How to Make a Wood Burning Tin Can Pack Stove
A camp stove made from a tin can weighs little and costs almost nothing, but it concentrates the heat from a wood fire so you can cook using only a few twigs as a source of fuel. Fry food directly on the top surface or use another smaller can as a pan to heat liquids. Pack your food inside the can when you start your trip and when you're done cooking, either pack out the empty stove to use again or crush it underfoot to save space when packing it out and make another stove for your next trip.
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Things You'll Need
- 2-lb. metal coffee can
- Rotary can opener
- Punch-style can opener
- Tin snips
Instructions
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1
Cut around the metal lid of a 2-lb. coffee can with a rotary can opener. Empty the coffee into another container for future use and place the metal lid back in the coffee can, letting it drop to the bottom.
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2
Punch holes every 1 to 2 inches around the lower sides of the can. Use a can opener that punches triangle-shaped holes, so that the triangular flaps fold inward and hold the lid against the bottom of the can.
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3
Cut two 3-inch long slits down the side of the can, starting at the open end of the can. Space them 4 inches apart. Use tin snips to make the slits.
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4
Bend down the 3-by-4 inch flap created by those two slits, so it stands out perpendicular from the side of the can.
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5
Turn the can over. When you use the stove, build a small fire on the ground with twigs and set the can over it. The double-thickness top is the cooking surface. The triangular holes allow smoke to escape. You can add additional sticks of wood or blow on the fire through the 3-by-4 inch opening.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a piece of foil as a damper to partially block air-flow into the 3-by-4 inch opening and control the heat of the fire. The less air it receives, the less quickly it will burn.
The cut metal edges will be sharp, so wear gloves when making the stove. Either be careful when using it or bend over the last 1/8 inch of the sharp edges of the flap and the opening with pliers, to finish the edges.
