Sierra camping stove with fan

[Hiker]

Hi everyone

Ive been looking at the sierra camping stove with fan , and i really like the look of them , has anybody got experience of using these stoves what do you think ?

Im looking for a light stove that needs no dirty smelly fuels a to make a brew and this seems to fit the bill perfectly , its possible to regulate the fan speed for a boil or simmer it takes anything from paper to , twigs , pine cones , dried dung whatever that will burn around you

Sounds like just what im after , what do people think

Ive seen them e bay for £45 plus £6 post sorry i didnt know how to paste the link

check here out www.wisementrading.com or www.modernoutpost.com

 

[cyclist]

I used one about 25 years ago. It was ok, no real problems, a bit heavy. One depends on an electric power source which makes it a bit complicated.

Today I wouldn´t take one, for a wood/ solid-multifuel stove I´d use a stove with natural updraft. For just a brew I take my small Kelly Kettle.

Lots of stove kow-how & links on www.zenstove.net

 

[scoops_uk]

Hi Hiker,

Before you go spending your cash have a look at making your own. Wood stoves are really easy to make and the battery fan isn't really necessary, it's just something to go wrong.

Have a look at the following:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=15468

and

http://zenstoves.net/Wood.htm

Regards,

Scoops

 

[scoops_uk]

Oops!

You just beat me there cyclist!

 

[Hiker]

Thanks guys

Thats the one thing that worried me the battery powerd fan it could so easily break but the idea of a roaring flame powerd by the fan is still tempting me.

but having seen scoops home made stove im going to have a go at making one first thanks scoop

Its great this site , i was all exited about spending £50 on this stove then i run it past you guys and now im all exited about making one

Cheers

 

[scoops_uk]

Hi Hiker,

I made mine from stainless, but I think mild steel would be fine and much easier to work with.

Enjoy the building! I made a quick and dirty version first so I had something to play with whilst I made the nice one.

Still considering my options for the next version, I'm stuck on the best way to handle the chimney.

Regards,

Scoops

 

[cyclist]

mild steel is the way to go for getting "experience". My material source was the ... well, family members thought I was going ... yes, empty tins and I collected lots
The internet has lots of instructions, google.com tells you more if you search for "can stove"
here are some ideas
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=155
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=102
www.arcticwebsite.com/USAAFsurvival.html
www.wa6otp.com/Stoves.htm
http://bioenergylists.org/en/hensoncf04
www.google.com

 

[Hiker]

Thanks a lot guys theres loads of info there great links cyclist ,

Im inspired all of a suden im looking at metal objects around the house and thinking mmmm mabey that will work like the stainless steel tins i keep my tea bags ,coffee ,and sugar in the kitchen

Lots of ideas running through my head

I will let you know how i get on

Cheers

 

[Brendan]

Yeah I have one of those sierra stoves and they are good, they kick out some heat at full speed, the regular one is a tad heavy but the titanium model is a bit small.
No fuel required apart from sticks etc.
They cook pretty quickly and you will find when simmering you can turn the fan off most of the time to save the battery.
I've had mine for 3 years or so and still runs as new.
I generally use it when out for extended periods where normal fires are frowned on such as mid summer in fire risk areas or at a public camp site.
Also Quite good in a tepee to take the chill off.

 

[hollowdweller]

My experience pretty much follows Brendens.

No problems.

I don't consider it real heavy but it is bulky and you have to be sure to balance the pot on it well cause the base is narrower than the forge part.

It's easy to light, burns really hot and gives you a good excuse to use your knives and axes

One of the best things is you can take the tongs and use big charcoals out of the fire.

If you like to actually cook stuff but don't want the weight of fuel, or the time of building a fire and waiting for coals they are excellent.

 

[OldJimbo]

James has a nice article on how to make one with fan:
stove

I just use a coffee can stove with one can pop rivetted inside the other, holes in base. I fill the space between the cans with sand wherever I'm setting up and empty after. With insulated walls, it's surprising how much draft is achieved and how much heat comes out of the top. Once the thing is going, it's amazing how low a quality of fuel can be burned in it.

 

[anthonyyy]

The CPU cooling fan from a computer works pretty well. You can power it with a 9v "smoke alarm" battery.

 

[Glen]

The CPU cooling fan from a computer works pretty well. You can power it with a 9v "smoke alarm" battery.

That's what I've used in my design, based on Risk's Forge, using a cut down beer can tube side angled at 90 degrees, which packs into the main body for transportation. Doing it that way negate problems of ash and other debris dropping into the fan and helps with stability as a whole.

Orginally I'd used a mini drinks can but for prototype 2 settled on beer can size as mine will still burn ( albeit not so well ) with just the beer can sized whole for times such as if the battery's flat whereas with the mini drinks size vent it tended to smoke then die out.
As a modification to Risks forge design I added quite a few small extra holes at the top of the combustion chamber to help burn off any wood gas and improve efficiancy of combustion ( well actually negate the inefficancy of original bottom based air intake )
My own was designed to be a versatile fuel burner rather than the most efficient wood burner eg using a typical food can lid with a cross cut in the middle and a little fibreglass wick poking though it burns parafin, setting the fan/tube arrangment back, so as to not get full pressure, it burns meths ( in a presurised minidrinks can stove ) and alcohol gel very well

 

[Hiker]

Wow after 3 years its still running as new reliabilty doesnt seem a problem then ,

Do you know where they can be bought in the uk ive seen them on e bay but cant find any other outlets in the uk .

Im messing about with cans at the moment i like the idea of insulated sides , and the fan from a pc

Cheers

 

[scoops_uk]

Careful hiker Once the stove building bug gets you that's it. Life is lived in the garage and you're forever staggering back into the house smelling like a kipper

Take an old tin into the back garden, punch some holes round the bottom with a nail and light a fire in it. You'll never want to buy a stove again

Glen - got any pictures of your "Forge"? I've not played with these yet, I feel a turbo Nimblewill coming on!!!!

Scoops

 

[scoops_uk]

Just found a two YS-TECH FD1238 120mm fans from my overclocking days. (I've always been a die hard tinkerer!)

250cfm airflow anyone?

Scoops

 

[Glen]

Glen - got any pictures of your "Forge"? I've not played with these yet, I feel a turbo Nimblewill coming on!!!!

Scoops

I'll put the camera batteries on charge tonight and take some tomorrow.

The outside container is a Nestles Milo hot chocolate drink tin,(10cm diameter) the inside fuel box a scented candle tin ( 2 for £1 at a famous shop that sells things for that amount ) the pot support/windshield is from a Green heat camping stove set, although I've also made one of a similar style and shape from a double over beer can, meaning I can use the main stove with the billy and the lid for the candle tin as base with a mini drinks can stove with the billy lid

I'm thinking of adding a variable resistor to the fan battery, a couple of times I've moved the blower unit slightly away from the cooker unit to decrease the airflow, if you intend to use a high capacity airflow fan its something worth considering, though if your building one for your modified Nimblewill Nomad, as that's got a much bigger fuel chamber you might not need to.

A little plus I discovered about my own stove was that I could pack the fuel chamber with wet wood and using it as a tea light lantern have dry fuel for the morning brew

 

[Hiker]

I know what you mean scoops about stinking like a kipper i was in the back garden all day yesterday messing about with tin can designs they really work well if you dont overload it with tinder .

I found risks forge on the net and this made me think of a real cheap version using one of them cheap hand held fans , lots of ideas running through my head.

A turbo nimblewell sounds great though

 

[Glen]

Picture as requested by Scoops.

If this works I'll post another couple showing more detail ( probably best in a new thread? )but not having posted photos before I'd rather get one working first. I'm sure I saw some way of hiding the image before clicking on a link but haven't re-found the instructions for doing it.
Anyway fingers crosses, my Turbo Hoblow Stove

 

[scoops_uk]

"Hoblow stove" very droll