I enjoy using my Firebox stove and Solo stove but I receive a lot of satisfaction from making and using my hobo stoves as well. In this short series I will go into detail on how I design and build my hobo stoves and cook kits
making hobo stoves is an addiction i never thought i would love making them and using them out in the beautiful smoky mountains ,,now im going to reproduce the one you made great video thank you
I hear you on that brother. I can't seem to pass by anything in the thrift stores that looks like it might be turned into a stove or pot. Let me know how your project turns out. Thanks for commenting
I feel I should comment because I've watched at least a day's worth of video from you, Mark. And then again three times over. This is a great walk through. I'm so excited that people are finally finding out about these cool 'camping' stoves. It absolutely could be called a lesson in self reliance. Getting water to boil for five minutes could save your life. Puddles aren't for drinkin'! Unless you strain and boil long enough. Anyways, keep up the content and I'll watch as soon! as it shows up.
I built me a hobo stove from an old stanley thermos...used that thing on a number of long canoe trips...worked great! I got the idea from Shaun of TheSilverFox over in the UK nearly ten years ago. Since then i was gifted a bushbuddy, reckon they call them solo stoves these days...it fits nicely into the smaller 1.1 ltr mors bush pot. I really like your design, for both its compactness and low cost...but for efficiency, it's hard to beat your solo gasifier. I still have my stanley thermos hobo cooker simply because its just so dang cool and of course, because i made it myself. awesome tutorial Mark...atb...woods
The original Bushbuddy and Solo stove work great. I have the larger Titan by Solo along with the 1.8 L pot. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for commenting
Thank you for sharing. I like those stoves, too. No IKEA around here. However, Walmart has that style strainer. Appears to be a couple of inches, or so taller. Looking forward to seeing what you'll be doing in part 2. Hope you have a blessed New Year.
I have used other brand utensil strainers with equal results. The Walmart one will work just as well I am sure. Part 2 coming soon. Thanks for commenting
Thanks for going over the details of milling/fabricating this. Some of us have no clue, even though I do have a dremel. It’s also good you emphasized the importance of safety equipment, especially eyewear. I haven’t found anyone else to be doing this on RU-vid! There may be, but IDK.
make the square hole a bit bigger and use some pieces of those skewers to make loops (similar to hog rings). Attach the loops to the 'door' you just cut out and the upper part of where the door was, and those will make a nice hinge. Flip open to feed, and let it close to control air. Piece of small chain can be attached to the bottom of the door and dangle down to act as a handle. For the 'legs', get some SS bolts, nuts, and washers. Those can be jabbed into the ground to keep everything more stable than those slippery feet. My guess is about 3" long or longer a bit. Skewers or long SS bolts can be inserted through the side holes to elevate the trangia burner (if used) or suspend the pot deeper into the contraption or both. To help with hot ashes possibly falling through the bottom, use a pie pan. Pie pan, if small enough, can be used to preheat an alcohol stove too. Biggest problem I see with EVERY setup, is that they are not very stable due to the height/base ratio. All of them are top heavy. I do like your idea and am going to try replicating 1/2 of it at least (the silverware/utility strainer part) I have a firebox nano G2 and a another competitor's setup (has the word Red in the name). Looking to make something that can hold wood/wood pellets for a longer burn when needed. I also converted wood pellets into charcoal as well. Did you know that hand sanitizer can be used to start wood pellets/wood/charcoal pellets?
Nice video and options. Thank you. A step drill can be a good tool for making a round feed port, and there's already a starter hole. Also, I have a bunch of assorted stainless steel rivnuts, along with several diy methods or options for installing them. One method is to use an impact driver, others use simple hand tools. The holes for the rivnuts can be drilled, or the existing holes in the utensil strainer can be used. Then bolts can be used for adjustable feet.
Glad you liked the video. Your step-drill and other suggestions are great. That is one of the great thing about DIY projects. So many good ideas and all are valid. Thanks for commenting
I enjoyed the video. But the way you when into detail on how to use the tool and building the hobo stove. keep the video coming and I will keep watching. Gingdah
If i might add, you can take that file and cut 4 notches in the rim and lay two of those kabob skewers across the rim in the notches... Great build Mark Subbed and rang the bell, now for some binge viewing...
Great suggestion. I have done that in other projects and find it works great as long as the pot size is smaller in diameter than the stove. Thanks for commenting
Thanks for your videos about it. Thats exactly, what I wish to find it. Whatever you need it, or not. It is a funny, simple project, how to make it, with very small money. Now I want to do it. And then, to use it. (I am on tour with motorcycle and scooter.) Greetings from sw germany. (liked and subscribed.)
Great info Mark! Thanks for sharing this! If you're interested at all in video requests, I would love to see how you sharpen the spine on a knife. I've watched a couple of videos and I'm still not sure what is the best way to do it. i.e. How to really ensure a square spine for striking with a firesteel?
Mark Young could you make a surround that tightly fits the upper half to create a better chimney effect? With your pot stand and leg ideas I would think you would get get better ‘draw’ upward and more heat could be directed to the bottom of your pot than just escape/get blown out the side? I’ve just bought three of these and going to try and create that to see if it boils quicker than 750 ML to rolling boil in 20 minutes that was recorded somewhere else. Will probably use more fuel but maybe that’s the trade off for a quicker boil? Want to be able to use a trangia alcohol stove inside the same thing so it’s dual fuel too. Loved your pot - fantastic - and well made. Great video.
bike spokes are also very handy for handles and man many things. A wrecked wheel could be free at a local bike store. For cutting this material I would use a nibbler. You can get them as add-ons for electric drills or as a hand tool.
Hi Mark, really impressed with the simplicity of it all. Can you tell me what thickness is the aluminium bar? Here in the UK it would be either 3mm or 5mm which do you think would be best? Thanks
I am glad you found my video helpful. The aluminum bar stock that I used is 3mm thick. It has been sufficiently strong but does occasionally warp a small amount from the heat. I expect 5mm thick stock would be a bit stronger and not very much weight. Thanks for commenting
You can put a stainless steel container over the utensil holder, and you have a DIY wood gas stove. :) Plus adding another feed hole where the hole is in the utensil holder makes your stove look like a wood gas rocket stove hybrid.
My guy. If you make a mini swedish torch that stove is ideal and you wouldn't need to cut a feed hole. It would last hours for minimal work and the wood will stay together longer because of it's height.
Don't forget to use dish water soap to put all over the sides and bottom of the pots, and let them dry over night or day. The soot will be a lot easier to remove. Plus a heat diffuser will work as well. :)
Great video love it I’ve just made one other day not as good as your though keep up the great work I’ve liked & subbed you stay safe Rucksack Adventures
Damn ... where did you find that coffee pot ?! I have been trying to find a container for my Walmart kitchen caddy (5" dia x 7" tall) and haven't found squat ! I have made stainless steel discs that I use in the bottom of the can for spark control or with higher position WITHIN the "fire-can" for heating. Your cooking "X" is excellent. Your pop-on/pop-off windscreen is nice. I have mine (aluminum flashing) that locks together like ductwork, or can be unlocked like yours fitting tightly to the side - and 4" tall (allowing me to raise/lower the vent holes to bottom or top). Can also take off as a separate wind shield. My screen (in locked mode) can be raised above the fire-can (as a baking oven w/ stainless disc, supported by metal skewers) and cook with silicone baking cups or other smaller metal cups. I have to use a 5" steel duct cap on my system, and it sorta works. I have no cut-out fire box opening. What fire there is (U)LW methodology is put into the fire-can and burned for what is needed. Then cook another item with other fuel put in. I have my entire heating/cooking/eating gear inside. Fire-can, windshield, 2 steel disc, duct cap, spoon, fork, 4 BBQ skewers, 2 stainless rice bowls with cap lids, my design cooking trammel cable, my design carrying cable (make into an Apache fire carrier, live fire) 12 oz collapsing silicone drinking cup, 4 silicone baking cupcake cups, 1/2 - 1 - 1 1/2 cup metal bowls, a small silicone mitt, bic lighter and/or ferro rod/striker. It can use any fire method out there - alcohol, sterno, walmart biofuel, esbit, charcoal, briquet, wood. Can cook boil, stew, bake, ... if I had your coffee pot I could sous vide (!). All of these items can be changed out for the landscape, season, and cooking/heating needs. My fire-can can be safely used in a tent/shelter desing (spark proof) and all contained.
Wow...that is an amazing, well thought out, versatile system you have. Have you made a video on it or posted it to Instagram? So many great ideas in there worth sharing. Thanks for commenting
With further research you must have the smaller Ikea kitchen utensil holder of the 2 models available. And your sugar container (and the larger caddy) are my same size Walmart Kitchen Caddy ... thusly you have that option, where I don't.www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=ordning+utensil+holderwww.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Stainless-Steel-3-Piece-Canister-Set/12927609/product.html?refccid=GKNKPFGQFMQKO32LMXIGBCOQYY&searchidx=29www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Kitchen-Caddy/179615334When I get new laptop (3 month old HP just decided to crack its screen - spiffy - and they wont fix under 1 year warranty !!!) will send PM photos of my unit. All the singular retail pieces make for very expensive heat/cook/eat unit, but all compact. Almost all others are heating units, cooking units, light units, heat/cook units, eat, cook/eat, ... but never 4-in-1 totally inherent system, ... and the modular cooking/eating bowls/cups can be designed for each outing. Just wish I could have external cooking pot container for total completion.
I have thought of that and will likely give it a try as I have a few more Ikea strainers. I do like that feature of the Firebox stoves. Thanks for commenting
I just bought that thing you called a strainer because I thought I could make a stove out of it. I bought thtaller one thats 3 holes higher. It's a paper towel holder, I bought at Walmart. Poke tent stakes through the top holes.
I give you a tip if you would have took a cheap bar of soap and rub it all over that pot and then used it and when you got it home and washed it off it would look like brand new
I could find no information that suggests aluminum will give off toxic gasses when heated to the temperature a wood fire would generate. I have since changed the crossbars from aluminum to stainless steel rulers. Thanks for commenting
After making this video series and gaining even more experience with them, I personally don't feel a need for a feed port. Having said that, not having one means lifting a pot or pan off the top to put more wood in the stove. My current recommendation would be to not cut a feed port then try the stove out to see how it works for you. You can always cut a feed port afterwards. Thanks for commenting
Since you did not mention which cylinder, the utensil strainer or the canister I will assume you meant the utensil strainer. It measures 12 cm OD and 11.5 cm ID at the internally rolled rim, I am not able to give you wall thickness but expect it is about 1 mm. The overall height without modification is 13.2 cm. Hope this helps
...maybe the feederhole, in the right place and size, to put in, the trangia cap, to stop the trangia burner.... 1 inch higher two tentpegs for putting on the long stanley cup inside the hobo.... maybe worth a try.... ride on! 🙂
I love my stove but it has room for improvement, such as I use a Bunsen burner tripod as my stand as I can dig it into uneven ground and it be level but it's heavy.
The Ikea has a height of 128mm, OD of 118mm and an ID of 115mm (rim is rolled out. I say standard because they do have a tall model and I did find one more narrow model. Thanks for commenting
I was fortunate to find it at the thrift store along with the Ikea strainer. When checking the thrift stores I take a measuring tape to see if a canister will fit inside. Thanks for commenting
The first time i used my IKEA hobo stove I set my living room carpet on fire. I couldn’t believe how quickly it got hot and I didn’t have anything to pick it up with.
@pesto12601 - I can't afford to spend $50. on a camp stove. Would rather know how to make one myself for as little $ as possible. Walmart has those utensil strainers too ($4.).
Thank you. You could have made this in one video. Leave out all the first grade info. " I use my blue marker" yeh no shit. Have to keep fast forwarding through that stuff.
