Why a Wood Stove? More Thoughts on the Caldera Cone Ti-Tri.

Why a wood stove?  I mean why not just pile up a rock circle, throw in some wood, and fire it up?  In terms of a stove, what could be lighter than nothing?

I "cut my teeth" on wood cooking back in the day (60's & 70's), so I have some idea as to what's involved with just cooking on an open fire.

I've got to say, it's really nice to have a little wood burner like the Ti-Tri Caldera Cone with Inferno option along compared to just an open fire, particularly if you want to cook real food on a wood fire.

A Ti-Tri Caldera Cone (Sidewinder type)

First, heating is a lot faster. With the Caldera Cone, the heat is concentrated. When we (dad and I) used to cook, we'd drop a coffee can in the fire. Was the heat concentrated? No. Sometimes things would heat quickly and some times not.

Second, it's really easy to have a stable pot. We never dumped our dinner, but with just rocks as your pot support, it certainly could happen.

Third, it's really easy to get the pot on and off. We used to use a long loop of wire attached to the coffee pot and a stick. A bit clumsy, and again, the pot could catch on a rock as you swing it off the fire, dumping your dinner. With a Caldera Cone, it's easy on and easy off.

A pot is very stable on a Caldera Cone, and the pot handles are easily accessible

Fourth, it's easy to get the fire going. The stove provides a lot of ventilation. There's not a lot of blowing into the fire (and smoke inhalation!).  And once started, the fire doesn't go out.

Fifth, you don't have to gather as much wood. Fill the little bowl, and that's plenty for a couple of cups of water, probably more.

Sixth, there's little impact. Just some white ash after you're done that can be buried or wind dispersed (after you've check that the ashes are completely cold of course!).

Seventh, the fire is relatively well contained. Especially if you keep the fire down in size, there's very little in the way of escaping embers. I'd say this is a much safer way to burn wood than an open fire.

Eighth, the combustion is very thorough. What's probably the biggest danger from a campfire? The campfire not being completely out and the flames spring back to life later on, sparking a wildfire. When I've used the Ti-Tri with Inferno option, I've been very impressed with how complete the combustion is. There isn't much left after the Ti-Tri is done.  No smoldering remains, no wildfire danger.

Ninth, it's easier to get a good set of coals for lower heat cooking. You can cook eggs, pancakes, etc. on this stove.

Cooking eggs on a wood fired Caldera Cone

Tenth, in a way, you don't even have to carry a full stove in order to have a first rate wood burner. What do I mean by that? The Caldera Cone is a first class alcohol or hexamine (e.g. ESBIT) stove system in its own right.  On most of my trips I can't burn wood every meal, so I'm going to be carrying the Cone for alcohol or hexamine anyway. In a pinch, I can burn wood with just the Cone, but for an additional 81g, I can get a full blown, efficient wood burner with all the benefits noted above.  81g?  What is that?  Well, that's about the weight of a PocketRocket.  Without fuel.  So, in other words, you can have a full blown, good wood burner for about the weight of a PocketRocket.  I'd say that's not too shabby.

HJ

Other wood fired backpacking stove posts:

• The BushBuddy Ultra.  Craftsmanship has not gone out of style.
• The Ti-Tri Caldera Cone -- The Ultimate Ultralight Stove System?
• Why a Wood Stove?  More Thoughts on the Caldera Cone Ti-Tri.
• Wood Fired Cooking on a Caldera Cone.  Cooking real food with wood.
• BushBuddy vs Ti-Tri Caldera Cone.  Wood stoves, compared.

Other posts on the Caldera Cone:

• Caldera Cone Alcohol Stove Review (on Seattle Backpackers Magazine) 
• Caldera Cone Review Supplement -- Additional Photos and Technical Appendix with Weights 
• Caldera Cone vs. Clikstand Alcohol Stove Tests 
• The Caldera Cone's 12-10 Burner 
• What "Color" is your Caldera? 
• The "Magic" of the Caldera Cone (Why is the Caldera Cone so efficient?)