Make a Camp Stove
Make a Camp Stove / Mini Barbecue

These great little camp stoves are easy to make in one evening. You can use this DIY campstove on camps, barbecues, cookouts, picnics, and for emergencies. It gives enough heat to cook sizzling pork chops, fish, eggs, bacon, hot dogs, hamburgers, vegies, etc. Take it on your next camping, fishing, hiking, or hunting trip, and you can set up and be cooking in one or two minutes. The other campers will smell your pork chops frying, while they are still searching for kindling and a hot dog stick!

 
 
Responsible supervision is required for these camp stoves / mini barbeques.

Read through the instructions, and gather all materials and tools before starting.
Get a large empty paint can with a lid, and a small empty paint can with a lid. Use the gallon & quart sizes.
Do not put any holes in the small can.
Use an oldfashioned bottle opener to put triangular holes in the sides of the large paint can around the top and bottom.

That provides air flow for burning, even if a pot is covering the top of the camp stove. Use a permanent marker to write the words "WARNING HOT!" on the outside of the large can and its lid.

The stove top parts are just a bunch of stiff wire rods such as the kind for welding, or maybe coat hanger wire.
Around the rim of the large paint can there is a deep groove. Use a nail and hammer to punch holes through the bottom of the groove. Remove the nail after punching each hole.
Cut or break the stove top parts into 6 pieces long enough to lay across the top of the large paint can parallel to each other with 3 extra inches at each end.
The ends of stove top parts must be bent down about 3 inches at each end, so that you can push the ends through holes in the rim of the can.
Now pull out the stove top parts and lay them in order beside the large can.
Get a full roll of TP. It will act as a wick. Remove and discard the inner cardboard core from the roll without unrolling the TP. Squeeze the sides of the roll to fill in the area of the centre hole and place the whole roll (one end down) into the small paint can. One edge of all the sheets of TP should be towards the top. Get a can or bottle of Methyl Hydrate (Available in the paint section at most hardware stores).

Like most fuels, Methyl Hydrate as liquid or vapor is dangerous and toxic. Click here for Iowa State University's important safety info about Methyl Hydrate / Methyl Alcohol.

Since Methyl Hydrate tends to evaporate, you may want to get an extra bottle of it to keep unopened for emergency cooking use during your next blackout. Methyl Hydrate is the only fuel to use in this stove.

To fuel up the stove: You must be outdoors for maximum ventilation. Pour it slowly into the TP wick in the small paint can. Let it soak in. Keep filling up to the top of the wick. Now close the bottle tightly and cover the can to keep the fuel from evaporating. Place the small can inside of the large can. Put the stove top parts back in place in the rim of the large can.

Top up (fill up) the fuel before each use. Drop a match in your new barbecue, and you're ready to cook.
Do not place food directly on the stove top. Place the food in a cooking pan, and set the pan on the stove top. Look at that flame, perfect for frying up a freshly cought fish. One fuel fill up will provide hours of cooking time.
You may partialy cover the flame in the camp stove with the small paint can lid, to adjust the heat.
Use a butter knife or something to move the lid for heat adjustment.
Completely cover the small can with its lid to shut off the flame.
After your barbecue cools, keep the small can sealed when not in use to prevent fuel evaporation.
The small can and the stove top parts fit neatly into the large can for carying and storage of your camp stove.
Whether you are a hunter, angler, barbecuer, picnicker, camper, hiker, do-it-yourselfer, or a prepared-for-any-emergency type person, this reliable little camp stove will perform great, and last a long time.
click here for some camp recipes       here is another mini backpack stove / hobo stove
 

Email:  zirgo@bconnex.net
URL for this web page:  http://www.bconnex.net/~zirgo/cmpstove.html
Zirgo home page:  http://www.bconnex.net/~zirgo
 
Copyright © 2005- by Zirgo Corp.  All Rights Reserved.  This document may not be used for commercial gain without written permission from the publisher. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this web page, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.