trail stove v's hobo (pic heavy)

[Aragorn]

Up until now when a ground fire wasn't possible I would do as many other's do and grab the hobo stove, but I have always had an urdge to make a trail stove after reading scoop's article and seeing the woodland edge version in action. so I did....

stove collapsed for transport

ready to go

in action

I was as happy as a sandboy seeing the stove lit for the first time,but this quickly wore off and this is where I would like some feedback from anyone with a similar stove, the problem is, it's just too slow.
I filled my 12cm billy with a litre of water for the test, but after 25 minutes I got fed up waiting for it to boil.

So I switched to my trusty hobo and went right back to basics. As you can see the stove is placed right on the ground(brick's), no grills, stands, plates etc inside, just filled it with wood the same as the trail and lit it.

After about 10 mins I had a good rolling boil.

Back to the trail stove, I actually like the design of these stove's, they are easy to keep filled with fuel and stop your pans getting sooty (when they work )
I have been thinking of reasons for it’s poor performance, I know there is a problem with the airflow through the stove, I couldn’t fit the back piece as it smoked too much and was obviously starving the stove of air, maybe the chimbney's too small?
I also think the top plate is maybe too thick to transfer the heat efficiently, it was all scrap stainless so I don't know the exact thickness, will have to get the vernier on it when I am back in work.

It would be nice to compare times if anyone else has built something similar or any ideas were I have gone wrong

I don’t regret making the stove and may be able to improve it’s performance, but for now I think I will have to stick with the hobo for it’s simplicity in design, weight (trail stove topped in at 1.5kg) ,speed and it used about half the amount of wood. And now that I've got it out of my system I can move onto knives

 

[spamel]

Try extending the chimney. A piece of tube that fits inside the chimney with a collar on the end so that when you unpack, turn and place it in the first section you will get a longer flue. Get the flue good and hot before you go for a full burn, that way you'll get a better draw. Is there a grating under the wood to allow air up from uderneath? Old disposable barbecues have a grill that would work, I'd expect it would be quite easy to come by one with the yoof of today littering the woodlands with them!

 

[Aragorn]

you may be onto something with the chimney spam, the wood is sits on a plate drilled with holes, but even with the back off the draw through the chimney wasn't brilliant, it was pretty hot too at the end of the test

 

[saddle_tramp]

For the life of me, i dont see the point in either.

But, everyone else here seems to love these things, so il crawl back under my stone

 

[spamel]

You're gonna bring it to the Midlands meet though, for a looksee?

 

[spamel]

For the life of me, i dont see the point in either.

But, everyone else here seems to love these things, so il crawl back under my stone

It's a contained fire, less risk of setting woodland alight in dry seasons, easier to control, better efficiency, yada yada yada! Try one out, you may be pleasantly surprised, unless you have permission to light a big fire on the ground in which case it is probably a bit pointless. They are more efficient though, you have a contained fire working on your pot rather than a huge blaze and using a small amount to heat your pot.

 

[Aragorn]

will do, i'll try and get an extra bit of chimney too

 

[saddle_tramp]

It's a contained fire, less risk of setting woodland alight in dry seasons, easier to control, better efficiency, yada yada yada! Try one out, you may be pleasantly surprised, unless you have permission to light a big fire on the ground in which case it is probably a bit pointless. They are more efficient though, you have a contained fire working on your pot rather than a huge blaze and using a small amount to heat your pot.

Okay, at an absolute push, the wayland type one, but its got to weigh as much as a spare pot, its potentially unstable, which could also set the woods alight. You gotta wait half hour to pack it away and move.

The one with the chimney pot, now thats just being silly. lol I can understand putting one inside a shelter in a basecamp setting (made similar things out of old gas bottles and bit of flue) but as something to carry around on foot?

But wes all different, like different things i guess

 

[Aragorn]

The one with the chimney pot, now thats just being silly. lol

not that silly mate, someone's making a lot of money from them Check This

 

[spamel]

Wait half an hour to pack it away? Not me. Just pour some water on it and off you go. Bang the wet embers out, pack in a cloth bag, into your pack and off you go. Burning your fire down whilst you are drinking your brew is all part of the process, getting the timing right. Fire management is a skill, whether it be in a hobo stove or on the ground. My hobo can be ready to pack away quicker than my Optimus Nova+ as that gets really hot!

 

[Sniper]

Don't forget the hobo flame is in contact with the pot whereas the trail stove depends on heat transfer from the top plate. Perhaps a hole in the top plate would allow more direct heat from the flames, but of course that would bring soot to the pot, however this would not be a problem would it?

 

[Aragorn]

sooty billy's don't bother me at all, when I ws making this thing I did think about the benifits of the top plate, i.e I could use my stainless mug on the top and just boil the water I actually need, but this can also be done in the billy, simply by filling your mug first and pouring that in

 

[Wayland]

Given the option of sitting around a real camp fire or a hobo I know which I'd choose but often the hobo makes more sense for me.

It runs on minimal fuel, that means less to carry or less to forage.

If I am foraging it means less impact to the area I'm cooking in.

You mentioned having to wait to pack it away. Yes that's true if you are waiting for it to cool but just the same if you are waiting for a fire to go out.

If you are extinguishing a fire, it's just as easy to extinguish a hobo too.

If the comparison is with a gas, alcohol or petrol stove, sure there are advantages but you've either got to carry your fuel or source it locally.

They may have less impact on the local environment, but they are having an impact somewhere through the manufacturing and distribution network.

I like my hobo because it gives me choices, I can choose the fuel I use and the manner in which I use it.

As you say, we are all different, that is part of why I like this place so much.

I made my hobo because it suited me. What has amazed me is how many other people have found the same solution suits them too.

 

[spamel]

And the variety on a theme. Addos' hobo stove has got some really ingenious design features, and is dual fuel! Tinkering with things is half the fun, you can't always go tramping up the woods due to family commitments getting in the way. It's quite simple to spend a half hour or hour in your man crap room tinkering with something just after the kids have gone to bed though.

 

[saddle_tramp]

uh oh, you say you made that thing??? sorry mate, didnt mean to sound like i was critcising it like yknow (just keep diggin paul)

Its like obviously just what you wanted like, so dont be listening to me any (wheres my stone)

 

[Wayland]

No problem mate, we all made them.

That's half the fun..

 

[Sniper]

How about a round swivel plate on top over a hole, swivel it open for the billy and closed for the cup? Just an idea.

 

[mick miller]

To be honest I found with my woodland stove that I was better off using the grill on top rather than a flat plate and chimney, sure pots and pans get a lot sootier but they all get chucked in a separate bag after a light scrub with wire wool, that saves everything else getting really grubby.

I never found the flat plate that efficient, okay to cook directly on with fatty foods like bacon but stick a pot on top and it takes an age and a bit. The only other attachment I find of real use is the kelly plate which gets an outing when me and a mate do a bit of trout fishing (the kettles his, not mine); the kelly plate, stove and kelly kettle combo is like a blast furnace water boiler!

Using that grill thing is like a regular hobo stove, very open at the top with a good draft. It works well and as mentioned cleanup is a doddle due to efficient burning, plus no fire scar.

 

[Aragorn]

no need to shy away mate, I posted for feedback good and bad, critisism was exactly what I wanted, some nice comments would have been good too though I can see your point exactly, about the chimbney stove that is, I can't really think of more benifits than down sides at the moment. I use various stove's for various types of trips, gas, meths and the hobo and they all work for me in differant ways. keep the comments coming good and bad.

 

[saddle_tramp]

I know you made yours wayland, i just looked at aragorns and it looked like something bought, and i think i put my foot in my mouth, saying it was silly. Its not something i would add to my kit personally. But i also wouldnt have the knowledge or skill to make one that lookrd anything like as professional. so no offence intended