Burning Wood The Entire Way?

[Spokes]

I used an alcohol stove on my thru hike bust was wondering if anyone here burned wood in something like an Emberlit stove all the way? Using available materials is becoming more and more appealing to me.

Thoughts and perspective?

[gpburdelljr]

The Barefoot Sisters used a wood stove.

[Just Tom]

Shared a site with a thru hiker a few weeks ago in Mass that was using a Solo wood stove. About 8 or 9 ounces I think?Large fuel canister and stove probably weighs the same.

[Spokes]

Thanks gpburdelljr. I found an old 2015 thread on WB where folks argued wood burners were too much trouble.

Can't imagine picking up sticks is that hard. I guess in prolong wet conditions it might get dicey. Soot is a consideration but that can be remedied by waiting for a good bed of coals to develop before using your pot.

What am I missing here?

[egilbe]

Only for awhile. They switched to canister stoves for real cold weather, which is funny.

[cmoulder]

Messier and more of a hassle to tend.

I've never done a thru but have done a bunch of multi-day hikes, a few times using an Emberlit Mini (which they stopped making in favor of the FireFly, IIRC). It totally worked and it was cool not having not to worry about fuel. I've also used the TD Sidewinder w/Inferno insert for wood, and it works fine as well... it can boil a liter of water on one load of sticks. If you want a small twig fire, it's easy enough to use 3 rocks to make a pot stand and pile some twigs under it. PJCs (petroleum jelly cottonballs) make for excellent, long-burning, easily-lit tinder.

But now I'm almost all alky (occasionally Esbit) for 3-season and canister in winter.

[rafe]

Not the entire way but for a couple hundred miles. It was a Sierra Zip stove. Eventually gave up on it for a number of reasons, but mostly seeing how quick and clean modern canister stoves are, by comparison.

For someone definitely not-in-a-hurry, the Zip might make sense. But for a thru or section hiker trying to save ounces and make miles, it didn't seem like the best choice.

[swjohnsey]

Met some young guys using wood. Not sure if they made it all the way or not.

[nsherry61]

Fun to play at for a few days/nights. Aesthetically pleasing. Slow, dirty, and high maintenance. A headache to depend on day-in and day-out, especially during inclement weather and when you're tired and hungry.

[fiddlehead]

I used a Zipp stove for my '95 thru-hike of the AT.
You get used to finding dry wood.
I was lucky enough to learn a lot in the boy scouts when I was young.
I did carry some fire starting sticks that I got from the zipp stove (Sierra stove) company that worked great.
Charcoal found in fire-pits works great once you get the fire going.
I remember simmering by moving the battery a bit to make the fan run slower.
And I would often boil lots of water for others.

I switched to a pocket rocket for my '96 PCT hike because of the fire danger out west.

[Del Q]

Doing the AT for over a decade, no cook rules for me in the woods, eat in town. Lighter and simpler, all about calories and what you like to eat that does not need ANY fuel

[rafe]

I used a Zipp stove for my '95 thru-hike of the AT.
You get used to finding dry wood.
I was lucky enough to learn a lot in the boy scouts when I was young.
I did carry some fire starting sticks that I got from the zipp stove (Sierra stove) company that worked great.
Charcoal found in fire-pits works great once you get the fire going.
I remember simmering by moving the battery a bit to make the fan run slower.
And I would often boil lots of water for others.

I switched to a pocket rocket for my '96 PCT hike because of the fire danger out west.

There are advantages for sure. It's a (relatively) clean, self-contained wood burning system so it can in fact be used safely in a shelter. Not really any more or less dangerous than an alchy stove that way. Make your own personal campfire when it's cold and wet outside. If the wood-gathering and fire-stoking isn't an issue, you've got endless BTU on hand.

[Slo-go'en]

Cooking with wood is a bit of a pain. It takes more prep time such as collecting the wood, getting the fire started and tending to it. Cooking in the rain is an issue since you can't cook in shelters for a host of reasons. But having a simple wood stove, which can be quite light, can stretch your alcohol supply.

[rocketsocks]

Howdy spokes! Been a while, welcome back.

[gpburdelljr]

Only for awhile. They switched to canister stoves for real cold weather, which is funny.

They used their Zip stove for most of their YoYo, but you are right about them getting a canister stove when they ended up hiking in the winter southbound.

[Mags]

What's your hiking style like? Some down time in camp? Or even base camping? Enjoy real cooking and/or boiling a lot of water?

Or are you getting up early and getting into camp late? Camp is basically for sleeping only.


A wood stove will work well on the AT. Just depends on your hiking style, really.

[QiWiz]

Cooking with wood is a bit of a pain. It takes more prep time such as collecting the wood, getting the fire started and tending to it. Cooking in the rain is an issue since you can't cook in shelters for a host of reasons. But having a simple wood stove, which can be quite light, can stretch your alcohol supply.

What's your hiking style like? ... A wood stove will work well on the AT. Just depends on your hiking style, really.

A twig stove is fine on the AT if you don't mind collecting a few twigs. BUT there will be days when you just don't want to make a fire, either due to very wet weather for days on end or just in a big hurry, so its good to have some alcohol or Esbit as a backup fuel. This is easy to do. If you decide to use a wood burner, there is a brushing up on fire skills learning curve that I'd recommend you do on prep hikes, not on your thru.

[bikebum1975]

The zip stove is a great little stove. Downside it is a bit heavy for some. I have one use it now and then. You'd be best to learn fire starting in wet weather that in itself is a skill all it's own. Get a ferrocerium rod for sure. As much as I love a wood fire for me I'd rather a liquid fuel stove. Some of the wood gas stoves are damned efficient pieces to very little ash left over

[garlic08]

My wife tried a Zip stove on her AT thru. A weld failed after about 500 miles so she gave up on it. Before that, she complained about the amount of smoke and soot sometimes. She switched to an alcohol stove for a while, eventually to stoveless--that's clean, safe, fast, cheap and simple. But like Mags says, it's all about your hiking style.

If your style includes cooking near shelters, some other hikers may not appreciate the smoke.

[egilbe]

I have a solo stove. It barely smokes. Problem I found was that it needed dry wood to work optimally. Not always easy to find dry twigs. Pine cones work, but they burn up too quick. Have to constantly feed it with fresh fuel. Alcohol or canister stove is a bit easier to use, more convenient.