What’s a camping trip without hot food and hot drinks? The ability to cook a meal while enjoying the beauty of nature enhances your experience. To help you cook in the wild, we’ve gathered a list of the best wood burning backpacking stoves.
These are my picks for the best wood burning backpacking stoves on the market:
- Solo Stove Lite
- Ohuhu Camping Stove
- Lixada Camping Stove – Best Budget Woodburning Stove
- Emberlit Stainless Steel stove
- TOAKS Titanium Backpacking Wood Burning Stove
Solo Stove Lite
Specs
With a double-wall design, this stove should rid your cooking experience of all smoke. It measures 4.25 inches by 3.8 inches by 5.7 inches and weighs about 9 oz.
The Verdict
Meet a former Gear of the Year Winner—the Solo Stove Lite. It is an innovative backpacking stove that may just be what you need for your next camping trip. It’s made of stainless steel and chrome wire for a sturdy yet relatively light finish.
It’s designed to enhance airflow and optimize combustion. Air enters the stove through air intake holes at the bottom. After being heated, the air then flows through small holes at the top of the stove and back into the firebox. The latter movement of air allows for secondary combustion.
This is possible thanks to the stove’s double-wall design. Smoke-filled cookouts should be a thing of the past with this product.
In Summary
The Solo Stove Lite is an excellent choice for people who hate getting smoked out when cooking. Its double-wall design promotes complete combustion (when wood burns more efficiently, there’s less room for incomplete combustion) which translates into reduced smoke production.
It’s an excellent camping stove and loads of happy campers find it far superior (and a lot more fun) than a canister stove.
Ohuhu 174 Camping Stove
Specs
This stove has a sturdy stainless steel frame that should last you through many camping trips. It weighs 14.02 oz and measures 5.3 inches by 3 inches by 6.1 inches.
The Verdict
The Ohuhu stove is easily assembled, once you get the hang of it. Once assembled, you get a nice volume for your twigs and wood, perfect for a lengthy cook.
It’s fairly easy to use and utilizes gasification features—it should look very similar to your stove at home.
The assembly guide is also quite clear. The stove should be up and ready in a few short minutes, faster after you familiarize yourself with the process.
In Summary
This is an excellent choice if you’ll be cooking in larger pots—thanks to the three-arm base support system which does an excellent job stabilizing larger pots. The stove itself is also quite sturdy and stable, thanks to its round-shaped design.
There’s plenty of room for you to add twigs and keep the stove burning for as long as you need. One problem though, you’ll have to raise the pot whenever you need to add more wood.
Lixada Camping Stove
Specs
The Lixada is made of hardened steel and weighs in at 5.5 oz. It has a top diameter of 3.1 inches, a bottom diameter of 3.5 inches, and a height of 4.3 inches.
The Verdict
This camping stove packs a lot of excellent features inside a small package. When packed, it’s one of the smallest stoves on the list. It unfolds into a small yet effective stove.
The Lixada also has one of the lowest prices on the market.
To set it up, unfold it and then set the pin in place. Once you’re done, take out the pin, fold the stove, and back into the bag it goes.
Despite its small size, this stove is actually quite sturdy. I was even able to use it with a cast iron pan. You may run into an issue with smaller pots or cups, however.
The Lixada stove is one of the easiest stoves to use. It assembles in a flash, takes up almost no space, and has a very wide opening for adding wood.
In Summary
At 5.5 ounces, it’s one of the lightest stoves on the market. This stove is so small, you shouldn’t even feel it in your bag. It may even fit into a relatively large pocket.
Contrary to what you may expect from a stove of its size, the Lexada can hold relatively heavy cast iron pots without a problem.
There’s a wide opening at the bottom of the stove to ensure you have an easy time feeding the fire. If your trips will involve long travels or if you just prefer to travel light, this may just be the stove for you.
Emberlit Stainless Steel Stove
Specs
The Emberlit measures 3.5 inches by 4 inches by 6 inches. It is made of stainless steel and weighs about 11.45 oz.
The Verdict
It doesn’t look too fancy, does it? Well, it doesn’t need to! The Emberlit stove is an excellent option for campers with limited baggage space—it packs completely flat for easy storage.
The Emberlit stove is constructed from 304 stainless steel, it should be durable enough to serve your most demanding camping needs. It’s easily assembled by hooking four panels together for a wobble-free experience. At the bottom, you’ll find a small hole to add fuel without having to remove your cooking pot.
Don’t worry about smaller pots not fitting nicely onto the stove. It comes with two crossbars that should allow it to accommodate smaller pots.
In Summary
Best for backpackers with limited space as it packs flat and takes up very little space in your bag. 11.45 oz is a manageable weight by any metric, but you can certainly find lighter stoves on the market.
It’s constructed from 304 stainless steel making it both sturdy and corrosion-resistant. Expect years of service from this stove.
TOAKS Titanium Backpacking Wood Burning Stove
Specs
There are two versions of this stove: the STV-12, and the STV-11. The STV-12 weighs 5.4 oz and measures 3 ¾ inches by 3 ¾ inches by 7 ¼ inches when assembled. The slightly bigger STV-11 weighs 7.9 oz and measures 4 ⅛ inches by 4 ⅛ inches by 8 inches when assembled.
Both options are made of titanium.
The Verdict
Have you seen a more premium looking backpacking stove? This TOAKS Stove is entirely made of pure titanium, without any coating. It is available in two sizes: the STV-11 and the slightly smaller STV-12.
The stove is made of cylindrical pieces stacked inside each other. It also comes in a strong nylon sack.
The titanium construction makes this stove both durable and lightweight. It’s also cleverly designed to enhance stability, sturdiness, clean-burning (producing clear smoke).
In Summary
Best for durability thanks to the pure titanium design that makes this one of the toughest stoves out there. The titanium also gives it a premium feel.
When it comes to the two size options, we think the STV-12 size is the better choice—it packs smaller. Both versions are relatively easy to assemble, but there are easier stoves to unfold out there.
Firebox Ultralight Titanium Nano
Specs
This stove measures 3 inches by 4.75 inches and weighs in at 4 oz. Its main body is made of titanium. This equipment also comes with a tin-plate X-case kit that weighs just over 3 0z. The total weight of both the stove and case is, therefore, still on the bearable side.
The Verdict
The Folding Firebox Nano, as some like to call it, is one of the easiest backpack stoves to assemble. Even the word “assemble” is an overestimation. You only have to unfold the stove to use it.
Simple as it is, there’s also something quite innovative about it. Any camper will tell you that fire burns longer when the wood is crossed. This stove has two holes, one on either side, for firewood. That translates into a longer and less fuel-consuming burn.
Four simple arms on the stove should accommodate all pot sizes. Also, note that these arms raise the stove slightly off the ground. This allows for increased airflow into the stove for optimum burning.
In Summary
This stove is best for convenience. It offers light carrying weight, ease of assembly, and innovative diagonal feeding access.
You can use the stove for smaller cooking pots by turning the stove’s arms inside—to reduce the hollow area on the top. Otherwise, for larger pots, turn them outside to increase the hollow area and stability of the stove.
SilverFire Ultimate Scout
Specs
This stove is made of stainless steel and weighs about 12 oz. It is 5 inches by 2.5 inches by 6.75 inches.
The Verdict
The SilverFire Scout is relatively larger than your average backpacking stove. To its credit, however, it folds up into a manageable size for storage and transportation.
This stove is easily assembled. Start by taking the primary ventilation ring and setting it on the ground. Next, shake the combustion chamber to get the bottom to fall, and then stack it on top of the ventilation ring. Put on the pot support after filling the stove with fuel, and you’re good to go.
This assembly creates what is called a double wall, which allows for gasification—improving efficiency and reducing smoke.
It’s made of stainless steel, so you can expect it to be durable. It also comes with a stainless steel ash plate to catch any live embers.
This specific model comes with a few accessories to complete the package. You’ll get an MSR Pot, a fire starter, and folding stainless steel utensils.
In Summary
It is durable, fuel-efficient, and does not smoke as much as the average backpacking stove. It’s perfect if you have kids around because it comes with an ash plate to catch live embers. This prevents accidentals burns and mitigates the risk of starting a fire in the camping zone.
It may be too bulky for the adventurer that wants to minimize baggage. In such a case, the Firebox Ultralight Titanium Nano would be a better choice. Only note that you’ll be missing out on the accessories that come with the SilverFire Scout.
QuickStove QS-01-AS
Specs
This stove is made of steel but weighs in at just under 1 pound. It measures 4 inches by 4 inches by 2.75 inches when folded and 4 inches by 4 inches by 4 inches after assembly.
The Verdict
This stove easily has the easiest assembly and packing on the market. All you have to do is open it up like you’re opening a tiny storage unit. It may seem, at first glance, that the opening is too big for your smaller pots. That’s far from the case, this stove is actually quite smartly designed.
QuickStove’s unique shape makes it quite versatile. If you stand it flat face down, you get a wide opening that works excellently for larger pots. Otherwise, you can flip the stove over and use the flat face to suit your smaller pots. This setting will also give you better access when adding wood from the bottom.
With the small plate accessory, the stove comes with, you can set it to burn on solid alcohol fuel, a much greener option.
The QuickStove is made of durable steel, and it also comes with 2 QuickStove fire starters.
In Summary
This is among the best stoves for adventurers who are shopping for versatility. No matter the size of your pot, it’s possible to accommodate it on the QuickStove. The only thing that will change is whether the stove will be used on its face or on its back.
This stove will also allow you to benefit from a diagonal wood assembly. Place the firewood appropriately, light up, and then put the stove on top of the burning pile.
J-Creater Portable Lightweight Stove
Specs
This stove is made of hardened stainless steel and weighs in at 13.6 oz. When assembled, it measures 5 inches by 2.7 inches by 7 inches.
The Verdict
Lightweight, check. Compact, check. Flexible, check.
The J-Creater stove is an excellent choice for backpackers who want a simple stove.
It is made of hardened stainless steel for durability, and the design is focused on promoting combustion for effective stove performance. It’s quite tall and can pack a decent amount of wood.
There are a few holes at the bottom, for improved airflow. You can expect very fast boiling times (water boils in under five minutes).
The J-Creater stove has a small and narrow cylinder on top to accommodate smaller pots. On the flip side, it only has one hole on the side for firewood, no diagonal placement of wood with this stove.
In Summary
The J-Creater stove is the best stove for reliability thanks to it’s sturdy and durable hardened stainless steel frame. It will survive bad falls, rough handling, and heavy use.
The round design also makes it quite stable on the ground. Holes at the bottom boost optimal airflow for better and easier cooking. On the flip side, the stove’s single firewood hole doesn’t allow for diagonal placement of wood.
If fuel-efficiency is very high on your priorities, consider the QuickStove QS-01-AS.
How to Choose the Best Wood Burning Backpacking Stove
There are tons of options when looking to find the best wood burning stove for backpacking. Indeed, the choices can prove overwhelming.
While they all serve the same function, they come in varying shapes, sizes and materials. Let’s break it down, so you know what stove to pick relevant to your backpacking needs:
Think of your requirements. Are you using the wood burning stove to boil water, or are you looking to cook large meals? What sort of environment do you camp in? How frequently will you use it? How compact do you want it to be?
Size
The size of your wood burning stove will affect your camping trip in a number of areas, chiefly the space in your pack. If you just want to boil water, then get a small one to fit your pot. If you’re looking to cook, find a sturdier wood stove to hold larger pots.
Even in their folded positions, wood burning backpacking stoves vary in compactness. Don’t just go for the small wood burning stoves without considering its packing size.
Consider your exact needs. With your camping equipment, do you have space for a bulky wood stove, or are you looking for the least possible footprint?
The assembled size of your wood burning stove is also important. You basically need it to be big enough to hold your pots and pans without them toppling off. A good wood burning stove for backpacking is therefore light enough to carry easily, compact enough to leave plenty of room in your pack, and large enough to cook food.
Moreover, take into account the surface area of the stove’s top. Whether round or square, backpacking stoves are designed to hold pots or cups larger than their tops. If you’re looking to use smaller items on your stove, make sure you get one with a small enough diameter, a flat top, or with crossbars to hold your pots.
Weight
The more durable stoves are generally heavier. Balance durability and weight and settle for the stove that best suits your needs. On a long hike, you don’t want to be the guy with a heavy camping stove.
A typical wood camping stove is made from stainless steel. But a stainless steel construction doesn’t automatically mean your camping stove will be high quality. For that you need to check it’s made from a high quality stainless steel. Even then, it’s like to be a heavier option than titanium.
For a really lightweight wood burning stove, you may want to go the titanium room; titanium wood burning stoves are both durable and light. The privilege comes at a higher price, but when it comes to the best wood burning stoves for backpacking, you should expect to pay a few extra bucks.
Durability
Your desired durability should influence your choice of material. Remember also that this may increase the weight and price of wood burning stoves. For example, titanium stoves are lighter than their stainless steel equivalents, but they are priced much higher.
If you’re a frequent camper, you should probably heed the old adage “buy cheap buy twice” and spring for the wood burning camping stove that’s going to last you several seasons. If you want a backpacking wood stove for that odd adventure every now and then, pick something of average price and durability. This way, you won’t be paying extra for features that you don’t need.
Woodburning Stove Style: Can vs Flat Folding
These two types of woodburning stove are fairly self-explanatory. One has sides which fold down flat (the flat folding one!) the other is more of a cylinder.
A can style stove is great because it creates a chimney effect, sucking the air in and concentrating the heat up into your pot of pan. The downside is that they are less compact.
A folding woodburner lacks that concentration of heat, which means it takes longer to heat whatever you are heating. However, the flat fold means that it barely takes up an space in your pack.
And so you have something of a dilemma and will have to make the trade off that works best for you…!
Other Considerations
When the afore-mentioned considerations don’t make for a clear winner, there are few other factors that, when considered, could tilt the scales in favor of one wood burning camp stove over the other:
Ease of Assembly
While most backpacking wood stoves are generally easy to assemble, some may be a bit complicated. You typically get three options:
- The first option are the foldable rectangular wood stoves that can be assembled in seconds.
- The second option are rectangular wood stoves that comes in individual pieces that latch together and take slightly more time to assemble.
- Finally, you have round wood stoves that stack above each other; these are hardest to assemble.
Access/ Need for Adding Wood
A wood burning camp stove is unlikely to cook an entire meal on a single load of twigs. So consider a camping stove that has easy access for adding wood, otherwise, you will need to remove the pot for top loading.
Safety
Opt for a sturdy camping stove that can hold its own against the realities of outdoor life. Check out the design of its legs or stands to make sure it’s stable. Also note any sharp edges on the stove, which might prove dangerous during assembly or usage.
Accessories for Backpacking Stoves
Are you after protection from the wind or do you want a quick-burning flame? Choose accessories for your wood stove accordingly. The most popular accessories include:
1. Windshields
Think of windshields as tall walls that surround your wood burning backpacking stove. They make sure the wind doesn’t blow out your flame or, even worse, tip over the whole stove.
Consider the stability of the windshield in terms of material used and whether it has pegs that you can stick into the ground. However, note that it will increase your carried weight.
2. Fuel Tablets
If you can’t find enough wood for your wood stove or want something to accelerate the burning, fuel tablets will do.
3. Pocket Bellows
Pocket bellows come in different lengths to keep your face safely away from the flames. Consider the material, weight, and most importantly, length if you’re buying this accessory individually.
Benefits of Wood Burning Backpacking Stoves
When researching a backpacking wood burning stove, you might come across other types of stoves and think to yourself, why don’t I just get that?
Well, while other types of stoves surely have their benefits, a wood burning stove might fit you better because of a few things:
Backpackability
Fuel or gas-operated stoves require you to carry fuel canisters, which add unnecessary weight and volume. Meanwhile, a wood burning stove means you simply carry the generally compact and lightweight stoves without any additional weight. Even if you use supplementary ignition sources, they’ll be the tiny fuel tablets mentioned above.
Sustainability
Another benefit of not having to carry any fuel is not having to buy any fuel. This also means that you won’t end up running out of fuel.
Nostalgic Elements
Remember the good old days when you could just start a campfire anywhere? Many campsites nowadays have understandably banned campfires or restricted them to particular areas. A recent study shows that humans are responsible for around 85 percent of wildfires.
While this is a positive step, we’re still allowed to miss the good old days. Wood burning stoves are a safe way to fire up wood.
Chow Down & Warm-Up
Get double benefits from a wood burning backpacking stove by cooking your food and warming up your tent, simultaneously. Just make sure that the stove is tent-friendly first.
Tips for Using Wood Burning Backpacking Stoves
You may feel a bit intimidated by using a wood burning stove, but rest assured, they’re actually quite simple. All you have to do is understand the dos and don’ts and you’re set.
Picking the Right Twigs and Sticks
The great thing about wood burning backpacking stoves is that you have an abundance of fuel right at your campsite.
You won’t even need a saw, and you shouldn’t be running around sawing on trees anyway. All you need is a few dry wood sticks or pine cones of about average thickness. Break up your twigs for top loading stoves, or feed longer sticks to the stove via a side hole.
The most important thing is to go for dry wood as these produce more heat, and promote complete combustion. Water is your enemy here, but you can bypass the negative effects of using wet wood by settling for a fuel tablet if you can’t find any dry wood.
Starting the Fire
After you’ve picked up your wood sticks, the first step is to set them up diagonally. Crossing sticks to start a fire makes them burn more efficiently and with less smoke.
The next step is to actually start the fire. This is simply done by lighting up a piece of newspaper in the middle of the twigs or pine cones. If that doesn’t work for you, using a fuel tablet will surely do the trick.
Remember to make sure that enough air is entering your wood burning stove to promote complete combustion. Most wood burning backpacking stoves have holes at the bottom to enhance airflow. However, if your wood stove doesn’t have that, try to elevate it. That should create enough room to allow more air in.
Safety Considerations
Be Attentive
You should never leave an open flame unattended. This is especially true for wood burning stoves. It’s advisable to buy sturdy camp stoves that will not blow over and put them on a flat surface, but that’s not enough. Keep an eye on the camp stove when in use.
Risk of Embers
As the flame keeps burning up the wood, some hot embers may fall down the wood stove. Most stoves have a safety plate at the bottom to catch these embers. However, to be extra safe, you should place a flame-retardant mat below the wood burning stove.
Keep Flammables Away
If you have any flammable items, it’s best to keep them far away from the wood stove at all times.
Isolation Bad, Ventilation Good
Burning wood produces a lot of carbon dioxide. Incomplete combustion of wood produces carbon monoxide, which is a very dangerous gas. You can’t smell it or feel it in any way, and breathing large amounts can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Don’t use a wood burning stove in your tent (unless you’re looking at a proper stove tent setup, in which case, go ahead!).
Final Verdict
We feel that more sophisticated stoves are somewhat overdoing it, and we feel that the best wood burning backpacking stove is a simple one..
The Firebox Ultralight Titanium Nano struck us as an excellent wood burning stove. It’s compact and lightweight and has proven sturdy too. It’s extremely simple to unfold and use, has good airflow, easy access for cross-feeding, and rotating arms for stability and using smaller pots.
The QuickStove QS-01-AS is a close runner-up. It’s easy to operate, relatively cheap, and sturdily built.
