Ditched my old coleman propane stove for a wood burning one after a trip got canceled due to gas shortages

Last summer, I drove 3 hours to a spot in the Smokies only to find every store sold out of propane canisters, so I sat there eating cold beans. Switched to a Bushbuddy Ultra wood stove that runs on twigs and pine cones, and now I don't worry about fuel at all on weeklong trips. Has anyone else had luck with wood stoves in wet conditions or do you still carry a backup canister?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah91722d ago

Hold up, I gotta push back on this. Wood stoves sound good in theory but they're a pain in reality. I've been in the Smokies during a rainy stretch and trying to find dry twigs to feed a Bushbuddy is like hunting for a needle in a haystack. You spend half your time scrounging for fuel instead of enjoying the trail. And if it's been raining for a couple days straight, everything's soaked and your stove is basically a smoke machine. I always carry one backup propane canister, it's small and light, and it means I'm never stuck eating cold food again. Plus, wood stoves leave ash and soot all over your cook kit, which is annoying to clean in the backcountry. I'd rather just check the gas supply before I leave and pack an extra canister than gamble on finding dry fuel.

ivan8222d ago

But are you really checking the gas supply before every trip, or is it one of those things you tell yourself you'll do and then forget until you're three miles in and realize your canister's half empty? I've done that dance too many times. Seems like both options have a failure point, just depends on which one you'd rather risk.