The only thing I can really think of would be small lumps of turf.
Hobo Stoves for low wood situations
- Thread starter jonnno
- Start date
They're messy if they get spilled when alight, but those little cat food trays filled with corrugated cardboard and wax fit neatly into my hobo. They burn fierce and hot for 20mins or so and can flicker on for about half an hour. Just uses up scrap material, but it's good for cooking, warmth and light.
cheers,
Toddy
cheers,
Toddy
Multi-wick candles!
they're reletively light (pardon the pun) they give off a large amount of light and some heat, they don't last as long as a single wick but you can carry a fair amount, in a hobo or even a lantern you should get a fair amount out of em.
i've seen people do double wick tealights canibalising other tealights and the cunning use of a drill
they're reletively light (pardon the pun) they give off a large amount of light and some heat, they don't last as long as a single wick but you can carry a fair amount, in a hobo or even a lantern you should get a fair amount out of em.
i've seen people do double wick tealights canibalising other tealights and the cunning use of a drill
SimonM
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I was thinking of something similar. You can get a compressed peat log thing that should burn for 2 hours where you just light the packaging it comes in. I was thinking if I cut one into 2" cubes would they light okay - peat is notorious for being hard to get going. However, I'm thinking since I would be burning it in a smallish container bit by bit would it last much longer than the 2 hours. I feel a back garden experiment coming on!
Take an empty tuna can - fill it with melted candle wax (from old candle stumps for instance). Then take some corrugated cardboard, cut it into strips the same height as the tuna can and about 3 inches long. Roll up 5 or 6 of these and put them into the can so they act as wicks. They'll unroll a bit and fill the can - but that's ok.
You've then got a camp fire in a can. Burns bright for up to 2 hours, and fine for cooking on.
Smother it when you are finished and let the wax harden before transporting - then it's ready to use next time.
Weights about 300 grammes, so not that light. I always take a couple when I go up into the Welsh hills for a few days.
Don't forget you may well need a windshield.
You've then got a camp fire in a can. Burns bright for up to 2 hours, and fine for cooking on.
Smother it when you are finished and let the wax harden before transporting - then it's ready to use next time.
Weights about 300 grammes, so not that light. I always take a couple when I go up into the Welsh hills for a few days.
Don't forget you may well need a windshield.
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Absolutely right. I keep a back of sticks I pick up in the woods, so if the weather is wet next time I'm out I can take my own dry wood with me. Doesn't weight that much either.
I'm ashamed to say I've tried this but it just didn't burn. Well, it burned for about 10 mins, then went out and refused to light again.
I have considered this and it is a sound idea but I'm talking the top of a mountain so I'm after the best heat/light for weight carried.
I have considered this and it is a sound idea but I'm talking the top of a mountain so I'm after the best heat/light for weight carried.
Ive posted about this in another thread but have you thought about something more efficient like a wood gas stove?...This stove will burn for about an hour on one load and is no bigger than a bean tin!
Boils water in about 4mins and burns very clean!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEMjgDr8ut4
Boils water in about 4mins and burns very clean!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEMjgDr8ut4
I think it would actually burn quicker if you cut it up as you are exposing more surface area to air.
I did think of that but figured that since the log usually burns all the way across the top that the surface area would still be less.
Unless you really want a fire, how about placing an oil burner in the hobo. The hobo would protect the flame it should last along time and give of heat and light .
You could always carry spare oil in a fuel bottle.
Looks quite easy to make one to your own specs too i.e probably better in an all metal container rather than glass jar.
Seems to be various oil lamp accessories available online as well:
Or you could copy FGYT'S ( Duncan's ) gas fired hobo for real convenience.
Pete.
You could always carry spare oil in a fuel bottle.
Looks quite easy to make one to your own specs too i.e probably better in an all metal container rather than glass jar.
Seems to be various oil lamp accessories available online as well:
Or you could copy FGYT'S ( Duncan's ) gas fired hobo for real convenience
.Pete.
Eric_Methven
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
A tube of Pringles burns very well (as do most other brands of corn chips), and if push comes to shove, you could always eat them instead.
Eric
Eric
I'm with Toddy and Melonfish on this one.
On a recent military survival course - the sort where you are restricted to firm's own kit - and not much of that (no sleeping bags allowed for instance) we were given the top tip from our instructors to make a candlewax/ cardboard stove from our emptied survival tins, the issued candle and salvaged cardboard from ration packs.
Anyway, three days outside with two days left to go and the cold and subsequent sleep depravation were becoming an issue. The problem was that our feet had gotten wet on the first night (ankle length gortex boots are OK if your not wading through knee deep marsh!) and the environmental conditions (horizontal freezing rain) meant that they were likely to stay wet until one of our group (not me I have to say) hit on the brilliant plan of us all sitting against a tree with our ponchos arranged around us like a teepee (with our heads sticking out the top - if you get my drift). We would create a small hole lower down the teepee for smoke to escape and hang up our socks on the inside walls. We then relayed the stoves two at a time.
I slept for four hours and the bliss of putting on warm, dry (and very smelly!) socks lives with me still!
On a recent military survival course - the sort where you are restricted to firm's own kit - and not much of that (no sleeping bags allowed for instance) we were given the top tip from our instructors to make a candlewax/ cardboard stove from our emptied survival tins, the issued candle and salvaged cardboard from ration packs.
Anyway, three days outside with two days left to go and the cold and subsequent sleep depravation were becoming an issue. The problem was that our feet had gotten wet on the first night (ankle length gortex boots are OK if your not wading through knee deep marsh!) and the environmental conditions (horizontal freezing rain) meant that they were likely to stay wet until one of our group (not me I have to say) hit on the brilliant plan of us all sitting against a tree with our ponchos arranged around us like a teepee (with our heads sticking out the top - if you get my drift). We would create a small hole lower down the teepee for smoke to escape and hang up our socks on the inside walls. We then relayed the stoves two at a time.
I slept for four hours and the bliss of putting on warm, dry (and very smelly!) socks lives with me still!
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