Best Wood Burning Camp Stove For Minimalist Campers

The Best Wood Burning Camp Stove

Lixada Camping Stove

When you have a simplistic product that provides one of the best performances without all the extra gimmicky features, you know it’s a top-quality choice. The Lixada Camping Stove combines practicality with tradition, and elevates it with the highest quality craftsmanship and material to produce a wood camp stove that does exactly what you need it to – cook your food quickly and efficiently without a lot of hassle.

With a convenient area to feed wood on the front, plus various openings to provide ample oxygen, you can keep your fire burning strong without having to move your pot. It also has four fire sticks that allow you to use any fuel source that you want. Versatility, convenience, and practicality are three qualities that always make a great product.

Introduction

The simplicity of using a wood burning stove is attractive for many campers who are ready for a hot meal after a long day. This is especially true after you’ve finished hunting for your dinner. You don’t want to come back to camp and find your backpacking canister stove has run out of fuel. With the ability to collect sticks, pine cones and other woody material to use as fuel, you don’t have to worry about eating a cold meal.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about wood burning backpacking stoves. We’ll go over important features as well as some great wood burning camp stove selections. After reviewing countless wood burning camp stoves, we chose the Lixada Camping Stove as the best wood burning backpacking stove out of the bunch. Keep reading to find out why.

Wood Burning Camping Stove Buyer’s Guide

Every camper needs a good, portable backpacking stove, and there’s no reason that a wood burning camping stove isn’t the best choice. Wood burning camping stoves have quite a few qualities and features that make them an excellent choice for campers. They’re all made the same across all brands, although some brands may have their own “exclusive” features. Here are the most common features you’ll find among them.

Heat Efficiency

One of the most important considerations of a wood burning backpacking stove is the heat efficiency. This will determine how fast you can boil water or cook your food. It can also have a direct impact on the amount of wood you’ll use. A higher heat efficiency means less time spent looking for dry wood.

Wood burns in three stages. The first stage is essentially where the wood absorbs heat to allow the moisture to evaporate. We won’t go into detail about the secondary combustion, and tertiary combustion, so this doesn’t become a chemistry lesson, but we’ll just say that the third stage is where the burning wood is producing enough heat for you to use.

Now it makes sense why you’d want a stove design that encourages fast processing of that first step. One of the best wood burning camping stoves type for this first stage is combustion camping stoves. They are specially designed to pull in cool air and heat it before it gets to the wood. This produces a hotter flame that will barrel you through the first and second steps quickly.

Pocket Bellows

Pocket bellows are long, collapsible, metal tubes that allow you to blow air into your backpacking stove fire. This delivers more air that can be warmed and used to push through the first stage of wood burning. Pocket bellows beat, placing your face into the fire and possibly losing your eyebrows. You can build a fire without pocket bellows, but pocket bellows simply make it much more manageable.

Boiling Water With a Wood Burning Stove

How long it takes to boil water is often an indicator of a camping wood burning stoves efficiency. Combustion stoves have about a 60 to 75 percent heat efficiency measurement and, if you have a good one, it can take from around two to four minutes to boil water. Of course, this is dependent on the water’s temperature. Some models that are a lot less heat efficient are take up to ten minutes to boil water.

Weight and Size

For this guide, we’ll be focusing on portable wood burning camp stoves. Wood burning stoves usually range from .5 pounds to 2.5 pounds, with many them weighing one pound or less. Since you don’t have to carry fuel for them, this is the only weight that would be added to your gear.

Many wood burning stoves fold or collapse to make them smaller when not in use. Some even fold entirely flat. Since these stoves take up little to no space in your gear, and the weight is almost unnoticeable, it’s the perfect accessory for backpacking. Plus, when you’re ready to use it, you don’t have to fumble around with some big, heavy, clunky piece of equipment when all you want to do is eat.

Stability and Cookware Support

When you’re dealing with fire, you want the most stable camping stove you can find. The height of a wood stove can significantly change the stability of the setup. Tall stove setups are less stable. They can get tipped over easily, especially if it’s relatively narrow compared to the height.

In regards to width, portable wood stoves that are wider than their height are much more stable. Another configuration has three or more supporting legs that stick out horizontally rather than stand up vertically. This also provides much more stability.

When it comes to cookware support, think about the size of the camping wood stove. While the metal that it’s made from may support a big camping pot, the smaller or more narrow the stove is, the less stable the pot will be. Some stoves have three pot supports that stick out horizontally to support a pot. These are going to be your most stable options.

Stove Box

The stove box is where you put the wood for burning. This is typically a tiny area, probably around the size of a fist on most portable wood stoves. Sometimes the sticks may stick out a bit, but that’s okay. As they burn, you can continue to feed them into the stove. Most stove boxes are loaded from the front of the stove, but some can be top loaded.

Storage Bag

Having a storage bag is convenient because it keeps all the pieces together. It also helps to protect the stove from damage. If the stove you purchase doesn’t come with one, you could always buy one separately.

Thermoelectricity Generation

Some wood-burning camping stoves are designed to create electricity from the heat of the fire. These stoves offer you the ability to charge small devices such as a cell phone or a tablet. This is a convenient device to have, especially if you don’t have a generator or an RV.

Accessories for Wood Burning Stoves

Windshields

The wind is not your friend when it comes to cooking on with camping stoves. If you know you’re going to be in a windy area, you should consider a windshield. It will provide your stove with 360-degree protection from the wind. Even if you aren’t camping in a windy area, it can be helpful to have one because you never know when the wind may decide to pick up.

Fuel Tablets

Fuel tablets, also called hexamine tablets or Esbit tablets, are an alternative form of fuel for wood stoves if you don’t want to use wood. These tablets are incredibly efficient. They’re smokeless, and they don’t leave ash. However, they are very susceptible to wind, so you’ll want to use a windshield if you use fuel tablets.

Why Choose Wood Burning Stoves Over Other Stoves?

Wood stoves have several advantages over other types of camping stoves. The main advantage is that the fuel is free – you just have to look around your campsite for dry wood.

They’re also smaller and lighter than other types of stoves. They take up very little room in your gear bag, and they’re so light you’d barely even know they’re there. They’re also very low maintenance. The only maintenance you’ll have to worry about is keeping it clean.

The Best Wood Burning Camping Stoves Reviewed

BioLite Campstove 2

Most Advanced Option

The BioLite Campstove is a product for techies who love to camp. It features a built-in, chargeable 2600 mAh battery for charging devices. The battery gets electricity from the fire with a thermoelectric generator. It charges devices and stores the excess power in the battery for later use, even without a fire.

As amazing as the battery is, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s also a great wood burning stove. It’s a top-loading stove and has an internal fan that essentially creates a combustion chamber in the stove. It injects extra oxygen to fuel the fire and helps to reduce smoke by up to 95 percent.

Specs:

• Weight: 2.06 lbs.
• Size: 5″ x 5″ x 8.3″
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Time to Boil 1L Water: 4.5 minutes

Bottom Line: This is an interesting, technology-based wood burning stove that incorporates a modern concept with an age-old concept.

Lixada Folding Wood Burning Camping Stove

Best Wood Burning Stove

If you want a wood burning camping stove that you won’t notice until you need it, this front-feed stove is an excellent choice. It’s tiny, measuring only 3.1″ x 3.5″ x 4.3″ and it folds completely flat so that it won’t take up very much space in your gear. Despite it being so small, it’s incredibly sturdy and can handle your pots and pans with ease.

The four walls of the stove are hinged together, so you only need to fold it, slide the pin in, and slide the ashtray into the bottom. It takes less than a minute to set it up.

Specs:

• Weight: .45 lbs.
• Size: 3.1″ x 3.5″ x 4.3″
• Material: Grade 201 Stainless Steel

Bottom Line: The small size, lightweight, and minimal set up make it great for backpackers.

Solo Wood Burning Stove for Camping

Best Wood Burning Stove for Efficiency

At first glance, the Solo wood burning stove looks like a minimalist stove, but it’s has a very interesting patented design that makes it a great top-loading camping stove.

It features a double wall design that allows cool airflow into the bottom. As the air floats through the chamber wall, it warms up and is then sucked in a secondary set of holes at the top of the chamber. This burst of warm oxygen gets fed directly to the fire, making it burn stronger and hotter.

This creates ultra-clean gasification during the secondary combustion meaning you will have less smoke and use less wood, saving yourself some time.

Specs:

• Weight: 2.2 lbs.
• Size: 7″ x 6.7″ x 9.25″
• Material: Grade 304 Stainless Steel & Nichrome Wire
• Time to Boil 1L Water: 2-4 minutes

Bottom Line: This is one of the most efficient top-loading wood burning camping stoves on the market.

Emberlit Stainless Steel Wood Burning Backpacking Stove

Best Minimalist Choice

Specs:

• Weight: 11.45 oz.
• Size: 4 x 5.5 x 6
• Material: Grade 304 Stainless steel
• Time to Boil 1L Water: 10 minutes

If you liked the Lixada stove, you’d love the Emberlit wood burning backpacking stove. It’s the same design concept, but it’s bigger and a little stronger so it can handle a Dutch oven. It comes apart into five flat panels, so it will take up an unnoticeable amount of space in your gear. It doesn’t have a lot of fancy “features” or “technology,” but it does what it does well.

Bottom Line: If you just want a basic wood camping stove that works well and is a good quality product, and you don’t care for a lot of other features, this is an excellent choice for you to consider.

Unigear Wood Camping Stove

Best Wood Camping Stove for Stability

Stability is always a big hit when it comes to any product. The Unigear is one of the most stable wood burning backpacking stoves around. The stove is a three-sided, hinged stove that is wider than it is in height. It folds almost flat. It’s secured with the ash plate, which pops right into place, then you pop the grill rack on top. You don’t have to worry about this wood burning backpacking stove tilting over.

Because of the way, it’s designed, it’s easy to use fuel canisters with this stove. You can use just about any fuel source with it. You can grill your food, boil your food, use pots and pans, or even a Dutch oven. The possibilities are endless.

Specs:

• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Size: 6.3 x 0.8 x 7.1
• Material: Stainless steel

Bottom Line: This stove is versatile and easy to use, plus it has a small profile when folded, so it’s an excellent choice for camping or backpacking.

Ohuhu Camping Stove Stainless

Best Camping Stove on a Budget

It makes sense to include a budget option. The Ohuhu wood burning backpacking stove is inexpensive, but it’s quality rivals some of the pricier options. It’s made of grade 304 stainless steel and has a full round, sturdy base to support it as you use it rather than thin legs that could bend. It also has three triangular pot supports with serrated edges to provide extra grip. It’s a smart design for a budget product.

Specs:

• Weight: 14.2 oz.
• Size: 5.3″ x 5.3″ x 3″ folded
• Material: Grade 304 Stainless Steel

Bottom Line: With the Ohuhu wood burning backpacking stove, you can save money and still cook with a great, long-lasting product.

TOAKS Titanium Backpacking Wood Burning Stove

Most Lightweight Option

Backpackers appreciate good, lightweight products, so this TOAKS stove is an excellent option for backpackers. It’s made from titanium, which is a metal known for being incredibly strong but much lighter than stainless steel. Titanium is a good conductor of heat also, so you’ll be able to keep your fire going easily.

The TOAKS stove kit is relatively simple. It harnesses the power of combustion through a simple design on the bottom half and allows you to feed the wood through the front of the top half. It’s a smart system that’s very efficient.

Specs:

• Weight: 5.4 oz.
• Size: 3.75″ x 3.75″ x 7.25″
• Material: Titanium

Bottom Line: If weight is a big concern, this is an excellent choice because it’s less than half a pound heavy.

Sierra Wood Burning Stove

Best Value

The Sierra stove comes with an entire upgrade kit for an affordable price. It comes with a kettle, lid, cross grates, windshield, and even zip fire samples. By getting everything in one convenient package, you’ll save money in the long run and save yourself the trouble of shopping for these multiple items. They’re all designed to work with each other, so you don’t have to worry about mixing and matching products from different brands.

While the Sierra stove is made from aluminum instead of stainless steel, it’s still a great product. It resists corrosion like a champ, and aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, so you’ll get a super-hot flame every time.

Specs:

• Weight: 1 lb.
• Size: 5.25″ x 5.25″ x 4.5″
• Material: Aluminum
• Time to Boil 1L Water: 4 minutes

Bottom Line: This is a very convenient purchase because you’ll get everything you need with no hassles of mixing and matching accessories.

G2 Firebox Bushcraft Stove Kit

The Firebox wood burning stove was our pick for the overall best wood burning camping stove. Sometimes everything needs to take a backseat to practicality, and that’s where the Firebox stove comes in. This stove doesn’t have a whole bunch of fancy features or innovative, patented design, but there is no need to reinvent the wheel when it works perfectly.

This wood burning stove is made of high-grade stainless steel. The pieces are hinged together, so you don’t lose them, but it folds almost flat for easy transport. There are two places to feed the wood, on the front and side, and the four included firesticks can be used in a variety of ways to allow any fuel type.

Specs:

• Weight: 2.08 lbs.
• Size: 5″ x 5″ x 7.5″
• Material: Grade 304 Stainless steel
• Time to Boil 1L Water: 2.5 – 3 minutes

Bottom Line: The G2 Firebox is a practical choice because it has everything you need in an easy-to-use, non-complicated system.

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API