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"Hobo" Stoves for Long-distance Touring? "Hobo" Stoves for Long-distance Touring?
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Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  • 1 Post By Tenere Tom

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  #1  
Old 18 May 2015
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"Hobo" Stoves for Long-distance Touring?
Hi all,

Unfortunately my trusty Primus Omnifuel was stolen/confiscated/ran off from my luggage when I flew back from Santiago to the UK. Which was upsetting because I got really attached to all my gear.

Anyway, I never actually used the liquid fuel option because I preferred and found camping gaz easily available, even in Bolivia and Peru. However, I did meet a cyclist down in Patagonia who swore by his "Hobo" Stove.

So I'm wondering, always preferring gear that is simple, lightweight and renewable, etc, what you lot think of the Hobo Stoves? I mean, the little square ones that you fill with biomass, twigs, etc.

Any ideas, experiences or recommendations would be great!
RTW
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  #2  
Old 18 May 2015
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Do a search on Caldera Cone. You can use alcohol or twig stove.
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Old 19 May 2015
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Like any home made gear they can and do work. The fact you can knock one up from a couple of tin cans using your Swiss Army knife has to make them sort of disposable.
My question would be if the performance would be acceptable for what I needed and what was required to make a new one. My previous attempts have brought me to something that was no better than a Trangia burner but required me to source epoxy as well as the right sized tin can to make a new one when it broke.
I’ve therefore, depending on how the trip is expected to go, reverted to:
1. Three blocks of hexamine, a pocket stove (basically 5 bits of flat stainless that assemble into a fire box) and a Trangia burner, all stuffed into a Crusader cup with it’s lid. You can boil a pint of water in about 15 minutes and therefore not actually die of thirst in your snow hole. Burning sticks in the pocket stove it takes an hour to get water hot enough to shave! You keep warm looking for the dry sticks.
2. A Swedish army Trangia. Basically some better thought out mess tins with a burner that slots in. Boils water in 15 minutes. Can be used to heat a can of something. You may actually get a decent nights sleep if marooned in some rural bus shelter.
3. British Army Mess tins with a Korean Army Optimus crammed inside. Make Spag Bol from scratch or heat up tinned/dried whatever outside your tent if the local pub is closed.
4. Full size Optimus and British Army tank crew tins. Cook a stew from scratch while getting ****ed and having a laugh on the camp site.
The only bits I would be gutted about losing would be:
· The pocket stove: Cost £50, could be copied by anyone with a hacksaw and time though.
· The Korean Stove and crew sized mess tins: now rare on E-bay but still of no great monetary value
· The big Optimus: cost a fortune.
I could buy a new Trangia burner at any decent camping shop and E-bay is full of ex-military stuff that while not cutting edge is serviceable and fine for those times when hot water is better than calling the mountain rescue lads, or a tin of curry beats an evening meal of polo mints and toffees.
I think option 2 does what most homemade stoves do at a cash value that won’t worry you if lost.
Andy
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  #4  
Old 20 May 2015
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check out some of these ideas...

hobo:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hobo+stove

alcohol hobo:
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...hol+hobo+stove

all these are from 'found' and scavaged materials, lose it and no big deal.


I like the 'firebox' type...one can use natural fuels or pop in a tangia alcohol burner and it folds up to be hidden away.
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Old 21 May 2015
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Through South America I just built a small firepit each night if I wanted to cook. Rocks or logs could be placed along 3 sides to hold the pot. I considered a hobo stove but I'm not really sure if the small advantage in time would be worth carrying a bulky, dirty stove. It only takes a minute or two to build a tiny cookfire pit, and you don't have to carry it.

In Europe/Africa I used a Kelly Kettle, which is really only good at boiling water, but it does so very quickly and with very little fuel. Good for polenta/coffee/tea/cous-cous/oatmeal/etc. It's light, simple but a little bulky (though if you keep food inside, not so much of a space waster). I love it for simple camp cooking.
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Old 21 May 2015
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From preference I use a tiny single burner gas stove, costs £12 including a can of gas. The gas it uses are a mix of propane and butane so works on icy mornings.
deploys in seconds, and can get boiling water for tea in about 3 minutes. In fact I have boiling water in less time my omnifuel takes to be assembled, lit and is burning clean. A 470 cartridge lasts me about 2 weeks. I always have one on the burner, and carry one spare.
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Old 23 May 2015
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The IKEA stove is a popular choice!
How To Make An Ikea Wood Burning Hobo Stove
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Old 25 May 2015
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my most useful stove is a little ti karrimor from sports direct about £15 it takes 2 different size canisters and is simple light and tiny, heats my alpkit mug in very little time. If I need any more heat I'll light a small camp fire.

If I want a better camp meal I'll goto the pub!

I haved a whisperlight msr which is great if a little messy, I would take it to far away soils but not here, its too much faff.
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Old 26 May 2015
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I have a bush buddy (see topic 'multifuel burners') and yes, it's fun. You gather some wood, get it burner (hopefully) and have some warmth, light and fun.

But practical? No. End of the day you're tired, wood is harder to find then you'd think and sometimes you just don't get it burning. Then, after 5 minutes you need to gather more wood.

So in the end you a smoldering fire in front of your tent and you find yourself searching for tinder.

Perhaps it's me, but I can't really get a decent, long burning fire going.

Alex
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