Woodburning Stoves

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Tangled Metal
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Tangled Metal »

But channel your inner Ray Mears and you'll manage even in the wet seasons. Not that I manage it, I can put dry charcoal out just by looking at it! Complete with firelighter blocks.
neilwragg
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by neilwragg »

Instead of throwing it away after it becomes more patch than tube, just cut an inch of an old inner tube & place it on top of the wood on your stove (remember wood gas stoves burn downwards) & even wet wood will burn. To be honest even in the middle of a wet winter if you collect twigs that are caught up in foliage and not lying on the ground, there is fuel about.
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Gattonero
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Gattonero »

meic wrote:Hardly any rain over the past month, the earth is dry enough to raise dust. So not hard to find good fuel for a twig burner at the moment.

Life gets much harder when everything is sodden with two weeks of continuous rain.


Always a couple of Esbit tablets for emergency!
Or a filled Meths burner with screw-on cap, that too works
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Ivor Tingting
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Ivor Tingting »

rualexander wrote:Been using a Honey Stove plus Hive extension set for about 5 years now.
Great wee stove, and very handy when the meths is running low. I have even burned peat and coal in mine in the Western Isles.

IMG_20170404_154810.jpg
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Tangled Metal wrote:.... Whilst backpacking it was never practical in the lakes and the parts of Scotland i went to.....

......My biggest issue with honey stove is that i found it fiddly to put together when cold. Not nice with the warmth being sucked out of your hands as you struggled getting slots to line up......


I use mine in Scotland all the time, no real problems.
Much easier to assemble as it gets older but would be useful if it was hinged like the Vargo Hexagon stove.

I also have a Wild Woodgas Stove, or an ebay copy, but find it doesn't burn as well as the Honey Stove once a pan is placed on top, and is harder to feed twigs into. https://wildstoves.co.uk/product/wild-w ... get-model/

The Firebox Stove looks good but maybe a bit heavy http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/fold ... 2574-p.asp
The inventor/developer has some great videos on his Youtube channel, including roasting a whole chicken https://youtu.be/_O6SYSiypEc

I'd be wary using a wood stove in France or other dry environments due to fire risk though.


In the 2nd image your Trangia fuel bottle is mighty close to that fire!!!!!

Lighting an open fire on a beach is fine, but I would never do it on vegetation and on dry vegetation grassland or woodland is a big big no no unless you want to start a forest fire. Some people will do some idiotic things just to satisfy their romantic idea of cooking in the outdoors. Fire in the hands of Ray Mears is probably just about acceptable but Beavis and Butt Head or Homer Simpson, no way.
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Gattonero
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Gattonero »

Though choosing the correct place to use it -and instructions say this clearly- is mandatory for woodburning stoves, they would keep the fire contained so the hazard can be from three main reasons:
-burning the ground where the stove is placed
-sparks or high flames that can reach low tree branches
-embers left still hot and not buried in soil
all those are user errors that are easy to prevent with a minimum of common sense.
Scorch marks in the gound are easy to avoid with a flat rock, or a soldering mat or simply a piece of kitchen foil :idea:
A woodburning stove that works as gasifier, I suppose won't do any sparks as the smoke itself is burned, so I cannot see any risk for the trees above as long as they are reasonable in distance.
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Thus you remember them as they actually are...
Tangled Metal
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Tangled Metal »

Responsible use of woodburning stoves is not to be confused with a bunch of Neds setting fire to a raging inferno in the woods and scarpering.

A camping stove can cause damage too of irresponsibly used. How many campsites do you see with brown rings of scorched grass dotted all over the place near signs of a tent? Do you use a camping stove on top of a piece of foil, soldering mat or flat stone? No? Well I do on occasion of using a woodburning stove. I am also very careful with camping stoves including trangias because in the past I have scorched the ground even with trangias.

Of course it's easier to jump to conclusions. All fire starters are the same, right? Give us some credit, we go out to appreciate nature we are hardly going to damage it. That's the real difference between those who damage and those who don't. We have knowledge and a love of the outdoors. We know how to manage the fire responsibly, for starters we contain it in fancy fire boxes like wood gasifiers or even simple honey stove. Small and controlled.
rualexander
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by rualexander »

Ivor Tingting wrote:
In the 2nd image your Trangia fuel bottle is mighty close to that fire!!!!!
.


That's a photo of the Honey Stove with a Trangia burner burning meths, so perfectly safe!
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Sweep
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Sweep »

neilwragg wrote:mine is the Wild Woodgas Stove – Genuine MKIIt – [Tall], very lightweight & no fuel to carry.


What is the difference between these two versions?

By coincidence, on a ride meet where the arrangements went wonky, I ended up kind of admiring one of these:

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/robens-l ... lsrc=aw.ds

in the Ultimate Outdoors store in Kingston.

But then I was mailed about something similar and it seems as if it is actually a pretty generic product as in here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112190914118?ul_noapp=true

I must say the meaney in me is quite taken by the idea of free fuel but then I do rather worry about practicalities/causing damage/smoked up pots.

And I do have a Trangia and pocket rocket plus adaptors which mean I can run off three different types of gas cartridge.

Will keep considerimg but wary of amassing more clutter.
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rualexander
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by rualexander »

Solo Stove have a nice range of camping stoves, from the standard Solo Stove, upwards in size via their Titan and Campfire stoves, all the way up to the new Bonfire stove: https://youtu.be/dZNTKaBcpKI
Not really practical for cycle touring though!
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Gattonero
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Gattonero »

Rather than buying cheap copies, one should go straight away to the Wild Stoves as they're still on sale.
Used mine again, and it's a very good piece of kit that really makes sense on long trips.

Takes seconds to be assembled, is light, and takes little space once packed. Pair it with a light Meths burner and you're still under 300gr weight, for a super reliable dual-fuel cooking system.
Image

The sooth on the pans is only a bit more than using a meths burner, and is not a big deal to wipe away. Is the only trade-off for having unlimited fuel available right on hand :mrgreen:
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Sweep
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Sweep »

Do you only use it in certain places though gatto?

I believe you have certain links with Sardinia - I can't think that I'd use one there for vast parts of the year - there are many fires, some horrific.

As to the cheap copies, I first came across these things a few weeks ago - a big name brand was selling one for about £30.

I'm not accusing them of ripping folk off but to be honest I'm not sure there is much if any difference between theirs and the £10 thing I Iinked to above.

After all, China produces so much stuff.

For years British companies sold folk this stuff with waffle about how the product was designed/thought of/specified (as in . we'd like **** of those)/boxed in the UK. Now with the internet folk can import the stuff themselves, no need for the middle man, while complying with all customs rules of course. And I have no need to brand/print up my stove as the "sweep stove".

Must admit I am still tempted to get one - like you I like the thought of being independent.

Any tips on finding fuel? For to a simple minded soul like me it maybe seems not as simple as first thought. After all, you can't (and shouldn't) cut fresh wood anyway, and much potential fuel on the ground will be damp. And if it's tinder dry, see above about potentially setting fire to the countryside.

Thanks for the reassurance about the soot.

PS - when you say you use yours with a meths burner, do you mean a Trangia one?
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Gattonero
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Gattonero »

Yes there are parts of the world, like South Italy, where wildfires are not allowed because the high risk or creating a disaster: it doesn't rain for months there, so when you're out of town you are surrounded by miles and miles of dry weeds which is exactly like saying miles and miles of tinder! :shock:

OTOH, being SO dry it means that is also easy to find spots that are completely bald, so very safe to lit a portable woodstove or bare soil.
The good thing of them, is that the fire is controlled, as long as you keep in mind the wind and deal with it, you won't have flames spreading around for a meter nor hot smoke or embers flying; this is the good thing of the wood gassifier! 8)
Though for belt&braces approach you can always make a shield with a piece of alluminium, disposable owen trays work wonders for this: cheap, light, effective.

As far as the stove itself, the Wild Woodgas is very good because is solid. The material is good, does not buckle nor flex, is something you can trust will keep your pots&pans safe during use. Also very clever the way it folds, maybe the tripod is finicky to pack but it gives great support to all sizes of pots and mugs.
At £25 I think is a no-brainer
https://wildstoves.co.uk/product/wild-w ... kiit-tall/

Btw, fuel is easily collected from dead branches, this is especially true when it rains as the wood will be damp but not soaked. In such case, all you need is a bit more tinder and the gassifier will do the rest in drying the wood, burning it and burning the smoke.
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Sweep
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Sweep »

thanks for the comprehensive reply gatto.

OO, half price and an extra 6mm for free :)

in that link of theirs.

Very decent of them.

though such a manufacturing error does maybe suggest that they just buy them in from some far eastern factory flogging them to all and sundry to badge.

PS - Don't suppose the Mk11 with its redesigned support will support a small bialetti type espresso pot? I NEED my coffee of a morning!
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neilwragg
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by neilwragg »

The current version of the Woodgas stove will support a bialetti style moka pot, I take two Ti pots when biking and camping, one to drink from and the other to boil water or cook in. Then use an Aeropress for my fresh coffee!
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Gattonero
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Re: Woodburning Stoves

Post by Gattonero »

Sweep wrote:...
though such a manufacturing error does maybe suggest that they just buy them in from some far eastern factory flogging them to all and sundry to badge....


Not sure about that, the material and work are well made and have not seen an exact copy of that design.

For the pot support, I echo Neil above, the new one it's safe with all sizes of kitchen stuff.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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