A disassembled alcohol stove. We can thank innovative engineers for designing outdoor stoves so cleverly made that some of them can fit in your pocket.
We can thank innovative engineers for designing outdoor stoves so cleverly made that some of them can fit in your pocket.
These stoves are foldable, collapsible, retractable and can be disassembled to store flat in a small pouch until needed.
Some were initially made for military use, while others were created for rescue operations, such as during floods, to allow victims to boil water.
Opens up into a triangular fireplace.
Outdoor enthusiasts quickly saw the practicality of these stoves, though which one you choose depends on your specific outdoor situation.
At the extreme end of the weight spectrum is the lightweight hiking stove. They are so compact, small and low-cost that almost every camper or hiker has one.
Some are so tiny that when folded up, they are no longer than 5cm and no wider than 3cm.
This lightweight hiking stove.
Open them up, screw them onto a small gas canister, twist the little nozzle and you get jets of blue flame making the roar of a turbo engine. According to product literature, this can heat a litre of water to boiling temperature in under three minutes.
The internal design of the stove head uses thermal physics to mix air and butane gas so efficiently that you get those blue jets of flame.
However, such lightweight stoves can be tricky to use when they are too small. Balancing your cooking receptacle on top can be problematic, especially if the ground is not perfectly even.
Fits in a box no larger than a salt shaker and opens up like this.
The roaring flame and vibrations caused by boiling water can even cause your steel mug to shift and tip over.
As a benchmark, super small hiking stoves with three “legs” for balancing your mug or tiny kettle should be used on trips where going ultra-light is the top priority.
Otherwise, use hiking stoves that unfold to give you four “legs” for better stability.
It fits in your pocket.
For those whose carry space or weight quota is even more restrictive, there are even lighter options, resembling collapsible fireplaces more than stoves.
These can be dismantled into flat steel plates and stashed neatly inside a small pouch. When needed, just snap the pieces back together to form a square, triangular or hexagonal fireplace.
Opens up to a windproof fireplace with vents at the bottom to maximise airflow.
Engineers designed the steel plates to shield the fire from the wind on the top part, while the bottom parts have holes to draw in cold air.
Even using branches and twigs as fuel, perhaps with a piece of hexamine solid fuel cube added, you still get a concentrated flame to cook your meal.
Take it out of the pouch.
There is usually enough space to place a small alcohol stove inside your steel fireplace, allowing you to have a cooking fire without needing to harvest firewood.
Remember, particularly in popular camping grounds, harvesting wood for fire is poor green ethics.
It opens into a large stove.
If too many people do this, the ecosystem will be damaged as little critters and plants need fallen trees and branches to rot and return nutrients to the ground.
If you desire a smoky aroma in your outdoor culinary efforts, consider bringing your own supply of firewood.
You can lay a griddle on top and cook meals for four to six people with it.
Some collapsible fireplaces are larger but still compact enough to shove the collapsed pieces in the corner of your backpack.
This is when food might get a little more luxurious, as they often come with a barbecue grill as the top piece.
You can assemble this contraption.
You can grill a fish you caught in the stream or toast some bread or potatoes over the embers.
If you know how to harvest wild ginger and bamboo shoots in the jungle, this compact grill is pure pleasure.
Have a veritable barbecue pit at camp.
Moving along the weight spectrum are larger stoves that can still be carried in your backpack. These are large enough for cooking meals for four to six people, with wide stands to balance a large frying pan, griddle or pot.
They are invariably fuelled by butane gas canisters available in supermarkets. Engineers designed them to be somewhat collapsible, even allowing you to hide the butane gas canister inside.
It’s flat enough to strap on your belt.
These stoves are designed to give you blue jets of flames for maximum heat efficiency. They tend to be windproof, but if you’re camping by the seaside, the wind can still be too much, so you might want to pack a separate, foldable wind shield to encircle the stove and keep the wind out.
Unsurprisingly, those who love backwoods cooking tend to end up with a collection of stoves, priced from as low as RM15 to as much as RM500.
Give you a windproof wood fire stove.
The innovations built into these stoves, plus their aesthetic designs, make them a pleasure to use, just like most of your home kitchen appliances.
