How to Make a Camp Stove in Boy Scouts

Camping stove.

Boy Scouts often do large amounts of outdoor cooking, using only the gear that they carry in their backpacks. A Boy Scout learns many different methods for cooking their food and one of the most efficient homemade stoves is the penny stove. The penny stove uses a cut up can for its burner and only a small amount of any flammable alcohol to produce a small stove that can be carried in someone's pocket.

Things You'll Need

• Three 12 oz. beer cans or 2 and a pop can.
• 2 drip irrigation stakes
• Scissors
• Hand drill
• Needle nose pliers

Instructions

1. Cut the upper section of the can with your scissors from where it reaches its full width down about an inch. Cut all the way around the can trying to keep your edge as straight as you can. This portion of the can will be used as the simmer ring.

2. Use your scissors to cut along the bottom of the beer can's label down 1 ¼ inches. Cut all the way around the can keeping your edges even. This part of the can will be used as the fuel can.

3. Set the remaining bottom portion of the can away from the rest of the pieces so that it doesn't get mixed in. This piece will be used as the burner portion of your stove.

4. Cut the bottom section off of another can up ½ an inch to use as the base of your stove.

5. Drill a ¼-inch hole in the center of the burner. Use the needle nose pliers to make 12 folds around the can that are for ¼ inch down from the top edge. Drill small holes on every other fold.

6. Carefully insert the burner into the fuel cup until it hits the bottom of the cup and provides a tight seal. You will need to slip it in with the sides even to seal the air and gently tap it in moving around the burner until you get it all the way down.

7. Place the stakes around the can to form a triangle so that you can seat whatever you're cooking on top of them.

8. Pour alcohol or any nontoxic flammable substance into the small hole on the top of your burner. Place a penny over the hole to stop flames or heat from spilling out and making you exhaust fuel faster. Hold a match on the underside of the can until the heat ignites a flame, or remove the penny and drop a match down into the fuel, however this method could cause fuel to burn faster than you wish.

References

• Pennystove instructions