What do you do after you've used up all of your Coleman fuel and propane? How are you going to prepare your rice & beans? Wood is always a good option, but depending on you location, you may have a problem with the amount of wood that is available. After doing some research I came across the "Rocket Stove".
I was amazed at how easy they are to build once you understand the basic concept of how they work, but since I was feeling a bit lazy, I decided to part with some of my hard-earned money and just buy one. I'm very glad I did. Considering the fact that it will out-last me, its a great investment.
The outer shell is made of rolled steel and the top is cast iron, just like that heavy fry pan you have. The interior is formed out of a fire-proof clay, which serves as insulation. Seriously, these are made to be used and to last. The Rocket Stove is also more child friendly than an open fire, or many other stoves on the market. Due to its increased insulation the outside of the stove can be touched without causing burns. The stove is sturdy by design, hard to push over and provides a stable platform to cook on. What I like most about this stove is its choice of fuels. While you can use thin cuts of wood, you can also utilize most anything that will burn. I tried cooking lunch using nothing more than a handful of twigs and dried Blackberry branches. Within a few minutes, the grilled Cheese was on the plate. With a conventional fire, you'd need a large amount of fuel to do any sort of cooking, but the Rocket Stove is very easy on fuel. A handful or two is all it takes. It burns every bit of its fuel source, leaving just a small amount of ash. Because of its design, it even burns the gases from your wood, so there is very little smoke. Just a lot of heat.
These are not designed to be used inside your home, however there are many people who have adapted the Rocket Stove concept to provide both heat and hot water for thier home. Imagine being able to heat your home with scrap wood, twigs and small branches.
The Rocket Stove is a "must have" item for the Prepper. Plus, if you're a Prepper Geek, like me, they're a lot of fun to use!
We've added several Rocket Stoves to our On-line Prepper Equipment Store.
