Wood Stoves · Squeeze your lemon

Every romanticized outdoor tale needs a campfire. The oldest cooking technique is still alive today, even as the outdoor industry has developed more efficient and controlled versions of it. From the classic campfire to high-tech, electricity-producing twig burners, wood stoves all promise free fuel, a certain amount of atmosphere, and the priceless smell of a vagabond.

Strengths of Wood Stoves

The most obvious advantage of wood stoves is free and widely available fuel. When conditions allow, there is no need to carry, purchase, or ration fuel at all — cooking becomes independent of resupply points.

Wood stoves also stand out for their simple construction. Many designs are mechanically minimal, often lightweight, and have very few failure points. There are no pumps, valves, or seals to maintain, which makes them robust and tolerant of rough handling.

Wood stoves scale well for longer cooking sessions. They are particularly well suited for simmering, slow cooking, and even baking, where steady, moderate heat over time matters — which doesn’t mean that they can’t have a high power output.

Beyond pure functionality, wood stoves provide atmosphere and psychological comfort. Fire brings warmth, light, and a sense of familiarity that many people value highly, especially during long or remote trips.

Finally, wood stoves run on a renewable fuel source and produce no disposable waste. There are no empty canisters or bottles to carry out, making them attractive from an environmental perspective.

Downsides and Trade-offs

The biggest downside of wood stoves is the labor-intensive operation. Collecting fuel, starting the fire, and maintaining it throughout cooking all require time and attention. Compared to other stove types, this adds both effort and a noticeable learning curve.

Wood stove may also be limited by their increased fire safety risks. Open flames, sparks, and embers require constant awareness and careful site selection, or in some cases a backup. Fire bans, local regulations, or land management rules can make their use illegal or irresponsible in some regions, sometimes without much warning.

Wood stoves are inherently a dirty way of cooking. Soot, ash, smoke, and lingering smells are part of the experience. Pots, hands, and gear often end up blackened.

Performance is poor in wet or high-altitude environments. Damp fuel is difficult to ignite and sustain, and suitable biomass may be scarce in certain environments. In such conditions, wood stoves can lose their practicality.

Safety considerations

Wood stoves are the least controllable types of stoves. There is no on-/off-switch, they have a big flame, and throw up sparks. Responsible use and careful handling are therefore essential.

Respect fire bans and local regulations! If fires are restricted, wood stoves are usually included — even “contained” or “efficient” designs. Ignoring this can cause wildfires and serious legal consequences.
Choose your cooking spot carefully and never leave your stove unattended. Always place the stove on mineral soil, sand, gravel, or rock. Clear the area of dry grass, leaves, and needles, and avoid cooking near roots, tents, or gear. Assure proper wind protection.

Practical Tips

Fire is the result of three ingredients: combustible material (wood), oxygen, and heat, also known as the fire triangle. If one is missing, you won’t get a fire. It is crucial to learn to identify which ingredient is missing. If there is insufficient oxygen, adding more wood will not help.
- Fires are often oxygen-limited, and blowing is often the cure. Smoke is a sign of incomplete combustion. If your fire only smokes and does not burn well, blow gently into the embers to supply oxygen. The added oxygen increases combustion, which creates heat. From our experience, it is better to blow gently over a longer period than to use short, forceful bursts.
- Sometimes heat is the missing ingredient, especially when burning thick, slow-burning wood. While blowing can still help, it is often more effective to mix in smaller pieces that burn quickly and generate the heat needed to keep larger pieces burning.
Find the right wood to burn. Often you can save a lot of time, energy, and frustration by spending a little more time finding the right wood.
- Always try to use dead and dry wood. Often you can judge moisture content by how the wood breaks: green or wet wood tends to bend rather than snap and will burn poorly while producing lots of smoke. This happens because moisture absorbs heat as it vaporizes. If the ground is wet, look for dead branches that are standing or hanging in trees. Removing bark can also help expose drier wood.
- Wood rich in resin and essential oils often burns very easily — sometimes too easily…
- You do not need large pieces of wood — twigs are enough. Smaller twigs ignite quickly, while thicker ones help maintain steady combustion. Choose sizes depending on your needs. Most twigs suitable for wood stoves can be broken by hand. If cutting is necessary, stepping on a branch or crushing it with a large stone often works well. You can also use leverage, for example by snapping wood over a crack or edge.
Getting the fire going: When starting a fire, the missing ingredient is usually heat. The goal is therefore to generate a lot of heat quickly.
- Fire starters help because they burn fast and produce high heat over a short time. Whenever paper or cardboard waste is available, it can be saved to light the stove later. Natural fire starters also work well, such as eucalyptus leaves, dry birch bark, or pine needles.
- A reliable lighter or good matches make a big difference. Jet-style “flamethrower” lighters are particularly effective.
- Start with small twigs and gradually build up to larger pieces.
Anticipate heat needs. Most wood stoves allow a wide range of heat output, but adjustments are delayed. It is therefore crucial to anticipate when high or low heat will be needed. For example, we feed a lot of wood to bring rice to a boil, but stop early enough to let it simmer over the remaining embers.
Use a Pot Cozy to store your sooty pot and prevent it from dirtying your bags.
Especially on long trips, it is wise to carry a backup option. We carry an alcohol stove with a minimal amount of fuel, to be used when cooking with fire is impossible or inappropriate. Alcohol can also serve as a fire starter in difficult conditions, for example when everything is wet.