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Here’s a quick and easy DIY stove tutorial by NightHawkInLight. All you need is a soup can and an old fashioned can punch opener like this one. The great thing about this video is he actually tests out the stove by cooking a full meal on it.
For those of you who prefer written instructions, here’s what to do (use punch can opener for every hole):
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- Make an air inlet on the sidewall toward the bottom of can.
- Punch a hole in the bottom of the can right next to the air inlet you just made.
- Use the can opener to push both flaps of metal out of the bottom of the can, and bend them into feet that the stove can stand on.
- Do this 3 more times, making them evenly spaced from each other.
- Punch 8 air holes around the top of the can (bend the flaps all the way down so you don’t cut yourself on them.
- Layer the bottom of the can with some matchstick-size twigs, and put some slightly larger twigs on top of those.
- Hold a lighter up to one of the vent holes on the bottom and light it up.
That’s all there is to it! As the smaller twigs burn up, replace them with larger twigs (no thicker than your fingers) and the flame will be smaller and more manageable. You can set a pot or skillet right on the stove, but it’s better to use a trifold pot stand.
I tried this without the pot stand and it failed. The stove burned the wood very well until I put a pot right on it and used the can as a pot stand. At that point the fire went out and only smoldering coals. After 10 minutes the 16 ounces of water was still not near a boil.
This works with a pot stand but I was trying to avoid the extra bulk. Even if they fold down, it is more than I want in my tiny bag.
If I can carry this can and a small vial of alcohol and alcohol stove, it will pack down to the size of the can. When the alcohol is gone I can switch to sticks. That’s the plan anyway.
How did you make the tri-fold pot stand?
Check out the video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/deCzUOZyII8
In the third paragraph of the video description, he explains the pot stand and links to another video that shows how to make it.