Wood burning backpacking stoves are a great addition to your backpack. If you’re really going for a “roughing it” feel, then cooking without fuel will help you achieve that. Butane and propane stoves are so convenient that sometimes it feels like you might as well be cooking in your home kitchen. Wood burning camping stoves allow you to find resources from the wild and use their natural tendencies to help cook your delicious meals.
Your main goal of a camping stove will be to prepare your meals easily. But you also want to have a stove that can be conveniently packed, carried, and washed. All of the best wood burning stove will share similar characteristics and we are going to discuss a few of them below. First, check out the 5 best wood burning backpacking stoves in 2021.
Related; Best Camping Backpacks.
The Best Wood Burning Backpacking Stoves
1. Ohuhu Camping Stove Stainless Steel Backpacking Stove
This is a handy little stove that sits solidly on any surface to balance your pots or pans on top. You use whatever twigs and brush you can find around your site, ignite, and cook with the natural flame. It is made of stainless steel making it quite strong, easy to clean, and portable. It has a strong, 3-arm, base which holds it sturdily in place through a variety of conditions and windy days.
It folds down into a compact size and fits into the carrying case measuring 5.3×3″, and when it is in the cooking mode it is 5.3×6.1″. It is suitable for small pots and pans and will be sufficient to provide a small camp group their meals for the entirety of the trip.
Pros:
+ Lightweight
+ Stainless steel
+ Portable
+ Zero chemical emissions
+ Sturdy base
Why we like it – It is super sturdy You don’t have to worry about the stove tipping over as long as you find a solid base for it. The last thing you want is to lose your food off the side due to a high wind gust.
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2. Canway Camping Stove, Wood Stove
Made of stainless steel, this wood burning backpacking stove is easy to maintain and transport. It is strong enough to handle the hard-hitting life of a camping stove. Again, with no fuel burning, you won’t be using any chemicals and leaving behind any harmful emissions. It has 3 prongs to securely hold up your pot or pan on the top of the stove.
It is also sturdy, as long as you find a fairly even spot to cook on. The packed down dimensions are 5.3×3.38″ and it fits nicely into a portability case. You can use a pan, or it comes with a small grill that you can set your meal or vegetables on top to get a good open flame grilling experience.
Pros:
+ Versatile cooking surface capabilities
+ Lightweight
+ Stainless Steel
+ Easy to maintain
+ Sturdy
Why we like it – The extra grill top is super handy. If you want to cook up some sausages, burgers, or veggies, it’s cool that you can use multiple surfaces in a small wood burning stove. Don’t forget to bring a camping table!
3. Lixada Camping Stove Wood Burning Stove
This is a very nifty little contraption. It is designed a little bit differently from many other wood-burning backpacking stoves. Instead of exclusively setting your cooking surface on top of the device and cooking, you can also cook with a smaller flame using the bowl on the inside.
If you remove the bowl, you can build a bigger fire on the inside, set your pots and pans on the top, and cook with a more high powered approach. It is a very simple and small design, folding up totally and fitting inside your hiking jacket pocket or your bag easily. Made of strong stainless steel, it will stand up to whatever comes your way.
Pros:
+ Super lightweight
+ SImple, intuitive design
+ Dual cooking intensities
+ Versatile uses
+ Strong material
Why we like it – This wood burning stove is super fun to use, and you can make a large flame if you want, or stick to the smaller one to just boil some water. It works great.
4. TOMSHOO Camping Stove Camp Wood Stove
With a classic design, this wood burning stove allows you to cook a variety of meals on multiple cooking surfaces. You are able to use the cookware stand to prop your pots on top or use the grill top to get an open flame surface. It has a large opening for you to be able to easily place more twigs and branches inside.
Fueling the fire is super easy. The double-wall structure offers strong win resistance and stability while you are cooking during any type of weather conditions. It is made of stainless steel, easy to clean, and easy to pack.
Pros:
+ Stainless Steel
+ Double wall structure
+ Large feed opening
+ Multiple cooktops
+ Emission-free
Why we like it – For a really small portable camping stove, it still provides ample room to cook on. You will find this stove easy to use, and super lightweight in your pack.
5. kampMATE WoodFlame Ultra Lightweight
This is our most compact and lightweight option on the list. That being said, it will still do everything you need and is one of the best wood burning backpacking stoves available. It folds totally down into a flat surface when you are ready to move on. It has bottom air-vents, a removable pot holder, and wind breaking walls to keep the flame from being totally blown out by the wind.
It is made of stainless steel, making it sturdy, durable, and easy to maintain. If you’re looking for a really lightweight stove, this may be the best one. It will be able to provide you a small flame in order to heat up those delicious camp meals.
Pros:
+ Super lightweight
+ Compact
+ Sturdy/strong
+ Removable components
+ Air ventilation
Why we like it – Purely because of its size. It is super small and packs down even smaller, You barely even notice this stove in your bag, but it is still easy to use and effective.
Woodburning Backpacking Stove Buyers Guide
What to look for in a wood burning backpacking Stove
When it comes to the best wood burning backpacking stoves, simplicity is key. The whole point is that you want to have a surface on which to cook without needing a lot of extra components. But there are a few other things you ought to consider when buying your first one. We’ll discuss that here.
Size
Your wood burning backpacking stove will be small. There’s no question. Some are slightly larger than others and are meant to be able to handle different cooking loads. Designs like the Lixada Camping Stove will allow you to build a bigger flame if you want and cook at a higher temperature.
You basically need t figure out how large the meals are that you will be preparing, and be properly equipped. If you’re mostly going to be boiling water for coffee, freeze-dried meals, and oatmeal, then a really small one will be fine for you.
Strength
Your stove will certainly need to be able to hold the pots and pans that you’ll be cooking with. On top of that, you want your stove to be able to stand up straight and take on the wind easily without being toppled over. Some stoves are built with serrated pot holders which give you a little bit of extra stability as well.
That can be helpful in order to keep your surfaces where they need to be. In many cases, all you need from a good wood burning camp stove is wind blocking so you can build your fire, and a surface on which to cook.
Surfaces
If you have multiple cooking surfaces, it will give you a little bit of versatility in terms of cooking capabilities. All wood burning stoves will have a platform where you can place your pot or pan, but some come with an additional grill top that is interchangeable. If you have a grill, you may be able to get a really nice finish on some of your meats.
Climate Considerations
Since we’re talking about wood burning backpacking stoves, it is worth mentioning that in order for the stove to work, you will need to find twigs and branches along the trail in order to actually get any use out of it. Of course, the woods are usually ample providers of the fuel you will need.
However, there are many climates in which hiking is a popular pastime where there are no trees. You will need enough fuel to burn for at least 10-30 minutes in order to properly cook. Make sure your hiking destination actually will contain the fuel you need before committing to the emission-free lifestyle.
Portability
From our list, you can see that there are varying degrees of portability. They all are, of course, portable, but some are more portable than others. If you take the kampMate stove for example, which folds completely flat, you may be able to fit some other items in your bag that you otherwise couldn’t. Every inch matters and portability is certainly key.
Conclusion
It is an admirable trait to be more environmentally friendly. Whether you’re doing it for emissions reasons, or you just want a small, natural camp stove, you will be happy with all the options presented and you’ll have a great time cooking over an open flame.
Expert Tip
If you want to go truly emission-free, try bringing your own flint and fire starter with you. It can be a great way to learn how to start a fire for emergency situations and gives a great “roughing it” feel.
Did you know?
Wood burning stoves are by far the most convenient cooking option for your campsite. No more worrying about running out of fuel. It’s how our ancestors prepared their meals. Now we just have a bit more nifty technology to help us out.
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