trail gear j falk’s compact wood burning stove

[canyon steinzig]

http://site283.webhost4life.com/afmservices/trailgear/compactstove/falk-compact-stove.htm

6.5 oz-25 dollars.
Made of two vegetable cans that nest for storage and clip together to contribute to create immense ease of fueling.
I used this stove over the weekend on a rainy camping trip with my four year old daughter. I brought an alcohol and cartridge for backup as this was a trial run. I never even considered using them.
This stove was super easy to use, it burned twigs up to thumb size best, and did fine with pinecones, although with less draw, as it like to have the sticks vertical. The design actually supports this technique.
Why am I sold and think this is so amazing? Because I cooked fresh potatoes and Brussels sprouts in an improvised oven and didn't have to think about how much fuel I was using. I could make that extra cup of hot cocoa for a wet cold kid without worry, and…It kept us warm all the while.
Do I want a wood gas stove? Yeah. Does this stove do everything a hobo stove possibly could? I think so. I would give it a 5 if I believed in them.

Update:
I had the opportunity for more field testing this week. This stove is still a pleasure to use and it continues to serve me well. A few technical qualities arose that are worth knowing for prospective users.
First, for boiling water it is great, not an issue, is easy to start and maintain.
For cooking "real" food, which is why I like wood stoves (no limit regarding the fuel/day ratio) I noticed two difficult but not insurmountable problems.
First: It is tippy if there is a big load on top of it. Mine went over two times while roasting potatos. I was able to use sticks to lift it back, but, I advise to just give the tall cylinder a little respect (which I was not) and it should be no problem.
Second:
the air holes at the bottom fill with ash over time and basically stop it from burning. Again, with water boiling and other fast cooking this is not an issue. However cooking lamb burgers and certainly potatos it was. The correction to this second issue was actually quite easy. I use two thumb thickness sticks and (after removing my pot) tip the stove back and forth several times. This allows the very well burt ash to fall out from under the stove and away from the holes. Immidiatly the stove flames up again. Might bigger holes allow this to happen via gravity? Maybe but I don't think so. These are just some things to be aware of and I continue to use and enjoy the stove

[Michael Reagan]

As the review above points out, this is yet another variation of the old tin can, "hobo"-type of stove of the sort that most of us used when we were boy scouts. This however is the most effective design of that kind of stove I have ever seen or used.

It is hands down the easiest wood-burning stove to light, and the wide port on the side makes it easy to add fuel as needed. Speaking of adding fuel, you will need to do that quite a lot, as those twigs burn up pretty quick in this little stove. This is no "set it and forget it" cooker, nor is it anywhere near as frugal with the wood as say, the exalted Bushbuddy. But it costs a mere fraction of the BB and is easier to use.

One downside to this type of stove is that it will fill with ash fairly quickly, effectively sealing the bottom air-intake holes in about 45 minutes or so, thus requiring a bit of futzy poking and blowing to keep the fire going after that point. This stove is therefore best suited for cooking and boiling, and is less effective when used as a "mini-campfire" for sitting around roasting marshmallows for hours on end.

If a hiker wanted a good wood-burning packstove that cost very little in terms of both money and weight, that was short on snob factor but long on performance, it would be hard to beat this one from Jim Falk.

[Jim Falk]

Greetings …

I was reading your comments about my Compact Wood Stove. As far as tipping the stove over, use a few tent stakes placed in the ground and the base (front and back) of the stove and hook them into the air intake holes. This will solve the tipping issue.

The Compact Wood Stove was designed as a fast cooker for boiling water and preparing food that cooks rather quickly. You will need to poke the ashes around with a twig or tent stake through the intake holes at the base after cooking for a while.

If longer cooking times are desired, check out my new Bushwhacker wood gas stove. It's a load once, light and walk away stove. It too is easy to use. For demo videos and details visit my web site at … http://www.TrailGear.org

I'm glad you enjoyed my stove.

Jim Falk
http://www.TrailGear.org

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