PROS
- Simple
- Super easy to set up
- Durable
- Functional
- Tin has plenty of room for storage and can double as a survival tin.
- Lightweight
- Ideal for small pots
- Portable
- Versatile
- Cost effective
CONS
- If using organic materials you’ll need proper tinder and A LOT of dry pencil-size sticks for kindling – your main organic fuel. Be prepared to continually fuel the stove.
- Placing and feeding the kindling in the stove can be cumbersome
- Using fuel blocks – Be Careful! The blocks can “melt” and drop/drip through the holes in the plate on which the block sits – watch out for this!
Plenty of room inside the tin to keep a Bic lighter, firesteel, tinder, and a small knife.
Assembly is very simple – the 5 pieces fit together quickly and easily. No tools required
Note: The paperclip is just to give an idea of size.
From the website:
Welcome to the exciting world of The Pocket Stove.
It does what it says on the tin!
This a flat pack, clip together multi fuel cooking stove for the solo or lightweight outdoors enthusiast, 100% designed and manufactured in the UK.
Following the success of The Honey Stove and The Hive, many enthusiasts have asked for a simpler smaller solo cooking solution which incorporates the same multi-fuel features and flexibility.
After months of design and experimentation The Pocket Stove was eventually born. Weight, simplicity and functionality were all key along with bomb proof reliability.
The fluted shape encourages a more intense burn from any heat source, yet provides reliable stability for the standard range of small cook pots and military shaped mugs up to 10-12 cm in diameter.
It also means that it also provides a pot support as well as windshield for most variations of pop can meths (denatured alcohol) burners.
Simplicity is the key and it has been tested throughout winter, to ensure it can be assembled quickly in the cold.
The adjustable platform offers two burn heights, the top slot for esbit/hexamine tablets and the other for organic matter and pop can stoves.
With just the four panels, the standard Trangia burner will locate into the upper slot and the door locks tight. This is the best height for an intense burn. However the same burner will also locate into the lower slot offering two heat settings depending on your needs.
Other ‘top burning’ meths (denatured alcohol) stoves can also be used. Experimentation will indicate the best location for you heat source, either on the square plate, or placed on the ground with the four connected panels placed over the top.
Finally, just three panels linked together can act as a basic windshield and pot support, should you ever require it.
Your Pocket Stove package consists of a fire door, a rear panel, 2 x side panels, a base plate and a hinged storage tin.
Assembly options
To burn esbit/hexamine tablets
Holding the rear panel in your hand with the prongs facing upwards, slide on the two side panels either side. Place the square base into the top horizontal slot taking care to ensure the rear of the base plate is rotated correctly and placed centrally in the rear panel.
Then slide on the door and the stove is complete.
To burn organic matter
Assemble as above however place the square base into the lower horizontal slot taking care to ensure the rear of the base plate is correctly placed centrally in the rear panel.
Then slide on the door and the stove is complete.
To use with a Trangia burner
Assemble as above, however instead of using the square plate, just place the Trangia burner into either of the horizontal slots.
Then slide on the door and the stove is complete.
NB: It does fit the Tatonka meth burner, but it a loose fit. The Evernew burner fits neatly in the base.
Manufacture
The Pocket Stove is manufactured using .7mm Stainless Steel which is considerably stronger than it looks.
The design is exceedingly efficient at reflecting heat inwards and upwards whilst at the same time allowing the correct amount of air draw for the different cookers or fuel used.
Once heat is applied to the unit it may warp slightly. This is normal and doesn’t affect the assembly process or life span of the product.
Tinder
To start any fire you require tinder, which will catch the spark from a flint and steel, or other igniting tool.
Once tinder is burning, it will in turn ignite the kindle. Small dry pieces of wood, which will burn with a greater heat and light the thicker dry fuel.
Tinder can take many forms. You can also use bark peelings from a Birch tree, wire wool or feather sticks.
These are made by splitting a finger thick stick into quarters and running a sharp knife along the edge to ‘curl’ the dry core into fine slithers.
Cotton wool dipped in Vaseline is very efficient as is the commercially available Hammaro Tinder Card.
Burning Wood
The stoves works more efficiently with small pieces of dried wood no thicker than a pencil.
Thicker pieces take longer to ignite and are more cumbersome to collect and break. Two handfulls of these twigs will boil 500ml of water in approximately 8-10 minutes.
Never use green live wood, which will just smoke and not burn. Always look for air-dried wood caught in tree branches, as these catch and burn much more effectively.
Don’t overfill the base plate with fuel before lighting, as good combustion requires good airflow.
We’ve found using a small piece of Hammaro Tinder CardTM will ignite instantly from a flint and steel, and accelerates the lighting of dried kindle.
Once the fire is established and there is a good ‘heat’ at the base, add the thicker fuel on a regular basis, to maintain the desired cooking heat.
Fire Safety
All fuels give off noxious fumes and wood based stoves are no different. We would always advise you to light any fire in a well-ventilated area, with a good throughput of air, such as under a tarp.
NB: Remember modern artificial fabrics used in jackets, trousers, sleeping bags and tents ignite very easily. Another reason to never light a stove inside an enclosed area.
Leave No Trace
Where possible try to use some kind of ashtray beneath the stove to protect the ground.
The heat generated by any stove can damage or scar the organic matter beneath.
So where possible, try to ensure you place the stove over bare earth, sand, stone or use a protective matting or foil.
After use, you will see a fine ash beneath the stove gathered on the tray. Please let this cool and try to ‘leave no trace’ in your disposal.
On a stone or sandy beach, you may not need the ash tray at all, however always consider your environment and please dispose of the fine ash with appropriate and responsible care.
Warning
In use this stove will get very hot. No matter the type of fuel or heat source used.
Do not attempt to pick it up, move it or take it apart when fuel is burning. You will burn your hands!
Please allow enough ventilation around the stove and ensure that all the component parts are cool before packing.
Also ensure the ground under the stove is cool to the touch and not burned in any way. Use of petrol, or any other petroleum products in this stove may result in severe burns and/or death.
Emissions
Burning wood efficiently is almost Carbon Neutral.
The efficient use of a small amount of organic matter is much more eco-friendly than the more convenient commercial fuels, such as petroleum based derivatives and natural gas (LPG).
LPG emits 15 times more CO2 (carbon dioxide) per kg than wood.
Petrol based fuels emit nearly 10 times as much. CO2 is the main source of global warming.
(Source – Journey To Forever)
Weights
Side Panel: 31g x 2
Back Panel: 31g
Door: 26g
Square Base: 22g
Total: 141g
Storage Tin: 54g
Packed Total: 195g
Will it fit your pop can stove?
Height 100mm
Base Plate 68mm sq
Upper Aperture 61mm sq
Lower Aperture 72mm sq
The Pocket Stove was designed and manufactured entirely in the UK by backpackinglight.co.uk
Cost: Around £ 22
