Best Camping Wood Stove for Cooking in the Wild

Most campers will agree when I say having a great backpacking camping stove you can rely on is almost as important as your tent when you’re camping in the wild. 

It can be the difference between eating bland dehydrated meals and enjoying warm, delicious meals throughout your trip. 

In this post, I break down 7 notable stoves in a bid to help you find the best camping wood stove for your upcoming camping trip. In the buying guide, I also cover some of the most important factors to remember while searching for when you’re shopping.

The 7 Best Camping Wood Stoves in 2023 

1. CANWAY Camping Stove

The Canway wood stove is your best bet if you’re a single camper looking for a functional, lightweight backpacking wood stove for long trips into the wilderness. 

It features a convenient carry bag for easy transportation, is collapsible, and is made from stainless steel, so you’ll have no problem transporting it to your campsite and back. Its collapsed size comes in around 5.5 x 5.5 x 3.38 inches. 

The Canway is surprisingly powerful for this modest size. It features a thermal-efficient two-combustion and an air intake vent that draws maximum performance from any fuel it’s fed with. It runs well on dry wood, charcoal, pine cones, and even wood chips. 

A full tank of wood can deliver put to 50 minutes of burn time. At the bottom of the stove, you’ll find three pegs that provide excellent support and keep the flame nice and even.

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

This is one of the better collapsible stainless steel wood stoves available on the market.  It is cheaper, lighter, and versatile than most stoves at its size. You also don’t have to worry about fuel as the Canwway wood stove is very fuel-efficient. It is also easy to light, so you won’t have to dread cooking or resort to reheating dehydrated meals. The biggest advantage of the Canway is its versatility. You can use the stove at picnics, barbeques, or for emergencies. 

2. WADEO Wood Burning Camp Stove

The Wadeo wood-burning stove is a great backpack stove for the adventurous foodie. It is an eco-friendly stove that can make just about anything a regular propane stove for. It comes with a barbecue net, so you can grill food at a picnic or in the wild if you wanted to.

The Wadeo can burn dead leaves, wood, wood chips, charcoal, pine cones, and solid alcohol for fuel, so you don’t have to bring wood on your trip.

Wadeo wood-burning stove dimensions are 8 x 5 x 1 inches in its collapsed form and it comes with a convenient carry bag. The stove weighs less than 3 pounds or 1kg, so you can carry it long distances easily. 

The stove is made with 304 stainless steel and it is rust and corrosion-resistant. Assuming you don’t misplace it, you can expect to use this stove for many years before you have to replace it. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

This wood-fired camp stove offers more versatility than the average camping stove–the barbeque is not something you find on products at its price point. The stove is also easy to assemble and use. 

It is one of the best camping stoves on the market, and it has no obvious shortcomings. As long as you are not lacking fuel, you should have no problem using this stove at beach parties, camping trips, and hiking trips. 

3. TOMSHOO Camping Stove

The TOM SHOO camping drive is a solo-survivalist dream backpacking wood stove. It is super lightweight (weighing less than 1kg) and comes with a convenient carry bag. You can carry this anywhere in the wilderness and be ready to cook in a few short minutes.

Like most wood stoves, it can not handle baking or fry very well because of how hot it burns, but it barbecues just fine and should be good enough to handle basic meals. 

This stove uses a two-level combustion system that makes it more fuel-efficient. It features double walls and a bottom vent that work together to create wood gas before producing fire. You can also add wood to the fire without removing the stove.

The TOM SHOO burns twigs, hardwood pellets, dry leaves, and hard alcohol. The stove is made from stainless steel and is foldable. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

The TOMSHOO is a steal for the price it is cheaper than most portable wood stoves. It weighs less than a kilogram, and you can carry it long distances without issue. It also has a great barbeque grill, so you have some options while you’re out in the wild. 

The biggest strength of this portable wood-fired stove doubles as its greatest weakness. It might not be long-lasting because of how flimsy it is. Corrosion and rust will eat away at it with time, and it might be more suited for the occasional camper. 

4. Odoland Folding Campfire Grill

The Odoland folding stove is a large collapsible fireplace with a stable steel grate on top. It is simpler than most camping stoves I’ve looked at so far. It is a simple stainless steel fireplace with a barbeque grate fitted on top. 

Its dimensions are 12 x 12 x 8 inches, so you can fit multiple pots on the stovetop at the same time. It shrinks to a fraction of its original size when folded and comes with a handy storage bag for convenient transportation.

The stove is made from high-quality stainless steel and is scratch, heat, and corrosion-resistant. It leverages its funnel shape to reduce air resistance, increase heat collection, and manage the stove airflow and heat efficiency.

The Odoland stove is great for cooking during camping trips, big picnics, social events, and parties.

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

The Odoland camping stove is a portable camping grill first and stoves second. It is a great choice for two or three-people camping groups, and it burns wood for fuel, so most campers will enjoy using it. 

The only issue you might have with the Odoland is its flimsy construction and limited fuel options. If you’re camping after a storm, or during winter, when every log of dry wood matters, a stove as inefficient as the Odoland might not be the best choice. 

5. Fltom Camp Tent Stove

The Fltom camp stove is more of a firebox than an actual cooking stove. It has a high heat output comparable to full gas ranges, and it features a tempered glass window and ventilation pipes. 

It has a great cosy feel, and the heat it generates can fill large tents even in the winter. The ventilation pipes serve as a chimney, and the stove serves as a fireplace and is also adjustable. They are 3-inch thick and 5 feet long. You can adjust the height and set them up for houses, tri-tents, and backyards. 

The Fltom is larger than the average camping stove and boasts a robust countertop that features a stainless steel grill, a hot plate cover, and two shelf racks to extend your cooking space. 

If you don’t mind the lack of accurate temperature control, you can cook just about anything on this stove. The Fltom stove is also collapsible and made from carbon steel.

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

This is arguably the best camping wood stove available in 2023 for large families and group camping trips. It is a must-have, especially if you’re camping in the winter, and it is very energy efficient. 

The biggest advantage of the Fltom is its versatile countertop. You can prepare several meals and extend the counter and use the hot plate cover if needed. It is recommended not just for camping but also for small homes and backyard events. 

6. US Stove Caribou Portable Camp Stove

The Caribou camping stove is a wood fired camp stove with a portable heater/grill you can carry on a camping trip. It ships in a large kit that contains a double-sided heat and corrosion-resistant grill, four steel leg legs for stability, a 6 feet chimney pipe for proper ventilation, the fire pit, and a handy flue brush.

Like most outdoor stoves, it is lightweight, collapsible, and easy to transport. It weighs about 22 pounds overall, with all the extra bits added in. You can cook, grill, and warm up a tent overnight with the stove. 

The grill top has a 117 square inch top, suitable for boiling water and preparing small meals. You can adjust the heat output of the stove with the easy-adjust door damper. The stove is made from heavy-duty steel. 

Pros

Cons 

Takeaway

The US stove Caribou is one of the best wood burning backpacking stove you can get for a camping trip, whether you’re by yourself or in a larger group. It has a reliable heavy-duty construction, so it’s guaranteed to last you years. It has great indoor heating, which is always useful, and you can use it in your backyard or home, even when you’re not camping.

It comes in various sizes, so you can choose what size suits your needs best. The only thing you could complain about is the price of the stove. 

7. REDCAMP Wood Burning Camp Stove

The Redcamp wood-burning wood stove is a stainless steel grill-style wood stove with a lot of promise. It is set at a competitive price and features better stainless steel than most of the other stoves you’ll easily find on the market. Its collapsible body is made from 430 steel, and the grill plate is 304 steel. 

For fuel, the Redcamp burning stove uses wood, twigs, charcoal, and pine stones and features an open feeder so you can add more fuel while you cook. 

Despite what its bulky design might suggest, this collapsible wood burning backpacking stove is fairly portable. It shrinks down to 10 x 6x 7 inches when collapsed and weighs less than 1 kg. It is excellent for long-distance travel trips.

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

The Redcamp greatest strength is its simplicity and material quality. While it is not as fancy as the other stoves available on the market, it gets the job done without compromise and is objectively one of the best portable wood burning stove you can purchase in 2023. It is a great choice for single and two-person camping groups.

Guide to picking the right wood stove

Just because wood stoves all do the same thing doesn’t mean they’re created equal. The breadth of products available can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to sort through them all, but finding the best wood stove doesn’t have to be impossible– not if you know what you’re looking for. A lot of parts and features make up a camping wood stove, and in this guide, we’ll go through them all.

Weight 

Most stainless steel stoves are made of 304 weather and corrosion-resistant stainless steel. This material is responsible for the lightweight profile.

However, despite being fashioned from the same materials, some products weigh substantially more than others. Additional attachments like chimneys, flue cleaners, stand, grill grates, and so much more add more weight to the collapsed and upright forms of the stoves. 

The handful or so products that do not use 304 or 403 stainless steel are made from something weightier like Carbon steel.

Before you shortlist or choose whatever stove you fancy, consider its weight. Are you travelling to your campsite on foot, in a car, or with a group of people? Consider how much weight you’ll be fine hulling long-distance in all these scenarios. 

Cookware support and countertop

With more space and better material composition comes a more stable, weight-bearing countertop.  Camping wood stoves that have a maximum amount of weight and pot size they can handle. The smaller the stove size and countertop, the less weight it can support typically. Single-person stoves can typically support smaller narrower pots suited for boiling water and preparing small meals, and large grill-sized family wood stoves can accommodate multiple pots. 

Consult the product sheet of the stove you’re buying before you place an order and select an appropriate stove size or material composition for your needs. 

Storage 

The weight of a wood-fired camp stove becomes less of a problem if the collapsed form is too unwieldy to transport. You want to pick a stove that folds down to a few inches wide and tall, at least. It’s a big plus the stove comes with a carry bag, and it’s even better if it can fit into your backpack or hang off it. 

Heat efficiency

Heat efficiency is arguably the most important feature in a camping wood stove. It tells how fuel-efficient the stove is and gives you an estimate of how much time a full tank or container of fuel will get you. 

Heat efficient stoves utilize the two-chamber or dual-combustion system that focuses on generating wood gas first, then setting it on fire. They also have a lot of air inlets or holes for proper ventilation and oxygen supply.

Well-designed stoves also feature a robust fuel chamber and accessible fuel door that lets you load fuel/wood, even when the stove is working.  They also feature a windshield or pan that keeps the fire burning steady and straight, even in windy environments. 

Fuel source 

All wood stoves use wood as a fuel source, but a few stoves take other convenient natural alternatives to wood-like pine cones, dry leaves, twig, and solid alcohol. 

You should opt for this type of stove if you can as they offer you more choice, in case you run out of wood when you’re camping. With easy access to fuel, you should have no problem burning your stove all night if you needed more heat at night. 

However, depending on the size of your camping group, natural fuel stoves might not be the right option for you. Wood burns better than most alternative natural fuels. Stoves that run on wood alone are safer, cost-effective, and more reliable.

FAQs

Can you put a wood stove in your tent or camper?

If you’re using a fire-resistant tent, then you should have no problems setting up a wood stove as long as it has a chimney or four and a reliable way to disperse the smoke. 

How long should it take to set up a camping wood stove?

A few minutes if the instructions are clear and detailed enough. Most wood stoves are fairly simplistic and require no manual or guide to set them up.

Can you use your wood stove for ice fishing or hunting?

Yes, you can. A great wood stove should function just fine in any environment, provided it has enough fuel to burn. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on a mountain top, ice-fishing, or barbecuing at a picnic. 

Is it safe to leave a wood stove running overnight?

Some wood stoves are marketed as makeshift furnaces and are designed to burn safely through the night. If you’ve taken the time to set up proper ventilation, shut off the flue and air intake, you can get the wood to burn slower and heat your tent through the night. 

Can you get Carbon monoxide poisoning from a wood stove?

It is very unlikely, but yes, you can get carbon monoxide poisoning from a wood stove. If smoke from the chimney stays trapped in the room where you’re sleeping or sitting, you will get poisoned and pass out.

Can you use your wood stove to cook at home?

Yes, you can use your wood stove to cook at home if you ever need to. They work fine indoors and outdoors and require proper ventilation and heat to work. They are also great during the wintertime for additional heat.

Conclusion and summary

Camping wood stoves come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, and you have to be very deliberate while shopping to find the perfect stove for your needs.

Handpick features that stand out the most to you, whether you’re camping by yourself, in a larger camping group, or you’re looking for an alternative to your gas range. 

The best camping wood stove in 2023 can satisfy your various needs at a competitive price, so you can be a bit inflexible while you’re shopping.  After all, there are no shortages of good camping wood stoves.