Hi
I am getting ready for my young lad joining me camping, all my gear is based around solo wandering. I have been looking at wood stoves as there will be too much hassle brewing and cooking from a meths stove.
I am after something lightweight since it will be me carrying everything weighty, so i really want titanium as it makes all the difference on items like this. I also want to avoid american engineering, in my experience it is very over rated. I probably want to get a couple of smaller pots on at a time to leave the meths stove free to make brews. It would also be great to have a base for camp fires. The biggest pot i use is 14cm diameter, the smallest 9cm. BBQ wise it would be nice to get burgers for 2-3 people on, then it has a use for car / group camping too. I have found a few, but i don't think i am quite happy with any of them:
Wild woodgas stove:
cons: heavy, one pot cooking only, no bbq function.
pros: cheap.
Solo stove:
cons: heavy, one pot cooking only, no bbq function.
pros: cheap.
Bush box XL [titanium]:
cons: very heavy for titanium, bbq area perhaps too small for 2+, perhaps only one pot cooking.
pros: fair price, durable, light, compact.
Firebox [titanium]
cons: no bbq potential, made in the USA, one pot cooking only, have seen very bad workmanship on them.
pros: lightweight
Honey stove with hive expansion [titanium]:
cons: irregular shape, bbq area perhaps too small for 2+, perhaps only one pot cooking.
pros: compact, lightweight
Vargo fire box grill model t-443 [titanium]:
cons: perhaps too unstable, small, one pot cooking.
unsure: bbq area may or may not be decent since it is square; it is shallow so it is probably better at bbq than cooking.
pros: compact, lightweight
I would say they are all durable enough for me, so that is not a concern. Usability and excessive weight are (i don't mean the odd gram, but with stoves it is a case of hundreds of grams between models) so a need a balance of weight/usability. I don't know if the taller ones will stand up to being used as a camp fire so that is something else i need to think about....
After a few days searching i think i am leaning towards a square wood burner as it seems to make more sense for stability and getting pots/bbq on there. I cannot find a decent sized titanium box stove though that has a sensible weight, that bushbox with thinner plate would have been about right [if a bit smaller than hoped]. If i had to choose right now it would be either the vargo box grill or honey/hive stove [fiddle factor is no issue at all] but i think buyers remorse would follow.
I am hoping for recommendation, things to consider for intended use, criticism etc. I have never had a true wood burner so i am am very unsure about whether i am expecting more than is possible. Traditionally i used camp fires with a grill and pot chains, cleaning up in the morning.
Cheers
I am getting ready for my young lad joining me camping, all my gear is based around solo wandering. I have been looking at wood stoves as there will be too much hassle brewing and cooking from a meths stove.
I am after something lightweight since it will be me carrying everything weighty, so i really want titanium as it makes all the difference on items like this. I also want to avoid american engineering, in my experience it is very over rated. I probably want to get a couple of smaller pots on at a time to leave the meths stove free to make brews. It would also be great to have a base for camp fires. The biggest pot i use is 14cm diameter, the smallest 9cm. BBQ wise it would be nice to get burgers for 2-3 people on, then it has a use for car / group camping too. I have found a few, but i don't think i am quite happy with any of them:
Wild woodgas stove:
cons: heavy, one pot cooking only, no bbq function.
pros: cheap.
Solo stove:
cons: heavy, one pot cooking only, no bbq function.
pros: cheap.
Bush box XL [titanium]:
cons: very heavy for titanium, bbq area perhaps too small for 2+, perhaps only one pot cooking.
pros: fair price, durable, light, compact.
Firebox [titanium]
cons: no bbq potential, made in the USA, one pot cooking only, have seen very bad workmanship on them.
pros: lightweight
Honey stove with hive expansion [titanium]:
cons: irregular shape, bbq area perhaps too small for 2+, perhaps only one pot cooking.
pros: compact, lightweight
Vargo fire box grill model t-443 [titanium]:
cons: perhaps too unstable, small, one pot cooking.
unsure: bbq area may or may not be decent since it is square; it is shallow so it is probably better at bbq than cooking.
pros: compact, lightweight
I would say they are all durable enough for me, so that is not a concern. Usability and excessive weight are (i don't mean the odd gram, but with stoves it is a case of hundreds of grams between models) so a need a balance of weight/usability. I don't know if the taller ones will stand up to being used as a camp fire so that is something else i need to think about....
After a few days searching i think i am leaning towards a square wood burner as it seems to make more sense for stability and getting pots/bbq on there. I cannot find a decent sized titanium box stove though that has a sensible weight, that bushbox with thinner plate would have been about right [if a bit smaller than hoped]. If i had to choose right now it would be either the vargo box grill or honey/hive stove [fiddle factor is no issue at all] but i think buyers remorse would follow.
I am hoping for recommendation, things to consider for intended use, criticism etc. I have never had a true wood burner so i am am very unsure about whether i am expecting more than is possible. Traditionally i used camp fires with a grill and pot chains, cleaning up in the morning.
Cheers
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