Best Wood Burning Backpacking Stove for Camping

Serious campers know the importance of a backpacking stove. Those camping trips of yours would not have been that great without good food to eat. Warm, freshly cooked food is the essence of every camping adventure, and it is possible only when you have a good stove that lets you prepare some delicious meals.With time your backpacking stoves have become much more versatile and compact and can be easily carried along. There is a wide array of options to choose from, hence to make things easier for you, here we provide a list of best wood burning backpacking stoves that can make your camping adventure much more fun and memorable.

Best Wood Burning Backpacking Stove Reviews in 2021

How We Tested the Best Wood burning Camp Stove

We have tested 24 top rated and most popular items on the marketplace and tested it in our lab and also used some of them for our outdoor camping trips to get the first-hand experiences. To get a better idea and see what others are thinking, we have gone through a lot of Wood Burning Backpacking Stoves reviews as well.

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Comparing them all, we have left with the 7 top wood burning backpacking stoves. Here are the reviews and details of features below you can see to judge which suits with your trip perfectly.

Solo Stove Lite Wood Burning Stove

Best Compact Backpacking Stove

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Solo Stove Lite is the backpacking stove for serious backpackers and survivalists. With it’s patented and lightweight stainless-steel design, it is an efficient and convenient wood burning backpacking stove.

It burns hotter fires due to its distinct airflow design wherein there are holes at the bottom as well as the top of the stove to take in the air for proper combustion. Thus, it produces fuller fires that burn the fuel properly and cook the food quickly.

Also, efficient fuel burning means that there is less smoke troubling your eyes. So, if you are planning for comfortable cooking during your hike, then this one will be the right fit.

What makes it one of the best backpacking wood stoves is its lighter weight and compact size. You can carry it while you are on the hike, or in middle of you cycling ride to the destination your camping area. The weight will not hurt your shoulder and the size will keep it simple.

Another thing I liked is this compact, cylindrical stove offers a more efficient and practical way to cook food during camping.

And did we tell you it is quite economical?

Of course, you be will use wood fuel to light the fire which costs you nothing. Further, its secondary combustion feature allows for proper fuel burning that means you will use less of wood. It is a smart product for smart campers.

Our Thought

In our backpacking wood stove review section, this one my personal favorite. That’s because I don’t like weight and I don’t like heavy size. And to me, this one is the best portable designed wood stoves that give decent performance in all common kinds of cooking during camping.This one is little bigger and heavier than the Solo Stove 900 Pot, but it gives way better performance than the 900 models.In our test, the cooking was quick and fuel efficient, one very important thing on backpacking trips. We also loved the fact that it can burn the twigs, pinecones and tiny woods which are available in the most campgrounds.

Pros

• Compact design that makes more room for other backpacking essentials.
• Lightweight and easy to carry during hiking adventures.
• Uses wood fuel like twigs, pinecones, etc., that you can easily find around the campsite.
• check It is fuel efficient and can boil around 34 oz of water in about 8-10 minutes.

Cons

• You need to be a little patient as unlike canister stoves it requires a bit more effort to kindle.

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BioLite CampStove 2 Wood Burning Camping Stove

Best Modern Wood Burning Hiking Stove

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If you have thought that your backing stove can only cook food for you, you have been underestimating technology. The future of backpacking stoves, BioLite Camp Stove 2 is a camping asset.

This is the best wood burning hiking stove in terms of technology. Using the built-in battery, it can serve many purposes. You can not only boil water or cook food with it but can also charge your mobile devices. It can be so much important in any survival needs to have the touch of technology like charging your GPS or juicing last minutes of your mobile phones.

What I was impressed with this stove is its patented technology. The thermoelectric generator present in the stove converts heat from the fire into electricity which can be used to mobile devices.  Moreover, the excess of power gets stored in an internal battery which can be used later.

Besides, the stove also has inner fan jets that properly circulate the air in the burning chamber ensuring proper combustion of fuel and less production of smoke. This efficient stove produces about 90% less smoke than open-air fires thus helping you cook faster with little smoke. For this technology it is also one of the It is also the best twig stove options you can find in the market.

Another thing to love about this BioLite Stove is the sturdy built quality, it is really impressive and essential to use for the roughest trail hiking and then using it in camping. If you accidentally fell from anywhere, you can be pretty sure about the stove being unharmed because of its unmatched durability.

Our Thought

​In any list of best backpacking wood stove, this one will have a spot for the technology it uses. We tested this one for its advanced technology and we quite liked it. We were pretty happy with the durable built quality as well.Despite the techs, it maintains the fuel management pretty well, thumbs up for the internal fan jet and efficient design.Well, the price is on the higher side, so this is one factor to think twice before buying this stove. Also, modern technology means a little more complicacy to handle.However, the overall design, quality, and option make this one a good choice for having in your backpack.

Pros

• Comes in a durable and portable design with folding legs
• The in-built charging battery keeps you connected with the world
• The internal fan jet can be set to four different speeds to make cooking easier
• check It can accommodate pots of various sizes
• It efficiently uses the fuel for faster cooking and can boil about one lire of water in about 4minutes

Cons

• A bit expensive than other wood-burning backpacking stoves.
• Its battery may take a bit more time to charge your electronic devices.

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Firebox Bushcraft Camp Stove Kit

Most Durable Multi Fuel Stove in Our List

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Firebox Bushcraft Camp Stove Kit is the most versatile backpacking stove meant for the real foodies who live to eat. I loved it for the versatility and the available accessories coming with it. A lot of food toys for an enthusiast like me.

It is one of the most convenient backpacking stoves that can burn fire using various fuels including twigs and charcoal. So, if you want to enjoy your time with different tasty meals with your family or foe, then the versatile fire may come real handy. It comes with a boiling plate, ash can and four firesticks and provides for different fueling methods thus offering a lot more choice regarding cooking.

What will impress you with the stove is the build quality, which is really awesome for the roughest outdoor uses. It is made to endure a lot of abuses and to live long. So, if you are a classical outdoor camper, you will surely like the quality of Firebox Bushcraft 2 5 inches/ G2-5″ Stainless Steel Camping Stove.

Though collapsible, this firebox unlike other burning stoves is large and provides for more effective cooking with the highest BTU output. Its design ensures proper combustion of fuel and does not need you by its side to tend the fire.

It is easy to maintain and use. For most of the backpacker, this simple design will let them use it without any hassle in the tiring days.

Despite the size and sturdy build quality, it is not that tough to carry. Thanks to the manufacturer for the smart foldable design, that lets you carry it in your backpack.

The overall quality and the performance will make sure you will like this stove for your next camping trip.

Our Thought

​​In one sentences, we were happy with the quality, weight – portability and user experience of this stove. It is one of the best durable wood burning camp stoves we tested, so you can rely on this stove n tougher trips.We liked how easy it was to start off and make some quick meal. The other thing we loved is how hot it gets very quickly, making the tea and coffee in some minutes.However, we have used this camping stove on several occasion and assembling it wasn’t really easy at first. But after few uses, it gets easier.Also, the price is on the higher side. So, you have to consider this before buying this stove.

Pros

• A collapsible and portable design which is extremely lightweight
• Does not require frequent fuel feeding
• Provides flexibility regarding fuel and cooking
• check Fuel efficient and can boil two cups of water in about 2.5 minutes
• A large stove that can accommodate a variety of pots

Cons

• A bit expensive than other wood-burning stoves.
• You will need some amount of practice to assemble the stove.

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Firebox Bushcraft Camp Stove Kit

Best Affordable Wood Burning Backpacking Stove

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If you have been looking for a light weighted and practically simple and easy to use a backpacking stove, then this Toaks Titanium Backpacking stove is the product meant for you. It is the best wood burning camp stove for you if you are looking for an excellent mix up of affordability, portability and fuel efficiency.  It got the Outdoor INDUSTRY AWARD in 2015 for various reason.

What I like about this stove is the portability. Made of titanium this stove is extremely light and provides for compact storage with its three detachable parts that can fit inside one another and can be stored easily in your cooking set. So, you can just totally forget about the hassle of carrying it behind you on the trail.

The main benefit it has over the Firebox Bushcraft Camp Stove Kit is its excellent fuel management. It is impressively fuel-saving options for the superb design, that stops the passing wind to cause any problem in burning and thus save the fuel.

Though light, the model is quite sturdy and provides for natural fire lighting. You won’t feel much difference in terms of uses despite the weight and the small design. It can nest 1000ml and 1600 pots. So, no worries of choosing this one over the BioLite CampStove.

You can kindle it quickly as it is comparatively small in size and enjoy great food during extreme hiking.

Our Thought

​​​It is probably one of the smallest wood burning stoves in the market which actually gives fuel for proper food preparation. We loved its design. When checking in for the performance, we were decently happy with this TOAKS Backpacking Wood Stove. Thus, a small wood-burning camp stove fits inside your backpack (which has a big size) easily and the light design keeps you active and full of enthusiasm. You might have to double check as to whether you have put it in your bag or not.However, using it on the ground wasn’t really easy for us. We needed a plain surface to make the stove stable. A plane surface is a quite difficult thing to find in the rocky woods, right?

Pros

• An extremely lightweight and collapsible stove
• Easy to assemble and use
• It is a convenient and fuel-efficient option
• check Much cheaper than other wood-burning backpacking stoves

Cons

• Stability might be an issue when placed on uneven ground
• You need to feed it frequently for a consistent flame

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kampMATE WoodFlame Ultra Lightweight Portable Wood Burning Camping Stove

Best Portable Wood Stove for Survival & Emergency

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Looking for the best emergency and survival stoves that can be fit in a small bag and can be carried around rather easily? Yes, the kampMATE WoodFlame Stove is ideal for the worst kind of situation, when you are in your toughest moment. Also, it is perfect for any backpacking and camping trips as well.

This ultralight backpacking wood stove comes with Stainless Steel with Nylon Carry Case. The steel makes the built quality sturdy enough to survive in the woods and sometimes in pressure and high temperature. The high-quality stainless steel that does not warp even at high temperature.

Tell you what, with this light and yet stove, you can easily arrange long hiking trips and larger groups. This wood burning stove is large thus burns stronger fires for more substantial meals. It’s a big bonus considering you can carry it easily enough using the collapsible feature and compact design. Besides, its multi-fuel feature makes it a versatile option for camping.

As I said this stove comes in collapsible design and folds compactly not taking up much space in your backpack, it is a bit heavier than other wood stoves available. So, before buying this, you may want to have a look at the weight.

Being large; the stove requires more fuel to burn, but its smart design with proper ventilation ensures hotter flame. In all, if you are looking for a compact wood burning stove at an affordable price, then this camping stove is no doubt a good option.

Our Thought

​​​​Using this item was a much better experience than many higher priced popular brands. We liked the stainless steel high grade-built quality, which is extremely sturdy even with a bigger bow weight on it.We have tested this stove in a higher heat to check and we were sure that it won’t warp from dangerous heat. Also, this stove was easy to set up and use. We were also impressed with the design that keeps the heat to cook larger meals.Well, it has some weight, so it is not actually ideal to keep in the backpack. And the other thing that became a problem is it takes more fuel than the other backpacking wood stoves. So, you need to consider this also.

Pros

• Collapsible and compact design
• Can be ignited using different fuels
• A cost-effective option
• check Suitable for cooking larger meals
• Proper air ventilation provides efficient fuel combustion

Cons

• Heavy compared to other wood burning backpacking stoves
• Requires more fuel and needs to be fed frequently

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What is a Wood Burning Camping Stove?

A camping adventure does not complete without good food. Having delicious, warm food amidst the wild is a lovely experience. And if you have been outdoorsy, then probably you have been carrying out those large, heavy stoves with a substantial amount of fuel to last through your camping.

Camping stoves are indeed essential for backpackers but carrying them can be a struggle. But times have changed and so have the backpacking stoves. These have become much lighter and compact; some are the size of your palm. So now you carry them without any trouble.

Types of Backpacking Stoves

There are four main types of backpacking stoves available in the market:

• Canister stoves,
• Wood fuel stoves,
• Liquid fuel stoves, and
• Alcohol fuel stoves.

All the stoves have their set of advantages and disadvantages; however, if you are looking for a cheaper and a more sustainable option, then wood burning backpacking stove should be your pick.

A wood-burning backpacking stove uses wood fuel to light the fire, i.e., it can make use of energy stored in pine cones, twigs, branches and biomass to light up the fire to cook food.

A wood burning camping stove is growing quite popular among backpackers for its numerous advantages. One of the primary reasons for its popularity is that it provides much convenience.

As you go for camping in the wild, wood fuel is available at the camping site; hence you do not need to carry a large amount of fuel with you and do not need to worry about fuel exhaustion continually.

Main Advantage of Wood Burning Backpacking Stove

Also, wood fuel is available for free; so, the stove is quite economical in the long run. Another advantage of this wood burning stove is that it does not use chemically synthesized fuels that emit harmful compounds in the air during combustion.

Thus, it is environment-friendly. Not to forget, cooking food on wood adds a great flavor to your dish which you are going to love.

What to Consider for Buying the Best Backpacking Wood Stove

With so many backpacking stove options available, it can be quite tricky to figure out what would be the best for you. Here we have listed out some points that you should look for in a backpacking stove. These can help you in making the correct choice.

Weight

You are buying a backpacking stove because probably you will go hiking and camping which means you will have to carry some essential stuff with you along with the stove and the fuel.

A big stove might not be a good option as in that case you will have to sacrifice on other things. Hence you must go for lighter options.

A wood burning stove can be ideal regarding weight as you will not have to carry fuel along with it.

Material

The type of material, your stove is made of decides on its weight.

While older camping stoves used to be quite a bit heavy, the modern stoves that are made using stainless steel or titanium are incredibly light.

Space

You must check as to how compact your stove can be. Can it be folded to occupy minimal space?

The lesser the space your stove occupies, the more is the room in your backpack for the other things.

Efficiency

The efficiency of your stove is a prominent deciding factor on whether you should buy a particular stove or not.

A fuel-efficient stove will use less energy for cooking food which means you will have to carry lesser fuel with you. Further, it will ensure proper combustion of fuel, producing less smoke.

If you are going for a wood burning stove, then an efficient stove will not require you to feed in wood regularly which makes cooking much more convenient and hassle-free.

Functionality

In case you are going camping in extreme conditions, then you must consider whether the stove that you are taking along will work in those conditions or not. Boiling at higher elevations takes longer than usual; hence you need to take along a camping stove that provides for quick boiling.

Another vital factor to consider is the weather condition. Some stoves like canister stoves are difficult to ignite at cold temperatures.

Cooking meals

The kind of stove you should take along also depends on the size of your cooking meals. Most backpackers take along a stove for their individual cooking needs; in such a case, a small stove will do.

However, if you are considering community cooking for a group of three to four people wherein you will have to prepare large meals, then you will have to pick stoves that can light heavy fires over extended periods for convenient cooking.

Shape

Backpacking stoves come in three main designs: round, rectangle and pyramid. The round or cylindrical stoves occupy substantial space and can be difficult to carry, but these heat up faster and uniformly.

On the other hand, rectangle and pyramid stoves can be broken down into flat parts that are easy to pack. These can also be assembled quickly.

So, these were the significant factors that you must look into while deciding upon a backpacking stove.

Safety Considerations while using wood burning camping stoves

Wood burning backpacking stoves are pretty easy to carry and simple to use, but there are some safety measures that you must take while cooking food on them. Following are the precautions that one must follow while using wood burning camping stoves:

• Use proper wood fuel like hardwood of maple, ash or oak that can ignite easily and provides a steadier flame. Also, make sure that the wood is air-dried.
• Place the stove on level ground to prevent it from tripping.
• Some stoves require frequent feeding; hence you need to keep a check on the fire
• The stoves come with feeding chambers, add in wood carefully from these chambers while the stove is burning.
• After cooking the food, let the stove cool down before touching it.
• Do not keep the stove while in use over an explosive
• You must clean your stove properly after regular intervals so that it functions properly.

Final Thought

Wood burning stoves are indeed an economical buy for backpackers. However, these now come in innumerable options that can make it difficult to make a correct choice.

Every wood burning stove has the unique features that differentiate it from the others.

Some wood burning stoves come in futuristic designs while others offer a more traditional experience. There are numerous cheap options available, but you must also consider the efficiency and functionality of the stoves before picking one.