New stove, lousy weather...

scout24

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I debated putting this in the gear section, but the cooking threads looked lonely! It's been raining for two days here in Pa, and there's a bit of cabin fever going on. The rain stopped for a bit this afternoon, and it got breezy. Great time to see if my wet weather firemaking is up to snuff, and maybe test out some gear at the same time.

I purchased this little Emberlit stove a while ago, and admittedly used it for tea lights around the house. A recent post by Woodswalker where I asked about his stove vs. the larger Emberlit offerings (Which rock...) made me wonder if this little guy could cut it. So, off I went into the wild woods to see if I could start a fire from scratch, and get some water hot for some oatmeal. Not the Four Seasons, but just some trail food... :)

It's that wet. Merrels were soaked in no time.
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Looking for tinder. A bit of help from Mother Nature is welcome...
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Got to love Evergreens. Maybe some dry lower branches...
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Our stove, and some firemaking gear.
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Ready to run...
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Small tinder.
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The ever-valuable pencil sharpener...
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Getting ready...
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A LOT of magnesium. This was just the beginning...
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FIRE!
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On the way...
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The easiest way to add damp fuel. Take the pot off and dump them in. LOTS of blowing on the fire to keep the damp fuel going.
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My 1.5x1.5" bed of coals.
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Not-quite-steamy oatmeal... :)
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I'm not the only one out here. The deer rut is kicking off, and the bucks are chasing does like mad.
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All in all, a fiddly little stove with damp wood. I'm looking forward to trying it again in the dry weather.
 

nbp

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Dec 16, 2007
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Awww, that's such a cute little stove! haha. I have to say it seems like a lot more work than a gas stove. Is the main advantage that you have unlimited fuel? On a long trip I could see the benefit of that.

I was thinking about starting a Show Your Stove thread. I suppose I could just post it in here but it would sorta derail things and then I'd get moderated. Lol. ;)
 

badtziscool

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Oct 13, 2006
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Jealous! It looks really pretty out there. It's perfect camping weather here in Texas, but with a three week old baby at home I don't want to leave him for that long. Gotta wait for the little monkey to grow a bit before I can take him with me.


Curious though. What's the pencil sharpener for?
 

scout24

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Pencil sharpener is great for making fuzzy tinder out of small sticks. Not better or worse than a knife, but very uniform and predictable. Requires less fine motor skill as well. Press and twist. Will work nice in a few years when your munchkin wants to help start the fire... :) NBP- Don't make me get my MSR Pocket Rocket or one of my Svea's out... =)

Show your Stove sounds cool, I'll have a few to post up.
 

Str8stroke

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Cool pics. Can you hear the dear stomping and snorting?

Looks very crafty. I guess I am spoiled with my pit/campfire cooking and pocket rockets. :thumbsup:
 

badtziscool

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Oct 13, 2006
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Wow. That pencil sharpener is an awesome idea! Safe to carry and use and is very light and packable yet produces good and consistent tinder. I'm going to have to throw one in my pack for future trips now.


A show your stove thread would be awesome. I'm sure I have some pics of my coffee can woodstove, snowpeak starter kit, and Primus Omnilite TI in action somewhere. I had a biolite as well but it just wasn't compatible with my style of backpacking. Too bulky and hard to use for a small pots. Is that a Svea 123 you got there in your inventory? :) I've always wanted one of those. I see so many on ebay but they're such collectibles so they command a premium price.


Pencil sharpener is great for making fuzzy tinder out of small sticks. Not better or worse than a knife, but very uniform and predictable. Requires less fine motor skill as well. Press and twist. Will work nice in a few years when your munchkin wants to help start the fire... :) NBP- Don't make me get my MSR Pocket Rocket or one of my Svea's out... =)

Show your Stove sounds cool, I'll have a few to post up.
 
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KuanR

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Show your stoves sounds like a great idea! I regret getting rid of my optimus 101 or 111 that was 30 plus years old and still worked like a champ
 

cirlaccouff

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Jun 22, 2017
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New stove lousy weather

Excellent review I use a small canister stove but have not used it in the very cold weather. I probably would not have realized the potential for issues if I took it out for a winter hike. Thanks for explaining
 

Michaelnug

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Sep 19, 2017
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New stove lousy weather

I like that adapter, my oli camp stove works great but not for very big stuff, of course it does handle my small frying pan without difficulty. Still like that adapter..
 
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