Do any of you use twig stoves in the Boundary Waters or Quetico? If you do what tips pros and cons do you have about them?

I use the middle size Solo stove. Works great but you will have cleaned up the twigs in the camp site by the time you are done. I have thought about bringing a small pruning shears to cut larger branches so it burns longer with out fueling.
Carl

The Little Bug Jr is my go-to. I have added a 10 inch aluminum plate for under the stove to add stability, keep the fire in the stove and capture ash. It has performed nicely for me.

I have a Little Bug senior. Definitely burns very well. My issues were that it was hard to get low heat for simmering and dealing with soot on the pots. We do a lot of simmering in our cooking and so we went back to gas stoves. But it was a fun experiment.

andym: "I have a Little Bug senior. Definitely burns very well. My issues were that it was hard to get low heat for simmering and dealing with soot on the pots. We do a lot of simmering in our cooking and so we went back to gas stoves. But it was a fun experiment. "

Well said, Andy. It was a fun experiment...once. Just not my favorite way to cook.

I bring mine for solo trips, because I don't mind taking the extra time. Group trips I will bring the fuel stove. My pro tip is to bring a pocket bellows (google it if your not familiar). It's great for getting it rolling quickly, rekindling when you inevitably get distracted, and for wet days.

BushBuddy, it goes on every trip

ISRO: "BushBuddy, it goes on every trip"

Just got a Bush Buddy mini and can’t wait to try it out!

ISRO: "BushBuddy, it goes on every trip"

Ditto, with the caveat that I am a just boil water type of cook.

tomo: "

ISRO: "BushBuddy, it goes on every trip"

Ditto, with the caveat that I am a just boil water type of cook."

Perhaps that's what I need to try...just boil water eats for a trip and see how that goes. Then I could work on my fire cooking skills over time.

I've tried the twig stoves before. In my opinion, they are better for solo trips and when you only want to boil water. If you are cooking a meal, the temperature becomes hard to control, and adding more twigs can destabilize the pot.

The ideal conditions for a twig stove are when you can pack it full of fuel at the beginning and then finish cooking before you need to add any more wood. Maybe a bigger stove would work better, but at a certain point it just becomes a portable firepit and I wonder what the advantage is over cooking on the fire grate.

I use Kelly Kettle Hobo Stove. It has a nice stable base. Perfect for boiling water in the morning for coffee and for dehydrated meals. I have used it a couple times with a skillet under the tarp when the fire pit was flooded, but only when I had to.

RickyBHangin: "

ISRO: "BushBuddy, it goes on every trip"Just got a Bush Buddy mini and can’t wait to try it out! "Me too.

I have a couple; a little Solo and some other one. I have brought them to fiddle with but that's about it. Should probably try to sell them as I will never use them again.

Lawnchair107: "I use Kelly Kettle Hobo Stove. It has a nice stable base. Perfect for boiling water in the morning for coffee and for dehydrated meals. I have used it a couple times with a skillet under the tarp when the fire pit was flooded, but only when I had to. "

I'm going to be giving one of these a try this year as well. Seems to be popular with Canadian paddlers. I like the idea that this one keeps things more enclosed and could see using it as you mentioned in places where there may not be a fire grate or where the grate is not usable. Do you have any issues with it when there is little to no wind? I wonder about the lack of air flow with just the one hole in the base.

CanoeViking: "Do any of you use twig stoves in the Boundary Waters or Quetico? If you do what tips pros and cons do you have about them? "

I carry the same twig stove as a backup..
Normally use canisters for group travel and alcohol for solo's (canoe & backpacking)
RW

I'm going to be giving one of these a try this year as well. Seems to be popular with Canadian paddlers. I like the idea that this one keeps things more enclosed and could see using it as you mentioned in places where there may not be a fire grate or where the grate is not usable. Do you have any issues with it when there is little to no wind? I wonder about the lack of air flow with just the one hole in the base."

Not at all. I do carry a flexible pocket bellow, which can aid a lot. One feature I really like about the Kelly Kettle is how simple it is. No parts to lock into place that can fall out or get lost. What's also neat is that this base fits inside the tall alpine Banks Fry Pan.

I use a Bushbuddy as well and love it. As others have said I am just a boil water single pot meal kind of guy with an occasional small fish fry. It does take a bit longer than a Pocket Rocket so if your in a hurry to break camp in the morning it can be a pain. Bottom line though is it is very handy not to have to worry about fuel.

I have a solo stove, and love it. It works fine for 1-2 people. The pot is one I use even on a gas stove, so I take the stove part as a backup if nothing else. It weighs almost nothing.

I also cheat and throw some chunks of charcoal from the fire pit in it. Actually works really well.

Another happy Solo Stove user here! Very stable, easy to feed, boils water pretty quickly and feels fairly safe in windy conditions if I use a windscreen.

I used a bushbuddy/alcohol stove combo for a long solo last summer and it worked out great...my routine became to largely use the alcohol stove in the morning (nested inside the bushbuddy) for coffee/oatmeal and a fire in the bushbuddy at night for simple dinner.

Complicated cooking, long simmering/boiling etc. can be a pain with the bushbuddy, but for simple meals--especially solo--I think it's great.

I made a twig burner our of a coffee can and took it on a solo trip into a PMA. It worked pretty slick and weighed almost nothing. If I had to do it over I would probably not bring it though. I would instead bring a pot with a bailer handle and hang it with a simple tripod made with locally sourced sticks.

A1t2o: "I've tried the twig stoves before. In my opinion, they are better for solo trips and when you only want to boil water. If you are cooking a meal, the temperature becomes hard to control, and adding more twigs can destabilize the pot.


The ideal conditions for a twig stove are when you can pack it full of fuel at the beginning and then finish cooking before you need to add any more wood. Maybe a bigger stove would work better, but at a certain point it just becomes a portable firepit and I wonder what the advantage is over cooking on the fire grate. "

Exactly. They are fun, but not the do-it-all solution.
I use one of the little Chinese amazon ones that are a knock-off of the $$$Solo. Fits inside my cooking pot perfectly.

Firebox Nano, it can run off Twigs, Esbit Tabs, a small Isobutane Burner, or a Trangia Alcohol Burner.

Must be getting old and crotchety but always wonder when this topic is up, Why a twig stove?

You can build a fire and are in control of the size. Only small kindling available? Make a small fire hemmed in with a few rocks. I have used the existing fire grates often to make a small cook fire.

butthead

I have the same one you have the Uberlabia, packs flat which is huge rolling solo.

butthead: "Must be getting old and crotchety but always wonder when this topic is up, Why a twig stove?


You can build a fire and are in control of the size. Only small kindling available? Make a small fire hemmed in with a few rocks. I have used the existing fire grates often to make a small cook fire.


butthead"

I used to wonder the same, but after doing more river tripping up here in northern Wisconsin I can see the value in having one for a quick shore lunch or in wilderness campsites where there is no fire pit/fire grate. It's a bit more in following with LNT principals if you don't have an actual campsite because it contains the coals, ash, etc so you can chose where to dispose of them and doesn't scorch anything (at least mine scorches very little as it has an enclosed bottom), no gathering/arranging of rocks necessary either.

That's why I bought one this year anyways. I've only used it once for that purpose so far because the fire conditions have been so bad. We'll see if it proves valuable long term.

I like my twig stove (Solo Titan) for solo adventures, as I primarily just eat dehydrated meals. No fuel to carry or purchase, no loud noise while cooking, and no worries about potential stove failures.

Mostly I like using it because it's fun. When solo, I'm not as into fire building as I am when with a group, and the twig stove can scratch any fire itch I have. I just throw in a few larger sticks for a bigger flame, and there's never any need to do the douse and stir ritual before bed.

Twig stoves seem like a great option for a variety of reasons. I think what holds me back is the potential for sooty pots afterward. What’s been your experience?
My wife uses uses a damp rag with a little wood ash to clean the soot off the glass on the woodstove in our house and it works like MAGIC. I keep meaning to try it on an old camping pan but never get around to it. How do you folks cope with the mess?

907Tundra: "Twig stoves seem like a great option for a variety of reasons. I think what holds me back is the potential for sooty pots afterward. What’s been your experience?
My wife uses uses a damp rag with a little wood ash to clean the soot off the glass on the woodstove in our house and it works like MAGIC. I keep meaning to try it on an old camping pan but never get around to it. How do you folks cope with the mess?"

As long as you have a bag, either mesh or otherwise, for your pots you should be fine. I will wash with a little soapy water when I get home just to get the loose soot off but that's about it. To be honest the caked on pine tar is a badge of honor to me, like visual proof of how many trips you have under your belt.

dschult2: "

907Tundra: "Twig stoves seem like a great option for a variety of reasons. I think what holds me back is the potential for sooty pots afterward. What’s been your experience?
My wife uses uses a damp rag with a little wood ash to clean the soot off the glass on the woodstove in our house and it works like MAGIC. I keep meaning to try it on an old camping pan but never get around to it. How do you folks cope with the mess?"

As long as you have a bag, either mesh or otherwise, for your pots you should be fine. I will wash with a little soapy water when I get home just to get the loose soot off but that's about it. To be honest the caked on pine tar is a badge of honor to me, like visual proof of how many trips you have under your belt."

Same. Keep your pots & pans in a designated bag and all is good imo

907Tundra: "Twig stoves seem like a great option for a variety of reasons. I think what holds me back is the potential for sooty pots afterward. What’s been your experience?
My wife uses uses a damp rag with a little wood ash to clean the soot off the glass on the woodstove in our house and it works like MAGIC. I keep meaning to try it on an old camping pan but never get around to it. How do you folks cope with the mess?"

The Solo stove and pot each come with their own bag, and I have a lightweight pair of work gloves that I wear while handling the pot. The gloves are also nice for breaking the many twigs needed to fuel the stove.

Agree with those above. My cook kit, twig stove included, has a dedicated bag. It all goes in there after a rinse and dry. Stove has a bag inside the bag. As with, at least a few, others, the soot is a mark of pride for time spent in the wilderness.

I carry one as a backup in case I run out of fuel/have irreparable stove damage. Used it a bit last year to ration fuel & found it to be kind of a pain. It took a while to boil (doubtful it gets as hot as a jet flame stove) & made for sooty hands + gear. I wouldn’t want to have to use one as my primary mode of heating water/food unless I was going extremely bare bones with my kit for a specific trek that necessitated such. My $0.02 fiat.

I purchased a Sierra Zip Stove on a lark about 20 years ago after seeing one in the Colorado backcountry. I now often carry it as a back-up, especially on kayak trips at Isle Royale where it provides a nice evening ambiance. A few years ago, even though it was running fine I installed a new motor and replaced the original cord with a short piece of lamp cord, as well as the on/off switch to one that is more durable. I expect it to last another 20 years.

I avoid a lot of the soot issues by rubbing some dishwashing liquid on the outside bottom and sides of the pot with a handkerchief before putting it on the stove. After use, that black soot on the outside of the pot will come off much more easily and without the typical hard scrubbing.

Sierra Zip Stove