Fire or a Stove for cooking

BarberFobic1992

BarberFobic1992

Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
3,346
A stove has the advantage of cooking things more quickly and taking less time to set up but takes up room in the pack. A fire wouldnt require you to carry as much but you would still need to pack some things depending on what you are cooking. So which one would you prefer?
 
Depends on the weather and how quick I want to take off. I usually use a fire and then bring along a pint of alcohol and a pepsi can stove in case it rains
 
I bring an alcohol stove with a wind screen that can act as a wood stove as well.

I like to cook over a fire, but sometimes it isn't a good idea, especially if it is very dry or windy.
 
I always bring a stove. Depending on conditions, there are times when open fires aren't allowed in a lot of places that I go. Also, as you said a stove is a lot faster and easier than making a fire.
 
Yup, here in the Pacific Northwest, open fires are a no-no during summer fire season.
 
Most of the places I go, I would have trouble finding enough wood to worry about building a fire. I usually don't cook outdoors. Been thinking about building one of those little alcohol stoves, though.
 
Here in the high sierra, I rather not make a camp fire as the trees dont grow well at that elevation. As someone that love the outdoors i dont think its right to burn the wood up there. So i carry a stove with me all the time...

Sasha
 
I love fires, but am too lazy to cook over one. I prefer a stove as I can better control its heat output and can sit right next to it with little worry as to being burnt.
I was messing around with alcohol stoves and have 2 for my Bug Out Bags, but for solo camping I love my SVEA 123R. You can use just about any fuel available and they are durable as Heck!
 
I just carry a pepsi can stove in case of emergencies. The fire is half the fun of bushcraft.
 
Where are you going to get wood for a fire?

The days of just picking off the ground or off trees were gone years ago.

At least here, for camping and hiking. When I go camping, the firewood weighs more, and takes up more room than anything else. Gotta bring a stove and fuel too. Often in mid summer, fires are banned in the woods or grasslands.
 
Eager said:
Where are you going to get wood for a fire?

The days of just picking off the ground or off trees were gone years ago.

At least here, for camping and hiking. When I go camping, the firewood weighs more, and takes up more room than anything else. Gotta bring a stove and fuel too. Often in mid summer, fires are banned in the woods or grasslands.
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there's deadfall everywhere i go. I'd be really surprised if there wasn't any, unless I was in a place where there were tons of people, like a camper-park or something.
 
I prefer fires if I'm going to cook. I bring food that generally doesn't have to be cooked. Usually in the summer when we have burn bans, it's too hot to have a fire, so I don't cook. In the winter it's nice to have fire for warmth, so I might as well cook then, too.
 
k-spar said:
there's deadfall everywhere i go. I'd be really surprised if there wasn't any, unless I was in a place where there were tons of people, like a camper-park or something.
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It's a sad reality that all land belongs to someone. So, chances are you're technically either stealing someone's wood, or illegally obtaining firewood. Not that I wouldn't do this in an emergency. It's just that if you're planning to hang out in the woods you'd better plan on using your own fuel.

In the West, open fires are often illegal because of the real threat of forest or range fires.
 
I carry a esbit stove in the winter and summer as it takes very little room.
I have a msr but its to heavy.

During the summer I usually cook on the fire using titanium pots.
 
I always carry a stove while backpacking. It is faster and easier, and cleaner. Some of the places I go have fire restrictions, and when I camp above treeline there are obvious difficulties with building a fire.
 
While I've only used it twice...
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My coffee can stick stove has impressed me.
It fits inside the pot for carry.
 
This is something I have never ventured into....stoves. I have always cooked over fire. I would like to mess around with stove cooking though. What is a pepsi can stove? Is this something I can make?
 
j williams said:
This is something I have never ventured into....stoves. I have always cooked over fire. I would like to mess around with stove cooking though. What is a pepsi can stove? Is this something I can make?
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There is a thread on this that is pretty recent....or look for it on youtube...lots of videos. I tried one, not too hard to make. :thumbup:
 
I tend to bring a stove since it pretty much guarentees my ability to cook food. There is always a possibility of a fire ban or fuel supply problem. That said, I really love a nice camp fire at night. It is possibly one of my most favorite things to sit outside my tent, watch the fire and listen to the wood sounds. Actually, camping is never quite as fun when there is a fire ban in place.

Taking dead wood in public places like national parks is fine as long as it isn't free standing. In Canada, we still have the benefit of crownland as well....
 
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