Here are my top 5 stoves when stealth camping. Some are ultra light for backpacking, some are smokeless and odourless. Some involve an open flame fire and others use liquid fuel or gas. Either way, all have their place and all are in my opinion great stoves!
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The Stoves (UK Links):
Silverfire Scout: amzn.to/3F8RkkR
Firebox Stove: fireboxstove.com/
BCB Crusader MK2: amzn.to/3tgBMZB (Trangia Burner: amzn.to/3Q8hdaH )
Hexi Stove: amzn.to/45saJIa
Fire Maple Gas Stove: amzn.to/3ZPdQbV
The Stoves (US Links):
Silverfire Scout: amzn.to/3F8RkkR
Firebox Stove: fireboxstove.com/
BCB Crusader MK2: amzn.to/46nwLx1 (not official but similar) (Trangia burner: amzn.to/45quQGC )
Hexi Stove: amzn.to/3QarVhd (similar)
Fire Maple Gas Stove: amzn.to/48YDeAv
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#stealthcamping #bushcraft #survival #camping
Which one is your favourite? Here’s the previous video from this one: kzhead.info/sun/fpWPo92Mr6egjY0/bejne.htmlsi=0zWzEEwKQfk_SOoB
Combine a small twig stove (Honey stove titanium) with a Trangia burner (it has a fitting plate). Gas stove : too noisy, too tall so stability can be a problem, too much waste (the gas can) ps . I was on exercise Crusader.
I carry both a firebox(made it my self) and a hexi stove. also a tip - you can burn twigs in a hexi, as it's something I do all the time. but anyways the reason you couldn't get the water to boil with the hexi, was because the fuel you used turned to a liquid as it burns. so you simply ended up wasting most of it though the air vents on the bottom.
I was using hexi stove for 15 years without need of buying something better. I am gonna try alcohol burner. That completely odorless alcohol is probably usable even in urban environment.
If you put fire rope into mint tin box and add there alcohol, you'll get probably lighter way to use military stove. That dragon snot isn't good fuel imo
One thing I usually count as a disadvantage is the requirement of a specific fuel. Trangia and that Firemaple are good stoves, but always require either gas or alcohol to operate. I prefer fireboxes for their low volume when packed, and you can basically burn any dry twig you can find in them. But I do understand this isn't something everyone would consider a disadvantage as gas and alcohol are easily available. My mindset just might be slightly on the "this has to work every time" side of things. And living in Finland, there's no real shortage of trees or twigs.
nope it's smart thinking
Samaa kas harmitellu ku polttista ei niin helepolla löyrä jokapaikasta
For the most efficient use of the gasifier stove, the first one in the video, you should pack it right with sticks. Then start a small fire on top of it. When done like that or will easily boil half a liter of water without adding any more sticks and will continue to burn after that. Sorry from that great video as usual.
Was gonna mention this as well. People don't really know how gasifier stove works, treating them just like twig stove, needing to add fuel on regular bases. I have the original BushBuddy that I tightly load up with finger thickness twigs and like you said, light a small fire starter on top. That boils a liter of water in about 8-9 minutes and there's still enough flame left for me to add more fuel.
In addition to adding sticks, e.g. when it's wet outside, you could bring a small bag with wood pellets - one portion filled to right under the holes for secondary burn should do for about 30-40 minutes.
And you can use your Trangia in it when you turn the burning chamber upside down 👍🏼
Trangia cookset , works quietly and in all weather conditions .
Good video. All I would add is that with the Trangia spirit burner, you need to let the flame bloom first, then put the pot on. It doesn't take long for it to bloom and then it would be running at full efficiency. Putting the pot on before it has bloomed is like putting a pot on the fire before you've got the fire properly going. If you'd waited until it bloomed, the time it would have taken would have been shorter. It's still much slower than a jet boil, but quiet.
Bloom?
@@BungawikawThe alcohol liquid itself doesn't burn very well, it's the vapour that burns much better. The trangia burner is designed to funnel that vapour up the sides and out of tiny little holes where it burns with much greater heat and efficiency than just the liquid fuel in the cup in the middle.
Load your gasification stove vertically with twigs, maximum thumb thick. Don't stuff it, but fill it. Put your fire starter on top, as it works best with a top down burn. You should get 40-50 minutes of burn time. You can also try it with wood pellets.
Both of my FireBox stoves work well with the Trangia burner and Hexamine solid fuel. They are made for these adaptations. The tiny Nano is pretty light weight while still being bulletproof. Great video as usual.
Hey Mike! My name is Dominic and I'm 11 years old. I really enjoy watching your bushcraft videos! You were kind of like an inspiration for me. In my woods, I have created what I call 7 Acres. It is a village of forts. So far I have built four freestanding forts, three lean to's, and two a- frames. I also just built my first Fire with flint and steel! I would really appriciate a response and some more bushcraft tips. - Dominic
Made my own firebox from an old pc case - cons pretty heavy - pro's I can actually stand on top of it with no problem (unless there is a fire lit inside). I love the stealth properties of spirit burners and the performance of gas burners but wood is free and readily available with no need to carry it. Recently made some fire lighters from sawdust and melted wax. Great and honest test mike
They actually sell some wax+straw fire lighters here. Maybe something to consider as well, if you want to try some alternate fuels for it. Dry straw, hay or whatever you wanna call it, bunched upt and cut to suitable length, add wax and you get nice cylindrical "fuel tablets".
I really enjoyed this video. I like comparing products without having to buy them all. Thanks 👍
I've been using a stove similar to the Firebox, but a tiny titanium version- weighing around 130g and packing to ~2 credit card thickness. Hobo stove is what I call it. I love it because I do not have to carry any fuel with me. I was able to boil water high up in the mountains, where there are no trees- just using dried cow dung. Also was able to find enough random branches to boil water on a boulder field next to a glacier. The amount of twigs you need, you will be able to find absolutely anywhere. 30s after cooking you can already pack it up as titanium doesn't hold the heat at all.
Sounds like my PicoGrill 85
Excellent video, highlighting the best options. All have their pros & cons. I like to combine the trangia with the firebox. The firebox has a special configuration where you can use the trangia in it. This gives me the choice of creating an easy, fast and stealthy fire with the trangia, or use the infinite resources of wood, depending on the situation.
That was a great stove test...keep it up enjoy all your knowledge and skills.
I love the firebox and also the methylated spirit one. The gasstove is the most convinient one. Love the videos BTW
Great video, thanks. I myself have been using my Firebox Nano just lately and I’m really enjoying it.
There are better esbit stoves on the market than the one you used and better solid fuel tablets, too! Great video, very informative. Thank you.
Excellently presented....... simple concise and to the point 🙂
I've used the first two types. I would add that the double-burning cylindrical stove reduced the wood to fine ash, which could be easily hid in a tactical situation, but the firebox left chunks unburned. The firebox was also messier, leaving more carbon on the pot. I've also used an Optimus 8 in higher altitudes, and it's always been great - of course, I needed to carry fuel.
Nice video Mike 👍👍. I propher the twig stoves, in the large version's ( due perpace) heat up / water, food. Plus small radiating heat sore 😊. Tho in the bush here in B.C 🇨🇦 , a true camp fire is better.
Yes, that's exactly how it is. I confirm about 3 stoves. Great video, lots of information here 👍
These videos are some of my favourite on KZhead 💙 from 🏴
Let the trangia bloom before putting pot on and you will almost half that boil time, placing pot on trangia as soon as its lit hinders the burn, cool video
We always get the boil test 😂 If you can’t wait 10 mins for a hot drink you are missing the whole point of being outdoors 😩
Most of the time I’m making tea/coffee over a campfire. Takes a lot longer than 10 minutes when you include collecting materials but I love it.
@@TAOutdoorsexactly it’s what it’s all about 👍🏾
Loved this episode!
Thanks a lot for the presentation and evaluation. I very much like the way you present the facts. Since I got a bushy 500m² piece of land for use I am also interested in ways to shape this land for my feathered friends. I got the tip of you how to lay mainly cut hazels for creating a hedge. I will try this - thanks for this also. Take care. 😊 Ralf
Hi Mike. I have both the firebox stove and the Firebox Nano. They can both be used as twig stoves or with Trangia burner if you you want to be more stealthy. Keep up the good work. 😎🇬🇧
Good to know! Seems to be a lot of people use the Nano so I’ll definitely give it a go
I had the 1st and the 3rd style of stoves. I chose them since it is very suitable for backpacking. No need gasoline, oil,...just need wood. Sometime I bring a shovel along to create Dakota fire hole. That one is also smokeless and burns very efficiently too.
I have a stove similar to the silver fire scout. The most efficient fire for the stove is similar to a top down fire. In short fill the stove up with twigs, add the tender and ignition at the top and let the stove burn. I can get a 1 hour worth of fire and 1 hour worth of coals out of the stove with this method. The method you used was the constant feed method, which as the name suggest you need to feed the stove constantly.
1h total is plausible, but 1h each is crazy unbelievable
cool video. i mainly use a gas burner myself because of their power but always carry a solid fuel box as backup. they do work best for me if i use one big tablet for a cup of instant coffee and then refuel with twigs for a miniature camp fire and cooking
Great stove comparison. That first one would be my favorite. 👍
For backpacking/camping - Pocket Rocket 2 w/ a titanium pot large enough to nest the unit and canister. Obscenely light. There's a reason it's the choice of many thru backpackers out for weeks or months at a time. If you're into bushcraft, survival, or prepping.....Always go with a wood burner. Your canister will run out, burnable resources won't.
For the hexi stove I use a tea light candle holder stuffed with kitchen roll that I soak in methylated spirit that works a treat, it can fit 3 if you want back ups or to boil faster
Hello from Australia. I have a biolite twig stove. Pretty cool stove, Fan forced, no smoke and creates electricity to power your gear. Enjoy your channel, thank you. Ray.
Thank you for sharing ✌️🙏🤟
thanks for sharing this👍
Couple of thoughts. Since you are judging these stoves in the context of "stealth camping" I would be interesting to also hear your impressions on how noisy are each of the contestants. Also, regarding Hexi stove, I use mine with small twigs, similarly as you showed in your Silverfire Scout example. I bet few of those would have finished the job with those 500ml of water. Other than that - great piece of content, thank you!
Interesting that the hexi can be used with twigs, thanks
Great video Mike,I've got a Coleman's petrol stove and it's quick to boil water and cooking food!!👍
Me too. Mine is the featherlite and it’s actually very efficient working really well in the cold. I find a full tank lasts for ages which makes it great when fishing.
@@wonkysfishingtalesyeah you are right it does last a long time. I've got a petrol lantern too and thats brilliant for light when night fishing!!!
Hexi for the size. I use an alcohol Puck Stove rather than Dragon Fuel. Seems a bit quicker to reach a boil. Other than that, for warmth and cooking/boiling water on an overnighter, I use my Ti Bushbox XL. I also have a Lixada folding stove (£19.00) and a Wild Camping International Titanium twig stove too which are both amazing and you can use an alcohol puck stove in them.
You can add sticks to that next to last stove you reviewed. I typically use a scrap of the fuel just to start, and then feed twigs, as you did with the others
Methylated spirit is only odourless if you have no sense of smell. To everyone else, it has a very distinctive smell, and it hangs around.
I picking up the camp stove, tin mugs & cook set, & the gas lantern in lidl a few months ago. And 4 canisters of gas, total €100. I'd definitely give them a good 2 thumbs up.
For the record: the 7 Gurkha's which visited the same bothy as I did last week, used Jetboil stoves. Not the toys from Hexi (or Esbit for that matter). On the other hand, they also used > €1.000 tents from Terra Nova (Quasar or perhaps Expedition Quasar) instead of other gear. So perhaps they are in a different league than the regular military.
Hi from Newfoundland Canada great video Mike buddy the gas stove and twig stoves are my go to
Cheers!
I have found with Hex the more you used the more heat thus a quicker boil. A substitute using the same stand is petroleum jelly (Vaseline) soaked cotton wool balls. Cheers.
I got a smaller version of the first stove off ali-express, titanium one that fits inside of a billy can/cup I bought perfectly making a nice compact package, only downside is being a little smaller it doesn't boil to the point of bubbling but it does reach boiling temp, arguably better for saving water, although with dryer wood it would probably boil more easily. to light I squirt hand sanitizer onto the kindling and ignite from underneath if I have a lighter.
Learn to make a top down fire instead, which is how it is designed, and you’ll have much better results. You’ll notice it isn’t made to keep adding fuel - it’s made to be pre packed and lit and burned once. It’ll burn for 30 mins with a proper load
Hello, My favorite combo is a bushcraft essentials bushbox LF titanium with a trangia alcohol burner. This gives me the advantages of a twigs box in case of need and the alcohol burner "invisibility" for a quite small and light enough stove system.
I believe it's worth noting that all of the current Firebox models will support use of Trangia or alcohol burner. You can also use solid fuel tablets. Some of them may require an accessory add on to do so. My Firebox Nano will boil a liter of water in under 10 minutes with wood and still have burn time left, if I load it right. Steve has a bunch of videos on You Tube showing the different methods for loading your Firebox stove. Great Video! Thanks for sharing.........
The Svea 123 (made in Sweden but more recently in China..) is very compact with the aluminium pot acting as outer shell protection, saucepan or drinking mug. Fuel is 'white spirit', aka Shellite. Quick, noisy, blue flame, robust, small and gleaming brass. A friend gave me his which he bought in 1976. Indestructable.
Hi Mike. I have used the hexamine stove as a double boiler to heat my food. It works well but I wrap the bottom of my pot/cup in tinfoil to keep soot under control
Good idea . Think I might have to pinch that . Thank you
Hi Mike another great vid, I’m sure the Hexi stove is designed to be buried this should reduce boil times. All the best
Regarding the Hexi Stove, Esbit - and probably other manufacturers - sell versions with a little wind shield. That protects - obviously - from wind, stabilizes the construction a lot, and as a last benefit it makes it somewhat usable to also burn twigs after one ran out of fuel.
I have two sets of the first twig stove. It burns extremely hot, so I'm a bit confused it took as long as it did. However the biggest advantage you forgot to mention is that you can use anything for fuel. My preferred fuel is wood pellets. It packs nicely inside the stove when hiking. It's a struggle to boil potatoes though, I admit 😂
Hello, nice video. Very nice comparison. If I could put it this way, a Firedragon should be tamed in a bowl, then it is more effective, otherwise it melts too much. Trioxane is also recommended for the Hexamine folding cooker if you want it to be invisible. When it comes to bushboxes, I can highly recommend the X-Fire from Bergzeux. Many greetings from Germany
Awesome content
With the trangia mini, you can use the stand as a hexamine burner if you run out of alcohol. I just line the stamd with aluminum foil as hexamine leaves a lot of soot
My son and I used one of these when his scout troop went to Philmont here in the states.
I've done quite a few music festivals, I can vouch for the trangia and 3 x 3 1/2 inch nails as the minimal stove, drop the nails in the centre and they form a tripod poking up from the middle. Use a large tin mug as a pot. enough to boil for a brew or two in the morning and heat water for a wash before the days festivities start.
the firebox nano is my preferred stove, I use it with twigs and sticks, a trangia burner or a gas canister depending on the circumstances.
The trangia stove will fit inside the wood gasifier stove making it two stoves instead of just a wood burning stove. That model did not come with a solid fuel plate so you cannot burn one inside. I use a meetsu stove that has a solid fuel plate but added a spirit burner as well. This way I can use the three options combined in one stove. And it acts like the perfect wind block for concentrating heat towards the top except for the solid fuel. You have to invert the burner chamber to raise it higher, but pretty much boils about the same time you tested yours. You might want to find a burner plate to add to the stove and using your trangia…, maybe not the big version but one will fit inside and all can be stored when collapsed. So the options are then combined for stealth and warmth depending on the situation to avoid bad people. SEMPER FI
I'm a big fan of alcohol stoves, I have a couple different setups for them. I also really like my Firebox Nano with twigs or an alcohol burner.
My dad used to use a Trangia to boil water when we were out in the woods or mountains, but it was incredibly slow, especially during the cold Norwegian winters, so we got a Primus burner (Butane gas) and we have never looked back since. Faster, more weatherproof, and easier. We have tried some gasoline burners that run pretty much the same way, but find them much harder to ignite.
Tip: For the alcohol burners, the alcohol freezes in sub-zero weather. You need to keep it warm. You need to keep the fuel bottle close to your body heat or you need to pre-heat the burner. Gas stoves and gasoline stoves might work great in sub-zero temperatures but during hunting trips, the game will hear your km away. During stealth camping, the people will also hear your km away. Thar's a No-No. I use Esbit/Coghlan's Solid fuel. It's silent and can be used as Firestarter to start a campfire if need be. Thanks
Pure butane struggles at +5C, you are thinking of Isobutane which is a propane blend.
@@nickcasolino8903alcohol don't freeze
One thing I've noticed about wood gas stove is that a good gust of wind can blow out the flame , and you are left with a smoke signalling device , can also be challenging to get flame going again
Nice ! Useful, interesting video )
nice video. as a side note, if you're concerned about the flames being visible, then I would recommend adding a trowel to your pack. you can dig a small hole in the ground and place your cooking gear in it to cook. i use the Wilcox 251S 11" All-Pro Trowel with their sheath. it's only 9 ounces extra and is very strong and stainless steel. cheers!
Dakota fire hole style?
Thank you 🌲🙏🌲
BCB make a hexi-style folding stove that has a deep channel to hold a melted Firedragon gel cube. The one you used is for solid hexi fuel tablets and so it poured a lot of the melted fuel out onto the ground which is why it performed so poorly. I use Firedragon gel cubes quite a bit and they are very good. I would also note that white tablet hexamine fuel has a very strong smell which carries a long way, I would not use it for any stealth application. Jetboil type stoves are greatly improved with a gas cannister stabilizing stand which are cheap and light weight and really help.
Hi Mike, FireDragon have their own adapted folding Hexamine style stove. It has a place for the firedragon cubes, as well as a windbreak for the back of the stove
I use one of these regularly can normally get a coffee done with similar volume (350-500ml) with 1.5 blocks using a yugo mess kit and a USGI canteen pot, for the stove what I like to do is if I’m setting one up I actually buy 2 stoves since they’re so cheap and cannibalise the windbreaker from the spare and use both, found it to be more efficient, more stable for the pots and with 3 blocks and both windbreakers the stove still closes almost completely flat
@PreppedScots I've done the same, cannibalised a second one for dual windbreak. Mine lives in my car boot in the emergency kit with a cheap Poundland Mess Tin and metal cup, just so I can have something warm if I ever break down. The only Downside to dual windbreak for me, is being able to top the gel fuel up again without knocking it/catching my hands on it due to limited dexterity
@@Fudgie05 got one in my main mess kit on my shtf webbing and a second in my wee day kit which is also in the car during the winter, if the fire dies then I use the actual gel block pack as a air guide to plonk it in otherwise I kinda wing it also, but risky but it gets the job done
@PreppedScots That's not a bad idea using the pack to guide it in if the flames have gone. I bought one for all the drivers in the family with cheap lighters to keep in the cars
@@Fudgie05 cracking wee pieces of kit that get the job done, I’ve got a gas stove and everything but i always coke back to those wee things, don’t know why lmao
As an europeaan I absolutely recommend trangia stoves.
Firebox is the best way to go. You don't need any fuel, you have an almost endless supply of branches in the forest which is a heavy advantage! Combine it with a Dakota Firehole and enjoy.
I like the xboil 😅 For burning wood, I use the X-Fire 14 UL 😊👍
The Swedish M40 is good for a Trangia stove and can be used as a twig stove, and it's got two pots.
I've got a Honey stove, nice to cook on and as a fire to keep you warm but not very stealthy.
Great video. The worst of all is hexamine. It barely works, really stinks, ends up being heavy. Rather any stove than those
9:03 I love this stove. I have the WWII german one but their the same.
The meths burner in you use in the crusader system works better with wind getting to it. The boil time on a still day will be longer than on a windy day. Counter intuitive but it's why you have holes/vents on trangia style stoves.
Dakota fire hole is the lightest ,Swiss volcano includes a water carrier,love my old pocket rocket
Trangia is the best 👌
Would be interesting to also do a time to boil time comparison but start timing from the unpacking of the stove.
cool vidofnice stoves thanks lee
So, we used nothing but hexi stoves (we called them a "kocher") in basic training and they were brilliant; cooks water quick enough to enjoy a cuppa during a quick 10-minute break (I had water always boil in around 5mins) _and_ they're small enough to warm up a pup tent😁
if your worried about flames being seen, pack a stainless or titanium flat pack wind guard that's high enough to be higher than the stove. might need 2
Your awesome and awesome video
I have two of those stoves. Sliver scout stove.
Ace stuff mike
The third one for me.
with the Gas stoves , you can fill a hot water bottle with any remaining water to help keep you warm. Better than a fire keeping u warm as if will be in your sleep system or under your clothes.
You can feed the hexistove with small sticks, funkyprepper did that in his 1980's infantery kit overnighter camp. You should also test several of the diffrent d i y solid fuels that there is loads of videos of on youtube. And share of what d i y fuel that sre the most efficient. I think that eould make a good continuation video onwards.
Any of these stoves would be a good choice for minimalist camping. I like the flat-folding Fire Maple stove.
Hi Mike, I have a wild stoves gasifier stove and a fire trough mini, I know it defeats being in the woods,but they both work well with wood pellets, I haven't tried it but apparently 300g Burns for 45min, Ideal if it's wet tho,and you obviously don't need to keep feeding it,
Meant to say,the wood stove fits in an msr 775ml pot,
Bushbuddy/solostove still my favourite after many years. As i use them months in a row....
I got the small solo stove free when I got the big one and I use it so much more !! But I'm unsure the best way to boil water on it because I'm sure you need acess to the top to feed it. Is there a raised attachment or something you use
I have never heard a 'trangia' called that before, I've heard the English 'tranger' and the Swedish 'tranga' but this is a new one on me.
Nice
Nice video but you forgot to mention one advantage of the wood gas stove: more efficient and less smoke than a traditional fire box. 😊 In addition I wouldn’t suggest to heat tuna in its can, cans release nasty toxins from the inner coating…
Hexi stove dinner with solid fuel block: 1 French stick, ketchup, American mustard, tin of hot dogs. Take the paper off the hot dog tin. Use penknife can opener to open the tin lid halfway. Pour out a little of the brine to stop it overboiling. Light hexi stove and place tin on top. Cut the very end off the French stick. Cut the test of the stick into lengths a little longer than your hot dogs. Either tear out or smush fingers into the centre of the bread to create a tunnel, but leave the far end sealed with bread. Drizzle in the ketchup and mustard to suit. Once the hot dogs have booked, use the pliers on your penknife on the lid to lift the hot dog tin off the stove. By now, the solid fuel block has about had enough anyway, or nearly so. Don't drain the brine, as you'll need that to keep the rest of the hot dogs warm, while you eat this. Use any other relevant implement to take 2 hog dogs from the tin and place in the centre of your bread tunnel. Eat and enjoy! When you reach the end of your tunnel, you shouldn't have had any sauce drop onto your clothes! Enjoy the rest of your stick and dogs, or "tube steaks" as some Americans call them!
9:30 I've found that you need two Firedragon tabs in *from the start* to boil the crusader mk2 cup, another problem is they melt as they burn and can burn the ground underneath the stove if you are using a esbit or similar designed for hexi. They are still better than hexi IMO.
Thanks for the comparison, very interesting. Can you post a link please for the lid for the bcb cup!
Erm... hate to break it to you Mike but you set the hexamine stove upside down. Despite the instructions it's best to always have the sides fully unfolded and locked at 90' to the base & push the wavy "teeth" edges deep into the ground for stability. If the ground is hard scrape some slits with your knife. This method places the fuel tablet closer to your pot, protects from wind, & helps the water boil quicker. The "top" pan supports are now flat & closer together so you can heat mugs without wobbling or spillage. Although the original military issue stoves had instructions showing both methods, 50 years of trial and error by British soldiers proved this way is better.
To Fitzcarraldo we must listen. Er will seinen oper bauen!
Junior littlbug for me. Works as a wood stove or windshield for meths burner. Very light too, about 170 grams including bag. I would like to try a gasifier stove but they all seem to be relatively heavy and not as flexible.
Check out the mkettle, works off solid fuel or methylated spirit.
Jetboil zip is good too… almost same.