Ultralight Woodburning Campstove

By Mike Lummio

As a lover of bushcraft and hater of heavy backpacks, I’ve always had a problem with petrol camping stoves. Not only do I dislike carrying around extra fuel bottles for extended stays in the backcountry, but the flame they produce seems better suited to welding than cooking. No wonder dehydrated meals are all the rage these days (unless, of course, you like your pancakes charcoal black in the middle and raw on the edges). With this in mind, I made the decision to set out in search of a stove which fit my needs. It would have to be small, lightweight, burn wood, and be made for cooking more than water.

After many fruitless months, I had come to the conclusion that I would just have to build my own. I had drawn out the plans and was preparing to buy the materials when I came across a folding campstove made by the Sterno company. It was sturdy, compact, and had a large cooking surface. It fit all my design criteria but for the fuel type. I decided to purchase it and see what I could do about the fuel issue. With a quick modification taking all of two minutes, I successfully converted the stove from using Sterno cans to a wood burning wonder.

The grilling surface of the Sterno Folding Stove measures 6.5”x 6.5” (16.5cm x 16.5cm), providing a heating area ideal for larger skillets or even baking simple breads. The unit is made of aluminum except for the cooking grate which is steel. The stove tips the scale at 10 oz. (0.28 kg) and folds flat, virtually disappearing in your pack. Setup is incredibly easy even with cold hands. Once you get the hang of it, the stove can be ready to go in under 30 seconds.

To convert this stove to wood, you’ll need a pair of pliers and some tinfoil. With the pliers, straighten out the metal wire stand which is designed to hold the Sterno can. You want to create a platform which extends as far back as possible to provide a flat shelf on which to place the wood. This modification improves performance by allowing more air to draft through the bottom, especially when fire is in its beginning stages. In addition, I generally place the stove on a double sheet of tinfoil. This closes the bottom of the stove which reflects more heat upward as well as keeping ashes and embers inside the stove. The use of foil also greatly reduces the chance of accidents and scarring of the ground.

Wood is loaded through the hinged door in the front of the stove. By placing larger pieces of wood on the bottom, good cooking embers will be produced once the fire is going. I’ve found that wide, flat pieces spanning the full width of the stove are best for this layer. On top of these pieces, place your tinder and fine kindling as you normally would. I always bring small balls of pine pitch wrapped in cotton fibers. They can be readily lit with matches or sparks from a firesteel and really get the fire going quickly. Pitch wood also works well, but neither of these is necessary for lighting; they just make things easier.

While the open bottom may seem to be a detriment at first, it actually adds versatility to the stoves usage. For example, I often place it over an open campfire when conditions or time constraints may not be conducive to constructing a tripod or similar apparatus to suspend the cookware. In these instances, I simply scrape out some hot embers and (without the foil) set the stove right on top.

There are certainly fancier examples of wood campstoves out there; some even contain battery powered fans which regulate the heat. Personally, I don’t find these features worth the extra weight and am perfectly content to control the fire by adding more wood through the door as needed. I’m not a big fan of gadgets and try to live by the K.I.S.S. principle as much as possible.

The Sterno Folding Stove is readily available at many camping stores or online and costs around $12.00 US. I hope this information is helpful to those of you looking for a lightweight, durable, and inexpensive alternative to petroleum campstoves.

Photos by K.G. Lummio

Photo #1: With the wires straightened and the foil in place, the conversion from Sterno to wood is complete.

Photo #2: Wood is loaded and added through the hinged door in the front.

Photo #3: The stove kicks out a lot of heat without acting like a blowtorch.