SURVIVE!

Anyone who has gone into the wild for a length of time knows, you need a way to cook food. There are a ton of camp stoves on the market that can cost up to a couple hundred dollars and are state-of-the-art. That is fine and dandy, however, many people (including myself) just can’t afford something that expensive. Normally I would just build a nice campfire, pull out my army canteen cup and shove it in the coals to cook my food or boil water. What if you are a believer in “leave no trace”, or there is a burn ban in effect? A small camp stove could be just what you are looking for.

There are instructions on how to make different types of DIY stoves all over the internet, and they range from the small alcohol and Sterno stoves to the hobo stove, but my favorite is the wood chip stove. I have made just about every kind of DIY stove, and like them for their own advantages, but that is an article all in itself.

The wood chip stove works on the principal that you have a small container that holds the fuel. This sits inside a larger container that is used to control airflow while at the same time collecting ashes. To cook with it, place tinder and wood chips in the fuel compartment and light. After letting it burn for a few minutes, stoke the fire and then place your cooking vessel on top. The flame and heat are focused on the cooking vessel like a torch or jet. This method is pretty efficient, and doesn’t require a lot of fuel to cook.

This wood chip stove is fairly easy to construct and cost almost nothing to make. It consists of only a few parts and requires only a few tools. One word of caution, dealing with the sheet metal is almost like dealing with razor blades. Use proper safety equipment when working on this project. You can use an old paint can, but make sure there in no dried paint on the inside. When you start burning in this, it can release harmful toxins. You can purchase new cans at your local hardware store for a few dollars.

On a large paint can, use a Dremel or tin snips to cut out about a 2”x 3” rectangle near the bottom. This is going to make an adjustable door so that you can control airflow. For the door itself, you will need a small scrap piece of metal, either from another paint can, or something like a soda can. Cut a piece that is slightly longer and wider than the hole on the side of the large paint can. On the long side, fold about a ¼” up to create a lip to slide the door with. Take 2 other pieces of scrap metal, about ½”x 6”, and create the tracks for the door by riveting them to the can on each side of the door hole. Make sure that you have the slide (door) in place before you affix the tracks. That’s it for the large can, just set it aside.

Take the lid from the large can and center the small paint can on it. Use a marker to trace the location. Use a Dremel or tin snips to cut out the center. Be sure to cut a little inside the line so that you will get a snug fit later. At this point you will also need to drill 3 holes in a triangle pattern around the large hole. The holes need to be about a ¼” diameter, and about 1” or so from the large hole. Solder a nut on the topside of each small hole, you then can thread a ¼” bolt through for an adjustable cook height.

Along the side, near the bottom of the small can, drill a row of ¼”- ½” holes all the way around. These holes are for airflow into the fuel chamber. You may also want to drill a few on the bottom to let ashes fall. Take the small can (without lid) and solder it to the bottom side of the large paint can lid. All that is left at this point is to drop the lid into place on the large can and tamp it down.

You now have a wood chip stove with a carry handle, adjustable cook height, and airflow control. I love my little stove, and you will too!