Today I have something really important to share…
A Complete Guide On Finding, Using, Building & Buying A Rocket Stove
Because rocket stoves are THE MOST efficient way to burn firewood.
And efficient heat generation is KEY in an emergency.
Why? Because it allows you to:
- Boil suspect water
- Cook emergency meals
- Warm up small spaces
So let’s review the best rocket stoves available today (plus so much more)…
TOPICS IN THIS GUIDE… ↓(click to jump)
- Best Rocket Stoves Today
- What Is A Rocket Stove?
- Science Behind These Stoves
- 6 Ways They Improve Efficiency
- Best DIY Rocket Stove Plans
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The EcoZoom Versa is a well-built, heavily insulated stove.
It includes separate fuel and air inlet doors and an integrated cooktop and pot skirt.
The EcoZoom Versa doesn’t require a lot of wood or charcoal to cook an entire meal.
Making this stove the best very eco-friendly outdoor cooking tool!
↓ EcoZoom Versa – Cooking With Twigs
This is similar to the Versa listed above with one big difference.
The Dura isn't equipped to use charcoal like the Versa.
That being said...
The Dura is the one I own since I stockpile firewood as my backup fuel source.
↓ The EcoZoom Dura
The Hot Ash Stove makes a 2lb titanium and aluminum rocket stove that folds up for transport.
It even has a fuel ramp to feed sticks into the combustion chamber by gravity.
It's made in the USA and it got a lifetime guarantee (both a rarity nowadays)!
The biggest downside is it struggles in the wind.
It also takes more sticks to keep going compared to other designs.
↓ Hot Ash Rocket Stove
The Bruntmor Camping Stove is a heavy-duty, portable stove for hunters, fishers, campers, backyard cooks, or survivalists.
It converts a box into a fully functional stove in minutes.
Just add dry wood and light it up.
It also includes a cooking grate that's wide enough to support large pots.
But you're not taking this stove on a bug-out or backpacking trip, it's solid but heavy.
↓ The Compact Stove Review
The Marsh Kettles Rocket Stove's unique feature is that it packs completely flat for easy storage or transport.
It uses a slot assembly system for easy set-up or break-down.
It's simple to assemble, easy to ignite and has a gravity self-feeding inlet.
It's also Made in the U.S.A.
However, the metal components are unfinished.
So you may run into rusting over time.
↓ Flat Pack Mini Rocket Stove
This gravity-fed SHTFandGo Tent Stove is Made In The USA.
It's a heavy-duty gravity self-feeding stove.
It includes a well-positioned handle for easy transportation.
And this stove includes an extra-wide base for stability.
It's a perfect stove for camping, preppers, and survivalists!
And this stove can be used as a tent stove in a pinch (IF you make sure to use a chimney to aspirate to the outside).
You only need a few sticks (the size of your thumb) to operate.
The heavy-duty steel won't warp over time like stamped steel stoves.
The cooking grate is wide enough to support large pots - making it perfect for survival cooking.
It comes painted flat black with a high heat resistant 1200*F paint.
Accepts standard 3-inch venting pipe.
↓ 50 BMG Rocket Stove
↓ Bullet Proof Rocket Stove
What Is A Rocket Stove Anyway?
They’re portable super-efficient wood burning stoves.
The best ones use a minimal amount of fuel to create heat.
And they use easily found fuels, such as:
- kindling
- twigs
- small branches
- pine cones
- and dry grass
Which are:
- Readily available
- Easy to gather and haul
- FREE (who doesn’t love free?)
These fuels burn in a chamber designed for nearly complete combustion.
Meaning faster heating (and cooking) with fewer combustibles.
The first ones built were old lamp designs from the 1700s.
Since those early years, it’s undergone incremental improvements.
The modern-day rocket stove was designed in the 1980s.
It was a cooking system for impoverished nations.
And the simple design captivated the world.
Because they’re easy and inexpensive to build, using only:
- crap materials from a recycling bin
- Or even a few concrete blocks!
THAT’s why they’re so popular.
Especially for those preparing for emergencies…
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You can’t truly appreciate these stoves until you understand HOW THEY WORK.
First, they have no moving parts:
- No flue damper
- No air inlet grate!
And it only has only 4 basic components:
1. The “Elbow”
The primary design is an L-shaped pipe with a 90deg bend.
The horizontal portion is the fuel chamber and air inlet.
The vertical is the combustion chamber and chimney.
2. The Stove Body
The entire body is usually insulated to improve efficiencies.
And to withstanding high temperatures.
3. A Fuel Grate
Ideally, the fuel sits off the bottom.
A metal grate works for this.
It provides airflow under and around the fuel.
And this allows ash to fall away and be removed.
4. A Pot Skirt
The skirt allows you to place a pot on the chimney.
It provides an air gap for hot gases to escape.
The pot skirt also blocks wind from the bottom of the pot.
This provide a better heat transfer for faster cooking.
4 Ways They Improve Efficiency
1. The firewood partially blocks the inlet air.
This forces higher air speeds through the stove.
Higher air speeds means cleaner (hotter) burns.
This generates maximum heat output per fuel.
2. The fire burns at the tips of the firewood.
And only the tips.
So as it burns you push more material into the blaze.
This makes it easier to control the burn rate.
And keeps an even (very hot) temperature.
3. With the pot above the chimney, you focus ALL heat on your pot.
This means less waste and less fuel to get dinner on the table!
The insulated design also avoids heat transfer waste.
And the fuel chamber helps preheats the fresh air before reaching the fuel.
Here’s a side view of a larger rocket stove (it has an extra bend but the concept is the same):
↓ Rocket Stove Side View
Why These Stoves Are Great For Emergencies
They’re a modern-day survivalist dream device.
No, they won’t win a “cool survival gadget” contest (like a solar charger).
But they’re even MORE important!
It made OUR top 10 prepping list.
Here are 5 ‘no brainer’ reasons to invest in one today:
1. Scalability
- They’re great for portable cooking.
- OR “rocket mass heaters” can heat a cabin.
So the rocket stove design is scalable AND versatile.
2. Insane Efficiency
They run on very little fuel.
And you can use firewood, branches, twigs, or pinecones.
Heck, you can run these stoves on leaves, grass, and brush!
The bottom line is:
A rocket stove can use “free” combustibles.
But what about heating a home?
A well-designed rocket mass heater will make your pile of firewood last longer.
How much longer?
In the video below, they only used 0.6 cords for an entire Montana winter!
↓ Heat A 3-Bedroom Home With 0.6 Cords Of Wood
3. Produce Very Little Smoke
If you hate smoke, then it’s time you did something about it.
You could get a smokeless fire pit.
But for disasters or emergencies, rocket stoves are better.
Get one for survival cooking.
Why don’t they produce smoke?
The efficiency of the burn.
The more efficient the combustion, the less smoke.
It’s as simple as that!
4. Perfect Plan B Heat Source
What’s your winter power outage heat plan?
A backup generator?
IT will eventually run out of fuel.
What’s your plan after that?
For some:
A candle heater is worth a try.
But it won’t work for large spaces.
For others:
It’s a kerosene or propane heater.
But storing large amounts of liquid fuels is complicated…
Instead:
A rocket stove is a better solution.
Scale up to a rocket mass heater with a chimney to heat an entire home.
While these stoves produce less smoke, it’s not “smokeless.”
So if you burn inside a home – you could die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
DON’T DO THAT!
5. Better Than Open Fire & Wood Stoves
I’ve love cooking over a firepit.
But it’s NOT the most convenient method.
And stockpiling enough wood is always a challenge.
A traditional wood stove is an improvement.
They help manage your fuel’s heat and burn rate.
And provide a more stable cooking surface.
But they still require copious amounts of firewood.
Splitting logs and sawing branches takes time and effort.
And traditional wood stoves are not portable.
So, what can you do when there’s limited firewood?
Try a Rocket Stove!
↓ Top 5 Reasons You Should Get One Of These Stoves
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Enter your email below to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary. 👇 👇Rocket Stove DIY Plans
Let’s learn how to build a rocket stove.
I’m a big fan of DIY survival gear.
And these stoves make an excellent candidate!
It can be as simple or complex as you’d like:
Stacked Brick Rocket Stove Design
You’ll just need a small pile of bricks.
Arrange them to create the main chamber, that’s it!
↓ How To Build A Brick Stove For $10
Cinder Block Rocket Stove
Snag a couple of concrete blocks and arrange them.
Simple, yet effective.
↓ The 4 Block DIY Stove
5 Gallon Bucket & Concrete Plans
All you need is a 5-gallon bucket, concrete, and some cardboard tubes:
↓ A DIY Concrete And Perlite Stove
Metal Plans
There are plenty of simple designs out there.
And some designs feature welded pipes.
These are great IF your skills include working with metal:
↓ Making A Metal Stove
And you can build one with a gravity-fed fuel chamber:
↓ Simple Camping “Rocket” Stove Build DIY
Tin Can Rocket Stove
And lastly, you can make a mini one with a tin can.
↓ Homemade Tin Can Stove
The Dakota Fire Hole
Drawing Of Dakota Fire Pit
You can even make one in the wild!
It’s called a Dakota Fire Hole.
And it’s been a longtime solution for efficient cooking (without concrete, bricks, buckets, or metal).
It consists of two intersecting holes.
Connected by an underground tunnel.
It’s similar in design, so a Dakota fire hole has many of the same benefits.
It’s a very low-cost, efficient, high-heat, clean-burning.
But it adds an element of discretion (the flames are hidden below ground) and wind resistance.
↓ The Dakota Fire Hole – Stealth Fire
Final Thoughts
A rocket stove is an invaluable survival tool.
One that’s affordable, efficient, and ease of use.
At the end of the day:
It’s pure satisfaction to cook dinner with the power of twigs and pinecones.
So get your hands on one ASAP!
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