DIY Lightweight Camp Stove

Backpacking and camping often requires a lot of consideration be paid to space and weight. This is a hard thing to balance, especially when adding in food and cooking gear. Reduce some weight in your camping kitchen set-up and make a lightweight, yet fuel efficient (and clean) cooking camp stove. Benefits of this small camping heater is lightweight, small space and a non-toxic fuel source. Plan on getting three days of two meals a day with each of the camp stoves in this design.

Things You'll Need

  • Clean and discarded tuna cans
  • Cardboard strips
  • Cutting tool
  • Bulk paraffin wax
  • Stove top
  • Double boiler
  • Cooling area
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut a strip of cardboard 1 inch in diameter and 12 inches long. Coil this up in the clean tuna can (clean the interior and exterior and make sure the can has no paper or labels on it). Pull the center end of the cardboard up so it is above the edge of the can by 1 inch.

    • 2

      Fill a double boiler with water and place it on a medium-high stove burner. Bring the water to a boil and place the interior boiler pot into the double boiler.

    • 3

      Add chunks of the paraffin wax into the boiler until it melts completely.

    • 4

      Pour the melted wax into the can so the cardboard is covered. Let the tip of the cardboard end (the center sticking out) receive a coating of the wax, but do not tuck it back into the center. This is the wick of the stove.

    • 5

      Place the can on a cooling area rack. Let the wax harden.

    • 6

      Light the cardboard end sticking out of the center when ready to heat and cook. The wax naturally seeps up to the top as it burns, letting the cardboard burn without ruin.