How To Build a Portable Rocket Stove

Portable rocket stoves are easy to make and fun to use.

Rocket stoves have been made and used by campers for about 30 years. They're inexpensive and easy to make, are lightweight and burn commonly available solid fuels such as twigs and wood chips. Having one in your home or auto is a good emergency-preparedness strategy. The following article describes how to put one together for just a few dollars.

Things You'll Need

• 1 #10 metal can
• Metal soup can
• Work gloves
• Tin snips
• Bottle opener with a point
• Pliers
• 2-inch length of 1/4-inch copper tubing
• 18-inch length of medical plastic tubing to fit inside of copper tubing
• Handful of clay
• Enough sand to fill the bottom of the #10 can about 1 inch deep
• Cooking rack

Instructions

Making the Body of the Stove

1. Stop by your favorite restaurant and ask for a #10 can, which holds about a gallon of liquid. Wash it out, remove the paper label if it's still attached, and discard the lid. Remove both ends of the soup can.

2. Put on the work gloves and use the tin snips to cut a hole in the side of the #10 can enough to fit the smaller can snugly, about 2 inches from the open end. On the opposite side of the can, make a hole with the bottle opener large enough to fit your copper tubing.

3. Fit the soup can inside the hole you made for it in the large can. Seal any gaps with clay and allow to harden.

4. Insert the plastic tubing inside the copper tubing, making sure that none pokes out the opposite end. Crimp the copper around the plastic snugly, but don't crush the plastic.

5. Pour the sand into the bottom of the large can. Place a piece of scrap metal on top of it (one of the ends of the soup can will work well).

Using the Stove

1. Find a heatproof surface, and set your stove on it. Collect several handfuls of dry fuel such as twigs, moss, leaves or even cardboard scraps.

2. Shove the fuel through the soup-can opening of the stove into the larger chamber of the #10 can. Light the fuel.

3. Insert the copper end of your tubing in the hole opposite the flap and blow through the other end to provide more oxygen to the flame. As the fuel burns, add more air through your tube.

4. Place the small wire grill on top of the larger can. You're cooking.