It’s not always safe to start a campfire for meals, but a wood camping stove can provide the centralized heat you need to safely prepare meals off the grid.
These stoves are generally easy to ignite, portable, and simple to cook on, allowing you to enjoy cooking while spending quality time unwinding in the great outdoors. Whether you’re looking for a lightweight, compact build, or you have some space to spare for a heavier, bulkier build, we are here to help!
Keep reading to learn about our top five best wood camping stoves, including a handy guide on which factors you should look for.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Solo Stove Titan Wood Camping Stove
Budget Option
Ohuhu Mini Wood Camping Stove
Best Lightweight Option
Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Camping Stove
Best Overall
Solo Stove Titan Wood Camping Stove
The Solo Stove Titan wood camping stove features a unique double wall that creates ultra-clean gasification and secondary combustion that allows fuel to burn more efficiently with the least amount of smoke possible.
This stove is constructed using premium stainless steel and nichrome wire and includes a nylon stuff sack for portability. The air ventilation system enables this stove to burn hotter and more efficiently, fueled by oxygen that enters through the bottom of the stove.
Designed to be placed inside the Companion Solo Stove Pot 1800, which is sold separately, this wood camping stove doesn’t require any gas or liquid fuel for power. Its lightweight design weighs only 16.5 ounces and leaves plenty of space in your back, making it the perfect stove for backpackers.
Pots and pans sit on the stove easily, without rocking back and forth. You can boil around 32 ounces of water in less than ten minutes using this camping stove. Power it using twigs, leaves, pinecones, wood, or any other flammable organic matter on hand.
Pros
- The double-walled design is great for heat retention.
- The compact design fits well into backpacks.
- Constructed of premium stainless steel for durability.
Cons
- The metal can rust over time.
- A bit pricey.
Best Budget Option
Ohuhu Mini Wood Camping Stove
The Ohuhu Mini wood camping stove is compact, portable, and lightweight, weighing only 1.9 pounds, and can be assembled in seconds without tools. The stainless steel construction is made to last, with a detachable stainless steel plate that helps contain the firewood while it burns.
This camping stove is excellent for campers, hikers, and backpackers on a budget and it doesn’t take up much space in your pack! It fits nearly any size pots and pans on the burner and is easy to use and clean. The double-walled design performs just as well as similar, but more expensive models.
It comes in four parts that stack together inside for easy assembly and includes a convenient carrying case. Including bottom vents, a stove chamber, a stove baseplate, solidified alcohol plate, a pot supporter, and a grill grid, this stove burns efficiently and quickly. It heats up quickly and can boil water in less than ten minutes.
Power this stove with wood, twigs, leaves, or any other organic flammable material on hand. You can open one side at the top to add more wood, and the bottom is open so the hot ash can fall out so be careful when you’re using it.
Pros
- Cost-efficient.
- Made using premium-grade stainless steel.
- Comes with a convenient carrying case.
Cons
- Stays hot for a while after cooking.
- It can be difficult to control the heat distribution.
Best Lightweight Option
Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Camping Stove
The Vargo titanium wood camping stove features a simple foldable design that will have you cooking in no time. The one-piece design takes minutes off the assembly time. The full-size swinging door and hexagon shape make it easy to add wood and cook efficiently.
This lightweight portable stove only weighs 4.1 ounces and can be folded together and stowed away in the included nylon carrying case, so it’s an excellent choice for backpackers, hikers, and any other campers looking to pack light.
With a conical shape that focuses heat on your pots and pans for faster heating, this compact stove is 45 percent lighter than steel and two times stronger than aluminum builds. It has a heavy resistance to corrosion and cools down quickly after you’re done cooking.
It folds flat for compact storage and the collapsible titanium build is perfect for boiling water or cooking meals while you’re on the trail.
Pros
- Compact, space-saving design.
- Easy to assemble and clean.
- Resistant to rust and corrosion.
Cons
- May need some modification or adjustment to work properly, according to some reviewers.
- Can be difficult to clean.
BioLite CampStove 2+ Wood Camping Stove
The BioLite CampStove wood camping stove is equipped with patented combustion technology that creates smokeless flames for a tabletop fire for you to whip up anything from s’mores to a complete meal.
Featuring a thermoelectric generator that generates three watts of power for real-time charging, this camping stove stores power in the 3,200 mAh battery for you to use even when the fire isn’t burning. Your devices can be charged using the integrated USB port.
Included with this camping stove are a portable grill, kettle pot, coffee press, flex light, two stuff sacks, and a micro USB cable, making cooking a breeze. The fans, with four speeds, decrease boil time to just four minutes and allow you to simmer, which is responsible for the practically smokeless fire. You can cook just about any meal on this stove.
You will find that this camping stove is a little on the heavier side, at two pounds, so it’s probably not well-suited for hikers and backpackers. It’s made from durable stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic for a sturdy build.
Pros
- Built-in LED dashboard that allows you to track the fan speed, power output, and fire strength.
- You can control the temperature using a fan feature.
- Generates electricity for charging while the stove is burning.
Cons
- Rather heavy for a small wood stove.
- You must remove the cooking pot to add wood.
- Doesn’t fold for compact storage
TOAKS Titanium Wood Camping Stove
The TOAKS wood camping stove uses grade 1 and 2 titanium with no coating for a lightweight, compact build that weighs just 7.9 ounces and is very easy to use. It also comes with a mesh storage sack for convenient carrying.
This stove comes in three parts that can be stacked inside one another for more efficient storage. The design takes only a few seconds to assemble and provides consistent heat distribution from the stove to the edges of the pan.
This cookware is highly recommended among backpackers and hikers looking for a lightweight stove since it’s a fraction of the weight of other metal builds. The design is lightweight, portable, sturdy, and easy to use and clean.
Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the camping stove at all times when you have a fire burning. This particular model gets a bit smokey if you feed it too much wood, but if you don’t feed it enough it won’t get sufficient heat to cook your food.
Pros
- Comes with a convenient drawstring carrying bag.
- You can easily control how much heat you need depending on what you’re trying to cook using the four fan speeds.
- Durable stainless steel build.
Cons
- Feeding this stove can be a bit tedious.
- Reviewers report simmering can still be a challenge even with the adjustable heat.
Wood Camping Stove Buyer’s Guide
The best wood camping stove will make your camping life so much easier, no matter where your adventure takes you. It can be challenging to find the best product for your camping needs, especially with so many different products on the market today.
There are a few factors you’ll want to consider while you’re on the lookout for the right camping stove.
What to Consider
Weight
The weight of a camping stove is an important factor to consider, especially if you’re hiking or backpacking. It’s not as big of a deal when you’re car camping or using a small travel trailer that doesn’t have a built-in range top.
A stove’s weight is determined by the size, density, and materials used in its construction. You should look for a camping stove that’s capable of doing the job you need it to do without weighing down your pack.
Size
The size of a camping stove goes along with the weight in terms of how many people you can cook for and whether large pots and pans will fit on the burner. The size determines how easy it is to pack.
There are small, lightweight options that are easy to fold flat for storage and are made of titanium or stainless steel which are excellent for backpackers and hikers since they don’t take up much space in your pack. For backpackers and hikers, your main concern is to find a stove that is under two pounds.
For a family or a group of campers, there are many larger products on the market that provide stability and durability during harsh weather conditions. These wood camping stoves typically have bigger grills that fit more food over direct heat. This means there is less risk of burning your food, which results in more nutritious meals while you’re out exploring nature.
Types of Wood Camping Stoves
There are three main types of camping stoves you will encounter including foldable stoves that come in different styles, can-style stoves, and box-style camping stoves.
Folding Stoves
Folding wood camping stoves are the easiest and lightest to pack. These stoves typically fold flat, which saves a ton of space in your pack for more important items. You can stack other gear on top of them or slide them into small spaces in your backpack for added convenience.
Can/Box Stoves
Can-style and box-style stoves are very similar. These stoves generally don’t fold up to be as compact as folding stoves, but they are sturdy and efficient. The lack of hinges on these stoves improves the structural integrity, for an extremely durable product.
Construction
The most common materials used in constructing a wood camping stove are titanium, stainless steel, and anodized aluminum. The best, in general, is one that has a durable metal construction.
Stainless steel builds are stronger overall, but titanium is stronger per unit mass. This means that stainless steel is the best if weight isn’t a concern for you. Stainless steel also tends to retain heat better. If you’re trying to pack light a titanium build may be best for you. It’s a little more expensive than stainless steel, but worth every penny.
Performance
The efficiency of a camping stove comes down to its design. The most efficient wood camping stoves consist of a double-walled construction. This creates an insulating pocket between the fire and the elements, as well as the air holes that boost combustion by allowing oxygen to power the flames.
To make sure the fire burns strong and efficiently, you should buy a stove with plenty of air holes. Typically most of these stoves need to be fed constantly to maintain temperature while you’re cooking. Once your stove does get up to its hottest temperatures it will burn off your wood quickly. For this reason, quick meals are suggested to reduce the amount of wood needed for each meal.
Assembly
You’ll want a camping stove that’s easy and quick to assemble if you’re using it regularly. However, you should keep in mind that some of the stoves that don’t require assembly are a challenge to clean because you can’t get between the walls or under the wood tray at the bottom. A square-shaped stove is usually pretty easy to clean because you can disassemble it quickly and completely.
Wrapping Up The Five Best Wood Camping Stoves
Whether you’re hiking or backpacking and looking for a compact camping stove, or you’re car camping with plenty of space, the perfect wood camping stove is just waiting on you! We hope this guide has helped you choose the best portable stove for your camping needs.
If you want to learn more about campfires, like how to start a fire without kindling, be sure to check out the campfire and survival fire section of our website.